Summersemester 2021 - General

Examinations within the framework of FMP

According to the General Regulations of the TH Wildau §20a (1)

Examinations within the framework of SMP

For the regulations within the framework of SMP, §20b of the General Regulations of the TH Wildau applies.

Examinations within the framework of KMP

For the regulations within the framework of KMP, §20c of the General Regulations of the TH Wildau applies.

An unexcused or unregistered absence from an examination is considered an examination attempt. The procedure thus corresponds to the usual procedure.

The Brandenburg Higher Education Act (BbgHG) only provides for a very limited number of free attempts, as is the case in some other federal states (education and science is a matter for the federal states, and each federal state has its own laws). The BbgHG states in this regard (§22 Para.3): "For all suitable degree programmes, the examination regulations shall specify the conditions under which a final examination taken within the standard duration of studies shall be deemed not to have been taken in the case of failure (free attempt). An examination passed in a free attempt may be repeated in order to improve the grade."

Accordingly, this regulation refers to the "final examination" in "suitable" degree programmes and states that such a regulation must be anchored in the respective examination regulations.

The General Regulations of the TH Wildau say on this subject (§21, paragraph 3): "... The degree programmes of the TH Wildau are not suitable degree programmes according to § 22, paragraph 3, sentence 1 BbgHG for a free attempt regulation."

It follows that there are no examination regulations at TH Wildau that would regulate this. Thus, there is no legal basis for a "free attempt" in the sense of the BbgHG.

*Side note: This topic has also been raised in the group of university presidents. Regardless of the fact that the legal framework does not exist in Brandenburg, everyone agreed that, especially in the pandemic situation, such a regulation could endanger equal opportunities: Students who do not want to take an exam because they are not going to the university due to the pandemic are at a disadvantage compared to those who assess the risk for themselves as lower and simply "give the exam a try". Thus, the latter would have an advantage in that they would have a greater chance of doing better in the next attempt with the experience gained from the first.

In German, vaccinated means "geimpft", recovered means "genesen" and tested means "getestet". That is why in Germany, the 3G status or the 3G rule is currently being talked about everywhere when it comes to access to public facilities, gastronomy, hotels or similar in relation to the corona virus.

Of course, this makes no sense in English.

Nevertheless, the following applies: Only people who have either been vaccinated or have recovered or have been tested (negatively) and thus fulfil a status like this may participate in our on-site events. 

Yes, especially from §23 (Other educational and training institutions) of the Ordinance on Temporary Containment Measures due to the SARS-CoV-2 Virus and COVID-19 in the State of Brandenburg (SARS-CoV-2 Containment Ordinance - SARS-CoV-2-EindV) of 12 November 2021 the following regulations exist:

• As before, attendance at classroom events must be accompanied by a negative Corona test.
• Participants in onsite courses must provide evidence of a negative test on their first day of attendance each week.

• Our previous testing concept (valid until 14.11.2021) is no longer valid, i.e. no more self-tests including the personally signed negative certificate will be accepted.

• Instead, official test certificates from official (rapid) test centres are necessary from now on.

  Here is an overview of possible test stations:

  • LK Dahme-Spreewald: https://www.dahme-spreewald.info/sixcms/detail.php/70521
  • Berlin: https://www.berlin.de/corona/testzentren/
• The negative certificates are valid for72 h (3 days), so that a maximum of two tests are necessary if the course is held on different days between Monday and Saturday.
• Fully vaccinated or recovered persons are exempt from testing under the COVID 19 Protective Measures Exemption Ordinance of 8 May 2021, but must provide proof of full vaccination or recovery upon request.
• Teaching staff are entitled to be shown the negative certificates or proof of full vaccination or recovery. The university explicitly chooses the trust-based approach in this point in order to ensure that courses and examinations are as practicable and simple as possible.

Persons who cannot provide proof of their vaccination/recovery/testing status will be expelled from the room of the event. This is the exercise of domiciliary rights. The incident must be recorded and reported immediately to the President. The expulsion can be lifted if the person provides proof, for example by carrying out a self-test.

Yes.

Both courses and on-site examinations are considered attendance events. 

The negative certificates are valid for 72 hours (3 days), so that a maximum of two tests are necessary if the course is held on different days between Monday and Saturday.

Yes, according to the COVID 19 Protective Measures Exemption Ordinance of 8 May 2021, fully vaccinated and recovered persons are exempt from the testing requirement, but must provide proof of full vaccination or recovery upon request.

The current guidelines on the mask requirement and the distance requirement also continue to apply to these groups of people.

As a general rule: Attendance at on-site events is only permitted with negative proof. 

Our previous testing concept (valid until 14.11.2021) is no longer valid, i.e. no more self-tests including the personally signed negative certificate will be accepted.

Instead, official test certificates from official (rapid) test centres are necessary from now on.

The "negative certificate" can then simply be brought to the course or exam.

Here is an overview of possible testing stations:

• Brandenburg: www.dahme-spreewald.info/sixcms/detail.php/70521
• Berlin: www.berlin.de/corona/testzentren/

Yes, according to the COVID 19 Protective Measures Exemption Ordinance of 8 May 2021, fully vaccinated and recovered persons are exempt from the testing requirement, but must provide proof of full vaccination or recovery upon request.

The current guidelines on the mask requirement and the distance requirement also continue to apply to these groups of people.

Only those persons who have been vaccinated with one of the four vaccines approved in the European Union are considered "vaccinated". 

These are:

• mRNA vaccines: Biontech/Pfizer; Moderna
• Vector vaccines: Johnson & Johnson; Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca)

Versions of the EU-approved vaccines approved abroad (original or licensed productions) are equivalent to the above-mentioned EU-approved vaccines for the proof of vaccination protection. For further information, please refer to the list at the Paul Ehrlich Institute.

Persons vaccinated with a vaccine not licensed in the EU (or equivalent) are considered unvaccinated and must be tested.

Four vaccines are admitted in the European Union.

These are:

• mRNA vaccines: Biontech/Pfizer; Moderna
• Vector vaccines: Johnson & Johnson; Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca)

Versions of the EU-approved vaccines approved abroad (original or licensed productions) are equivalent to the above-mentioned EU-approved vaccines for the proof of vaccination protection. For further information, please refer to the list at the Paul Ehrlich Institute.

Persons vaccinated with a vaccine not licensed in the EU (or equivalent) are considered unvaccinated and must be tested.

Versions approved abroad of the EU-approved vaccines approved abroad (original or licensed productions) are equivalent to the above-mentioned EU-approved vaccines for the proof of vaccination protection. For further information, please refer to the list at the Paul Ehrlich Institute.

Persons vaccinated with a vaccine not licensed in the EU (or equivalent) are considered unvaccinated and must be tested.

Vaccines licensed in the EU:

• mRNA vaccines: Biontech/Pfizer; Moderna
• Vector vaccines: Johnson & Johnson; Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca)

Against the background of offering a large part of the courses in the winter semester in attendance in compliance with the corresponding Corona regulations, a difficult situation arises in particular for international students who have been vaccinated with non-recognised vaccines.

The resulting question of the free use of Corona tests has now been resolved positively: International students will continue to have the opportunity to be tested free of charge. This is at federal expense and is limited until 31.12.2021. The Coronavirus Testing Ordinance of the BMG, which was published in the Federal Gazette on 21.09.2021, refers to the relevant target group in § 4a: 

§ 4a Testing in vaccine-naïve and segregated persons.

The following asymptomatic persons are entitled to testing by means of PoC antigen tests:

[...]

3. until 31 December 2021, persons who have not yet reached the age of 18 at the time of testing, pregnant women at the time of testing and students at the time of testing who have been vaccinated with vaccines other than those listed by the Paul Ehrlich Institute on the Internet at the address http://www.pei.de/impfstoffe/covid-19.

You can find the hygiene concept here: CLICK. It is also linked in the right column of the Corona website.

The following hygiene standards apply at TH Wildau:

• Minimum distance between individuals of 1.5 m. In case minimum distance cannot be guaranteed due to the size of rooms or the kind of work undertaken, then a case-by-case assessment as to the feasibility of higher standards of protection must be undertaken. Any such requirements for higher standards must be reported via the deans to the executive university management. The university management will endeavour to support such applications. Should the requirements reported be impossible to meet, however, due to delivery shortages, then the class or examination in question may not be conducted on site and must be rescheduled to a later date.
• The university will make disinfectants available.

• Within the buildings of the university, the wearing of a medical mask (surgical or FFP2 mask) is mandatory. In offices and laboratories used by a defined group of persons, the wearing of a mouth-and-nose protector may be dispensed with, provided that the minimum distance of 1.5 m between staff members is maintained and regular ventilation is provided.

• In classroom training the mask requirement for classroom events in closed rooms (courses and examinations) does not apply as soon as the students have taken their fixed seat. If they leave their fixed seat, the mask must be put back on.

The hygiene concept of TH Wildau lists all measures taken at the university and can also be downloaded from the general Corona page.

• Basically, it remains essential that we all adhere to the applicable distance and hygiene rules.
  • Distance and hygiene rules
    Distance - at least 1.5 m, also outside the buildings
    Hygiene rules - wash hands regularly with soap for at least 20 seconds and follow cough and sneeze etiquette
    Mask - wear a medical mask when on campus. This has to be a surgical or FFP2 mask.
    Ventilate - regularly ventilate all type of room as best you can: offices, seminar rooms, lecture theatres etc.
    App - install the federal government's Corona warning app on a voluntary basis. It enables contact tracing and thereby to break contact chains.

TH Wildau introduced a system developed in-house for contact tracing in case of a SARS-Cov2 infection: the "Web-App für contact tracing". 

All premises of TH Wildau will be successively equipped with QR codes.

The QR codes must be scanned with a mobile device before entering the premises. Those who do not have a mobile device or do not wish to use one can also maintain the data manually via the icampus.th-wildau.de/kontaktnachverfolgung (there is currently no English version of the web app available).website on any other device with Internet access before or after entering the premises.

Further information on the web app is available at: https://en.th-wildau.de/contact-tracing

As a general rule: In all other premises of the TH (corrodirs, foyers etc.), the wearing of a medical face mask (OP mask or FFP2 mask) is mandatory!

The principle applies that staff (members) should not be in the position of having to violate the distance rules in their offices or laboratories. In this sense, it is strongly recommended to use the possibilities of the home office to reduce the occupancy of the premises accordingly. If the distance rules cannot be complied with due to an urgent need for higher occupancy of the premises or the nature of the activities, compensation through additional protective measures must be examined in individual cases (e.g. application for Plexiglas panes).

Offices and laboratories

In offices and laboratories used by a clearly defined group of people, the wearing of nasal masks can be dispensed with, provided that the minimum distance between staff (members) of 1.5 m is maintained and regular ventilation is ensured.

Classroom (teaching) events

The mask requirement also applies to classroom events (courses and examinations).

Yes, the current guidelines on the obligation to wear a mask and the distance requirement are still valid for these groups of people.

Our family service provides you with useful tips and links for organising work with children in your home office, as well as psychological support for children, young people and adults and suggestions and ideas for games for you and your children during the breaks.