Current information on handling the coronavirus

The upcoming winter term will start as originally planned on October 1st 2020. However, the start of lectures for the winter term will take place one month later on November 2nd 2020.

Travels to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are prohibited until further notice. However, students of the University of Rostock (and also of the other universities in M-V) are still allowed to travel to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern - no matter where they have their primary residence. 

Students without a primary residence in M-V are advised by the University of Rostock to carry their student card with them when travelling to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Alternatively, a certificate of enrolment can be used, which can be retrieved online via the study and examination portal (Studien- und Prüfungsportal). 

The University of Rostock has already started work in necessary areas on March 30th 2020, taking into account infection protection.On-site consultation hours do not take place. However, the university administration, the central institutions and the faculties, especially the study offices and examination offices (Studienbüros und Prüfungsämter) can usually be reached via e-mail and to a limited extent via telephone. Please understand that in this situation not all requests can be dealt with exhaustively and/or promptly. 

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.

There is currently no decision on this issue. The decision will be made by the state government of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and not by the University of Rostock. As a rule, the federal states consult with each other and try to create regulations that are as uniform as possible across the states.

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

Starting May 6th 2020 from Monday to Friday from 12 p.m. til 4 p.m. the library will again be open to members of the university at four locations: Campus Library Südstadt; Special Library Education, History, Antiquity; Special Library Linguistics and Literature; Special Library Theology and Philosophy. Please inform yourself before your visit about the applicable rules, such as the obligation to wear a mask.

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.

Studies abroad supported by the Erasmus programme are postponed by one semester for both incoming and outgoing students.

Appointment committees work electronically, appointments are made and reviewed in the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education is also preparing possibilities for appointments without direct contact, for example by mail.

For the work in appointment commissions, in student bodies, staff councils, the senate with the senate commissions and the council, presentations, debates and discussions can be organised via video conferences. Elections can be organised as postal votes.

The dining rooms of the Studierendenwerk Rostock-Wismar are closed until further notice. But some cafeterias offer meals TO GO. 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) 

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

► Corona-FAQ

Anyone who has got into a financial emergency due to the Corona pandemic through no fault of their own can apply for financial support from the Studierendenwerk. The emergency aid of the Studierendenwerk can pay up to 200,00 Euro per month as a grant, which you do not need to pay back. For further information, visit the website of the Studierendenwerk.

Moreover, the federal state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern gave money to the International Houses of the universities, so that they can give financial support to international students. As an international student you can applicate for up to additional 300,00 Euro per month. For more information, ask the Rostock International House.

Presumably, in June there will be an emergency program of the German state, where you can apply for probably 500,00 Euros per month as a grant. As soon as we have more information about this program, we will give you further information.  

We recommend turning to the mentioned authorities, if you are in an economic need due to the corona crisis.

The conclusion of employment contracts with student/research assistants is suspended in restricted operations. Contracts for student/ research assistants that were to be concluded by April 1st 2020 could unfortunately no longer be processed. This will also probably not be possible until the end of April.

 ► read more (Dienstleistungsportal/HiWi-Verträge) 

The teachers or module managers have tried to convert as much of the courses as possible to distance learning. On the website of the Staff Office for Higher Education and Quality Development (HQE) you will find a list of all modules offered online in summer semester 2020. 

► List of online-modules summer term 2020 (german)  (Dowload Excel-File)

Independent of this, students are also informed directly about Stud.IP. In modules that cannot be completed by the end of the semester due to practical experience or attendance, students will not suffer any disadvantages from an examination law perspective.

Participation in the modified course offering, including the related examinations, is optional for students. An exam registration that has already been made can be withdrawn under certain circumstances.

Please contact your examination office.

Excursions and internships are only possible when the classroom teaching starts again. Teachers are still looking for alternatives, such as presenting experiments on the net or starting with theoretical parts, so that there is time for the internships or excursions at the end of the semester, as long as there is no longer a health risk. The relevant information will be provided by the respective examination offices or study offices as soon as the planning is completed. If attendance teaching is not possible by the end of the summer semester 2020, internships may be postponed until the next semester.

Please also read the information on "Exceptions which are carried out as classroom teaching".

The university's crisis management team is currently examining whether and under what conditions individual attendance events can be resumed. This is done in close coordination with the Rostock Health Authority and the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. As soon as the coordination is completed, the results will be published here and in the service portal.

Practice events which require separate laboratory or special rooms should be made possible. Separate regulations will apply to laboratory operation, operation in special rooms as well as field exercises and excursions, which must be observed. These are currently being worked out by the crisis management team and coordinated with the Rostock Health Authority. They will be published here and in the service portal.

The number of participants, e.g. in seminars, should also be maintained as far as possible in distance learning in order  to not make communication more difficult, especially online, and to enable discussion.

Teachers are largely free to design their teaching. In principle, Stud.IP and ILIAS will continue to be used. Registration for individual courses also takes place via Stud.IP. Teachers can also use other platforms if required and if quality assurance is appropriate.

Attendance requirements should be reduced to the absolute minimum. Attendance should be interpreted as active participation in the course. 

The individual lecturers decide how the courses are to be held. The faculties will clarify attendance and will be announced by the respective lecturer before the start of the course. 

School practical exercises (SPÜ) cannot take place as long as the schools are closed. Whether and in what form preparatory courses will be offered in the respective subjects is currently still being clarified, as the planning is not yet completed. As long as no direct contacts are permitted and the schools are closed, no school internships are possible.

The management of the University of Rostock tries to react flexibly to short-term decisions. You can find corresponding information at the respective examination offices or study offices.

Lecturers and students are unexpectedly facing new challenges during the implementation of digital teaching in the summer semester 2020. For those students who can only participate in digital teaching to a limited extent, please contact the central coordination office lehre.digitaluni-rostockde regarding your concerns.

For the processing of your requests, please provide the following information:

• First name, last name
• E-mail address, telephone number if applicable, address if applicable
• Faculty, study program, semester
• Nature of the restriction
• Mobility