The initiatives at UW/H are as diverse as our students - everything can, nothing has to! However, there are some basic characteristics that apply to most initiatives.

• An initiative consists of a group of (predominantly) students who work on a specific topic on a voluntary basis.
• Initiatives should be open to anyone who is interested and should therefore also accept members from across faculties.
• As a rule, initiatives are long-term projects that continue through changing generations of members.
• An initiative should have a certain connection to the UW/H - this is usually given by the fact that students of the university are involved in it. Note: University groups of existing NGOs such as Amnesty or Greenpeace can also register as an initiative - as long as students are involved.
• Initiatives differ from university political groups such as student councils, student councils and working groups in that they have their own institutional place in the university political landscape and are often tied to a specific faculty.

In the Starting Kit for Initiatives, the Initiativlabor has compiled useful information on setting up initiatives. It answers the following questions:

• What is an initiative?
• How can I set up a new initiative?
• Where can I find support for questions and the right contacts at the university, e.g. for fundraising, data protection, room bookings?
• What services does the Initiativlabor offer for initiatives?
• Which tools, e.g. for project management or media design, make the initiative's work easier?
• Where can an initiative and its events be advertised?

• Market of Opportunities (MDM): At the start of each semester, the Initiativlabor organizes the MDM. This is where all initiatives can introduce themselves and find new members. The Initiativlabor contacts all initiatives in good time before the MDM so that they can register.
• Workshops: The Initiative Lab offers demand-oriented workshops on various topics. If several initiatives are interested in a particular topic, a corresponding offer is planned. Requests for topics can be submitted to the Initiative Lab.
• Initiative meetings: In addition to the public MDM, the Initiativlabor organizes a cozy initiative meeting with snacks and drinks every semester so that the various initiatives can network with each other, give tips and ask questions. The Initiative Lab also uses this opportunity to find out what the current status of the individual initiatives is.
• Initiatives room: The Initiativlabor provides a room in Bahnhofstraße 63 (1st floor - above Unikat) for initiatives to work in. Up to twelve people can be seated there. The Initiativlabor must be contacted to use the room.
• E-mail address for initiatives: Initiatives can apply for their own e-mail address. The Initiativlabor provides information on what needs to be considered and helps to set up a x@uni-wh.de address.
• WhatsApp group for initiatives: For easy communication with each other (e.g. requests for appointments or information from the Initiativlabor), the Initiativlabor offers a WhatsApp group in which contact persons from many initiatives are represented. Anyone wishing to join must contact the Initiativlabor.
• General help: If you have questions about moderation, volunteer management, networking with experts, etc., the Initiativlabor is also the right contact.

Email: initiativlabor@spam protectuni-wh.de

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/initiativlabor/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/initiativ.labor
UW/H-Website: https://www.uni-wh.de/unser-vibe/studileben/studentische-initiativen

Initiative room: Bahnhofstraße 63 (1st floor - above the Unikat), 58452 Witten

You can have your involvement in an initiative recognized in the Studium fundamentale. The following PDF summarizes what you need to do to obtain this credit:

This form can be used to report either the founding of a new initiative or changes to an existing one. This enables the Initiative Lab to better plan the Market of Opportunities or the UW/H initiative meeting, for example.