Specific questions for students

If an infection with coronavirus is confirmed, please inform:

• your superior or supervisor
• lectures of classes you have visited
• and Ms Ziegmann from the executive administrative unit for safety (0951/863-1096 or sicherheitswesen[at]uni-bamberg.de)

If you are not able to work, the usual regulations for sick leave apply. If you have a positive corona test, you must wear a medical mask (surgical mask) or a FFP2 mask when leaving your home. However, when your are alone indoors, you do not need to wear a mask. There is also no need outdoors if you are able to keep a minimum distance of 1.5 meters to others.

Do you suffer from the consequences of a corona disease?
The following page of the Bavarian State Ministry of Health and Care gives information on Long-Covid or Post-Covid Syndrome: https://www.stmgp.bayern.de/coronavirus/post-covid/

Under the current circumstances, the University management is particularly concerned with protecting and preserving the health of all members of the University – and especially you as a student. For the implementation of in-person teaching and other operations, this means you should:

• Strictly observe all corona-related protective measures (see FAQ on the current situation page).
• Observe minimum distancing requirements and current mask regulations (see FAQ below).
• Please also support all measures for recording contact details (by entering them in VC companion courses , scanning your student card when using the branch libraries or registering online via smartphone or laptop during other visits) in order to be able to trace contacts as quickly and accurately as possible in the event of infection and to combat the broader spread of the coronavirus.

Please click here for more information on this topic.

As is generally known, production of audio or video recordings require that those persons recorded consent to the parallel electronic recording of an in-person course. This consent can also be assumed given without a formal declaration if notification to this effect was made before the start of the recording and it is possible to participate in the course in question without being recorded. The latter point entails, in particular, that the course must provide the opportunity for participants to ask questions that will not appear in the recording (for more information in German, see also https://www.uni-bamberg.de/beauftragte/datenschutzbeauftragter/datenschutz-information/online-lehre/ and https://www.uni-bamberg.de/rz/dienstleistungen/tele/hybrid/).

Please click here for more information on this topic.

Due to the Corona pandemic, there may be entry restrictions for foreign students. We therefore recommend that you inform yourself carefully before entering Germany or Bavaria. For this purpose we have listed the most important sources of information for you.

Information on this topic can be found here.

In order to ensure high quality in online teaching, the university management and teaching staff have drawn up conditions under which digital formats are to be exploited, for example by

1) Use of the Virtual Campus

All instructors are urged to make increased and targeted use of the diverse possibilities offered by the Virtual Campus for course planning, course design and exchange with students participating in their lectures, seminars and practical courses. Information on planning, scheduling and course progression should also be communicated as early as possible via the Virtual Campus.

2) Computing Centre Offerings

Additionally, the University of Bamberg Computing Centre provides further simple tools and tutorials with which you can, for example, hold virtual meetings with instructors, chat and work on assignments individually or cooperatively.

3) Courses Offered by the Virtuelle Hochschule Bayern

Take advantage of the courses offered by the Virtuellen Hochschule Bayern (vhb)! The vhb provides and manages a range of courses designed and taught by scholars from Bavarian universities. University of Bamberg subject groups are required to ensure that their examining boards generously recognise and approve courses completed at the vhb and concluded with examinations.

The pages of the university's data security officer contain important German-language information on data protection and privacy in the context of digital teaching. Please note the guidelines for online and hybrid teaching.

If possible, required internships that are planned or already underway should be suspended and postponed. Ideally, they should be postponed until the next semester break in order to avoid the dual burden of an internship and course work. If this is not possible, due for example to existant internship agreements or loss of your internship position, contact your instructors as early as possible to arrange a plan for independently making up missed work or course material. In such a case, please make particular use of the online course offering of the Virtuelle Hochschule Bayern (vhb) or the online offerings of your subject area, which are increasingly being offered by all teaching units at least at the beginning of the semester.

If the maximum allowed duration of study is exceeded due to the cancellation of internships, please submit a request for an extension of the maximum duration of study to your degree programme's examining board.

A solution has been developed for the obligatory 6-week pre-study internship in the bachelor's degree programme in education. For further information, please contact the Office of the Registrar by email.

School Internships
The Internship Office is in close contact with the Ministry of Education. A solution is being worked on. Students in teacher training programmes will be informed about internship and school-specific regulations in due course.

As per § 2 of the university's Corona Statutes (Corona-Satzung), deviations from course and examination formats are permissible if the originally intended teaching and/or examination format cannot be carried out as planned due to the corona crisis. In this case, the planned teaching and/or examination format may be replaced by a suitable alternative format. Three variations are possible

• Variation 1: The instructor opts for a different examination form and announces this no later than four weeks after the start of the lecture period;
• Variation 2: As a precaution, the instructor specifies a second, alternative examination format. The final decission on which of the two possibilities will be held must be communicated at least four weeks before the planned examination date;
• Variation 3: If, contrary to expectations, an examination cannot be conducted in the intended form, further deviations are permitted in "particularly justified exceptional cases". This variation is only intended for absolute emergencies and requires the express approval of the responsible dean of studies.

Students must be notified of any deviations from variations 1 and 2 by no later than 4 weeks after the start of the lecture period. Students must be notified of deviations in variation 3 at least 4 weeks before the planned examination date.

Applicants who wish to commence studies in the 2020/2021 winter semester, in the 2021 summer semester, in the 2021/2022 winter semester and the 2022 summer semester in master's degree programmes which require verification of successful completion of the undergraduate course to begin studies will be granted a period of grace until the end of the first semester of the programme.

At the beginning of December, the Bavarian State Parliament extended the Corona Special Law by another semester, so that it is now also valid for the current winter semester 2021/22. Subject-related semesters and regular study time-bound dates and deadlines, along with the maximum BAföG funding period, are thus automatically postponed or extended by one semester.

The Bavarian Parliament passed the Second Corona Emergency Act (Corona-Eilgesetz II) on 23 March 2021. This stipulates that the Bavarian Higher Education Act regulations concerning both the individual standard programme duration and examinations valid for the summer semester 2020 will also apply to the past 2020/21 winter semester and the upcoming 2021 summer semester.

The aim is to continue to prevent financial and examination-related disadvantages for students with regard to semester-specific deadlines and periods as well as BAföG entitlement.

Accordingly, the winter semester 2020/2021 and summer semester 2021 will not be considered semesters of study with regard to the standard dates and deadlines specified in the university examination regulations. This also means that in case of non-attendance for examinations, no repetition opportunities will be lost. In addition, the introduction of the individual standard programme duration will remove hurdles to BAföG funding.

Similarly, the 2020/2021 winter semester and 2021 summer semester will not count towards the maximum duration of study. This means that students may study for the maximum allowed duration of study plus three additional semesters without having to apply for an extension of the period of study. The Ministry has announced a bill to extend the Corona legislation that has been in effect for the last three semesters. This would allow the current 2021/22 winter semester not to count towards the standard programme durations and not to count towards BAföG deadlines.

Further information can be found on the homepage of the Bavarian State Ministry.

Please look here for further information.

Validation and top-up services are available:

at the terminal located in the foyer of Kapuzinerstrße 25

at the corridor of the copy room at Markusstraße 8a, building 2, ground floor

at the entrance of the Rechenzentrum, Feldkirchenstraße

in front of the entrance at the library of the ERBA building, An der Weberei 5

Information concerning your semester public transport pass: Please note, that in order to use public transportation as part of your semester ticket, you must carry a validated student ID card.

Applications for government-funded interim financial aid for students in financial distress due to the coronavirus pandemic are possible again beginning with the month april. Grants of between 100 and 500 € per month in non-repayable aid can be paid to needy students.

The amount of aid depends on the individual financial situation of each student. Students can apply online for interim financial aid from April 2021 to September 2021. Grants will be paid to applicants for one month following approval. A new application must be submitted for the following month if necessary. Additional information and the application form are available at www.ueberbrueckungshilfe-studierende.de.

Additionally, KfW Student Loans are being made interest-free and being opened to international students until the end of 2021. More information can be found on the KfW website.

The university board of management is aware that the current restrictions to public life may pose considerable financial challenges for many students who depend on a part-time job to finance their studies. If these challenges are so great that you find yourself in an existential emergency or are even considering dropping out of your studies, two university staff members are available for consultation:

For German students:
Alexander Ostermann (Central Student Advisory Service)
Tel.: 0951/863-1053
alexander.ostermann(at)uni-bamberg.de

For foreign students:
Dr. Andreas Weihe (International Office)
Tel.: 0951/863 1048
andreas.weihe(at)uni-bamberg.de

Your data will of course be treated confidentially and - should this be necessary - only passed on to third parties with your consent.

A further contact person is Mariella Büttner from the Studentenwerk Würzburg. Among other things she can provide advice and consultation on corona-related changes to the Bafög laws, on existing employment contracts, job hunting, deferment of rent payments, student loans and grants/scholarships. Additionally, she can provide information on social benefits and altered regulations during the pandemic (e.g. changes to children's allowance, financial verification for international students...).

Although the advisory services of the Studentenwerk Würzburg have been suspended for public access until further notice (see above), the staff of the psychotherapeutic counselling office can be reached by telephone or email. Contact information can be found here.

The central student advisory service is also reachable by telephone at 0951-863-1050 and by email at studienberatung(at)uni-bamberg.de.

Also the Protestant Student Community (esg) and the Catholic University Community (khg) Bamberg can still be reached by phone and e-mail:

University Pastor Thomas Braun is available for individual conversations. Please call 0951/9685420 or send an e-mail to Thomas.Braun1(at)elkb.de if you would like to talk to him and make an appointment. You can also send inquiries to esg.bamberg(at)elkb.de.

University chaplain Dr. Alfons Motschenbacher is attainable for personal discussions under the telephone number 0951/5023400 and by Mail at alfons.motschenbacher(at)erzbistum-bamberg.de.

The Academy of Key Competencies and Academic Further Education (Akademie für Schlüsselkompetenzen und wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung)  regularly provides information on opportunities for students who would like to help others and get involved on a social level during the corona crisis. Pleas visit the website for current information.

Additionally, the city of Bamberg has created a website with a regularly updated overview of various local aid organisations (neighbourhood aid and other groups).

With regard to reading room closures and the increased possibility of restricted access to examination-related literature, in justified cases students writing their bachelor’s and master’s theses may submit a deadline extension request to chairpersons of the examining boards. Chairpersons are urged to review these requests sympathetically and to grant a four-week extension where necessary. Furthermore, the university board of management advises all seminar instructors to accept seminar papers submitted up to four weeks after deadline with no negative repercussions for students.

Following the expiration of corresponding, pandemic-related special regulations in the University's Corona Statutes, it is no longer possible for students to withdraw from a university module examination by simply not attending. If students are absent without excuse from an examination for which they are registered, this will again result in a failed attempt due to unexcused absence. For an illness-related withdrawal from examinations, students are again required to present a medical certificate. The Office of Examinations has compiled extensive information on this, which is available in German here: www.uni-bamberg.de/pruefungsamt/atteste-formulare-fuer-den-arztbesuch/. This website also provides:

• a form for the certificate of inability to take an examination in case of not attending a written/oral/practical examination (medical certificate) and
• a form for requesting a deadline waiver for seminar papers/final theses due to illness combined with a doctor's certificate of inability to take examinations.

Students are advised to use the corresponding form in the event of illness in order to simplify processing. The section with the student and examination data can be edited directly in the PDF, and the correspondingly pre-completed form can then be presented to the examining doctor for certification of the inability to take the examination.

Planning room occupancy with the minimum required distancing is strongly recommended for all examinations – and especially highly frequented examinations. Examination time allowances when wearing masks will no longer be granted. Examiners who would like to reserve suitable rooms for their decentralised examinations during the semester break should contact Facilities Management (fm(at)uni-bamberg.de; Ms. Gegner).

In-person examinations remain permissible in accordance with the applicable safety and hygiene regulations. All important information on this topic is summarised here.

Students with particular health risks verified by a doctor can apply with the responsible examining board for special examination conditions at any time – ad particularly now during the coronavirus pandemic. The Office of Examinations (centrally organised examinations) or the corresponding examiner (decentrally organised examinations) will help you with further questions.

Dependened on the individual case, Post-Covid can be recognized as a chronic illness if it lasts more than six months. Therefore, it can be used as the basis for compensation of disadvantages in examinations. Please contact the Student and Disability Contact Office for further advice.

Students who miss an exam and are therefore unable to complete their studies in the current semester due to coronavirus infection and a corresponding quarantine requirement should be granted a make-up date whenever possible, in accordance with recent policy. Proof of coronavirus infection can be provided in the form of a positive PCR test result, the official quarantine order issued by the public health department, or a medical certificate. An informal request for a make-up examination date is to be sent by email to the respective examiner.

Yes. Course and module examinations remain permissible in accordance with the applicable safety and hygiene regulations and can take place in person as well.

As per § 2 of the university's Corona Statutes (Corona-Satzung), deviations from course and examination formats are permissible if the originally intended teaching and/or examination format cannot be carried out as planned due to the corona crisis. In this case, the planned teaching and/or examination format may be replaced by a suitable alternative format.

The dates of enrollment/disenrollment for centrally organized examinations can be found on the respective website of the examination office:
https://www.uni-bamberg.de/en/studies/currently-enrolled/office-of-examinations/registration-for-centrally-organised-examinations/

The dates for enrollment/disenrollment for decentrally organized examinations can be found on the following page of the examination office:
https://www.uni-bamberg.de/en/studies/currently-enrolled/office-of-examinations/registration-for-decentralised-examinations/

In addition, alternative enrollment dates are available at:
https://out.uni-bamberg.de/prf/an_abmelde_fristen-prf.jspx

Please note that subsequent exam enrollments are not possible!

The exam registration must always be done via the FlexNow electronic exam administration system (infos and access at: https://www.uni-bamberg.de/en/studies/currently-enrolled/office-of-examinations/flexnow/flexnow-for-students/).

If there are difficulties with enrollment or disenrollment for the exam, write an email within the registration period to:

•      in the case of centrally organized examinations, the examination office
•      in the case of decentrally organized examinations, the chair (secretariat)

All students are obliged to check the correctness of their registrations and cancellations during the registration period in FlexNow.

A distinction between centrally and decentrally organized examinations can be found in "FlexNow2“ under point "1.4 How can you tell whether the right contact person is the examination office or the chair?".

Under certain conditions (see similar FAQ in the teachers section above), instructors may conduct online examinations (see the university's Corona Statutes, Corona-Satzung § 4 Abweichende Lehr- und Prüfungsformate). As a general rule, only individual oral examinations are affected by this possible special provision.

Video-based seminar presentations (both marked and unmarked) required for course credit may be given in digital form, provided that in can be ensured that the work is the student's own.

Individual instructors will inform you about the posibility of online examinations. For more information on regulations for online examinations, please see here, information on longer-term perspectives on (written) distance examinations are summarized for you here.

The University of Bamberg’s Corona Statutes (Corona-Satzung) provide the option to choose alternative examination formats in certain circumstances. Any deviations from the original format must be announced in writing no later than four weeks after the start of the lecture period. In well justified exceptional cases, deviations may also be permitted at a later date, provided that the competence-oriented teaching and examination concept can be ensured. In individual cases, this option can still be used at short notice if instructors deem it appropriate. However, the choice of suitable examination formats and a good exchange of information with the students are of the utmost importance.

According to the information available, some students are currently unable to claim disadvantage compensation because doctor's appointments for the issuing of certificates are too late for a corresponding application. In such cases please contact the examination boards in confidence to discuss how to proceed and to generally make an early effort to obtain disadvantage compensation.

The following applies to university examinations:

• Results of a completed examination will be evaluated. In the event of a fail or a miss, a failed attempt will again be counted from the summer semester 2022 onwards;
• Following the expiry of corresponding special regulations in the Corona Statutes, it will no longer be possible for students to withdraw from a university module examination by merely staying away from the examination from the summer semester 2022 onwards. If students are absent without excuse from an examination for which they are registered, this will again be counted as a failure resulting in a failed attempt. Therefore, students who withdraw from exams due to illness are again required to present a medical certificate. The Examinations Office has compiled extensive information on this subject, which can be found at the following link: https://www.uni-bamberg.de/pruefungsamt/atteste-formulare-fuer-den-arztbesuch/.

On this page you will also find:

• a form for the certification of the inability to take an examination in case of non-attendance of a written/oral/practical examination (medical certificate) as well as

• a form for requesting an illness-related suspension of deadlines for seminar/thesis papers combined with a certificate of examination incapacity to be completed by the doctor.

Students are encouraged to use the corresponding form in the event of illness to facilitate processing. The section containing the student and examination data can be edited directly in the PDF, and the correspondingly pre-filled form can then be presented to the doctor at the examination for certification of examination incapacity.

In the case of individual examinations in particular, please inform your examiner as early as possible if you are unable to attend the examination date.

Students who miss an exam and are therefore unable to complete their studies in the current semester due to coronavirus infection and a corresponding quarantine requirement should be granted a make-up date whenever possible, in accordance with recent policy. Proof of coronavirus infection can be provided in the form of a positive PCR test result, the official quarantine order issued by the public health department, or a medical certificate. An informal request for a make-up examination date is to be sent by email to the respective examiner.

The review of centrally organised examination results always takes place after the end of the examination phase, at the beginning of the following semester. The exact dates are always published at the beginning of the central examination period.

Further information is available on the Office of Examinations website: www.uni-bamberg.de/pruefungsamt/einsichtnahmen.

Any changes occurring due to increased infections will also be announced here.

The evaluation can be reviewed during the opening hours of the Office of Examinations. For this purpose, a valid identification document (identity card, passport) must be presented.

The report can also be reviewed as an electronic form, but only upon written request. Further information on the procedure and the corresponding request form can be found on the page of the Office of Examinations.

Please note that the application must be submitted in the original, i.e. an e-mail, scan, and the like are not sufficient.

Yes, you must be enrolled until the last required examinations have been completed.

Even in cases of electronic transmission, theses and term papers must be submitted by the end of the next regular work day.

Bachelor's and master's theses must be submitted to the examination office in bound form and in unchangeable, machine-readable form.

The theses can be handed in in person at the examination office during opening hours or sent by post.

There are two options for mail delivery:

1.)    postal delivery:

Universität Bamberg
Prüfungsamt
96045 Bamberg

or

2.)    hand delivery:

at the central mail office, Kapuzinerstr. 16 / next to the main entrance. When making the delivery yourself, please write the following address information to your sealed envelope: "An das Prüfungsamt, K25".

To meet the deadline, the date of the postmark counts.

If, due to special circumstances (e.g. another lockdown, individual quarantine order), it is not possible to produce and/or submit the bound thesis, please contact the examinations office immediately. In this case, you must contact the examination office in a timely manner BEFORE the official submission date.

As per the university’s Corona Statutes (Corona-Satzung) § 3 Abs. 3, the following applies: If it can be verifiably established that a dissertation cannot be published within the period stipulated by the respective doctoral regulations due to restrictions on public life or other effects of the coronavirus, the period for publication of the dissertation may be extended by a maximum of twelve months in individual cases. This also applies to particular exceptional cases in which the deadline has already been extended by the head of the responsible doctoral committee.

The Ministry of Education and Culture has announced special arrangements for the examinations. For further information please visit: https://www.km.bayern.de/ministerium/termine/1-staatspruefung-anmeldung-pruefungen.html