Information for all university members on university operations in the summer semester 2022

Dear members of Leuphana,
dear colleagues, dear lecturers, dear students,

As you know, the federal and state governments have agreed to scale back corona regulations in controlled steps, even though the pandemic is not yet over and incidences remain high or are currently even rising again. In this context, the federal and state governments have issued new corona regulations, which will come into effect in Lower Saxony after a transition period starting April 2.

Against this background, we would like to inform you today, after the usual extensive consultation with the deans and deans of studies, the heads of the institutions and departments, the staff council and the student body, about the regulations that will apply to Leuphana University Lüneburg for the upcoming summer semester.

1. SUMMER SEMESTER IN PRESENTATION
   First of all, from our point of view, the following is very central: Leuphana University Lüneburg is a face-to-face university and will therefore offer regular face-to-face classes again at the beginning of the lecture period of the summer semester, starting on April 4. Courses and examinations in the summer semester will basically take place in presence again. Research will be possible without restrictions. All university facilities will generally be open on a regular basis.
    
2. BASIC PROTECTION MEASURES REMAIN IN PLACE
   Basic protection measures will continue to be in place at Leuphana during the summer semester to contain the incidence of infection and to protect vulnerable groups: These include, in particular, the obligation to wear a respirator mask (FFP2 or medical mask) in all enclosed areas of the university. The obligations to ventilate regularly, to maintain a minimum distance wherever possible, and to comply with general hygiene requirements also remain unchanged. Wearing a respirator may only be waived in individual offices, while seated at workstations, and during work sessions (committee meetings, team meetings, job interviews, etc.), provided there is sufficient minimum clearance and ventilation. All of the above obligations are currently limited until April 30, 2022; the Presidential Board will decide on an extension in each case depending on the development of the infection situation.
    
3. STRICTER BASIC PROTECTION MEASURES WITHIN LECTURE FACILITIES
   Teaching rooms can be occupied regularly in the summer semester. Therefore, the wearing of an FFP2 mask (not a medical mask) remains obligatory within all courses, since participants are not considered as contact persons by the health department if they have sufficient ventilation and use an FFP2 mask. Instructors and lecturers/speakers may waive the requirement to wear a respirator mask during their teaching or during their presentation if minimum distances are maintained and adequate ventilation is provided. Certain courses in physical education and music practice are also exempt. This regulation also applies initially until April 30, 2022.
    
4. 3G-RULES AND HOME-OFFICE DUTY ARE OMITTED
   In the summer semester, in accordance with federal and state agreements, the current requirement for students to provide proof of 3G status (vaccinated, recovered, tested) will be eliminated. For employees, the 3G proof and also the obligation to work in a home office has already been dropped since March 20. In our assessment, the elimination of the obligation to provide proof of 3G status is also justifiable at Leuphana, particularly in light of the fact that members of the university have so far complied very responsibly with all hygiene regulations, and that we also have a particularly high vaccination rate, especially among students, according to all information available to us.
   However, please note: Until April 2, the requirement to provide proof of 3G status continues to apply to all visitors to university events and to all students in courses and examinations.
    
5. STUDENTS IN RISK GROUPS OR IN QUARANTINE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PASSIVELY PARTICIPATE ONLINE
   Students who – e.g. due to an existing immunosuppression – have an increased risk of a severe course despite vaccination or who are in quarantine or self-isolation due to a corona infection should be able to passively participate in courses via video stream as far as possible in the summer semester. All instructors are again asked to video stream in these cases to the extent possible using the transmission technology installed in the course rooms, but are not required to actively engage students in the course.
    
6. INSTRUCTORS IN RISK GROUPS OR QUARANTINE MAY CONTINUE TO TEACH ONLINE
   Instructors who belong to a risk group as defined above, or who are unable to teach face-to-face for medical reasons, or who are in quarantine or self-isolation, will continue to have the option of offering their course in an alternative or online format during the summer semester. If you are a member of an at-risk group, please obtain approval from the academic dean's office responsible for your course upon submission of an appropriate medical certificate.
    
7. INSTRUCTORS SHOULD CONTINUE TO PLAN ALTERNATIVE EVENT FORMATS
   It is not yet possible to predict how the pandemic will develop during the summer semester. There is a possibility that further increases in incidence or hospitalization rates may necessitate at least a partial return to alternative formats as well. We would therefore like to thank all instructors for having again deposited an alternative mode of delivery for your courses in the coming summer semester in accordance with the applicable Corona Annexes to the Framework Examination Regulations in myStudy in order to be prepared for such an eventuality.
    
8. INSTRUCTORS CAN SUPPLEMENT PRESENCE TEACHING WITH ONLINE FORMATS
   As a supplement to undergraduate face-to-face teaching, but not as its substitute, the use of online or hybrid teaching or study elements as part of a course otherwise conducted entirely in face-to-face on-site will continue to be possible in the summer semester 2021 and can be used above all in those cases in which such an offering has proven to be an improvement for the quality of teaching and studies or makes sense for didactic reasons. Online formats can also be used in the future in courses offered in the Professional School or in doctoral studies.
    
9. IMMUNIZATION PROTECTION REMAINS CRITICAL
   In order to make the most of the upcoming summer semester - and even more so the following winter semester - we would like to remind you once again that, according to public health officials, the key element in overcoming the pandemic remains vaccination protection. Fully vaccinated persons are basically protected to a very large extent - especially against severe courses of the disease. Please note that under the current Protection Against Infection Act, as of October 1, 2022, only those who have been vaccinated a total of three times will be considered "fully" vaccinated against Corona. Vaccination appointments are quick and easy to get - on our campus until further notice always on Tuesdays in the former Café Valinta in the storefront. We ask those who do not yet have optimal vaccination protection to get vaccinated or, if you need more information, to seek advice from a doctor you trust. Vaccinations are still possible during working hours.
    
10. TEST OFFERINGS REMAIN IN PLACE
    The on-campus testing center and publicly available testing services will remain open until further notice. The same is currently true for testing services for University employees. Please continue to test yourself regularly to prevent passing on infections.
     
11. MENSA
    We currently do not have any reliable information regarding the possible opening of the dining hall of the Mensa during the summer semester. From the perspective of the Executive Board, the dining hall should be opened as of April 4. However, the Studentenwerk Ostniedersachsen is responsible for making this decision. Information on this will follow as soon as possible.

We hope to be able to take the best possible route for the summer semester with the aforementioned measures - after extensive consideration of the interest in particular of teaching, studying, researching and working in presence and in personal interaction, and the interest of protecting the health of all university members. However, we will still not be able to rule out the possibility that the incidence of infection will develop in such a way, for example due to the emergence of new virus variants, that restrictions will again become necessary. All of the above considerations are therefore understandably subject to the proviso that more far-reaching regulations are not necessary or prescribed by the federal and state governments.

On this path, it remains crucial - as in the past two years - that we can rely on each other, that we show consideration for each other, that we all reliably comply with the remaining protective measures, that we can trust each other in the assessment of situations and in our efforts to live university life in the best possible way - in studying and teaching, in research and in administration. We continue to rely on this trust and on the responsibility of each and every individual. In view of the continuing high incidence of infections and the particularly high protective effect of FFP2 masks, we trust above all that all university members will continue to reliably comply with the ongoing obligation to wear a respiratory protection mask.

All current information regarding the University's handling of the coronavirus can still be found at www.leuphana.de/portale/coronavirus. In addition, the address cv-info@leuphana.de continues to be available for your questions, comments and suggestions.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your continued support and unwavering commitment as we move through the pandemic.

With warm 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