Information for professors, lecturers and employees on the summer semester 2021

2021-03-19 After the federal and state governments recently agreed on a phased plan for easing the Corona pandemic, we are currently experiencing a renewed sharp increase in infections, especially in the middle and younger age groups. Against this background, the Presidential Board has meanwhile consulted with deans and deans of studies, department heads as well as representatives of students and the staff council on the organization of the upcoming summer semester. We would like to inform you about the results of the consultation in the following.

  1. Leuphana University of Lüneburg will start with the courses of the summer semester 2021 as scheduled on Tuesday, April 6, 2021.
     
  2. The summer semester will initially have to start again as a digital semester in April in any case. All courses will initially continue to be held digitally. The only exceptions - as in the winter semester - are practical and artistic courses, courses in laboratories or where this is mandatory due to the didactic concept, and internships. As things stand today, these courses may continue to be held in attendance with the approval of the relevant Dean of Studies and the Occupational Safety Department, subject to strict compliance with hygiene and safety regulations. We will continue to apply the regulations that have already been in place in this sense. If necessary, please contact your responsible dean of studies' office in order to supplement the previously published information on the implementation of your course in myStudy, if this has not already been done.
     
  3. The Presidential Board will continuously assess the development dynamics of the pandemic, the vaccination progress and the legal and political framework conditions and, on the basis of comprehensive internal consultations during the summer semester, will gradually decide on a possible return to a (partial) attendance mode. The decision for the month of May will be made no later than April 16, the decision for the month of June no later than May 14, and the decision for the month of July and the implementation of the examination phase no later than June 18.
     
  4. Even in the event of a possible return of the university to an on campus mode, all professors and lecturers shall be able to continue and end their courses digitally in the summer semester 2021 if they so wish, in order to be able to meet individual needs and risk situations.
     
  5. However, all professors and lecturers who would like to return to on campus teaching in the event of a possible return to on campus teaching at the university are asked to continue to work in hybrid form as far as possible in the summer semester of 2021, in order to enable students who are unable or unwilling to attend on campus courses, for example due to individual risk situations, to participate in their studies in the best possible way. Exceptions here also concern practical and artistic courses, courses in laboratories or with a special didactic concept, and internships.
     
  6. The current examinations of the second examination phase of the winter semester 2020/2021 will be conducted online on the basis of the regulations already communicated.
     
  7. The teaching service will continue to be available to all lecturers with support services for the planning and implementation of digital as well as hybrid courses.
     
  8. The university library will continue to support teaching and examinations with its online services and lending operations. It will expand its offerings, for example by opening up workstations, as far and as soon as the infection situation permits.
     
  9. Workstations for students in other university buildings will be offered as soon as possible. However, this will only be possible when the infection situation permits. The incidence in the district of Lüneburg is not the only decisive factor.
     
  10. The university canteen will continue to offer its To Go service until further notice; as soon as it is legally permitted to serve food in the canteen, we will urge the Studierendenwerk Nordostniedersachsen to make this possible.
     
  11. The occupational safety department is currently working on a test concept for those university members who (have to) continue to work, teach or study in presence. However, the information available on the availability of self-tests is unfortunately still insufficient to be able to provide detailed information on this at the present time. As soon as this is available, we will provide you with additional information. We want to offer testing options as comprehensively as is logistically and legally possible and sensible.

The Presidential Board anticipates that the infection situation will unfortunately worsen significantly in the coming weeks for the time being and, in light of this, continues to ask all university members to exercise the utmost caution. Please continue to work from home whenever your official duties in research, teaching, administration and technology permit, and continue to pay attention to compliance with all safety and hygiene rules.

For the winter semester 2021/22, on the other hand, the Presidential Board is currently assuming with cautious optimism - in awareness of the still very uncertain situation, but against the background of the recognizable progress in vaccination - that from October onwards it will once again be possible for the university to operate largely on an on campus/face-to-face basis (possibly in large events continuing with online support or in other events with support through hybrid event formats).