Information for students: Teaching and learning in the winter semester 2021/22

2021-09-02 After three semesters of almost exclusively digital teaching, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, like other universities and colleges in Lower Saxony and Germany, plans to return to largely face-to-face teaching starting with the upcoming winter semester. At the same time, the state of Lower Saxony enacted a new Corona Ordinance on August 25, 2021, with which the state is responding to a new phase of the pandemic in accordance with the agreements between the federal and state governments. Against this background, we would like to inform you today about the decisions made by the Executive Board on the basis of the new ordinance and their impact on the design of courses at Leuphana and on the ongoing preparations for the winter semester.

  1. PRESENCE TEACHING AS A BASIC PRINCIPLE
    Since in principle all university members will have had the opportunity to be fully vaccinated against infection with the coronavirus at the beginning of the winter semester, face-to-face teaching will again be the standard at Leuphana in the coming winter semester. Participation in courses will therefore - subject to the further development of the pandemic situation and corresponding decisions by the state or the university management - in principle only be possible in presence and on site in Lüneburg. Exceptions for teachers and students in special situations can be found under points 7 and 8.
     
  2. SUPPLEMENTARY ONLINE OFFERINGS
    As a supplement to face-to-face teaching, but no longer as its substitute, fully online or hybrid courses can and should be used in the future in those cases where such an offering has proven to be an improvement for the quality of teaching and studies or is useful or necessary for didactic reasons (e.g. in the Professional School or in doctoral studies). In addition, it is of course possible to use online or hybrid teaching or study elements as part of an otherwise face-to-face on-site course.
     
  3. 3G RULE FOR COURSES IN PRESENCE
    In the winter semester 2021/22, participation in courses in presence on campus will only be possible at Leuphana University of Lüneburg for students who have been vaccinated, recovered or tested on a daily basis. The university is thus following the principle introduced by the state's most recent Corona ordinance. Access to specific university services and facilities, such as the library and university sports, will also be available only with proof of vaccination, convalescence or testing, as is already the case.

    On the one hand, you as a student are not the only one who is obliged to present proof of vaccination, convalescence or testing when entering a course room; on the other hand, the university is also obliged to actively demand proof of vaccination, convalescence or testing from its students. Since the verification of the proof must be related to the specific course on a daily basis, a verification will organizationally take place at the entrance to the lecture halls or seminar rooms before the start of each course.

    Accordingly, the lecturers are requested and obliged to ask all students for appropriate proof before the start of a course and to have this proof shown to them when they enter the room or before the start of the course. Please participate conscientiously in this, as the 3G proof will be the basis for conducting a winter term in attendance as safely as possible.

    The testing on which a test is based must be confirmed by the testing institution and must not have been performed more than 24 hours (for rapid antigen tests) or 48 hours (for PCR tests) before the start of the course. Testing will continue to be available on campus at the testing station operated by the DRK until further notice. However, unlike in the past, testing at testing stations will generally have to be self-paid after October 11; free testing is expected to be available only to those who cannot be vaccinated or for whom there is no general recommendation for vaccination.
     
  4. MOUTH-TO-NOSE PROTECTION FOR TEACHING EVENTS IN PRESENCE
    In light of the 3G rule, the limit on the number of seats for students in seminar rooms and lecture halls, which was previously still in place due to Corona requirements, will no longer apply. However, instructors are asked to ensure that the regular room capacities shown in myStudy are not exceeded and that only registered students attend courses.

    Wherever possible, all participants in a course are still asked to maintain the minimum distance of 1.5 meters as far as possible. However, due to limited space and room capacity, this will no longer be possible in many courses. For this reason, all participants in courses remain generally asked to wear a medical mouth-nose protection also during the course. However, according to the current status, the mouth/nose protection may be removed as long as the participants have taken a seat. In all other situations, especially when moving, mouth-nose protection is still mandatory to wear in all University buildings, including while walking to/from and during classes.
     
  5. CONTACT REGISTRATION FOR CLASSES IN ATTENDANCE
    In view of the work of the health authorities to track possible infections - and only for this purpose - your participation in courses in presence will have to be registered for each individual course in the winter semester; either digitally by yourself or by the lecturers. We will inform you about the exact regulations in due time before the beginning of the semester.
     
  6. COURSES IN ALTERNATIVE FORMATS
    The further development of the pandemic cannot be foreseen at this point in time. However, the possibility remains that drastically increasing incidence or hospitalization rates may necessitate at least a partial return to digital formats as well. As in previous semesters, all instructors are requested to publish possible alternative formats for the delivery of their courses in the information on their courses on myStudy in accordance with the regulations of the Corona Annex to the Framework Examination Regulations applicable to your course of study in the coming winter semester.

    In this context, please note that the implementation of courses in alternative formats is currently not planned without a corresponding (and currently generally not available) resolution by the state or the presidium.
     
  7. EXCEPTIONS FOR TEACHERS IN SPECIAL SITUATIONS
    If teachers cannot be vaccinated against the coronavirus for proven medical reasons or if teachers belong to a group of people for whom the RKI does not (yet) recommend vaccination - and therefore do not want to expose themselves to contact with people who may be contagious despite vaccination or negative tests - teachers still have the option of offering their teaching in an alternative (digital) format within the meaning of § 2 Para. 1 Corona Annex to the Framework Examination Regulations. If this is the case, you as students will receive the relevant information directly from your instructors.
     
  8. EXCEPTIONS FOR STUDENTS IN SPECIAL SITUATIONS
    If you yourself a) cannot be vaccinated against the coronavirus for proven medical reasons or b) belong to a group of people for whom the RKI does not (yet) recommend vaccination - and therefore do not want to expose yourself to contact with people who may be infectious despite vaccination or negative tests - despite the 3G rule, or if you c) as an international student are not able to enter Germany due to visa restrictions, we kindly ask you to contact your lecturer in due time before the beginning of the semester in order to find an individual solution for the participation in your course in the individual case. An appropriate solution can be, for example, individual support by the lecturers (e.g. literature study with individual feedback possibilities, reading protocols in connection with office hours or similar).
     
  9. DISTANCE AND HYGIENE RULES
    With the exception of the specific rules for face-to-face lectures, the existing and well-known rules for avoiding infection (keeping your distance, observing hygiene, wearing masks and regular ventilation) will continue to apply in the coming winter semester. Therefore, please ensure that the distance and hygiene rules are observed at all times in the future as well. In particular, the requirement to regularly ventilate rooms and wear a medical face mask when moving within University buildings remains in effect.

    Please watch for appropriate updates to the University's General Hygiene Policy and the Event Hygiene Policy. These are expected to be updated again in early October in time for the start of the semester. You can still access the guidelines here: https://www.leuphana.de/intranet/leitlinien-fuer-den-arbeitsplatz/ordnungen-und-richtlinien-der-universitaet.html

    In addition, the request remains: please do not come to campus if you have any signs of respiratory illness - even mild symptoms. In these cases, please stay home and seek medical advice if necessary.
     
  10. FURTHER INFORMATION
    For all University-related questions regarding the management of coronavirus, you may continue to contact cv-info@leuphana.de. For additional general information, please visit https://www.leuphana.de/portale/coronavirus.html. In addition, for specific questions regarding the implementation of your courses, please contact your instructors directly.