Current information on handling the coronavirus

According to the decree of the Ministry of Education, the following regulations will apply to teaching and library operations at the University of Rostock from Monday, 11th of January 2021:

Study and teaching operations in the winter semester 2020/21 will be held digitally for all students from 11th of January 2021 until further notice. This does not apply to:

•     Classroom courses for students of the Faculty of Medicine;
•     Courses that require special laboratory or work rooms.

These courses can continue to be held in attendance in agreement with the responsible health authorities (hygiene plan).

Examinations are generally taken and conducted in digital formats in accordance with the applicable framework examination regulations. If digital or alternative examination formats cannot be implemented, examinations may be held physically in exceptional cases, subject to strict compliance with the hygiene regulations of the Robert Koch Institute.

The university libraries and archives are closed to the public, with the exception of interlibrary loan. The use of the reading rooms and other common areas of the university libraries can only be permitted for students to prepare for mandatory examination deadlines and to prepare deadline-related examination papers in compliance with the Corona requirements applicable to libraries and archives (Annex 9 of the Corona-LVO) (► university library's website).

These regulations are valid until until the 31st of January 2021.

For all those entering or returning from international risk areas (according to the current RKI list) is valid by official order:

•    A quarantine is mandatory. 
•    It is mandatory to report to the responsible health authority.

Details are regulated by the "Quararantäneverordnung MV" (MV Quarantine Ordinance) in the respective valid version. The conditions under which students are exempt from the quarantine obligation are also regulated there.

Please inform yourself on the website of the public health department of Rostock. 

Irrespective of these official regulations, the University of Rostock has the rule that persons who show symptoms indicating a Covid-19 disease are not allowed to participate in attendance courses.
► Framework for the implementation of courses in attendance

Students are permitted to enter Mecklenburg-Vorpommern according to the Corona State Ordinance M-V of 28.11.2020. However, the quarantine regulations according to the "Quararantäneverordnung MV" (MV Quarantine Ordinance), as amended, must be observed.

With the amendment of 18.12.2020, the Quarantine Ordinance also prescribes a quarantine obligation for entries into Mecklenburg-Vorpommern from inner-German "high-risk areas" (districts with a 7-day incidence of 200 or more). Visits to the nuclear family are excluded.

Please inform yourself on the ► Corona website of the state government of M-V or on the ► website of the Rostock public health department.

The Rostock International House provides detailed information on travel and general COVID-19 news for international students.

► COVID-19-News

There are no local office hours. The university administration, the central institutions and the faculties can be reached by e-mail and telephone. This also applies to the registrar's Offices and examination offices (Studienbüros und Prüfungsämter). Please contact the examinations office responsible for you by telephone or electronically.

Here you can find an overview of contact details for the study and examination offices.

The university buildings are closed to students and visitors.The buildings are only open to employees with access authorization. Access authorization is regulated for each building by the heads of the facilities. The examination offices work without public access and can be reached via e-mail and telephone.

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has now restarted aid for students who are provably in acute need due to the corona pandemic from November 2020 to March 2021. 
► Further information on the website of the Studierendenwerk

For students receiving BAföG assistance, the Federal Training Assistance Law (Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz) stipulates that they are also obliged to take part in alternative courses and examinations, with the exception of special reasons (data protection, no equivalence, risk group or similar). However, the BAföG office has the discretion to recognise the reasons for a delay in study progress. Corresponding certificates for BAföG recipients are issued by the responsible examination offices.

The Studierendenwerk Rostock-Wismar has compiled some FAQs on the subject of BAFöG and Corona. The FAQs are only available in German.

► Corona-FAQ

With an amendment to the State Higher Education Act, students who were enrolled (and not on leave of absence) in the 2020 summer semester will benefit from an extended "individual standard period of study" and thus longer BAföG support.

► Sonderregelung zur Berücksichtigung des Sommersemesters 2020 für die BAföG Förderungsdauer

Provided there are no objections in terms of examination law, students can apply for a semester's leave of absence in order to secure their livelihood, to look after children or relatives, or for other comprehensible impairments caused by the current corona situation.

► Information to temporary absence

The University Library is only open for borrowing and returning media until the 31st of January 2021. The use of the reading rooms and other common areas is only permitted for students of the University of Rostock to prepare for examinations that are mandatory in this semester and to prepare examinations that are subject to deadlines. Please note that the reading rooms and other common areas will probably only be available from 13th January. You can find the concrete regulations and information on the  
► University Library website

A large part of the language centre's services are offered as courses online. Currently, concepts are being adapted and various video conferencing options are being tested. You can find further information on the
 ► Websites of the Language Centre.

Starting June 26, 2020  up to six people are allowed to sit together at one table. One of the guests has to fill out a formula with his/her contact details and the names of the companions.  

Information regarding the menu can be found here:

► Mensa-News 

The Studierendenwerk has prepared dormitory FAQs on the current corona situation. The questions concern moving in and out, the correct behaviour in the dormitory during the crisis and what options are available if the rent cannot be paid on time. The FAQs are available bilingually.

► dormitory-FAQ (english) 

If courses and examinations cannot be held as provided for in the SPSO due to the necessary health protection measures, the examination boards may determine a different type of course and/or examination, provided that the learning and qualification objectives of the module can be imparted or examined in equal measure.

(This regulation is already being applied at the University of Rostock within the scope of a "pre-effect", even if the approval process of the corresponding amendments (3rd amendment of the framework examination regulations for Bachelor's and Master's programmes or 3rd amendment of the framework examination regulations for teacher training programmes) has not yet been completed at the Ministry of Education Science and Culture MV).

In the winter term 20/21 some lectures are held in presence. The rules of distance and hygiene must be observed and the necessary follow-up of all participants must be ensured. The registration of the participants will mostly be done via StudIP. If courses are not organized in StudIP, data protection-compliant alternatives must be used. Non-registered students are not allowed to participate in the course. Also persons with corresponding symptoms are not allowed to participate in courses.

The university buildings will be reopened for teaching purposes. However, students should not spend unnecessary time in the buildings outside of lectures. Within the buildings, students are obliged to wear a mouth-and-nose cover (MNB). The MNB should also be worn in the course of lectures and seminars.

The detailed regulations can be found in the corresponding framework for action:
► Handlungsrahmen für die Durchführung von Lehrveranstaltungen in Präsenz

For health protection purposes, no one with unexplained cold or flu symptoms may attend a class or examination. In the case of signs of illness which indicate Covid-19 and which have occurred in the last 48 hours, an examination may not be taken or the course may not be attended. In their own interest, such persons should stay at home and contact a doctor. Such signs of illness are fever, dry cough, breathing problems, sore throat, pain in the limbs, diarrhoea and especially: sudden loss of smell and/or taste. Any resulting absence or inability to take examinations must be evidenced by a doctor's certificate.

Students who have had contact with a person who has tested positive for Covid-19 or who have been in an international or domestic risk area within 14 days prior to the course or examination may only attend a course or examination if the legally prescribed quarantine has been observed in advance. Only persons who present a negative Covid 19 test are exempt from this. The test must be a molecular biological test (PCR procedure) that is not older than 48 hours at the time of the course or examination. Proof of quarantine must be provided in the form of a suitable certificate from the health authority or a doctor. The day of return from a risk area is, if relevant, to be made credible by suitable proof of the end of the journey.

Provided that the subject-related and organisational prerequisites are met, lecturers shall ensure that in courses which are wholly or partly in attendance, alternative possibilities are offered for risk groups and students who, e.g. due to travel restrictions, or who are unable to attend attendance events (including online presence, if applicable) due to childcare or care of relatives, or who are only able to attend attendance events to a limited extent (including online presence, if applicable), so that they can still complete the required study and examination credits (video recordings, individual online exercise groups, alternative tasks, etc.).

If you belong to a risk group, the following applies: According to the assessment of the Robert Koch Institute on risk groups, the risk assessment can only be made individually. For the individual assessment of the risk factors, a medical assessment is therefore required, which is confirmed in the form of a certificate or a medical certificate issued by a doctor. The medical certificate must explicitly state that the person being assessed "is a person with a higher risk of severe Covid 19 disease progression". The same applies in the case that the person lives in a domestic community with a person at high risk or is in regular contact with him or her, e.g. because he or she cares for him or her. As is usually the case, the exact diagnosis does not have to be stated.

In the case of compulsory attendance as a preliminary examination according to § 6b RPO-Ba/Ma or § 8 RPO-LA, the normal procedure applies with the following special features:

a. In accordance with § 1a, paragraph 4 in both RPOs, the responsible examination board can decide, in consultation with the persons responsible for the respective examination, whether a compulsory attendance requirement provided for in the module description is to be relaxed or suspended for a transitional period.

b. If the obligation to attend remains in force, the failure to attend an event shall be excused by providing suitable evidence. Members of a Corona risk group must prove this by medical attestation (see "Special regulations for risk groups and students with special needs"). Persons who have tested positive for Covid-19 or for whom quarantine has been ordered shall prove this by means of the quarantine order. Persons who are absent from the course due to symptoms that indicate Covid-19 must provide proof of this by means of a medical certificate.
If the course is an online course, the date shall be deemed to have been attended in the event of a brief failure of the Internet connection.

c. The possibility of a temporary relaxation of the obligation to attend may be used to establish more generous absence regulations than those resulting from § 6b RPO-Ba/Ma or § 8 RPO-LA.

d. If, according to the module description, attendance is compulsory and the course is now held in digital form, suitable compensation shall be made possible in both RPOs in proven cases of hardship in accordance with § 1a, paragraph 5. 

This provision supplements the regulation on equivalence benefits in the case of excused, longer periods of absence under § 6b, paragraph 3 RPO-Ba/Ma or § 8, paragraph 3 RPO-LA. Such corona-related cases can be taken as an example: Membership of a risk group, quarantine, entry ban, lack of visa due to corona, or long-term technical difficulties with online courses.

e. As in all other cases, the lecturer will decide on the excuse of absences and the provision of equivalent services. They must therefore be presented with the evidence. The responsible examination board will decide on the existence of a hardship case pursuant to § 1a, paragraph 5 in both RPOs on the basis of a written application by the student concerned.

Regular hand washing and airing, keeping 1.5 m distance from other people and wearing a mouth-nose cover (MNC) are among the most important measures to protect yourself and others from Covid-19. Wearing a simple mouth-nose cover (MNC) in the public areas of buildings (corridors, entrance areas, kitchenettes, etc.) is therefore compulsory for all persons.
Only persons who cannot wear MNCs for health reasons are excluded from this regulation. This regulation also applies with immediate effect if more than two people come together in an event. The MNC should also be worn at the place of teaching. The hygiene concepts for courses and laboratories are in principle still valid.

The Rectorate has decided, in accordance with § 1a (8) of the framework examination regulations (Rahmenprüfungsordnungen BA/MA or LA), that examinations which have not been passed in this winter semester are deemed not to have been taken.

This applies to examinations for which students registered in the winter term 20/21 and which are taken at the latest before the start of the regular examination period of the summer term 2021 (i.e. before 18.07.2021). The regulation also applies to repeat attempts. The regulation does not apply if the examination is failed due to attempted cheating or breach of regulations.

If the above conditions are met, the examination attempt will automatically be deemed as not having been taken by the responsible examination office. The student does not need to apply for this.

These regulations also apply if a student does not take the examination without giving a reason ("Versäumnis" according to § 14 Abs.1 RPO-BA/MA or § 20 Abs.1 RPO-LA).

Due to the current restrictions in the implementation of studies and teaching as a result of the current pandemic-related health protection decree situation, the Rectorate formally decided on 04th of january 2021 on the existence of an exceptional situation due to force majeure in accordance with §§ 1a paragraph 1 sentence 1 RPO-BaMa and RPO LA.

Furthermore, the Rectorate has decided that the processing deadlines for written work according to §§ 1a para. 3 RPO-Ba/Ma and RPO-LA for the time of the closure of the reading rooms and workplaces of the library from 16th of december 2020 will be inhibited for the time being until 15th of january 2021. This means that all corresponding processing deadlines will be extended by the respective period.

To ensure that examinations can be carried out even during the period of the physical-distancing there is the possibility of holding colloquia for final theses (Bachelor‘s/ Master‘s thesis) as well as final presentations of project work via video conference. This applies in particular to the still uncompleted exams from the exam period from March 16 to March 31, 2020, and the exams of the following semesters until the resumption of presence. To ensure valid quality standards are upheld, the Rectorate defined the following general guidelines for the realisation of online colloquia on April 15, 2020.

Guidelines for the realisation of online colloquia

Status:  24.04.2020

To ensure that examinations can be carried out even during the period of the physical-distancing there is the possibility of holding oral examinations via video conference. This applies in particular to the still uncompleted exams from the examination period from March 16 to March 31, 2020, and the exams of the following semesters until the resumption of presence. To ensure valid quality standards are upheld, the Rectorate defined the following general guidelines for the realisation of online oral examinations on April 15, 2020.

Guidelines for the realisation of online oral examinations

Status:  29.06.2020

The organisation of the test shall be such that unnecessary contacts between persons are avoided and necessary contacts are minimised and conducted in accordance with hygiene rules. The basis for this is the decree of the Ministry of Education and the implementation of the University of Rostock to start studying and teaching on 20.4.2020. The procedure has been agreed with the Health Department of the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock.

Description of procedure for a written presence examination with less than 11 students

Status:  15.06.2020

The organisation of the test shall be such that unnecessary contacts between persons are avoided and necessary contacts are minimised and conducted in accordance with hygiene rules. The candidates must be informed about the video examination option and the chosen form must be confirmed in writing. The example is designed for a test with one examinee, one assessor and one examiner, duration approx. 30 min. The basis is the decree of the Ministry of Education and the implementation of the University of Rostock to start studying and teaching on 20.4.2020. The procedure is coordinated with the Health Department of the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock.

Description of procedure for a small presence check within the period of restricted operation

Status: 29.04.2020

To ensure that examinations can be carried out even during the period of the physicaldistancing there is the possibility of holding, written examinations as at-home-exam. This applies in particular to the still uncompleted exams from the exam period from March 16 to March 31, 2020, and the exams of the following semesters until the resumption of presence. To ensure valid quality standards are upheld, the Rectorate defined the following general guidelines for the realisation of online colloquia on June 15, 2020.

Guidelines for the realisation of written online examinations

Status: 19.06.2020