Many horrid things happened as this decade got underway, but one wonderful memory of 2021 is the founding of studyFIT. The university had determined that all the disparate student support measures needed a dedicated home, a sound structure such that there was one go-to place for students seeking to bolster their study skills before embarking on a higher education or, indeed, at any point throughout their studies. Furthermore, new courses and services were needed: English Learning Support, Data Literacy, a Writing Centre… It was a monster mandate, and then newly appointed Coordinator Dr André Biederbeck had a lot on his plate.
An early hire was Student Assistant Mike Bayer, a trainee tax advisor, computer geek and lover of three-D printing who hails from the sleepy village of Freigericht, flush next to a forest where Hesse meets Bavaria.
“Initially, my tasks were somewhat different from the range I ended up covering,” muses Mike. “I responded to support requests and analysed stats pertaining to the studyFIT web pages.” But as the studyFIT crew grew, more tasks fell on his lap: uploading content on the studyFIT website (the software makes this a time-consuming headache); lending a hand with periodic but all-essential mass mailings and all sorts of things IT-related.
- Need someone with student login credentials to double check reports of dubious experiences in the VU?
- How about sorting out semester delineations in the Moodle back end?
- Are there instructional materials in development where the input of only a true IT-aficionado will do?
- What about someone to test surveys and student experiences—someone who is also fluent in English?
In all these cases and more, Mike’s your man. Or was, until the end of September 2026.
Smiling at the fond memories, he commented, “I worked intensively on the “Lehnen mit KI” course and as such a highlight was that I was able to co-facilitate the synchronous workshops alongside Dr Moritz Kohls. Another absolute highlight was the Learning AID conference which took place at Ruhr University Bochum in 2025. There, I had the opportunity to present a poster alongside my colleagues. Since I usually work from home, it was a pleasure to travel up to NRW, and I got to meet the team in person for the first time.”
The day of which he speaks was indeed memorable. After some researchers from the Centre for Learning and Innovation (ZLI) had shown their mettle at the Bochum conference, the studyFIT quintet met for dinner at an Asian eatery somewhere in the Bochum/Witten vicinity, and we were all so engaged in conversation we clean forgot to capture a commemorative photo!
We eventually righted this wrong when we met to wish Mike farewell at the end of September 2026, this time over piping hot pizzas a stone’s throw from our Hagen campus. “Whilst I didn’t work frequently with Mike, I did find him to be hardworking and positive,” chimed Dr Andreas Kempka who works in the Exams Unit at ZLI. “So, joining in this farewell celebration is a pleasure,” he said. His sentiments were echoed by Librarian Jutta Stöppel who also joined the goodbye do. “When I heard that Mike was around and that he was leaving, I had to come over,” she said as she took her seat at table.
It was a bittersweet evening. On the one hand, it is a rare day indeed that we have cause to gather for dinner, and the early autumn evening and overall goodwill made for a convivial atmosphere. Yet, it was the end of an era, a swansong for studyFIT’s five years as a crucible for developing student-focused services within a learning and innovation context. (But more on that topic some other time).
Coordinator Dr André Biederbeck said, “Mike has been such an integral part of studyFIT that we already miss him.”
His sentiments are echoed by my colleagues Dr Moritz Kohls (Data Literacy and AI) and Dr Angela Schröder who heads up the Writing Centre. They don’t call the eLearning Friends ‘ELFen’ for no good reason. They work behind the scenes like the shoemaker’s elves, helping to get things done. And when they are particularly talented à la Mike Bayer, their renown is spread far and wide.
The hard work we already miss of Mike was done alongside his undergraduate studies, where is reading Maths and Computer Science.
“I chose a distance learning programme because it gives me the flexibility I absolutely need—personal circumstances would have prevented me from attending classes in person. It’s very challenging, but you learn to stay on top of things,” Mike said. “It really wasn’t always easy, what with work, study and personal circumstances. But over time, you develop strategies that work to juggle everything.”
But there is nevertheless a method to the mad juggling. “I think in a very solution-oriented way,” Mike explains. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way—even if it’s unconventional and requires perseverance and tenacity. For me, obstacles along the way are just detours, not real barriers.”
We have benefitted greatly from Mike’s work ethic over the years, and it is no exaggeration to say that our studyFIT team had come to depend on his many talents and mild-mannered flexibility over the years.
For now, Mike is concentrating on completing his studies, and he has it in mind to pursue a master’s degree in the future. “I’m also working on getting my application approved by the IHK [Chamber of Commerce] for the external examination to become a certified IT specialist in data and process analysis,” he says.
The studyFIT team and many at the Centre for Learning and Innovation thank Mike Bayer wholeheartedly for his good run, and we wish him every success as he embarks on his next great adventures.
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