Information on Studying and Teaching under Pandemic University Operations

The aim of TU Berlin is to ensure a smooth summer semester 2022 in person. To this end, the following regulations take effect immediately:

All facilities and buildings at TU Berlin are open and accessible. The 3G rule for students no longer applies. However, I would ask you to continue to observe the 3G rule on a voluntary basis to reduce the chances of infection on campus. For example, tests are scheduled to be available at the testing tent in front of the Main Building until June. Vaccination stickers from winter semester 2021/22 are still valid and can be used if measures are tightened. So, don't peel them off just yet!

You are required to wear a surgical or FFP2 mask when indoors to protect yourself and others. We strongly recommend that you wear an FFP2 mask. There is no obligation to wear a mask in exams where a distance of 1.5. meters is maintained. The same applies to instructors and speakers. For individual classes, instructors decide according to the situation. In the event of a dispute regarding compliance, the security service may be called in to assist (please state the building and room number when calling):

• Campus Charlottenburg: +49 (0)30 314-22571
• TIB Campus: +49 (0)30 74780059, 030 4631100, 0172 2545332

TU Berlin has revised its hygiene regulations regarding basic protective measures. Please take note of these amendments.

Attendance in classes and exams will no longer be documented for the purposes of tracing.

Classes and exams should take place in presence under the current protection and hygiene regulations. Minimum distancing of 1.5 meters no longer needs to be observed. Depending on the situation (e.g. insufficient options for airing rooms), the number of students in a room can be limited. The old spacing stickers in the lecture halls allow minimum distancing to be maintained for smaller numbers of students. Decisions regarding the scope and organization of classroom teaching lie with those units responsible for teaching. For individual classes, the instructors decide according to the situation.

Planning for room allocation was completed in January for lecture halls at 50 percent space occupancy and seminar rooms at 100 percent. Instructors decide according to the conditions in the rooms assigned to them. In the MTS, rooms can be booked independently again from the start of summer semester 2022 lecture period.

• Direct exchange among students and between students and instructors is an essential aspect of studying and teaching. This is something that works best in in-presence formats. However, for various reasons, it will not be possible to hold some courses and classes in presence this semester.
   
• In-presence teaching can take place again, ideally supplemented by the experiences gained over the last two years. Many of our instructors have developed good digital teaching material during this period. We would like to take this opportunity to once again express our gratitude to them for their dedication and commitment. Thank you! Please feel free to continue to use digital teaching material and to incorporate it into in-presence teaching in order to create new experiences and to provide students with even better learning outcomes compared to digital-only content. It is now possible to offer hybrid courses and courses supported with digital elements. Take advantage of this opportunity! In particular, some of the courses offered more than once (e.g. tutorials) should also be available digitally. However, there is no actual requirement to provide digital or hybrid offerings for courses that take place in presence. Decisions regarding the scope and organization of hybrid and digitally supported teaching components are the responsibility of the course lecturers.
   
  • Hybrid teaching in this context refers to the synchronous participation in courses by students present in class at TU Berlin and others participating via a video conferencing tool. As a rule, this teaching format requires at least two persons (e.g. a professor and a student assistant) as well the necessary technical equipment (available in lecture halls  H 104, H 105, H 107, H 110 and EW 201 or in seminar rooms with mobile conference tools). This will only be possible for a few of our approximately 1800 classes. However, when possible we recommend making creative use of this format.
     
  • Digitally supported courses are designed by providing digital elements. The flipped classroom concept is particularly suitable in this regard: Asynchronous elements (e.g. videos, scripts, tasks, etc. provided in ISIS) can be worked on independently by students and then discussed together synchronously in lecture halls and seminar rooms within the framework of question-and-answer sessions.
     
• There is no general attendance requirement at TU Berlin. However, many courses, such as labs and seminars with active participation, require students to participate as a matter of course.
  Students are also required to be present for other teaching and examination formats (regulations can be found in the respective module descriptions). Due to the pandemic, some students and instructors will not be able or willing to participate in (all) in-presence exams or classes for health reasons (e.g. at-risk groups or persons required to avoid contact). Academic adjustments (see below) require options to be made available for those unable to attend.

University libraries and PC labs are now open. Centrally and individually managed rooms are also available for use. Seminar rooms may also be used for independent learning if not required for a class. Further information regarding teaching rooms.

• Exams may take place either in presence or using digital formats. Decisions regarding exam formats are the responsibility of the relevant instructors.
   
• Further information for students and teachers can be found in the ISIS course on digital exams. For continuing education offers on digital exams, please refer to the ZEWK and the BZHL.
   
• Registration for exams from summer semester 2022 is via SAP/tuPORT (pilot degree programs) or MOSES, and not via QISPOS. Further information will be made available in due course.
   
• According to our current understanding, it is planned that by law exams failed in summer semester 2022 will also not be counted and that this semester will not count towards the individual standard period of study. We will inform you of the final decision regarding this once the relevant legislation has been passed.

• In addition to the usual reasons contained in Section 67 of the General Study and Examination Regulations (AllgStuPO), the following situations resulting from the coronavirus pandemic should also be regarded as  "sufficient reason" for academic adjustments:
   
• Students
  • required to quarantine or isolate or who have a child or are responsible for caring for a family member required to quarantine or isolate;
  • who cannot be vaccinated on medical grounds or who do not have sufficient vaccination protection as a result of a medical condition;
  • requiring the help of an assistant or an interpreter who is required to quarantine or isolate;
  • for whom accessible conditions cannot be created as a result of required hygiene measures.
     
• If, for any of the reasons mentioned above, a student is unable to attend in-presence classes, they should agree appropriate alternative options for course work with the responsible instructor. If required, the representative for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses as well as the advisor for studies and teaching at the relevant faculty can be consulted for advice when finding alternatives for participating in classes and taking exams.
   
• For in-presence examinations which students are prevented from taking for one of the reasons listed above, the responsible examination board is required to allow alternative equivalent options in another format, at a different time, or in a different place upon application.
   
• Instructors, examiners, and relevant units are urged to be flexible and find appropriate solutions regarding student attendance in in-presence only courses and to give due consideration to pandemic-related reasons in the best interests of students.

Please send your questions and feedback to Christian Schröder, vice president for education, teacher training, and continuing educationwith the subject line "SoSe22" at vp-sl(at)tu-berlin.de.