Corona-Update: Measures from Monday, 2 November 2020

The aim of these measures at the CAU is to minimise the risk of infection for each and every individual, and to combat further spread of the virus. At the same time, university operations in teaching, research, administration and services should be ensured within the prescribed regulations, which means as little attendance as possible.

All members of the university must permanently observe social distancing and the hygiene regulations that we are all aware of on the entire campus.

Mandatory face masks will be extended: masks now also have to be worn in front of buildings, in the entrance areas and in all lectures, not just within the building until you reach your workplace.

Lectures will mostly take place in online formats - as was already prepared for the winter semester anyway. Practical events and the teaching formats for freshers can take place face-to-face as planned, according to the state regulations. Face masks must be worn in all lectures, even in those which are conducted under the cohort principle.

The University Library will remain open. However, due to the new state regulations, the service and working areas are restricted to the following uses:

• The use of the individual working spaces is only possible with prior online registration, and only for the preparation of term papers, final theses, dissertations and habilitations.
• It is possible to order print media from the open-access areas and stacks to the self-service area for self-checkout.
• The service desk remains open, including for returns, and the electronic semester equipment remains available for teachers.

The faculties and institutes will provide information about the restrictions to the services in the specialised departmental libraries on their websites.

Student workstations outside of the Libraries will not be available until further notice.

Research and administrative operations

These will generally not be restricted, also at the “university as a workplace”, but contact opportunities between members of the university should be minimised during implementation of the measures by the state government to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Attendance at the institutes, institutions and administrative units must therefore be reduced to the minimum required to complete the tasks in research, administration and infrastructure, and be organised in such a way that operations can be maintained in the event of an infection. This applies in particular to critical business processes and infrastructures.

Supervisors are to use all possible organisational arrangements to enable employees, in principle, to work their individual standard working time. Instruments designed to make working time more flexible (staggered work, shift work, working from home, reorganisation, etc.) are to be used accordingly, while adhering to hygiene and social distancing rules. Wherever the activities and technical requirements permit, you should work from home. This always requires approval from your supervisor.

• The existing regulations for those belonging to a high-risk group due to previous illnesses still apply, unaltered.
• Internal meetings, working group meetings, conferences, job interviews and committee meetings should not be held as attendance events until further notice. They should be held as telephone or video conferences in order to reduce contacts to a minimum.
• Business trips: business trips which are not absolutely necessary (for completing work) are not to be conducted. Business trips to high-risk areas abroad and regions with high numbers of infections within Germany (high incidence regions) should not be approved. Exceptions require approval from the University Board in individual cases.
• Illness, suspected infections: please see the information on the corona website (www.uni-kiel.de/corona ). You can also find supplementary information from the Robert Koch Institute there.
• Facility closures: university museums, university sports (not including lectures) and the student union canteens will be closed as from Monday 2 November.

We are well aware that the measures introduced by the state and prescribed by the University Board in coordination with the faculties and the crisis management team are asking a lot from each and every one of you for your studies and your jobs at the CAU. We are also appealing to you to consequently adhere to the social distancing and hygiene regulations, and to reduce your own contacts in order to make a contribution towards stopping and reversing the very worrying trend of rising numbers of new infections every day.

Keep well!
With kind regards,

Prof. Dr Simone Fulda, President
Claudia Ricarda Meyer, Chancellor
For the University Board at the CAU