The COVID-19 pandemic and the German universities

Requirements and regulations for the 2021/22 winter semester

For the winter semester 2021/22, the universities and the Länder strived to make face-to-face study possible again, as far as the pandemic conditions and the necessities of health protection would allow. The constantly changing coronavirus situation remained the central factor in planning. The universities used the experience of the past three semesters to assess local risks and responsibly plan and give access to face-to-face courses. All options were used to strengthen and support students in their everyday studies.

As things stood in summer 2021, universities geared up for different scenarios, largely based on the 3G rule (Geimpft, genesen oder getestet – admission only for vaccinated, recovered or tested persons), as the Federal Government and the Länder also based their "Measures for Coping with the Corona Pandemic" on in August 2021. The following were descriebed as likely and possible scenarios:

• Exercises and seminars to be conducted with a mask and in compliance with the distance and ventilation rules for face-to-face teaching; larger lectures to be conducted digitally.
• Hybrid formats with the option of participating digitally or in person to be offered if this makes didactic sense, provided that it would be technically possible and could be financed. Given the complex requirements here, hybrid formats were seen as exeption of the general rule. In the event of worsening of the pandemic, a nationwide return to purely digital formats was expected to be a necessary scenario.

Since the end of November 2021, individual federal states also provided options to conduct face-to-face courses under 2G hygiene rules (Geimpft oder genesen – admission only for vaccinated or recovered persons), provided that suitable measures could have been taken to ensure that non-immunised students were still able to study. In December 2021, due to the worsening pandemic situation, some Länder opened up the possibility for their universities to hold a larger proportion of lectures and seminars in online format again.

Requirements and regulations for the 2021 summer semester

In view of the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic with a very dynamic infection situation, partly due to viral mutations, study programmes for the 2021 summer semester took place to a limited extent at the universities themselves. The German states and higher education institutions predominantly relied on digital distance teaching  – whereby, in accordance with the legal framework conditions, in compliance with the necessary protective and hygiene measures and, if necessary, supported by local test strategies, this was to be combined with face-to-face teaching wherever justifiable, especially for practical and experimental training (e.g. for laboratory activities, practical training sections, artistic exercises and examinations). In principle, access to the holdings of the university libraries was also made possible. This procedure took into account the specific needs of the universities, the subjects and the teaching and learning formats required in each case, while safeguarding health protection depending on the situation. The universities have acted in a differentiated and efficient manner since the beginning of the pandemic. In this way, they have sustainably reduced the risk of infection in their area of responsibility and at the same time continuously enabled students to complete their studies and graduate successfully.

In the course of extended contact restrictions in force since December 16, 2020, higher education institutions in the Federal Republic of Germany were ordered back to minimum operation: i.e. only the administrative work that is absolutely necessary for operation was carried out on site; refectories and libraries were closed (including options to take away food or borrow literature); face-to-face teaching and examinations were reduced to the absolute minimum or were held digitally (examinations may also be postponed); the premises are not open to the public. These regulations are still in force at the beginning of the summer semester. Moreover, on April 24, 2021, an amendment to the Federal Infection Protection Act came into force, which demands extensive contact restrictions linked to certain incidence thresholds. On May 20, 2021, the Bundestag passed a second law amending this Act providing adjustments and clarifications to individual regulations, including those concerning universities; the Bundesrat approved these amendments on May 28, 2021.

On May 7, 2021, the Federal Government and the Länder had already stated in a joint declaration on the situation at higher education institutions that studying, teaching and research requires an increase of face-to-face events, but that an intensification of contacts will have to be organised responsibly and with a view to the dynamic infectious situation.

Requirements and regulations for the 2020/21 winter semester

In late May 2020, the application and admission procedure through the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung (HfS) (Trust for Higher Education Admissions) has been facilitated for the 2020/21 winter semester thanks to the joint efforts of the universities, the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung (HfS) and the federal states. The following dates have been established:

• On 1 July 2020, the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung (HfS) will open its application portals. The final application date for new school leavers with the Abitur for the centralised procedure is 20 August 2020 for the 2020/2021 winter semester. This date is also valid for other study programmes for which the allocation of study places is coordinated by the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung (HfS).
• In spite of final examinations being postponed due to the coronavirus, this will enable those leaving school this year with the Abitur to apply for the winter semester. 2 November 2020 is the target start date for lectures for new students in these study programmes.
• The federal states, the universities and the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung (HfS) are working flat out to clarify the final details. As of 2 June 2020, applicants who acquired their higher education entrance qualification in previous years (those who left school with the Abitur in previous years) can find out about the amended dates for the centralised allocation process on the website of the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung (HfS) at www.hochschulstart.de.

In view of the rules of physical distancing and the hygiene regulations that still apply in autumn and winter, courses in the 2020/21 winter semester – again – only take place to a limited extent as physical meetings at the universities. The German states and universities  prepared for a mixture of digital and classroom teaching; with a clear priority on digital, online teaching. This has been done by taking into account the specific needs of the universities, of the subjects and the respective teaching and learning formats, while respecting the priorities of health protection.

On October 28, 2020, the Prime Ministers of the German states, together with the Federal Chancellor, decided on new measures in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, it was agreed on to provide online teaching as the general rule for the higher education sector in November and December. Classroom teaching has been reduced to the epidemiologically justifiable and absolutely necessary minimumn (e.g. for practical exercise and laboratories).

In the course of extended contact restrictions in force since December 16, 2020, higher education institutions in the Federal Republic of Germany were ordered back to minimum operation: i.e. only the administrative work that is absolutely necessary for operation was carried out on site; refectories and libraries were closed (including options to take away food or borrow literature); face-to-face teaching and examinations were reduced to the absolute minimum or were held digitally (examinations may also be postponed); the premises are not open to the public. On 5.1., 19.1., 10.2., 3.3. and 22.3.2021, theses agreements were prolonged, in part tightened and, hence, in force for the remaining lecture period of the winter semester. The specific implementation of the relevant provisions based on respective state regulation was the responsibility of the individual universities.

Requirements and regulations for the 2020 summer semester

In mid-March 2020, the federal states, in consultation with the federal government and universities, imposed or recommended numerous requirements and regulations aimed at preventing the further spread of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in order to support the nationwide measures taken against the current coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). The fundamental measure was to immediately suspend ongoing lectures or postpone upcoming lectures in the form of face-to-face teaching in the 2020 summer semester until at least after Easter (i.e. until 20/4/2020 in most federal states; until 4/5/2020 in Saarland, Saxony and Thuringia); later on, face-to-face teaching was suspended for the whole summer semester and replaced by digital, online formats.

On 2/4/2020, the federal states agreed on the following key points at a meeting of the leaders of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder (KMK):

• The dates of the 2020 summer semester will not be postponed.

• The lecture timetables for the 2020 summer semester can be arranged flexibly.

• Deadlines for the application and admission procedure for undergraduate degree programmes will be adjusted for the 2020/2021 winter semester.

• Lectures at universities and universities of applied sciences are to begin uniformly on 1/11/2020 in the 2020/2021 winter semester.

Moreover, it was agreed on that the 2020 summer semester would “be an unusual semester, but it will not be lost”. The objective was to create the necessary framework conditions for universities so that teaching and research can run as smoothly as possible in the 2020 summer semester. (more)

On 15/4/2020, the Prime Ministers of the Federal States, together with the Federal Chancellor and members of the federal government, decided on the initial easing of the previously applicable contact restrictions. The following was agreed for the universities:

• “In university teaching, practice-oriented events requiring special laboratories or working areas at universities can be resumed in compliance with special hygiene and protective measures, in addition to the organisation of examinations. Libraries and archives may be opened subject to requirements to maintain hygiene, manage access and prevent queues.”

• Major events played a significant role in the spread of the infection, “which is why they remain prohibited until at least 31 August 2020”.

• The following was also noted: “In addition to vaccine development, research will make other important contributions towards overcoming the pandemic. With the support of the research institutions at the federal and state level, a SARS-CoV-2 database is being created to document and analyse hospital treatments. In conjunction with studies on various medications, this will help to identify the best strategies for preventing and treating serious cases of the disease.”

For the period ahead, the principle guiding the actions of the federal and state governments is to protect everyone in Germany from infection as far as possible. “This is why infection prevention and hygiene measures are a priority everywhere and particularly in places where contact is necessary, such as in certain work environments.” (more)

Therefore, it was agreed on that lectures at German universities will predominantly be held in a digital, online format in the 2020 summer semester until further notice. The lecture period could be extended into August; the summer semester was stated to end on 30 September, as usual.

Following the easing of pandemic-related contact restrictions initiated by the federal and state governments at the beginning of May 2020, regulations for examinations and lectures requiring the physical attendance of participants were drawn up at the federal state level or within the framework of university autonomy. They could take place in accordance with the special hygiene requirements and infection prevention guidelines; universities developed suitable concepts for this. Nevertheless, lectures and most seminar in class teaching continued to be held digitally during the entire summer semester.