Information for students, professors and lecturers instructors about the examination phase in the winter semester 2021/2022

Dear students, dear professors and lecturers,

the pandemic continues to keep us all firmly in its grip and once again necessitates some precautions in view of the upcoming exams. In the following, we would like to inform you about the conduct of the examinations and further arrangements for the conclusion of the winter semester 2021/22.

A) CONDUCT OF THE EXAMINATIONS

The current concerns and continuing uncertainties due to the still high number of Corona infections also affect the organization of the upcoming examination period. After extensive consultations with the deans, deans of studies, heads of institutions and departments, representatives of the staff council and students, as well as in the central study commissions, the Presidential Board had asked all lecturers to convert the examinations planned for February and March 2022 to an online format as far as didactically possible and justifiable. It is important for us to emphasize once again that the decision on the concrete implementation of an examination must be made within the framework of the legal and university regulations – but in exercising of the fundamental right of freedom of research and teaching, it is ultimately up to the responsible professors and lecturers individually. In the meantime, your lecturers should have contacted you accordingly with information about the planned examination formats.

In addition, at its last meeting, the Senate passed resolutions on free attempts and withdrawal options in view of the now imminent examination phase.

1) Modalities for attendance examinations

The 3G rule (recovered, vaccinated or tested by a recognized testing station) continues to apply for participation in attendance examinations. Appropriate proof will be checked by the instructors for events with up to 100 participants. For exams with more than 100 participants, the University's external service provider will check the evidence before entering a building.

The University's General Hygiene Policy and the Hygiene Policy for Events, which can still be accessed here: www.leuphana.de/intranet/leitlinien-fuer-den-arbeitsplatz/ordnungen-und-richtlinien-der-universitaet, also apply to on-campus attendance exams. According to these, the distance requirement of 1.5 meters inside and outside the buildings continues to apply whenever possible, as does the requirement to wear an FFP2 mask throughout all university buildings.

All participants in examinations are also still required to register with their contact details or to register before the start of the examination. To register, you will still find a QR code at the entrances of all seminar rooms and lecture halls that will take you to the appropriate registration page.

2) Modalities for online exams

With the aim of establishing or further developing a good and trusting examination culture with us in the long term, we would like to point out once again at this point that in the case of online examinations, examination performance can only take place individually on your own and only with the specified aids, even if this cannot be monitored in the same way as in the case of face-to-face examinations. In principle, you must also be able to identify yourself for an online examination, even if the verification of proof of identity cannot be carried out via video in an examination group, but only bilaterally, i.e. between the person to be examined and the examiner.

Of course, we all assume and actively demand that the monitoring of online examinations is basically irrelevant,
(1) because all examining teachers have gone to great lengths to develop examination formats that are particularly suitable for online examinations by focusing on independent work and contextual knowledge,
(2) because all students to be examined behave accordingly and correctly in the sense of a comprehensive mutual trust relationship and in the sense of long-term credibility both individually as a person and institutionally of the university.

In this context, we are pleased to once again refer to the joint recommendations of the Presidential Board, the Deaneries and the AStA for an open and fair digital teaching and learning culture, which can be found here: https://www.leuphana.de/fileadmin/user_upload/portale/lehre/09_Support_und_Tools/12_Digitale_Plattformen_und_Tools/Digitale_LehrLernkultur_Empfehlungen.pdf.

3) Withdrawal policy

For examinations that take place in full attendance at the College and Graduate School, students may withdraw from the examination performance without giving reasons until the beginning of the examination if they have to go into quarantine at short notice due to an order or voluntarily. Failure to appear for the examination is considered a withdrawal.

For examinations taken online at the College and Graduate School, failure of the student to appear for the examination will result in the examination performance being graded as "unsatisfactory" (5.0). In the case of online examinations, withdrawal from the examination can be declared within the regular withdrawal period according to § 16 para. 1 of the framework examination regulations of the College or Graduate School without stating reasons.

4) Free attempt regulation

Due to the pandemic, all students will receive up to two free attempts for examinations from different modules that have been graded as "insufficient" or "failed", as in previous semesters. In these cases, the affected students can submit an application to the person responsible for their course of study in the Student Services for those examinations for which a free attempt is to be claimed. If you have not already done so, please do so for the previous Corona semesters as well.

B) EXTENSION OF THE STANDARD PERIOD OF STUDY

The state of Lower Saxony has decided to individually extend the standard period of study by one semester for students enrolled in the winter semester 2021/22 who are not on leave of absence in order to compensate for disadvantages caused by the pandemic. The extension of the individual standard period of study also affects in particular the assessment of the study credit according to §12 NHG and thus the period in which no long-term tuition fees are charged by the state.

As a rule, the Student Services will automatically implement the extension of the individual standard period of study for students enrolled at Leuphana without further inquiries. Since the extension of the standard period of study only applies to students for whom a comparable extension has not already been applied at a university or for a course of study in another federal state, the Student Services will contact you with queries in individual cases, if necessary. If you have any questions or uncertainties in individual cases, please contact the staff member responsible for you in the Student Administration in the Student Services.

C) REQUEST TO ALL

Based on the reports we have received from infected persons, we continue to assume, as we have in recent weeks, that no infections have occurred in the context of university events since the beginning of the winter semester. Please help to ensure that this remains the case during the examination period and that infections do not continue to occur on campus. We are all well aware of the fact that the already challenging exam situation may be more stressful than normal for you due to the Corona-related restrictions and requirements. We have therefore tried to create the best and clearest possible conditions for you with the regulations made by the university.

We wish you every success for your upcoming exams.

With best regards

Sascha Spoun
President

Christian Brei
Executive Vice President

Erich Hörl
Vice President College

Simone Abels
Vice President Graduate School

Jörg Terhechte
Vice President Professional School

Susanne Leeb
Vice President Research