Source: https://www.kit.edu/kit/english/25911.php?tab_25992=3
Timestamp: 2020-08-04 14:09:53
Document Index: 645029192

Matched Legal Cases: ['§10', '§14', '§56', '§56', '§ 56', '§ 56', '§56', '§ 56', '§ 56', '§ 29', '§ 56', '§ 29', '§ 28', '§ 45', '§ 56', '§14', '§14', '§ 6', '§ 14']

Last Updates: Face-to-face Meetings and other Gatherings / KIT Library / Examinations Summer Semester 2020 / Entry from Third Countries / Certificate for International Students / Traveling Abroad Privately / Winter Semester (July 28, 2020)
Your health is our top priority. In order to manage the Corona crisis in the best possible way, the Executive Board of KIT has set up a Crisis Unit in which the heads of all relevant organizational units are working together. The Crisis Unit is constantly observing the changing situation and will provide information on imminent measures on the KIT homepage, the “Studying” website, the intranet (employees portal), the students portal, and other channels, if applicable.
What does the current Corona Ordinance (valid from July 1, 2020) mean for KIT? (As of July 13, 2020)
Is it possible to enter Germany from third countries? (As of July 21, 2020)
Why are the buildings on Campus South, West, and East locked? (As of June 10, 2020)
What does the current Corona Ordinance (valid from July 1, 2020) mean for KIT?
The new provisions in the new version of the Baden-Württemberg Corona Ordinance valid since July 1, 2020 are of particular importance to KIT, especially with regard to the increase in the maximum number of persons allowed at events (§10 CoronaVO).
Until July 31, 2020, events with up to 100 persons are possible under compliance with the measures for infection protection and the collection of participants’ data. Up to 250 persons are permitted if, in addition, seats are being allocated and an event program has been set up in advance. From August 1, 2020, events with up to 500 persons will be permitted.
Please note: At KIT, this maximum possible number of persons is restricted by the limited availability of space. Due to the hygiene regulations and the requirement to keep distance, far fewer people than usual are now allowed to stay in the rooms. This applies to events as well as to examinations or to studying and teaching. In principle, digital teaching will continue until the end of the lecture period in the summer semester.
It is very likely that hygiene rules, the requirement to keep distance, and the requirement to document attendance to be able to trace infection chains will continue to apply in the winter semester. This means that normal operation cannot yet be planned for the winter semester. At all universities in the state of Baden-Württemberg, it is assumed for the time being that a large number of courses should be and must be offered largely or completely online and will be combined with a specifically designed but reduced on-campus study program.
With regard to possible on-campus courses, the criteria for the prioritization of central courses, which are laid down in the "Guidelines on the Course of Business at KIT in Times of the SARS-CoV-2 (Corona Virus) Pandemic", apply due to the restricted space available at KIT. In principle, priority is given to courses of study. It continues to be mandatory to document the data of participants in meetings (§14 CoronaVO).
This applies to all meetings of two or more people in one room over a period of at least 15 minutes. Random encounters (e.g. in hallways) that are only of very short duration compared to the latter are not included. It should be noted that it might be necessary to also collect the data of employees from external companies. In order to fulfil the information obligations under data protection law (Articles 12 ff DS-GVO), we request you to observe the data protection declaration (in German only). This declaration is also explicitly for your information.
Is it possible to enter Germany from third countries?
The DAAD and HRK have made available information on the (re-)entry of international students and researchers from third countries to Germany for studies or research. These DAAD and HRK forms can be used by the KIT institutes.
Public access to the campuses is very limited according to the public Corona regulations. With the exception of approved courses, meetings of more than twenty persons remain prohibited. Therefore, access for persons from outside the institute and the public is regulated. Contact and information points for students and staff have switched their advisory services to telephone, email, and mail (and, if necessary, to the Microsoft Teams software). For this reason, access is no longer needed by persons from outside of the respective institutes and the public and is restricted to staff members. Guests and service providers with an appointment should contact their contact person in the building in advance by telephone or, if necessary, on the site via intercom to gain access.
How can I currently conduct job interviews? (As of June 18, 2020)
I have applied for leave of absence and flexitime. Am I allowed to cancel? (As of July 10, 2020)
Special paid leave or leave of absence for childcare due to current developments regarding the Corona virus (COVID 19). Please note the current information on care at daycare centres, primary schools. (As of July 7, 2020)
I have relatives in need of care. Now their nursing staff is not available. What can I do? (As of June 9, 2020)
What do I have to consider when traveling abroad privately, and especially when returning from a risk area? (As of June 24, 2020)
I have just come from abroad. What shall I do? (As of June 19, 2020)
I expect guests from abroad. What is to be considered? (As of June 19, 2020)
I plan a business trip. What must I consider? (As of June 19, 2020)
What has to be considered during face-to-face meetings and other gatherings at KIT? (As of July 20, 2020)
May the Corona App be installed on mobile work phones? (As of June 16, 2020)
How can I currently conduct job interviews?
According to the "Guidelines on the Course of Business at KIT in Times of the SARS-CoV-2 (Corona Virus) Pandemic", it is possible to conduct personal interviews face to face, observing the the infection protection measures and the current hygiene rules: Minimum distance 1.5 meters, cough and sneeze etiquette, regular thorough hand washing, well-ventilated and sufficiently large rooms. Please use the rooms provided for this purpose.
It is also still possible to conduct job interviews online. The DE PSE and the Data Protection Unit have compiled a list of things to be aware of here: https://intranet.kit.edu/6042.php
Flexitime applied for can be canceled also.
Special paid leave or leave of absence for childcare due to current developments regarding the Corona virus (COVID 19). Please note the current information on care at daycare centres, primary schools.
From June 29, 2020 (Baden-Wurttemberg), all children are expected to be able to regularly attend their daycare centers and nursery schools; from this date, the daycare centers and primary schools will return to "routine under pandemic conditions". This means that all children will again be able to attend their usual facilities on a regular basis. The exact conditions may differ depending on the relevant facility.
This also means that emergency care and the entitlement to leave of absence under the Infection Protection Act (IfSG) for the care of affected children will no longer apply. Please note therefore the requirements for exemption according to §56 paragraph 1 a IfSG.
Due to reopening of the care facilities, attendance of all previous emergency care will end on June 26, 2020.
According to the current legal notes by the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Finance of the State of Baden-Württemberg on how to deal with the corona virus, special leave/paid leave (so-called above-standard leave with continued payment) can be claimed only until May 29, 2020. The notes provided by the ministries on May 27, 2020 do not provide for an extension of such leave. Thus, after May 29, 2020, KIT employees are generally no longer entitled to special leave/paid leave for childcare or care of their relatives, except in cases according to clause 3 b. Leave of absence according to §56 paragraph 1a IfSG is still possible under the conditions mentioned below:
1) Working from home for childcare purposes
Should you encounter serious problems with reconciling work with family and care, please contact your supervisor to find out whether you can extend work from home. Before contacting your supervisor, please check whether you have used up your 2019 leave allotment and your flexitime.
2) Core time
In order to enable flexible work, there will be no core time rules for affected employees until December 31, 2020.
3) How can I continue to stay at home for childcare purposes?
a) Unpaid leave of absence with entitlement to compensation amounting to 67% of the loss of payment (net pay) pursuant to § 56 para. 1a IfSG
Employees who have to look after their children themselves due to the closure of schools or childcare facilities and who suffer loss of payment due to the resulting absence from work have a statutory right to compensation in accordance with § 56 (1a) IfSG. Please note the requirements for exemption according to §56 paragraph 1 a IfSG.
This compensation currently amounts to 67% of the loss of payment, up to a maximum of € 2016 per month for a maximum of 6 weeks. Based on a regular weekly working time of five days, six weeks correspond to 30 working days. The allowance period of up to 20 working days (in the case of a five-day week) with continued full payment corresponds to a claim of compensation of 67% of the loss of payment for 30 working days.
If the 20 days of paid leave have already been claimed, the entitlement to compensation under § 56 (1a)(2) IfSG shall be exhausted. If you have not yet fully claimed the 20-day paid leave of absence, you can apply for unpaid leave of absence with compensation from June 2, 2020. The days already taken will be credited against this.
If you need unpaid leave, please fill in this form and send it to PSE Zeitwirtschaft via your supervisor. The compensation is paid by the employer together with your remuneration. The application for compensation is initiated by the employer. The name and location of the closed care facility are required for this application.
Before the claim for compensation can be asserted, working time credits and remaining leave from 2019 must be claimed.
Please note that no statutory compensation shall be provided for in times when schools and childcare facilities are closed anyway.
The planned holiday care for my child is not available contrary to expectations: A claim for compensation according to the Infection Protection Act is not provided for holiday care - even in the case of a failure of the planned care.
If home office is an alternative, you should discuss this with your supervisor.
Mandatory prerequisites for compensation claims pursuant to § 56 (1a) IfSG are as follows.
A community facility, such as a daycare center, major daycare center, parent-child initiative (or similar), or school, has actually been closed in response to the spread of COVID-19
The children affected by the closure are under 12 years of age.
An alternative care of the child or children cannot otherwise be guaranteed.
There are no official reasons against granting such leave. In this case, coordination with the supervisor is required.
The possibilities of mobile working should be used as a priority. Release from work may only be granted if, in a specific individual case, employees are not able to do telework or to work on campus. Employees who, during childcare, are able to perform a significant portion of their individual regular working time (e.g., a proportion of telework or on-campus work) will continue to be released within the scope of their individual regular working time.
Positive working time balances (extra work, overtime, and flexitime credits) must be settled and the remaining leave from 2019 must be taken primarily. (§ 29 (3) clause 2 TV-L/ TVöD).
Please use this form for applications for unpaid leave of absence with entitlement to compensation.
The 6 weeks according to § 56 (1a) IfSG shall be extended by the legislator to 10 weeks per parent or 20 weeks for single parents. These new regulations cannot be applied before the Federal President has issued the relevant law. As soon as the law has come into force, additional days of unpaid leave with compensation can be applied for.
b) Special hardship cases / paid leave within the above relevant 20 days:
In cases of particular hardship (e.g. single parents without childcare facilities), special leave/paid leave (so-called above-standard leave with continued payment) may be granted until further notice, provided that the employees concerned have neither working time credits nor residual leave and there is no possibility of mobile working. This must not be opposed by official reasons. In the application to be submitted to the staff at KIT Zeitwirtschaft, you or your supervisor must provide evidence of the circumstances causing the hardship and the lack of a care facility. Please use this form for hardship applications.
4) If, after having exhausted these possibilities (if necessary, using the hardship regulations), further days off are required for childcare, a short-term leave of absence from work with a waiver of payment can be granted, § 29, Subsection 3, Sentence 2 TVöD, or special leave according to § 28 TVöD.
5) Illness of your child: If your child falls ill, you will be granted ten days of paid leave for childcare according to § 45 para. 2 SGB V (German Social Security Code V) upon presentation of a corresponding certificate via the statutory health insurance companies.
I have relatives in need of care. Now their nursing staff is not available. What can I do?
What do I have to consider when traveling abroad privately, and especially when returning from a risk area?
Please refer to the travel warnings issued by the Federal Foreign Office, which advise against unnecessary tourist travel abroad.
The Federal Foreign Office has extended its warning of unnecessary tourist travel abroad until August 31, 2020. Exceptions are most of the EU countries, Schengen-associated states (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein), and Great Britain. Details can be found here: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/covid-19/2296762
The ordinance of the Ministry for Social Affairs Baden-Württemberg on quarantine for inbound and outbound travelers to contain the SARS-Cov-2 virus (Corona-VO EQ, in German only) in its currently valid version also applies to private travelers entering Germany or returning to Germany. The current list of risk areas can be found on the website of the Ministry of Social Affairs: https://sozialministerium.baden-wuerttemberg.de/de/gesundheit-pflege/gesundheitsschutz/infektionsschutz-hygiene/informationen-zu-coronavirus/verordnungen/risikogebiete/
If you return from a risk area, you are obliged under article 1, paragraph 1, sentence 1 of the Corona ordinance on quarantine for inbound and outbound travelers to directly go home or go to another suitable accommodation immediately after entry and to remain there permanently for a period of 14 days after entry. In addition, you are requested to immediately contact your local police station as the competent authority for people returning from risk areas. Article 1, paragraph 1, sentence 1 does not apply to persons who have a medical certificate in German or in English confirming that there are no indications of infection with the coronavirus and who present such certificate to the competent authority on request without delay. The medical certificate must be based on a molecular biological test for the presence of coronavirus infection carried out in a Member State of the European Union or in another country listed by the Robert Koch Institute.
Further exceptions can be found in article 2 of the ordinance of the Ministry for Social Affairs Baden-Württemberg on quarantine for inbound and outbound travelers to contain the SARS-Cov-2 virus (Corona-VO EQ, in German only).
Employees who have traveled privately to an area that has already been classified as a risk area at the start of their journey are not entitled to continued payments during the 14 days after their return unless work from home is agreed with the respective superior or supervisor.
To avoid loss of payment, positive flexitime credits can be used up or leave can be taken.
If there is a loss of payment because, upon their return, employees are not able to work or work from home, compensation in accordance with § 56 IfSG can be applied for if prerequisites are met. Failure to comply with the above travel warning may, however, result in the fact that this cannot be granted because the respective employee would have been able to avoid the quarantine if he/she had observed the travel warning.
Persons entering Germany from another country have been obliged to directly self-isolate at home for 14 days and to notify the responsible Health Authority according to an ordinance of the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Social Affairs. The Member States of the European Union as well as Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have been exempted from this regulation. Here, the Federal Government and the Länder issue a quarantine recommendation if the relevant country has a high number of new infections in relation to its population (more than 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants cumulatively during the last seven days): https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Quarantaene_Einreisen_Deutschland.html
Further information on entry can be found on the pages of the KIT Medical Services: https://www.med.kit.edu/254.php
In particular, persons entering Germany from another country are obliged to immediately self-isolate at home for 14 days and to notify the responsible Health Authority (Ordinance of the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Social Affairs). The Member States of the European Union as well as Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have been exempted from this regulation. Here, the Federal Government and the Länder issue a quarantine recommendation if the relevant country has a high number of new infections in relation to its population (more than 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants cumulatively during the last seven days): https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Quarantaene_Einreisen_Deutschland.html
Even after border controls have been relaxed, the Federal Foreign Office currently generally advises against travel outside Germany and outside most EU countries, as it cannot be ruled out that local authorities will take quarantine measures at the destination on entry or during the further stay. Travellers travelling to the Member States of the European Union as well as Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland should also exercise particular caution and obtain information in advance about the individual travel and safety instructions in their destination country.
Further information on entry can be found here.
Due to these limitations, business trips abroad should continue to be well planned. Discuss possible alternatives with your supervisor(s), such as postponing the business trip or video meeting formats.
For business trips within Germany, it should be clarified how infection protection can be ensured in accordance with the "Regulations on KIT Business Operations in Times of the SARS-CoV-2 (Corona Virus) Pandemic". Please contact your respective superiors to jointly discuss possible protective measures.
Further information can be found on the pages of the KIT Medical Services: https://www.med.kit.edu/254.php
What has to be considered during face-to-face meetings and other gatherings at KIT?
According to the new simplified Corona Ordinance as of July 1, 2020, such meetings are considered "events", where certain conditions have to be taken into account which are laid down in the "Guidelines on the Course of Business at KIT in Times of the SARS-CoV-2 (Corona Virus) Pandemic”.
Particularly noteworthy is the obligation to collect data for all meetings of two or more persons in a room for a period of more than 15 minutes. The universities are explicitly required and authorised to carry out this duty of documentation (§14 CoronaVO). This also applies to joint lunch breaks, for example in the team room or the communal kitchen. Decisive for the scope of data collection is that the person responsible for the meeting is put in a position to support the health authority, if necessary, especially in tracking the contact persons. If address and telephone number or e-mail address are already available (usually assumed for KIT employees and students), the data need not be collected separately. In this case, it is sufficiently suitable to record which groups of persons have stayed in a room. In case address or telephone number or e-mail address are not available, these data have to be collected additionally. The collected data must be kept for 4 weeks and then deleted.
Random encounters which are only of very short duration compared to the aforementioned period of time are not included (e.g. in the corridor). It should be noted in this context that employees of external companies may also be included in the data collection. In order to fulfil the information obligations under data protection law (Articles 12 ff DS-GVO), we request you to observe the data protection declaration (in German only).
Our basic standards applicable in times of corona include the compliance with infection protection (distance, washing hands, sneezing and coughing etiquette, no suspected infected persons). The above guideline does not in principle set an absolute limit to the maximum number of persons. However, risk assessments are necessary in any case. Depending on the number of persons and the activities, protective measures may therefore be necessary, which the management of the organizational units will take after having assessed the risk at the relevant workplace or after having discussed the individual situation.
In addition to the 1.5 meters distance rule, other measures may be: Raising the awareness of participants in the run-up of meetings, communication or posting of rules of conduct, keeping a list of participants, regular airing of rooms, larger rooms, and more.
Where possible, digital meetings should be preferred to face-to-face meetings. The Microsoft Teams software for online collaboration of groups of employees (chats, meetings, video conferencing, taking and reading notes, joint file editing and exchange, and to-do's) is available at: https://www.scc.kit.edu/dienste/ms-teams.php
For scientific users, the DFNconf service provided by DFN offers video, audio, and web conferences (while capacities last).
May the Corona App be installed on mobile work phones?
The Corona-Warn-App of the Federal Government is an important helper to trace and interrupt infection chains. Only if as many people as possible use the app can it unfold its effect.KIT’s risk assessment-based protection concept rests on the fact that the minimum distance is always and as far as possible maintained for preventing infections. There is no question, however, that the Corona App is especially helpful on the way to work and in many other situations. For this reason, it is possible and permissible at KIT to install the Corona Warning App on service mobile phones. The installation is voluntary in every respect. For reasons of IT security, please make sure that the latest available operating system or the current version of the app is installed on the service mobile phone when using the Corona App.
When will the winter semester 2020/21 start? (As of June 18, 2020)
What has to be considered for the exams in the summer semester 2020? (As of July 21, 2020)
What is the planning state for the examinations in the 2020 summer semester? (As of July 7, 2020)
Will the deadlines for students be extended? (As of June 17, 2020)
When can I expect to be allowed to take an oral examination again? (As of July 20, 2020)
What are the plans for the upcoming winter semester? (As of July 28, 2020)
To what extent can the services of the KIT library and the study and work places be used? (As of July 20, 2020)
I am a foreign student and need a certificate of compulsury presence to apply for a visa or to enter Germany. Can I get such certificate from KIT? (As of July 21, 2020)
What has to be considered for future studies at the KIT? (As of July 13, 2020)
What does legislation of Baden-Württemberg provide for in terms of the standard period of study? (As of June 26, 2020)
Why is there no so-called "discretionary semester" at KIT? (As of June 23, 2020)
Until when can students apply for the winter semester 2020/21? (As of June 19, 2020)
I have lost my part-time student job. Where can I get financial help? (As of June 16, 2020)
Due to the corona pandemic, the start of lectures in KIT’s coming winter semester 2020/21 has been postponed to November 2, 2020 in accordance with the recommendation of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany. The semester will end on February 20, 2021. Over the Christmas holidays and over New Year’s, i.e. from December 24, 2020 to January 6, 2021, there will be no lectures.
The KIT still plans to start the next summer semester on April 12, 2021, thus reducing the semester break between the end of the winter semester 2020/2021 and the beginning of the summer semester 2021 by one week from eight to seven weeks.
Canceled written and oral exams of the past semester are currently being made up for through the graduated scheme for resuming studies. The KIT thus already works on a concept for the upcoming examinations in the summer semester 2020. Since despite gradual easing, the corona pandemic requires that studies remain flexible, the KIT is also preparing a long-term scheme for the coming semesters.
What has to be considered for the examinations in the summer semester 2020?
For the initially suspended examinations of the 2019/2020 winter semester, KIT developed a hygiene and safety concept to ensure protection of all students and supervisors. This concept has now been adapted to the current situation and the amended legal provisions.
For written examinations in the summer semester 2020, which will take place in the semester break from July 27 to October 31, 2020, it still will be impossible to use the usual venues. For this reason, external venues have been rented. Organization of written examinations under Corona conditions is subject to special rules.
Please note the following information for participation in examinations:
Please read the declaration enclosed (Annex 3, Declaration on the Absence of a Suspected Corona Virus Infection), sign it on the date of the examination or shortly before it to confirm your current state of health for the examination. Bring it along for the examination. Blank forms may also be obtained from the supervisors.
It is urgently recommended to supervisory staff and examinees to wear a mouth-nose protection (non-medical community mask, scarf, etc.) when entering or leaving the examination room. When writing the examination, the mask may be put off.
From July 27 to July 31, the seating positions of the examinees must be documented in the examination centers in which more than 100 examinees can be seated. For this purpose, students will find a form on their numbered table, which must be completed and handed over to the examiner.
Students (examinees) are not permitted to assemble in front of the lecture hall or the building before or after the examination. After the examination, students must leave the building separately and go away quickly.
Instructions of the supervisors must be obeyed.
Declaration on the Absence of a Suspected Corona Virus Infection in an Examination of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): https://intranet.kit.edu/downloads/declaration-examination.pdf
Deviating from the KIT Studies and Examination Regulations and due to the special situation with regard to the Corona virus (SARS-CoV-2), it is now possible to unsubscribe in writing from all examinations in the current examination phase without giving reasons. Such a cancelation can be made by email to the responsible examiner and is possible in the short term, i.e. until directly before the examination. No medical certificate is required.
Please note: If still possible, candidates are requested to deregister from their relevant examination in the Campus Management System. Please do not deregister by mail in these cases. If deregistering by email with your examiner, please use your KIT email address to ensure that your deregistration can be assigned clearly and securely. Please state your student ID number and the name(s) and number(s) of the examination(s) from which you wish to deregister.
Information on how to get to dm-arena for examinations: Due to track work in Rheinstetten during the examination period, tram line S2 will stop at Mühlburger Tor. From there, an alternate bus will run every 10 minutes during peak periods (please exit at: Forchheim, Leichtsandstraße/Messe Karlsruhe). Depending on the expected number of examinees, KVV will try to increase the frequency of the buses. Students are advised to use their cars or bicycles, if possible. Parking lot P1 at Messe Karlsruhe is available free of charge.
What is the planning state for the examinations in the 2020 summer semester?
The corona pandemic requires to observe the distance and hygiene rules during all meetings. This will also apply to written examinations in the 2020 summer semester, which will take place during the semester break from July 27 to October 31, 2020. Due to the corona situation, however, rooms and facilities of KIT cannot be used in the usual way. For this reason, both examination dates and locations were rescheduled. Other rooms and premises, including a large tent in front of the Audimax and, on a temporary basis, the dm-Arena, will be used in addition to the lecture halls of KIT. These measures build on the experience gained when repeating the cancelled examinations of the winter semester 2019/20.
When planning the new dates, KIT tried to adhere as much as possible to the schedule drawn up before the corona crisis in order to minimize postponements.
Planning of all exams is completed now. Currently, the exams are being input in the Campus Management System and the corresponding confirmations are sent to the examiners. The examiners will then inform the students about the exam dates. As the total number of exams will exceed 500 (far more than the exams postponed in the past winter semester), booking will take some time, which is why some students have already been informed about their exam dates while others still have to wait.
It is expected that all students will be informed by their examiners about their examination dates in the 2020 summer semester by the end of calendar week 28 (July 6-12, 2020). The examination dates and locations will then also be available in the Campus Management System.
Currently (June 17, 2020), the state government has introduced a bill to amend the state higher education law to extend the examination deadlines for all students by a flat rate of one semester.
In accordance with a decision of the Presiding Executive Committee Board of April 6, 2020, 06.04.2020, it will again be permissible from 20.04.2020 to hold oral examinations of individual candidates, to the exclusion of the students and members of the department and the university, faculty or university publicwill again be permissible from April 20, 2020. A maximum of twenty persons may be present in person at the examination, and the infection protection regulations applicable for the purpose of infection protection must be observed. According to the current Corona Ordinance, however, meetings for conducting examinations are only permitted if they cannot be replaced by the use of by examinations based on the use of electronic information and communication technologies. The examiners must therefore check in advance whether the exam can be conducted via video conference. and, if necessary, conduct the exam by this means. Please refer to information on oral examinations via video conferences (update to version 3 is underway).
Please read the enclosed declaration (Appendix 3, Declaration of no suspicion of infection with the corona virus; in German only) and sign it on or shortly before the examination date to confirm your current state of health at the examination period. Please bring the declaration with you to the presence examination. Blank forms are also available from the examiners.
What are the plans for the upcoming winter semester?
At the moment, it can be assumed that attendance in the winter semester will not yet be possible, as it was "normal" before the start of the Corona pandemic. Digital teaching and learning formats will continue to play a very important role. However, there will be face-to-face courses - within the framework of the infection protection regulations and the available space. The KIT intends to use these possibilities especially for courses specifically aimed at first-year students in order to make it easier for them to start their studies, where getting to know the campus and social exchange among each other are particularly important. A further focus is on practical courses in all phases of study that require special equipment or working environments (e.g. laboratory internships, field exercises).
Based on current planning, the KIT assumes that the conditions and boundary conditions in the winter semester will be similar to those of today (but at least aggravated by the colder season). The use of the KIT premises and thus the presence teaching will be restricted by at least the three infection prevention measures specified today: a. Hygiene regulations (including cleaning of the places), b. Documentation obligations (who was present?), c. Distance rules (currently 1.5 meters). Measures a and b require time and may restrict the net periods during which classroom teaching can take place. Measure c requires space and reduces the maximum number of participants per event.
To what extent can the services of the KIT library and the study and work places be used?
The KIT Libraries South and North are currently open from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Books can be borrowed by students and employees by ordering in advance from home using the online catalog. The ordered books can be found on the pick-up shelves. Read more: https://www.bibliothek.kit.edu/cms/english/corona-services.php
From Monday July 20, the reading rooms will be open to anybody who wants to study and work there. The KIT Library South reading rooms provide 150 workstations, and the KIT Library North has 12 workstations. In accordance with infection protection, these can only be used after reservation of a time slot. The group rooms, cafeteria, lockers, and PC workstations remain closed. For reservation of a workstation, a valid library account is needed. The rules of use and instructions for booking can be found here: https://www.bibliothek.kit.edu/cms/sitzplatzreservierung.php
Other learning rooms and group workstations in the institutes' rooms on the campus can also be used again under certain conditions. Please contact the responsible institutes directly for further details. Operating instructions can be found here (in German only).
As before, media can be borrowed from the KIT Library South by online ordering. The ordered media can be collected on the ground floor. To this service, reservation of a time slot is irrelevant.
The entrance to the library is on the east side, the exit on the west side. When entering the KIT library, all users must wear an everyday mask or a comparable mouth and nose cover.
The KIT Library also offers a wide range of digital services that allow to use essential services at any time from home via a VPN connection. An overview of all digital services of the library can be found here: https://www.bibliothek.kit.edu/cms/english/corona-digital-media.php
I am a foreign student and need a certificate of compulsory presence to apply for a visa or to enter Germany. Can I get such certificate from KIT?
International students from third countries can ask at the International Students Office for certificates for (re-)entering Germany for studies. This applies both to students already enrolled and to students newly admitted for the winter semester. The certificates will be lodged on the application system.
What has to be considered for future studies at the KIT?
The Corona Ordinance as of July 1, 2020 contains some alterations with regard to the number of persons allowed to attend courses: Until July 31, 2020, events with up to 100 persons are possible under compliance with the measures for infection protection and the collection of participants’ data. Up to 250 persons are permitted if, in addition, seats are being allocated and an event program has been set up in advance. From August 1, 2020, events with up to 500 persons will be permitted.
At KIT, this maximum possible number of persons is restricted by the limited availability of space. Due to the hygiene regulations and the requirement to keep distance, far fewer people than usual are now allowed to stay in the rooms. This applies to events as well as to examinations or to studying and teaching. Due to these restrictions, KIT applies the criteria for prioritizing central events as laid down in the "Guidelines on the Course of Business at KIT in Times of the SARS-CoV-2 (Corona Virus) Pandemic”. In principle, priority is given to courses of study.
Even if courses of study have priority in the allocation of rooms, students and teaching staff must continue to be prepared for largely digital studies due to infection protection measures (in particular compliance with the minimum distance) and the resulting limited availability of rooms.
In the case of face-to-face on-campus events, the obligation to document participants’ data must be observed. This obligation is mandatory for all universities. Universities are explicitly authorized to collect such data (§14 CoronaVO). This obligation to collect data applies to all meetings of two or more persons in one room over a period of more than 15 minutes. Random encounters (e.g. in hallways) that are only very short as compared to the above period of time are not included.
What does legislation of Baden-Württemberg provide for in terms of the standard period of study?
The Baden-Württemberg government has decided to extend the standard period of study by one semester for all students enrolled in the 2020 summer semester. As a result, the maximum period of BAföG support, which is linked to the standard period of study, is extended as well. This is intended to give students planning security and prevent corona-related hardships of students during their studies.
Further information can be found in the press release of the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts (in German): https://mwk.baden-wuerttemberg.de/de/service/presse/pressemitteilung/pid/regelstudienzeit-wird-in-baden-wuerttemberg-pauschal-verlaengert/
Why is there no so-called "discretionary semester" at KIT?
Since the suspension of the regular course of studies in March 2020, there have been discussions in Germany about the introduction of a "discretionary semester". On April 15, the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia issued "guidelines on coping with the challenges posed to university life by the Corona virus SARS-CoV-2 epidemic" (Verordnung zur Bewältigung der durch die Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2-Epidemie an den Hochschulbetrieb gestellten Herausforderungen, in German only), which introduced the "discretionary semester" at North Rhine-Westphalian universities. Students there have their individualized standard periods of study extended by one semester and the summer semester is not counted as a term (irrespective of a leave of absence). In addition, students will not be credited with failed exams, but will be allowed a "free trial". In North Rhine-Westphalia, exams taken and considered "failed" or "insufficient" in the summer semester 2020 will be deemed not to have been taken.
The state government of Baden-Württemberg has been taking a different line and has not issued any such guidelines so that there is no legal framework that would allow Baden-Württemberg universities to proceed in the same way. At all universities in Baden-Württemberg, the summer semester 2020 is considered a term.
However, an amendment to the Act of Baden-Württemberg on Universities and Colleges, which is currently in the process of being passed, provides for general extensions of the standard periods of study and exam deadline for all students enrolled at a Baden Württemberg university in the summer semester 2020.
Due to the corona crisis, KIT has made its own regulations to ensure within the legal framework applicable in Baden-Württemberg that students will suffer as few disadvantages as possible through the summer semester 2020. See also the following FAQs:
I would like to use the prior master's transfer account. What are the current regulations?
Will the deadlines for final papers and term papers be extended?
Already before the corona crisis, KIT had arranged for its students to be particularly free in organizing their studies: For example, students who cannot come to KIT basically have the possibility to take exams in a modified form. § 6 (3) of the study and examination regulations allows for the type of examination to be changed in agreement between the examinee and the examiner. In addition, especially for students from abroad, there is the possibility to apply for a semester off in the case of travel restrictions, etc. According to § 14 (7) of KIT’s Admission and Enrollment Regulations, most of the exams can be taken during a leave of absence.
Until when can students apply for the winter semester 2020/21?
Due to the corona pandemic and the resulting postponement of the Abitur examinations, the statutory deadline for restricted-admission Bachelor's programs was extended from July 15 to August 20, 2020. With a few exceptions (Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Education Chemistry), all other deadlines remain unaffected. A detailed overview of the study courses and deadlines can be found here:
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research also provides Deutsches Studentenwerk with 100 million euros for the emergency aid funds of the local student unions. This money is used to help students in verifiably particularly acute emergencies who need help immediately and who are unable to take advantage of any other support. The money for the emergency aid funds of the Studierendenwerke is allocated by the latter as a non-repayable support to students in particularly acute emergencies according to the usual strict regulations of the funds.
Students can apply for support from Tuesday, June 16, 2020, 12 p.m., at https://www.überbrückungshilfe-studierende.de/.
Further information at: https://www.sw-ka.de/de/finanzen/corona-faq_finanzen_1/
International students of the KIT can apply for a waiver of tuition fees at the International Students Office of the Business Unit International Affairs on condition that, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they have got into an emergency situation after starting their studies and are therefore not able to pay the tuition fee. Applications for waiver of tuition fees may also be submitted for the winter semester 2020/21. In addition, students who are unable to enter the country or who had to or have to re-enroll due to the cancelation of final exams in March and April 2020 are entitled to request waiver of the fee. Please ask at the International Students Office for the appropriate application form. Further information: studiengebuehren∂intl.kit.edu
http://www.intl.kit.edu/istudies/9638.php
Suggestions for the maintenance of this FAQ can be directed to Monika Landgraf monika.landgraf∂kit.edu (SEK-Gesamtkommunikation) and Timo Schreck timo.schreck∂kit.edu (SEK-GK).
If you have any further questions, contact the Head of the Crisis Unit, Boris Stegmaier (Safety and Environment Staff Unit SUM), and his deputy for the crisis team Gerhard Frank (SUM): corona∂sum.kit.edu