Corona regulations for studying and examinations in the winter semester

The examinations that are already planned (online or on-site) for the second examination period will be carried out in the formats as communicated previously. Please inform your students in good time if there are room or scheduling changes at short notice. Please also point out the 3G check that is now required.

• 3G check: As of September 22, the new coronavirus regulation for universities in conjunction with the regulation on combating coronavirus require proof of the 3G status (vaccinated, recovered or tested) for admission to examinations. For examinations, the 3G check will be carried out at the registration stations, together with the usual identity and admission checks.
• The 3G status must be presented together with the official photo ID (identity card, passport, driver’s license, etc.). If no official photo ID is available, the CAU Card can be accepted in exceptional cases. (Further information on 3G checks). If no proof is provided, admission cannot be granted to the examination. In the event of repeated violations of the regulations mentioned here, the coronavirus regulation for universities enables sanction measures. A handout is provided in the CAU cloud, with detailed instructions on how to carry out the 3G check.
• Digital 3G proof (QR code): In order to enable a speedy and smooth check of the proof, students are asked to provide the proof in digital form with a QR code, or on paper with a QR code.
• 3G check using the CovPassCheckApp: The official CovPassCheckApp of the RKI is available for easy checking/verification of the 3G status, and can be used by the people performing the check. This app recognises the common digital vaccination, testing and recovery certificates with a QR code. After scanning the QR code, the name displayed must be compared with an official photo ID. There are no data protection law concerns regarding the use of this app on smartphones or tablets to check the 3G status, since there is only a check of compliance with the 3G rules, and no data collection takes place on the devices used. You can find more information on this online.
• Proof of test: If students cannot present a proof of vaccination or proof of recovery, then proof of a negative test result must be provided, in the form of a certificate from an organisation approved for conducting tests for the presence of an infection with the coronavirus (authorised test centre). PLEASE NOTE – new regulation: the negative test result must now not be older than two days (48 hours).  A so-called self-test is not accepted as a proof. International students that are vaccinated with a non-EU recognised vaccine will have access to testing free of charge, limited until December 31, 2021.
• Examination registration on site: The 3G check may result in longer waiting times for registration. Please inform your students about the amount of time which should be planned for registration before the examination, and refer them to the central information.
• Masks: Please also note that it is still mandatory to wear a qualified mask (surgical or FFP2 mask) inside the buildings. If the minimum social distance of 1.5 metres can be maintained throughout, the mask may be removed when seated during examinations. Further information on dealing with people who do not respect the regulations on a mandatory mask.
• Checklists, hygiene concepts: From now on, it is no longer necessary to draw up and submit a separate hygiene concept for each examination, provided that the above-mentioned framework conditions (3G check, mandatory mask under certain conditions, etc.) are adhered to. In the CAU cloud, you will find an overview of the conditions that must be ensured when carrying out examinations and lectures.

The new regulations make a substantial return to on-site lectures possible. Based on the new state requirements, the following regulations apply at the CAU:

3G proof: All participants must provide proof of full vaccination, recovery or a negative test result, in order to gain admission to lectures and examinations. If no proof is provided, admission cannot be granted to the examination or lecture. (Further information on 3G checks)

Carrying out the 3G check: During the lecture period, the 3G check will be implemented differently. For centrally-managed buildings, the 3G check will be carried out by means of random spot checks, performed by security personnel in the entrance areas of the respective buildings. You will find a list of centrally-managed buildings in the CAU cloud.
In decentralised-managed buildings/rooms, the 3G check will be organised by the respective faculties/institutes. It is possible to employ student assistants to provide support with the 3G check and/or to hire additional assistants for this purpose. For more information, please contact your Dean’s Office.

Using the OpenOLAT tool for 3G checks: To simplify 3G checks, it is planned that the validity periods for access authorisation associated with the proof provided will be stored in an OpenOLAT tool - align with data protection and in accordance with Section 3 (1) of the Hochschulen-Coronaverordnung (coronavirus regulation for universities). This tool is currently under development. We will provide you with details of how the tool works in good time before the start of lectures.

Social Distancing rules: For lectures and examinations, the minimum social distance is no longer required by the corresponding regulations; thus, room occupancy with a social distance of less than 1.5 metres (no distance regulation) can be implemented. Existing concepts for alternating teaching, hybrid teaching, or for example a 50 percent occupancy of the rooms or other occupancy scenarios, can still be implemented.

Masks: It is mandatory to wear a certified face mask (surgical or FFP2 mask) inside all CAU buildings. The face mask requirement can only be waived in lectures if a minimum social distance of 1.5 metres is maintained throughout, and if the 3G proof of all participants is checked immediately before the start of the lecture. Lecturers are exempt from the obligation to wear a mask during the lecture if a distance of 1.5 metres is maintained. Details can also be found online 

On-site and online teaching formats: For very large lectures (with over 200 participants), the University Board has recommended that they continue to be held online in order to avoid large crowds. Of course, the concrete planning still takes place in the respective institutes and in consultation with the responsible deans. Which lectures take place online, and which are held on site, should be recorded in UnivIS. Rooms that are booked for lectures, which are held online, should be kept free. Thus, students can work in these rooms. Please provide the students with information about the rooms available on site, e.g. overview on the institute homepage. Individual workplaces are also be made available via Facility Management; further information can be found online

Technical equipment in the rooms: As previously announced, we are currently working very hard on equipping certain rooms with additional technology to implement hybrid and online teaching formats. Due to Germany-wide supply bottlenecks, it is likely that implementation will only take place in November. An overview of the rooms that will receive additional technical equipment can be found in the cloud. As soon as the technical equipment is usable, this will be recorded in UnivIS.

Contact tracing: With immediate effect, contact data no longer needs to be collected. At the beginning of the semester, please create one list of participants, so that the participants at an event can be contacted if necessary; this list does not need to be updated during the semester. It is sufficient, for example, if the list of students who register for the respective course is made available via OpenOLAT, as part of the material provision. Required are name and e-mail address of the participants. Please also consider events within the framework of first semester welcomes and orientation events before the actual start of lectures.

Checklists, hygiene concepts: From now on, it is no longer necessary to draw up and submit a separate hygiene concept for each examination and lecture, provided that the above-mentioned framework conditions and hygiene rules (3G check, mandatory mask under certain conditions, regular ventilation, etc.) are adhered to. In the CAU cloud, you will find an overview of the conditions that must be ensured when carrying out examinations and lectures.

Handouts, forms, etc.: All documents are currently being updated. We will inform you as soon as the updated documents are available.

As already announced, the examinations for the winter semester 2021/22 will once again be held during three-week examination periods, so that any pandemic-related special requirements can be implemented. The following examination periods have now been approved by the Ministry for the winter semester:

• 1st examination period: 07/02/2022 - 26/02/2022
• 2nd examination period: 21/03/2022 - 09/04/2022

As usual, the respective timetables can be found online.

Additional, previously communicated information on compensating disadvantages and provisional Master’s degree registration is available on the corona homepage.

We set up the extensive regulations, described above, in best intention to ensure that our first semester, mainly on site after about 18 months, runs as smoothly as possible. Dear students, lecturers and employees, we kindly ask you for your understanding should there still be organisational hurdles at the beginning of the winter semester. As much as the return to on-site lectures is also a return to everyday life, we are still in a pandemic that imposes restrictions and consideration on us. Please protect each other and meet the regulations in place.

Information on the regulations and specifications for the university workplace in offices, laboratories and workshops will be made available shortly.

We would also like to remind you again of the vaccination services on the campus. From September 28 to 30 as well as from October 19 to 21 and on November 11, those interested can take advantage of the offer on the Audimax forecourt. Information on the vaccination offer

We wish you a good start to the new semester! Stay safe and healthy!

Claudia Ricarda Meyer, Chancellor
 Markus Hundt, Vice President