Update on studying under Corona Restrictions

Now, in view of the declining number of infections in Lower Saxony and the increasing easing of restrictions caused by the pandemic, the question arises how we as a university, which sees attendance studies and diverse exchange as one of its strengths, can cautiously and deliberately ensure that life returns to our campus. Against this background, we would like to inform you today about the current state of affairs.

CLASSES IN THE SUMMER SEMESTER 2020

In teaching and studying, we will end the current courses of the summer semester in digital form on 10 July as planned, unless special arrangements have been made in individual courses.

EXAMINATIONS IN THE SUMMER SEMESTER 2020

We had already informed you in detail about the examination options (online and in person) in an e-mail on 9 June. The information provided at that time is still valid. You can read them again here:
www.leuphana.de/portale/coronavirus/aktuell/ansicht/datum/2020/06/09/aktuelle-hinweise-9-juni-fuer-studierende.html
There you will also find all information on the catch-up examinations for the winter semester 2019/20, for which special rules also apply. If you have specific questions to which you cannot find an answer in the above information, please contact your lecturers directly or send an e-mail to cv-info@leuphana.de.

CLASSES IN THE WINTER SEMESTER 2020/21

We had been able to provide initial information on June 9 about the plans for teaching in the winter semester. The semester will begin as usual on Monday, October 12, with the courses; for freshmen on Thursday, October 1, with the starting week.

As far as the planning for the winter semester is concerned, the current state of affairs is that we want to create as many courses as possible in presence on campus, even if, due to distance and hygiene regulations and our joint responsibility for the protection of all, large parts of the course will still have to take place digitally. On the one hand, we will still be far away from normal operation, because the distance rules alone mean that we can only use 10% to 30% of the usual room capacities for courses.

For you as a student, however, it should still be possible to spend a semester in Lüneburg. In order to achieve this goal, we are currently investigating whether our lecturers can offer their courses in a hybrid form, i.e. a mixture of online and attendance study. The Senate will shortly address these issues. We will inform you in detail about the results and next steps as soon as possible.

LIBRARY

We informed you about the current status of the library's operations by e-mail on 5 June. In particular, it provides information on opening hours and access restrictions, the issue and return of printed media and interlibrary loans. You can read the text here:
www.leuphana.de/portale/coronavirus/ortsunabhaengig-studieren.html
It is also planned to make at least some of the reading room places available again at short notice for work on campus. Please check the e-mail inbox of your Leuphana address regularly for up-to-date information.

WORKPLACES ON THE CAMPUS

The building management department is currently preparing workplaces at the university for students who do not have sufficient working conditions or Internet connections at home. The workplaces will only be allowed to be used in compliance with the rules of distance and hygiene and should be bookable via myStudy. A copying and printing facility will also be available in the room. If this type of use proves successful, additional seminar rooms will be made available for appropriate use.

MENSA

The refectory of the Studentenwerk OstNiedersachsen has been open again since Monday, June 29, 2020, and offers three lunchtime meals as take-away options. Breakfast and evening mensa are not yet back on offer.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT OFFERS

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is providing a bridging aid for students in pandemic emergency situations. This comprises two elements: the KfW student loan and grants distributed by the student unions. Further information and explanations on how to apply can be found at: www.bmbf.de/de/wissenswertes-zur-ueberbrueckungshilfe-fuer-studierende-1150

For your further planning, please bear in mind that, in view of the Corona pandemic, we must continue to expect restrictions and conditions that may be imposed at short notice. However, we will do everything in our power to be able to offer you opportunities for direct exchange in the coming winter semester. Please understand that we will only be able to provide you with more detailed and concrete information in a few weeks time and only step by step.

The information pages at www.leuphana.de/portale/coronavirus and the central e-mail address cv-info@leuphana.de are still available for your questions and suggestions.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks once again: For continuing your studies even under difficult conditions, for getting involved in the university, for participating in events, for developing projects. This is what makes life at our university so special, even though much of this life currently takes place virtually.