With our hygiene regulations and our own phased plan, we want to react appropriately to the development of the infection. Our primary goal is to protect the health of all University members as best we can and to make our contribution to contain the infection. We have compiled important information for you concerning study and teaching.
In order to protect students and employees or to contain corona infections, the following consequences and rules must be observed:
- The University of Freiburg statute for managing the effects of the corona pandemic on studies and teaching (Corona Statute – in German) from April 17, 2020 (in the version dated October 14, 2020)
- It is to be expected (dated December 18, 2020) that the current Corona Ordinance as well as the Corona regulation study operations from the Ministry for Science, Research and Art will be valid until January 31, 2021 and are expected to be extended.
- Due to the rapid increase in the number of coronavirus infections, the Rectorate felt compelled to declare level 5 in its own multi-level plan as of November 02, 2020. All classroom-based teaching will be interrupted.
- Further regulations can be found below under ‘Information on the winter semester 2020/2021’.
- The University Library, all campus libraries, and all study areas were closed on December 16, 2020 and will remain closed until further notice. University members can order media online and pick them up from the University Library starting on January 13, 2021. More information.
- The “Infoladen” of the Studierendenwerk will be open Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm. Please contact the Studierendenwerk via phone or eMail. In case of emergency, you may come to the office in person.
- The Student Service Center is only available via phone or eMail (https://www.studium.uni-freiburg.de/en?set_language=en).
The hotline of the Student Service Center can answer questions about your studies by e-mail and telephone and will give you the names of the necessary contact persons:
Tel: 0761 203-4246
studienberatung@service.uni-freiburg.de
Mo – Thurs: 9am – 4:30pm; Fri: 9am – 12pm
Frequently asked questions
Everyone must wear a mouth-and-nose covering
- as soon as they enter University buildings in high-traffic areas, especially around doors and other entranceways, assageways, hallways, stairwells, bathroom facilities,
- in waiting areas as well as entrance areas in front of buildings,
- throughout the entire duration of events during study operations on-site – and at their seats,
- during on-site examinations – independent of the number of persons present and
- also in reading room workstations at the UB and specialized libraries, in CIP-pools and other IT Services rooms, and during independent studying in seminar rooms or at other locations on campus
You will find more detailed information in the most current hygiene regulations document.
Should you be exhibiting typical symptoms associated with a coronavirus infection such as fever, a dry cough, an impaired sense of taste or smell, the following applies:
- ban of entry to all University buildings and/or an immediate existing of the grounds
- call your physician; in the event that is not possible, call patient services at 116117 or go to https://www.116117.de for more information. The doctors in the testing centers or doctors’ offices will determine whether a test is appropriate for you.
- For staff: supervisor’s information.
- Students have no obligation to inform the University. However, we would be grateful if students would also voluntarily inform the Corona Coordination Office (via the contact form) about a positive corona test result, about the occurrence of typical symptoms of a coronavirus infection – namely fever, dry cough, an impaired sense of taste or smell – and about University events that you visited 48 hours before the onset of symptoms. In this way we hope to prevent larger herds of infection or to discover them early.
- Until the test result is available: Stay at home, use rooms separately or at different times if possible, avoid close contact; if possible, wear a mouth and-nose covering when in contact with others, pay attention to good hand hygiene.
- It is mandatory that those who suspect infection immediately quarantine themselves. Persons with typical symptoms of a coronavirus infection, in particular dry cough, fever and an impaired sense of smell and/or taste, and for whom a PCR test has already been ordered or carried out, are suspected to be ill. Details can be found in the CoronaVO Absonderung (German only).
For further information from the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald County District Office: https://www.breisgau-hochschwarzwald.de/pb/Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald/Start/Service+_+Verwaltung/Corona-Virus.html
You must be placed in quarantine, even if the Health Department’s order is not available immediately after the test result is available. The duration of the quarantine is determined by the authorities. The measure does not end automatically, but only when it has been lifted again by the competent authority.
Students have no obligation to inform the University. However, we would be grateful if students would also voluntarily inform the Corona Coordination Office (via the contact form) about a positive corona test result, about the occurrence of typical symptoms of a coronavirus infection – namely fever, dry cough, an impaired sense of taste or smell –, and about University events/institutions that you visited 48 hours before the onset of symptoms. In this way we hope to prevent larger herds of infection or to discover them early.
As an employee of the university, please inform your office (i.e. your supervisor, the coordination office (koordinierungsstelle@zv.uni-freiburg.de) and the responsible personnel department) immediately so that necessary protective measures can be taken for the other employees. Against this background there is also a legitimate interest of the office in the case of incapacity to work to be informed of a COVID-19 illness. Please consider with whom you have had close contact within your workplace (within the 48 hours before the onset of the first symptoms – see also contact person category 1), so that you can provide this data upon request by the health authorities. For further information from the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald County District Office: https://www.breisgau-hochschwarzwald.de/pb/Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald/Start/Service+_+Verwaltung/Corona-Virus.html
Even if the quarantine ends prematurely, the regular ban on entry and participation still applies.
If you have previously been placed in official quarantine, the Health Department (or the local police for people returning from a trip) alone decides whether a negative test result alone will lift the quarantine. If the authorities lift the quarantine, and provided you have not had contact with a person infected with the coronavirus in the last 10 days, do not show typical symptoms and wear a mouth-and-nose covering, you can enter the University.
If you have had the test performed without a special reason (i.e. you are not a contact person) or because of unclear cold symptoms, the decision about your ability to work or whether you can participate in the study in presence again lies with your doctor who ordered the test.
- Send the student home immediately.
- Tell the student to contact his or her doctor.
- In the case of a suspected case of student infection, it is the sole responsibility of the public health department to follow up the contacts and inform those affected
- There is no obligation for students to inform the University. However, we would be grateful if students also voluntarily inform the Corona Coordination Office (via the contact form) about a positive corona test result, about the occurrence of typical symptoms of an infection with coronavirus – namely fever, dry cough, impaired sense of taste or smell – as well as about university events that you attended about 48 hours before the onset of the first symptoms. In this way, we hope to be able to jointly prevent or detect larger foci of infection at an early stage.
- If you have any further questions, especially if a corona case occurs in an event that is to be continued, please contact the coordination office.
If persons in your close environment (e.g. child, partner or flatmates) are ill, there is only a duty to quarantine after a positive diagnosis has been confirmed. However, until the test result is announced, it is recommended that you reduce your own contacts if possible, e.g. postponing meetings or home office. It is imperative that you adhere to the rules of distance and hygiene and pay increased attention to the occurrence of your own symptoms. Further details can be found in the CoronaVO Absonderung.
Information on the winter semester 2020/2021
On Sunday evening, the state of Baden-Württemberg issued a new “Corona Ordinance on Study Operations,” which will come into force on January 11 and initially apply until January 31, 2021. The previous regulations on study operations remain largely unaffected.
- Classroom teaching will remain largely suspended and only those events or exams that are not possible in digital formats and have been approved by the rectorate will take place on site.
- The measures laid out in the hygiene regulations as well as phase 5 of the University’s phase plan will continue to apply.
- All study areas (libraries, Breisacher Tor, Werthmannstraße 4) will remain closed.
The main changes concern the libraries and sports facilities:
- Archives and academic libraries will remain closed, but can offer a pick-up service: University members can order media online and pick them up from the University Library.
- Sports facilities can be used again for neccessary courses and exams. However, the Recreational Sports Program, for example, will remain suspended.
We all had hoped to offer classroom teaching, possibly in hybrid formats, at least for the first few weeks, at least for our first and second semester students in the 2020/21 winter semester. Due to the rapid increase in the number of coronavirus infections, the Rectorate felt compelled to declare level 5 in its own multi-level plan starting on 2 November.
The following measures apply to phase 5 (selection):
- There will be a switch to digital teaching; classroom-based teaching will be interrupted.
- Exceptions: Practical courses that require special laboratory or work rooms at universities (e.g. laboratory internships, preparation courses, examinations) and are mandatory, written examinations as well as admission and admission procedures. The rectorate decides on exceptions. Applications for exceptions for the winter semester 2020/2021 were to be sent in bundles by the Dean to praxisveranstaltungen@zv.uni-freiburg.de by November 26, 2020, 1pm.
- Oral examinations must be conducted online (Exception: Examinations with an examination format specified by a state examination office).
- The libraries will remain accessible in the present format until further notice.
- A further relocation of activities to home offices will be implemented.
- Students who commute to Freiburg from a foreign country, for example from Switzerland or France, are exempt from the quarantine obligation.
- For all other entering students, whether German or international, whether for a move or after a (weekend) vacation, the current entry and quarantine rules apply (see also Corona Regulation Entry Quarantine and Testing (website by the State with further Frequently Asked Questions) as well as the University’s information on “Travel” during the pandemic).
- International students (and researchers) might not receive an entry visa to Germany unless it is confirmed that their studies or research stay includes elements of classroom attendance. The forms (German and English) for students entering Germany can be found below.
- The status of the off-campus student will be maintained. If you want to admit off-campus students, you have to make sure that the entire course including the final examination is carried out online, as it cannot be expected that these students will be able to enter Germany later in the semester. Off-campus students can re-register without having to enter Germany. However, this does not mean that international students from non-EU/EEA countries are exempt from tuition fees. At the same time, there is no possibility any more to take a leave of absence (and thus save tuition fees) and still attend digital courses like in the summer semester 2020. This also applies to German and EU students.
In phase 5: In general, students have the right to view their exams for one year. In order to avoid close contact with multiple people in one room, exam reviews should only take place in urgent situations only, that is in certain cases in which the student failed the exam. Exam review can only occur alone and through a pre-registration process. Contact details will be collected. The students to whom this does not apply should wait to review their exams until phase 4 has been reached.
A supervisor may be in the room. A meeting or the clarification of questions has to take place e.g. via video conference, telephone or e-mail, but not on-site.
In phase 4 the prioritization of urgent cases would be abolished, but the appointments would continue to be made individually, after prior notification and with the necessary data collection.
Commonly used rooms, including seminar rooms and lecture halls, must be ventilated at least every 20 minutes and sufficiently via wide open windows for at least 3 minutes. Clothing must be adapted as necessary.
This also applies to rooms that only have a stationary air circulation system or equipment. These cool or warm the indoor air, but there is no exchange with fresh air.
In rooms that have a technical supply and exhaust air system, no additional individual ventilation is usually required. If you have any questions about the existing ventilation systems, please contact Department 4. Rooms in which additional manual ventilation by opening the windows is indispensable are marked accordingly at the entrance.
By ‘hybrid courses’ we mean those that offer on-site teaching and digital teaching simultaneously.
The initial question is: How can the following distance-learning groups of students actively participate in the course in spite of on-site teaching:
- International students without the possibility to enter the country (off-campus students)
- pregnant students
- Students from risk groups
- Students in quarantine
- Parts of larger groups of students who cannot all use the lecture hall at the same time due to corona restrictions?
Every teacher has to reckon with having several students from the groups mentioned in the course and thus having to provide additional distance learning options.
Possible implementation strategies:
a) In the case of several parallel courses of the same character (e.g. exercises), one is offered digitally, the others on-site. This relieves those lecturers who offer classroom teaching of the need to consider 2-3 students who may not be present.
b) Simultaneous participation of a group on-site and individual students online, whereby the interaction of all students with the teacher and with each other should be ensured.
1. Lectures and seminars of approx. 40 participants* (in the event they cannot be divided): PANOPTO (live streamed and recorded) with chat for questions. Limited interaction.
2. Seminars reliant on presentations and discussions (up to approx. 30 participants*): seminar rooms with permanently installed conference technology (monitor, room camera and room microphone) and laptop of the teacher (presentation is visible for those present via beamer, for those off-site via video conference). Full-fledged interaction including presentations.
3. the same as 2. but with mobile devices and only for small groups. Teachers will bring the equipment (room camera, room microphone) into the classroom.
It should be noted that in the case of hybrid courses the format of the examination must be the same for all participants at the end. Since there are no online exams at the University of Freiburg and on-site exams for distance-learning international students are not possible, other formats must be chosen (e.g. written paper, oral exam on-site or online).
Independently of this, we ask every teacher to be prepared for the fact that in case of another severe corona outbreak, teaching will have to be completely converted to digital teaching/distance learning.
Starting October 15, 2020, a simplified procedure has been available for events with voucher procedures via HISinOne:
This is an alternative to the previous paper-based procedure via an electronic pre-registration of address and telephone number, which the students can enter themselves, and attendance lists via HISinOne. Detailed descriptions (in German and English) can be found under contact data according to § 6 Corona Ordinance for on-site courses.
We therefore ask all students to deposit their contact data according to § 6 Corona Ordinance in HISinOne. This is important because currently telephone numbers of students, doctoral candidates and guest students are not always available and the address data may not be current. The more students have entered their data in advance, the faster the check of the attendance list including data collection can be completed before/at the beginning of the on-site event.
This procedure can also be used for on-site exams.
Where this procedure is not possible, contact data can still be collected using the familiar paper form for data collection.
We all had hoped to offer classroom teaching, possibly in hybrid formats, at least for the first few weeks, at least for our first and second semester students. The same applies to the practical courses and examinations that cannot be digitally implemented. Due to the currently unforeseeable occurrence of infections, however, only a single principle can now be applied to the entire study program: We are primarily focusing on digital teaching, but we also want to maintain the opportunities for face-to-face and hybrid teaching as long as humanly possible.
- The period Mo – Fr 8-22 o’clock is planned for classroom teaching in WS 2020/21. The centrally managed rooms cannot be made available for lectures until further notice. Priority will be given to classroom teaching for students in the 1st and 2nd semester and to examinations. The available seats are marked. Further classroom teaching can take place in the decentrally managed, faculty-owned seminar rooms/lecture halls in compliance with the above-mentioned regulations (distance, mouth and nose covering, marking of seats, etc.). These faculty rooms are to be occupied primarily and decentrally.
- We would like to ask the faculties to inform Mr. Lais of any free capacities in self-administered seminar rooms/lecture halls, so that these can be made available to other faculties/departments. Should you have problems calculating the number of seats, please contact the Safety Department (sicherheit@uni-freiburg.de).
- Even at maximum utilization of our space reserves, not all courses will be able to take place on-site. We ask the faculties to decide in advance which lectures will be taught in class and which digitally. Please note that each new student should be offered at least two classroom sessions per week.
- Each teacher has to expect that he / she must include students who are not present (international students who cannot enter, pregnant women, students in quarantine or from risk groups, etc.) in their classroom teaching.
Independently of this, we ask every teacher to be prepared for the fact that in case of another severe corona outbreak, teaching will have to be completely converted to digital teaching/distance learning.
Catalogue of measures for dealing with scarce space resources
Centrally managed lecture halls cannot be made available for lectures in the winter semester 2020/2021. These are offered online, either in a recorded or live stream format.
It is also possible for asynchronously recorded lectures to include e.g. self-tests or – after consultation with the students – interactive elements (e.g. chat at specified times, forum).
When faculties decide which on-site courses they want to offer, not only content aspects but also the size of the course can play a role: The more frequently large courses are offered digitally, the greater the flexibility in the implementation of classroom teaching.
Possibilities for multipurpose usage of individual lecture halls
- Division of the group of students and alternating participation in classroom teaching; e.g. in the case of a group of thirty, division into two groups of 15; Group A has classroom teaching in the first week, Group B in the second, Group A in the third, etc. For the week without lessons, for example, tasks to be submitted digitally can be formulated.
- Chronological division of the lecture hall use between several (small) courses. Course A receives the lecture hall for the first four weeks, Course B for the next four weeks, Course C for the following four weeks. In the other weeks the course can be held digitally (ZOOM). The three courses can also come from different departments.
- Alternating use of the lecture hall by several (small) courses: Course A receives it in weeks 1, 4, 7 and 10, Course B in weeks 2, 5, 8 and 11, and Course C in weeks 3, 6, 9 and 12. In the other weeks the course is held digitally (ZOOM). Here too, the three courses can be assigned to different departments.
Catalogue of measures for including absent students (hybrid courses)
By ‘hybrid courses’ we mean those that offer on-site teaching and digital teaching simultaneously.
The initial question is: How can the following distance-learning groups of students actively participate in the course in spite of on-site teaching:
- – International students without the possibility to enter the country (off-campus students)
- – pregnant students
- – Students from risk groups
- – students in quarantine
- – Parts of larger groups of students who cannot all use the lecture hall at the same time due to corona restrictions?
Every teacher has to reckon with having several students from the groups mentioned in the course and thus having to provide additional distance learning options.
Possible implementation strategies:
a) In the case of several parallel courses of the same character (e.g. exercises), one is offered digitally, the others on-site. This relieves those lecturers who offer classroom teaching of the need to consider 2-3 students who may not be present.
b) Simultaneous participation of a group on-site and individual students online, whereby the interaction of all students with the teacher and with each other should be ensured.
- Lectures and seminars of approx. 40 participants* (in the event they cannot be divided): PANOPTO (live streamed and recorded) with chat for questions. Limited interaction.
- Seminars reliant on presentations and discussions (up to approx. 30 participants*): seminar rooms with permanently installed conference technology (monitor, room camera and room microphone) and laptop of the teacher (presentation is visible for those present via beamer, for those off-site via video conference). Full-fledged interaction including presentations.
- the same as 2. but with mobile devices and only for small groups. Teachers will bring the equipment (room camera, room microphone) into the classroom.
It should be noted that in the case of hybrid courses the format of the examination must be the same for all participants at the end. Since there are no online exams at the University of Freiburg and on-site exams for distance-learning international students are not possible, other formats must be chosen (e.g. written paper, oral exam on-site or online).
Classroom teaching and on-site events have currently been suspended.
According to CoronaVO study operations and the arts, the rectorate decides on exceptions for mandatory field exercises that are to take place in November 2020. Applications for exceptions for the winter semester 2020/2021 were to be sent in a bundle by the Dean to praxisveranstaltungen@zv.uni-freiburg.de by November 26, 2020, 1pm.
The measures in the University hygiene regulations must be observed.
No. This special regulation for the summer semester 2020 will no longer exist for the winter semester.
The e-learning department provides information here with help and webinars (the webinar is now also available in English!) https://ilias.uni-freiburg.de/login.php?target=crs_1546286
The e-learning department provides information about the basic possibilities and scenarios of digital teaching with instructions, templates and much more under the following link: https://ilias.uni-freiburg.de/loslegen.
If you would like to be regularly informed about changes and innovations in the e-learning systems, please register in the following information room: https://ilias.uni-freiburg.de/goto.php?target=crs_1492956.
Guidelines on the use of Zoom at the University of Freiburg (German only)
Starting September 22, 2020, the Department of University Didactics has again been offering (several) consultation appointments daily during its online consultation hours where you can discuss your questions about digital teaching. Regardless as to whether you are in the planning phase or during the semester, from lectures and seminars to excursions and examinations – your questions can be neither too big nor too specific!
In addition, a daily hotline (for short consultations) will be set as of October 05, 2020 from 2pm to 3pm. More info.
Yes, the examination regulations for regular attendance will apply accordingly.
Seating plans with numbering of the lecture halls of the Central Lecture Hall Allocation Office can be found under the following link in the intranet (updated in November 2020).
For further information on centrally managed rooms you can also contact the colleagues of the Central Lecture Hall Allocation Office (D4.4).
Lectures in summer semester 2021
Study operations will begin as usual on April 19, 2021.
We have to assume that the pandemic conditions in 2021 summer semester will continue in principle and that a vaccine will not yet be widely available. For this reason, the summer semester must be prepared in accordance with the specifications of our phased plan: as a semester characterized by digital and hybrid teaching, as we had initially planned for 2020/21 winter semester. We very much hope that the infection situation will allow us to allow more classroom sessions for all students again, while observing the hygiene regulations. At the same time, however, it cannot be ruled out that increased numbers of infections may also occur in the summer, forcing the CoronaVO of the state, the MWK and the city to switch to digital teaching. In that case, the corresponding measures of the phased plan would take effect again, as you know from the current semester.
As a result, the 2021 summer semester will be planned with the following requirements in mind:
- Lectures are recorded in advance if possible and are only offered digitally.
- Lectures with an interactive character (exercises, seminars, etc.) are carried out synchronously in digital form; they can be supplemented by classroom sessions designed in accordance with the hygiene regulations, but the possibility of attending them without being on-site must be ensured and made possible if necessary.
- In the summer semester, the time period for attendance teaching is Mo-Fr 8am to 10pm.
- The centrally administered lecture halls will not be made available for lectures. Priority will be given to classroom teaching for 1st and 2nd semester students and to examinations. Further requests for attendance seminars can be considered if there is still room capacity available. The faculty’s own rooms have priority.
- Practical courses that require special laboratory or work rooms (laboratory internships, dissecting courses) and excursions can be carried out in attendance in compliance with the relevant regulations and hygiene rules.
- Communication and demand of the distance and hygiene rules, observance of the ventilation rules
- It is to be expected that the contact data of students present at courses will have to be collected.
- Exceptions to the minimum distance for the sports science area subject to examination by SSI
- Every teacher must also be aware that in the summer semester he or she must include students who are not present (international students who cannot enter the country, pregnant women, students in quarantine or from risk groups, etc.) in his or her classroom teaching. Above, under “How can I integrate absent students into my classroom teaching (hybrid teaching)” you will find a catalog of measures for the inclusion of absent students (hybrid teaching).
Independently of this, we ask every teacher to prepare themselves for the fact that in the event of another severe corona eruption, teaching will have to be completely switched back to digital teaching/distance learning (see phased plan).
Examination and study achievements
According to § 14 in connection with § 7 Corona Ordinance, the University of Freiburg has a ban on entry and participation for persons, among others,
- who are or have been in contact with a person infected with the coronavirus, if 10 days have not yet passed since the last contact, or
- who show typical symptoms of infection with the corona virus, namely fever, dry cough, impaired sense of taste or smell.
If you are unable to take an exam for the above reasons, please exercise your right to withdraw from the exam. In accordance with the regulations in the study and examination regulations, the application for permission to withdraw from an examination must be submitted to the responsible office without delay and with appropriate evidence of the reason for the ban on entry and participation.
According to § 14 in connection with § 7 Corona Ordinance, the University of Freiburg has a ban on entry and participation for persons, among others,
- who are or have been in contact with a person infected with the coronavirus, if 10 days have not yet passed since the last contact, or
- who show typical symptoms of infection with the corona virus, namely fever, dry cough, impaired sense of taste or smell
If, for the above-mentioned reasons, you are unable to attend courses for which attendance is compulsory as stipulated in the study and examination regulations or in the module description, please contact the office responsible in accordance with the regulations of the study and examination regulations immediately for any possibilities of compensation and indemnification.
Digital solutions can be used for each type of oral examination. Examinations can be taken at the request of the students, for example as a video conference, without the candidates having to be at the university. Regulations for online examinations are contained in the Corona Statute.
Online exams are all exams in which the examinee and examiner are not in the same room, but communicate electronically. The Corona Statutes provide for the possibility of connecting the examinee from home (see § 3 Corona Statutes) and from within the University (see § 4 Corona Statutes).
For planning and implementation, please refer to the fact sheets and application forms of the Legal Department, documents 1-6 under “Fact sheets and applications”.
Information page of the E-Learning Department: https://ilias.uni-freiburg.de/goto.php?target=wiki_wpage_18147.
Please note that, in principle, there is no legal entitlement to the use of electronic information and communication technologies for coursework and examination purposes.
In phase 5 they are not possible: all oral exams must be performed online.
Exception: Examinations with an examination format specified by a state examination office. Hygiene regulation requirements must always be observed.
During phase 4 an on-site exam is generally allowed if the appropriate hygiene measures are observed.
Our phase 5 – from an incidence level of >100 for more than three consecutive days and according to the decision of the Rectorate – provides that oral examinations are to be held online. Exceptions are, for example, state examinations if the examination format is externally prescribed.
A mandatory mouth-and-nose-covering must be worn at all times during on-site examinations.
It is currently not possible to take written exams online.
Classroom teaching and on-site events have currently been suspended.
According to CoronaVO study operations and the arts, the rectorate decides on exceptions for mandatory written exams that are to take place in November 2020. Applications for exceptions for the winter semester 2020/21 were to be sent in a bundle by the Dean to praxisveranstaltungen@zv.uni-freiburg.de by November 26, 2020, 1pm.
Hygiene regulation requirements must always be observed. A mandatory mouth-and-nose-covering must be worn at all times during on-site examinations.
Insofar as stipulated in the applicable examination regulations, it is already possible to deviate from the type of examination or the examination format stipulated in the respective subject-specific regulations.
Reference can be made here to § 14 paragraph 3 B.Sc. regulations as an example. “Deviations from the type of examination specified in the relevant subject-specific provisions in Annex B to these examination regulations or the examination format provided therein shall only be permitted if, due to a circumstance for which the examiner is not responsible and the consequences of which cannot be compensated for in any other way, the examination in the form provided would not be suitable or would be disproportionate to the effort required. The decision as to whether and in what form the examination may be carried out instead shall be made by the Special Examination Committee upon application to be made by the examiner without delay. The professional requirements of the examination performance must be observed. If the subject examination board approves the application, the students shall be informed immediately. Students who have already been admitted to the examination at the time of the decision of the subject examination board may withdraw from the examination upon application.” (non-binding courtesy translation)
The module manuals must be modified accordingly.
In addition, on April 17, 2020, the University of Freiburg adopted a supplementary and temporary ‘Corona Statute‘ that regulates the courses of study and teaching for the 2020 summer semester.
In this case, the relevant examination deadlines must be extended at your request.
In this case, the requirements of the regulations for exam withdrawal for an important reason apply (see e.g. § 23 B.Sc. Examination Regulations).
The same also applies to requested extensions of the deadline for processing times as well as examinations scheduled for the summer semester which cannot be taken by students staying abroad for the reasons stated here. Please submit the application to the board of examiners, stating the reason for withdrawal and enclosing suitable evidence.
All examination offices will continue working, if necessary from the home office.
You can also inform yourself on the homepage of your respective examination office about the possibilities of contacting them or separate contact addresses.
Filing at the University of Freiburg is not done electronically, so that the evaluated Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis has to be submitted in paper form for the examination file.
Click here for the latest information in Wiki for the Department of Campus Management.
Secondary school teaching specific questions
Yes, on September 14, 2020 a new version of the Corona pandemic exam regulation (German only) came into force. Among other things, it states (Article 5, §3): “For students who are enrolled in a teacher training program in the summer semester of 2020 and are still within the standard period of study, an individual standard period of study that differs from the standard period of study regulated in the examination regulations and is extended by one semester shall apply. This may also affect your ability to split the oral examination into two consecutive semesters.
Further information can also be found on the website of the Ministry of Culture (German only).
The regulation also regulates the transitional provisions of the framework VO-KM, so that GymPO I is now applicable until March 31, 2022. The last regular examination date according to GymPO I (2009) is now the spring date 2022 (for subject combinations with fine arts or music, the spring date is 2023). Accordingly, the last possible registration date is October 2021 (or October 2022 for subject combinations with fine arts or music).
Further information can also be found on the website of the Ministry of Culture (German only).
All exams are to be carried out in accordance with the social distancing rules and hygiene regulations. Further information can be found here: https://km-bw.de/,Lde/7216236
The University of Freiburg has agreed on the procedure described below on the basis of the recommendations of the Ministry of Culture concerning the Orientation Internship (OSP) – always provided that it is possible to run a school. The OSP is accredited for a minimum duration of 10 days (full-time).
If the capacity of the schools allows it, the missing days (usually 5) should be completed this year. We would like to point out that these 5 days are best completed in blocks, as a continuous period is pedagogically desirable. In addition, this would also help to better distribute absences from university courses and not always fall on the same day/courses if the internship days have to be carried out during the semester. If there are schools where the internship can only be carried out on individual days, accommodating and flexible individual case solutions should be agreed upon with the respective university lecturers in the interest of the students and the schools.
The tasks to be worked on in the OSP were adapted to the shortened duration of the OSP and the special conditions. The follow-up workshops take place instead of half a day of attendance in the form of an extended online reflection task via the ILIAS learning platform. The students were informed about the reduced compulsory tasks and the new deadlines via the ILIAS forum for the orientation internship.
“The school-based practical semesters in accordance with the Framework Regulations for Teacher Training Courses of the Ministry of Education (RahmenVO-KM), which were completed abroad in the first half of 2020, can be recognized with up to eight weeks of school-based practice, as regulated nationwide. In any case, an internship of at least four weeks must then be completed at a training school in Baden-Württemberg in conjunction with the accompanying events at the seminars for training and further teacher training in Baden-Württemberg. In the end, this is a compulsory part of the course of study which students must pass.”
(Source: Ministry of Culture “Coronavirus: FAQs for Student Teachers” https://km-bw.de/,Lde/7216236 viewed on December 3, 2020)
Student administration
According to CoronaVO study operations and the arts, the rectorate will decide on exceptions for mandatory access and admission procedures, which are to take place in November 2020. The Rectorate also decides on the use of University buildings, which according to the CoronaVO study operations may only be used for University purposes, should other purposes arise.
The University hygiene regulations must be observed.
Currently, enrollment is not done personally on site, but by mail. All information, including original documents, which must be presented to the International Admission and Services Department immediately after arrival in Germany or by March 20, 2021 at the latest, can be found on the page of the Student Service Center.
Currently, enrollment is not done personally on site, but by mail. All information, including original documents, which must be presented to the International Admission and Services Department immediately after arrival in Germany or by March 20, 2021 at the latest, can be found on the page of the Service Center for Studies.
Please refer to the Website for current travel regulations
If required, a confirmation of the necessity of your presence in Germany for the purpose of study/doctoral studies (§ 16b AufenthG) can be issued (see below under Information Sheets and Applications).
For international students who cannot enter Germany due to Corona restrictions, an off-campus enrollment can be done by e-mail. The completed application for enrollment, the notification of admission and the payment of the semester fee of 161 euros are required. However, this does not mean that international students from non-EU/EEA countries are exempt from tuition fees.
The proof of health insurance, the original documents noted on the acceptance letter, and the residence permit must be presented as soon as the students enter Germany. Enrollment is subject to a re-registration block for SoSe 2021, which will be lifted as soon as these documents are available.
For further questions please contact us.
On the part of the university, it is possible to take leave of absence to care for sick relatives. You can find the application form and the necessary documents (medical certificate) here.
The corona pandemic has also had a considerable impact on the international students at the University of Freiburg. International students who are subject to tuition fees therefore have the option of (partial) deferment, (partial) remission or (partial) reimbursement of tuition fees in accordance with § 7 Landeshochschulgebührengesetz (LHGebG) in the cases listed below due to considerable financial hardship or in the event of personal or material inequity in accordance with § 1 paragraph 2 LHGebG in conjunction with § 22 para. 2 Landesgebührengesetz (LGebG).
Please note that the tuition fee must not yet be paid if you wish to claim financial hardship! The refund of already paid tuition fees is not possible due to considerable financial hardship. In these cases only reasons 2) or 3) will be considered.
Reasons:
1) A financial emergency that occurred after I started my studies and for which I am not responsible, which means that I cannot pay the tuition fees that have not yet been paid or have already been deferred (considerable financial hardship),
2) The complete or partial cancellation of the University’s study, examination and supervision services due to the Corona Pandemic (factual inequity), in particular the cancellation of final examinations in the winter semester 2019/20 and the resulting unplanned re-registration for the summer semester 2020 or the cancellation of courses and study and examination services,
3) A complete or partial impossibility, for which I am not responsible, to take advantage of the University’s examination and care services and to perform study services (personal inequity), in particular due to an officially forbidden or delayed entry due to the Corona pandemic, or due to a necessary care of my own children due to the closure of day-care centers or schools.
The University cashier’s desk will remain closed until further notice.
Please transfer your student payments (re-enrollment fees, tuition fees) to the bank account indicated:
Bank: Baden-Württembergische Bank Stuttgart
IBAN: EN71 6005 0101 7438 5087 68
BIC/SWIFT: SOLADEST600
reason for payment (“Verwendungszweck”): last name, first name, applicant number
or
20202Matriculation number
If this is absolutely not possible, please contact the office via the e-mail address zahlungsverkehr@zv.uni-freiburg.de.
For newly enrolled students with a German address, the UniCards will be sent by post to the address provided at the time of enrollment as usual.
Only students who do not have a German address and urgently need the UniCard can pick it up at the Student Service Center at the following times: Mondays 12pm – 2pm and Fridays 10am-12pm.
For urgent cases the normal procedure applies, which you can view here.
However, please note the changed pick-up times: Mondays and Wednesdays 12pm – 2pm and Fridays 10am-12pm.
If your visa, probationary permit or residence permit expires while the Immigration Office is closed, write an e-mail to the Immigration Office. They will explain the further procedure to you: auslaenderbehoerde@stadt.freiburg.de or 0761 201 6470.
Further topics
Students can generate and fill out the appropriate form themselves. There is a little box: „Déplacements entre le domicile et le lieu d’exercice de l’activité professionnelle ou un établissement d’enseignement ou de formation, […]“
Please note the letter from the Rector to the student representatives (German only) dated October 7, 2020.
You can find answers from the EU Office to frequently asked questions for Incoming ERASMUS students here.
You can find answers from the EU Office to frequently asked questions for Outgoing ERASMUS students here.
The following recommendations are currently being made within the framework of the interdisciplinary overseas student exchange coordinated by the International Office (“Freiburg Global Exchange”):
Outgoing students
- Freiburg students who are currently spending a semester abroad: Recommendation to follow the guidelines and hygiene measures in the host country and the host university.
- Freiburg students who have been nominated for an exchange: Please get in touch with your contact person at the International Office.
- Freiburg students who are currently interested in or wish to apply for a stay abroad (Global Exchange):
- South Africa 2021: The deadline for this program has expired. The application deadline for the year 2022 will be May 2021.
- USA, Canada, Asia 2021/22: Please wait for the publication of the calls for applications first, which has been postponed until further notice, and then follow the instructions. The reference to the calls will appear at https://www.international.uni-freiburg.de/de/news-events/exchange-corona. Deadlines will most likely be in November. Basic information about the exchange programs can be found here (https://www.international.uni-freiburg.de/de/out/study/exchange). Details on the 2021/22 programs will be available as soon as the announcement is published. Please note that these programs can only be announced provisionally.
- Regardless of the exchange and the announcements, you should pay attention to deadlines of relevant scholarships (also for self-organized stays abroad as an alternative to an exchange), e.g. DAAD, Fulbright, Promos.
Incoming students
- International exchange students from partner universities who are currently in Freiburg: Recommendation: Follow the instructions from your home university and home country (embassy)
- International students from partner universities who are interested in studying abroad and/or who would like to apply to such a program: Request information as per usual from the partner university’s international office
If you do not pay tuition fees during a leave of absence, you will not receive any further vouchers. Even if you have submitted an application for tuition fee waiver and this has been approved, you will not receive any further vouchers. Nevertheless, you can use the vouchers you have not used so far and which do not lose their validity. Please send an e-mail to voucher@service.uni-freiburg.de to check how many vouchers you currently have available.
The general measures and regulations also apply to scientific training program. The colleagues in the Academy of Continuing Education can provide additional information here and identify contact persons for further questions.
Registration takes place at the Student secretary’s office in the Student Service Center. The registration deadlines for the 2021 summer semester will be published soon. More information can be found here: http://www.wb.uni-freiburg.de/gast. Please note that after registration a refund of the fee is not possible.
Individual research internships, research-relevant theses, research traineeships and other work or internships in which students are integrated in a working group are permitted, subject to the provisions of the hygiene regulations. A special exemption is required in accordance with CoronaVO study operations and the arts. Exceptions for the winter semester 2020 could be applied for by the Dean at the Rectorate until November 26th.
The Federal Ministry of Education has clarified by decree that BAföG funding will continue to be granted to the same extent as before and that you will not suffer any disadvantages with regard to the duration of funding.
Further information
“An amendment has now been adopted in Baden-Württemberg’s higher education law, which provides for a one-off adjustment of the standard period of study for the 2020 summer semester due to corona-related one-semester delay. Due to the link between the maximum duration of funding and the standard period of study under the state’s higher education law, the maximum duration of funding for BAföG will be increased by one semester.” (Source: https://mwk.baden-wuerttemberg.de/de/service/aktuelle-informationen-zu-corona/faq-zu-den-corona-auswirkungen-auf-die-hochschulen/, accessed on August 20, 2020)
Get in touch with the Studierendenwerk to use the available possibilities for financial aid, job placement, contact to further contact persons: https://www.swfr.de/geld/corona-nothilfe/, https://www.swfr.de, under the headings “Geld” (money) and “Beratung und Soziales” (counselling and social services) as well as https://www.unicross.uni-freiburg.de/2020/06/finanzielle-hilfen-fuer-studierende/.
Contact the responsible institution directly, for example the Studierendenwerk via www.swfr.de/wohnen.
Due to increased home office activity, capacity bottlenecks currently occur when using VPN. Therefore the computer center is asking that you use it sparingly. In addition, a new VPN client is available for Windows users.
By the way, for some applications you do not need to be connected to the VPN, e.g. to work on publicly accessible web platforms such as ILIAS, HISinOne, Adobe Connect, video server.
Detailed information
All libraries and study areas (Breisacher Tor, Werthmannstraße 4) will be closed from December 16, 2020, to (and including) January 10, 2021.
Due to extremely low demand and sufficient space at the University library, the study areas, both at Breisacher Tor and the PC pools in Werthmannstr. 4, are to be expected to remain closed after January 10, 2021 until further notice.
- Corresponding attachment for the application to conduct an oral videoconference exam outside the University or other institutions – as of: 05/07/2020
- Application for conducting an oral examination by videoconference outside the University or other institutions – as of: 05/11/2020
- Affidavit on the independent provision of an oral doctoral examination in a video conference – as of: 05/07/2020
- Instruction sheet for the conduct of oral examinations in video conference format outside the University or other institutions – as of: 05/07/2020
- Declaration on the independent performance of an oral examination in a video conference examination – as of: 05/07/2020
- Nur für lehramtsbezogene Staatsprüfungen als Teil-Videokonferenz: Zustimmung zur Durchführung einer mündlichen Prüfung in Form einer Teil-Videokonferenz – Stand 29.04.2020
- General SARS-CoV-2 hygiene regulations from the University of Freiburg – as of 10/22/2020
- Form on data collection in accordance with § 6 of the Corona Ordinance – as of 11/27/2020
- Instructions for the use of the data collection form pursuant to § 6 CoronaVO – as of 11/12/2020
- Seating plans with numbering of the lecture halls of the Central Lecture Hall Assignment Office can be found on the intranet: Filter: Messages from the Rectorate (access only for university employees. Login with the university account)
- Confirmation of the necessity to be present in Germany for the purpose of studies/doctoral studies (§ 16b Residence Act): winter semester 2020/21 German / English; summer semester 2021 German / English – as of: 01/13/2021
- Contact data gathering pursuant to § 6 Corona Ordinance for on-site events using HISinOne – as of 10/20/2020
- Information in accordance with Article 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for voluntary information on the occurrence of typical symptoms of a coronavirus infection or a positive corona test result – as of 10/23/2020
- Corona Phased Plan for the University of Freiburg – as of 10/21/2020
- Attestation de déplacement dérogatoire: PDF / Online – Stand: 03.11.2020
As of January 14, 2021. This Website is constantly being updated.