Preliminary Information for Students

In previous messages we informed you that the coming summer term will essentially be another semester taught online. These plans have also now been officially confirmed by the Berlin Senate, who released a set of basic guidelines for the summer term (see full PDF in German and the English summary below).
This means that those of you who are currently not in Berlin will be able to continue your studies from where you are currently based in the upcoming summer term.
Our discussions with the student representatives of the FSI and the ABK as well as students who attended our two WebEx meetings on teaching in the summer term yielded the following recommendations:

• Instructors should preferably offer a limited number of additional and voluntary on-campus sessions (2-3) to allow students – especially in their first and second semester – to meet peers for the first time since commencing their studies
• In addition, the Institute should offer workspaces to students (preferably in single offices or seminar rooms with a limited occupancy of max. 4-6 persons)

We will provide more information about the technicalities (e.g. how can offices be reserved? how can I provide my contact details for COVID-19 contact tracing?) in the coming weeks.

If you have any questions or suggestions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact Anne Hecht or David Bosold.

English summary of the official document by the Berlin Senate

Basic Guidelines for Teaching and Studying in the Summer Term 2021 at Berlin Universities

1. The lecture period of the summer term will begin as planned between April 1st, 2021 (at the Universities for Applied Sciences, or “Fachhochschulen”) and April 12th, 2021 (at Universities and Art Universities) and on the corresponding dates for private Universities.
2. The summer term will begin in a digital format. To the extent permitted by the pandemic, opportunities for in-person teaching and study may become available during the term. Universities will inform students in good time which courses and examinations may be switched to an in-person format, if the levels of infection permit such a possibility.
3. Priority shall be given to courses that cannot be taught digitally. Universities will set their own priorities in the event of a possible switch to in-person courses, taking into account the impact of the pandemic on students’ academic progress, special requirements of certain programs, and local conditions.
4. The academic libraries will continue to support teaching and examination activities through online services, scanning services, and lending operations. They will expand their services by, for example, making workstations available to students, as soon as and to the extent that the infection situation permits.
5. The dining halls (Mensa) of the Studierendenwerk Berlin will resume their Click&Collect services on the basis of demand.

See the official press release.