Studying and teaching

The Executive Board has decided on the basis of instructions received from the Ministry that teaching in winter semester 2020/21 will largely consist of online teaching combined with individual face-to-face classes (hybrid teaching), tailored to suit the needs of the various degree programmes. This means that face-to-face classes will be able to be offered in addition to online teaching if necessary, provided we are able to do so in accordance with legal provisions and regulations aimed at preventing infection and provided we are able to organise it (for example if sufficient rooms are available and students are able to attend).

We must ensure that all degree programmes can still be studied.

Whenever face-to-face teaching is not possible or not permitted, sufficient online teaching must be offered instead. Online teaching should be offered asynchronously as far as possible, in order to give students greater flexibility in organising their hybrid study plans. An effort must be made to provide students with any support they need, ensuring they are always able to get in touch if they have any questions, especially when teaching online.

The decision as to whether face-to-face teaching can be offered and for whom is taken by the faculties in consultation with the deans of studies or those responsible for the degree programmes. Special consideration should be given to the needs of new students, international students and other groups studying degree programmes which require face-to-face teaching in order to be taught effectively.

Information on the regulations in force at each of the faculties is available on the following pages (pages under construction, will be added shortly):

• Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology: www.phil.fau.eu/2020/07/23/teaching-in-winter-term-2020-21
• Faculty of Sciences: www.nat.fau.eu/information-on-the-measures-concerning-the-corona-crisis
• Faculty of Engineering: www.tf.fau.de/studium/corona-informationen-lehre-und-studium/informationen-zu-lehrveranstaltungen-im-wintersemester-2020-21
• Faculty of Business, Economics and Law:
  • School of Business, Economics and Society: www.wiso-virtuell.fau.eu
  • School of Law: www.jura.rw.fau.de/studium/studium-und-lehre-im-sommersemester-2020
• Faculty of Medicine: www.med.fau.de/studium/medizin/im-studium/e-learning-sosem-2020

Teaching in Master’s degree programmes taught in English will be available online, in order to ensure that international students who are not actually in Germany or at the University will still be able to study at FAU. For international students in other degree programmes, the general regulations for winter semester 2020/21 will apply.

In addition to a letter of admission from the university, international students require proof for the German embassies that it is absolutely necessary for them to enter Germany. Students who have been offered a place for winter semester 2020/21 will now find this proof included in their admissions letter and can download it themselves after logging into the campo portal.

International students who have already enrolled will find the confirmation required in order to be issued a visa for study purposes in their certificate of enrolment in the mein campus portal.

The regulation amending the fifth Bavarian Regulation on Infection Prevention and Control Measures dated 12 June 2020 stipulates in Section 18 that face-to-face classes may be offered in addition to online teaching for up to 30 people provided certain prerequisites are met. However, that would pose a major challenge for FAU in the summer semester 2020. Students at FAU have made arrangements to study ‘from home’. Many of them would therefore not be able to return to the study locations at FAU. In addition, the room situation is rather strained at the moment due to the stricter rules and regulations for examinations requiring attendance in person, meaning that it would be virtually impossible for the University to provide suitable rooms for face-to-face teaching at short notice.

The Executive Board has therefore decided that face-to-face teaching will not be offered in the summer semester this year, apart from practical courses subject to notification obligations (e.g. laboratory classes, practical sports classes, field trips etc.). It may be possible to hold a few block seminars with only a few participants during the lecture-free period provided they comply with a still to be clarified notification procedure and rooms are available, all participants agree, the classes are optional and the hygiene guidelines applicable to examinations are observed accordingly. Examinations shall take absolute priority when deciding on the use of rooms. We will therefore have to consider very carefully under which exceptional circumstances block seminars can be offered as face-to-face classes in accordance with the currently valid infection protection regulations. The same applies to face-to-face classes for training purposes held in FAU premises.

The following shall apply retrospectively from 20 April 2020 once the legal amendment to the Bavarian Higher Education Act (BayHSchG) comes into effect on 1 August 2020:

Summer semester 2020 shall not be considered a study semester (Fachsemester) in the context of the standard dates and deadlines stipulated in the examination regulations for the degree programmes (new Section 99 (1) BayHSchG). This means that summer semester 2020 will not be considered when calculating the expiry of standard dates and deadlines and students will automatically be granted an extension.

At FAU, we made the decision at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic to extend study deadlines (for completing the GOP or Bachelor’s/Master’s degree programmes) which ought to have expired on 31 March 2020 or 30 September 2020 until the end of winter semester 2020/2021. There was and is no need to file a special request to this effect (with the exception of State Examination degree programmes).

You do not need to worry about adhering to deadlines for completing the GOP or completing your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree until summer semester 2021. Even if you have missed a deadline, you will be informed by the Examinations Office and given the opportunity to submit the relevant application.

The standard duration of study is not affected by the above regulations. As a rule, this is still six semesters for Bachelor’s degree programmes and four semesters for Master’s degree programmes.

However, if students have not already received an extension pursuant to the provisions stipulated in Section 99 (1) BayHSchG (see above), the period in which they would usually be expected to complete their degree programme will be extended by one semester if they were enrolled at FAU in summer semester 2020 (new Section 99 (2) BayHSchG). This happens automatically, there is no need to submit a request to this effect.

More information is available on the Examinations Office website.

The lecture period in the summer semester 2020 begins on 20 April 2020 and will end officially on 7 August 2020.

However, there may be deviations in certain faculties or schools:

In the School of Business, Economics and Society, the lecture period will end on 25 July 2020.

Subject to the final decision of the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts, the regular lecture period for winter semester 2020/2021 for all degree programmes at FAU will start on 2 November 2020.

This is with the exception of degree programmes in medicine/dentistry for students in their 2nd semester and above, which will start again on 12 October 2020. First year students in these degree programmes will start like everyone else on 2 November 2020.

Due to the close connections with State Examination degree programmes offered by the Faculty of Medicine, FAU made a request to the State Ministry of Science and the Arts that the lecture period for the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes in Molecular Medicine should also start on 12 October 2020 for students in the 3rd semester and above. This applies in particular to lectures and seminars for the 3rd and 5th semester for the Bachelor’s degree programme and lectures and seminars for the 3rd semester in the Master’s degree programme.

The University Library already offers a number of additional online services to support research and teaching, and we are constantly adding more.

Since Monday, 20 April 2020, it has been possible to borrow and return printed media in the Main Library and the branch libraries. Further information is available on the website of the University Library.

The University Library has also drawn up a detailed FAQ paper on all questions relating to borrowing, fees and renewals.

Students who are intending to travel to Germany for their first semester in summer semester 2020 or students who returned to their home country in the lecture-free period and are now ‘stuck’ there due to travel restrictions are facing a particularly difficult situation. We will do our best to help you as much as we possibly can.

If you are anxious about missing part of the semester here, please rest assured that you are of course entitled to use any of our digital teaching resources, provided you have access to the internet where you are.

If you have any individual problems, please either contact your lecturer directly or the Student Advice and Career Centre ibz@fau.de. Our colleagues will be happy to help you.

All that is included on your final academic record and your degree certificate is the date you sat your final examination (achieved the degree of XYZ on xx.yy.zzzz). There is no mention of how many semesters you actually studied or whether or not you exceeded the standard duration of study.

Graduation documents will still be prepared by the Examinations Office provided all achievements required for the relevant degree programme have been completed. These are then forwarded to the respective Examinations Committee for signing and sent by post, provided we have been given an address. Due to the current situation, delays can occur as several institutions are involved in issuing the graduation documents. Please contact the relevant member of staff at the Examinations Office if you urgently require confirmation that you have passed the degree programme.

You need the right equipment to be able to study online. Students who do not have their own laptop or one that is equipped for online learning can contact fau4fau-laptops@fau.de and apply to borrow one. An appeal for donations has been launched.

Occupational Safety at FAU has published a summary on its website (in German) of the guidelines and standard procedures which ought to be observed during field trips and excursions.

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With DFNconf, a Jitsi-server operated locally at the Erlangen Regional Computing Centre (RRZE), MS Teams and Zoom, FAU has various web conference platforms at its disposal.

An overview is available on the RRZE website .

Important help and information about Zoom is available on the FAU Digitales Studium.

The ILI team can offer you a Zoom coaching session to help you switch over to online teaching as quickly as possible. Experienced colleagues at FAU are available to walk you through the basic functions of the software live in a Zoom meeting. You can cover any questions you have during the 30 minute video conference, and then you should be able to start straightaway with your first session. You can book an appointment online.

• If you are planning a class for up to 300 students, you should use the ‘meeting’ function in Zoom, which is available to all members of staff at FAU. ‘Meetings’ are designed to be a collaborative event in which all participants are able to share their screens, switch on their audio and video and see and hear other participants, provided they have also switched on their audio and video.
• If you are planning a class for more than 300 students or if you have special requirements for your classes, you will need to request the ‘webinar’ option. Please contact schnell-digital@ili.fau.de, writing ‘Zoom webinar’ in the subject line.

This applies in particular to: laboratory courses, sports courses, fine arts courses (theatre, music, art education) and field trips. Conducting practical classes and research activities in special laboratory or work rooms including workshops at FAU must follow the practical guidelines that you will find on the Occupational Safety website.

If you would like to hold a practical class, please complete the form included in the practical guidelines from the Occupational Safety website which must also be signed by the individual responsible and send it via email to your Occupational Safety representative. Your representative will contact you should they require further details or grant you permission to hold the class.

Online courses can and should continue to run throughout the semester even if attendance in person is possible again. This will allow students caring for relatives or children, vulnerable students or ill students as well as students who have chosen not to travel to their place of study this summer semester to continue to attend classes.

The same regulations apply for attendance of online teaching as for attendance of regular face-to-face classes. Attendance cannot be made compulsory if the face-to-face class did not meet the legal requirements for this either.

In addition, we would explicitly ask you to pay special consideration to students who are classed as being at-risk or who are in a special position due to caring for children or helping out in hospitals.

You must inform us in advance of your intention to hold a block seminar. Please use our online form.

Generally speaking, an effort should be made to give students enough time to relax after the lecture period.

However, there is nothing against offering the originally planned laboratory courses as block seminars, provided they do not collide with regular examination periods.

You must also inform us in advance in this case of your intention to hold a block seminar. Please use our online form.

Generally speaking, an effort should be made to give students enough time to relax after the lecture period.

However, there is nothing against offering the originally planned laboratory courses as block seminars, provided they do not collide with regular examination periods.

The degree programme structures stipulated in the degree programme and examination regulations are always only a recommendation. As a rule, they are not obligatory for students. At FAU, however, we have to ensure as smooth a progress through the degree programme as possible. The answer to the question depends on whether the laboratory course/internship/placement is organised by FAU or whether it is organised independently by students outside FAU. However, generally speaking, there is nothing against being flexible.

That is not a decision that FAU can take. It is up to the institution in question to decide whether or not the placement can go ahead.

This is up to the organiser of the event to decide on their own responsibility.

From Tuesday 16 June, students who are in acute need and require direct assistance will be able to apply online for assistance in the form of a non-repayable grant of up to 500 euros a month at www.ueberbrueckungshilfe-studierende.de. The financial aid is available to German and international students, irrespective of their age or which semester they are in. Applications are checked and processed by the local Student Services. It is hoped that applications will be processed from the end of June.

‘We are well aware of the precarious situation a lot of students are in,’ says director of Student Services Erlangen-Nürnberg, Mathias M. Meyer. ‘Our staff are highly motivated and will do all they can to process the applications as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, it is not technically possible to do so before the end of June, meaning that the first payments should hopefully reach those in need by the beginning of July. I would definitely recommend applying early, as the money is allocated on a first come, first served basis.’

Useful information about the interim financial assistance for students is available on the website of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Further general information on the interim aid and the application process is available from Student Services Erlangen-Nürnberg, who are responsible for processing application at FAU.

Contact

Student Services Erlangen-Nürnberg

nothilfefonds@werkswelt.de
Phone hotline: +49 9131 8002 -710 / -711
www.werkswelt.de/ueberbrueckungshilfe

The aim of the appeal fund ‘#FAU4FAU – Staff for Students’ is to help students who are now in financial need due to the coronavirus pandemic so that everyone can use the digital learning services being offered by FAU during summer semester 2020. Students who are enrolled at FAU in summer semester 2020 and who are currently facing financial difficulties as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic can apply for financial help.

Information from the city of Erlangen: Due to the special rules regarding minimising the consequences of the pandemic, students can also receive Arbeitslosengeld II unemployment in the form of a loan until further notice. An application must be made to the Jobcenter of the city in which you are registered. In Erlangen, this is currently only possible by telephone.

More information is available on the City of Erlangen website.

• Jobcenter in Erlangen
• Jobcenter in Nuremberg
• Jobcenter in Fürth

• Students in need can apply to Bürgerstiftung Erlangen for financial assistance.
• From the start of May, Students can apply for an interest-free loan of 650 euros per month from the KfW bank.

The University Administration will of course process all incoming requests for employing a part-time assistant, no matter whether they are for new positions or an extension of an existing position. Remuneration will also continue to be paid via the State Finance Office.

However, in view of the emergency situation facing us at the current time, we would ask you to be patient and bear with is if it takes longer than usual for employment contracts to be drawn up.

If the place where you are intended to work as an assistant is currently not staffed, you can initially scan the signed employment contract and send it electronically. However, the original contract still has to be submitted at a later date.

Office P3 (HR Services for Part-Time Academic Staff) are currently happy to accept requests for employment electronically together with all necessary employment documents concerning a new position for or continued employment of part-time assistants. The four week deadline for submitting employment documents still applies.

From 4 May, Student Services will offer a take-away service for snacks and warm lunches in selected student restaurants in Erlangen and Nuremberg.

More information is available on the Student Services’ website.

The social work, psychological and legal counselling services run by Student Services can be reached by telephone or e-mail. The psychological counselling service also offers appointments for a video chat.

Social work unit

sozialberatung@werkswelt.de
Phone: + 49 9131 800275

Psychological advice

Phone: + 49 9131 8002-750 Mon-Fri 8.30-12.00 to arrange an appointment
Appointments are currently only available by telephone or video chat.
The drop-in consultation service is offered via this phone number on Tuesdays from 1.30pm to 4.30pm for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.

Legal advice

rechtsberatung@werkswelt.de