Information from the Rector

Mail from 31 March 2023

Dear Colleagues, Dear Staff, Dear Students,

The past three years have presented us as a university community with enormous challenges. The normal togetherness in research, teaching and everyday university life was interrupted, in addition to the problems and difficulties brought about by the pandemic and the resulting measures in our private environment.

I am therefore all the more relieved to be able to announce an end to the corona measures that still exist in parts with this circular at the end of the winter semester 2022/23. At the beginning of the summer semester, stage 1 of the pandemic plan at OVGU will be lifted and there will be a return to normal operations. This includes living with the virus and appropriate behavioral recommendations in an endemic situation.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to all university staff for their commitment to maintaining teaching in particular at the given quality under really difficult conditions in recent years. In particular, the switch to digital formats virtually from one day to the next has demanded a great deal from everyone, not least from the students.

So we have a summer semester ahead of us in which almost anything is possible again. Let us use the opportunities of this regained normality to consciously bring in experiences, changes or new perspectives on rehearsed processes and formats. Because even after the end of the pandemic in its 30th anniversary year, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg faces major challenges in the global competition for minds and resources. In particular, our chosen path of becoming part of a European campus as a member of the EU Green university alliance requires joint action and thinking together.

Best regards
Yours Jens Strackeljan

 

Mail from 12 October 2022

Dear Colleagues, Dear Staff, Dear Students,

After a long period of time in which studying and teaching took place digitally for the most part, we are now hoping for a semester in presence again. Presence extends not only to teaching and research, but also to the great desire and firm will to make campus life lively again after two years of restrictions.

After many months of intensive protective measures against the spread of the coronavirus, normality has returned to most areas of life. Nevertheless, it is important to continue to monitor developments closely in order to initiate appropriate measures for university operations at an early stage. The crisis team will exchange information on a regular basis.

The legal regulations leave us with options for shaping this. With no obligation to wear a mask, no obligation to work on the move and no obligation to take tests, we are relying on a high degree of personal responsibility on the part of university employees to protect themselves and others. Be mindful and responsible to yourself and those around you. Even if a COVID disease is no longer considered dangerous in the majority of cases due to the new variant, severe courses can still occur in individual cases, which we should of course avoid. In addition, a high level of sick leave is not conducive to achieving our common goals in teaching, research and the science-supporting areas.

Therefore, the following applies in the coming weeks: Individuals with a positive test result and/or illness should not work on University premises. If health and activity permit, they should do your work on the move. Please take advantage of mobile work even if you have mild cold symptoms that do not result in a sick leave. If you suspect that you have contracted the coronavirus without symptoms, also consider this option. Do not be afraid to wear a medical mouth guard or FFP2 mask for your own protection or that of others if you feel the situation requires it. Currently, we have sufficient self-tests available so that if you suspect a COVID infection, you can be tested free of charge. Test reference routes, as well as more detailed information on current Corona regulations, can be found in the most recent Rector's Office service directive, which is linked online on our Corona page.

Child care is also regulated for employees in the coming months through a circular from the Department of Finance. You can find the regulations in the notices under Part C of the Administrative Manual.

However, after the significant easing of the pandemic situation just described, we now face another major task. The energy supply for the coming months will be an enormous challenge for the state, for the economy, for the citizens and of course also for the University of Magdeburg.

However, I am convinced that we can succeed in the attendance semester despite the current situation. Because, even if we simply cannot influence the boundary conditions, each of us is asked to save energy. In this context, we ask for your understanding for the savings measures already taken and would like to ask you to actively participate in their implementation.  The additional financial requirements of the University of Magdeburg are likely to be more than 4 million euros already this year. The faculties and the administration are in close exchange about the situation and we will continue to consider together if there are additional possibilities to reduce our energy consumption and the related costs. The state of Saxony-Anhalt has announced support, but we will certainly not be reimbursed for all additional expenses.

In these times, it is sometimes difficult to be optimistic about the coming months. The challenges are great, the problems complex and the consequences for citizens, the economy and society often overwhelming. Nevertheless, I am confident that we will create a good winter semester for our students from all over the world. We owe it to you, despite all the difficulties. And as a university community acting together, we should succeed. The university administration is always available to answer any questions, concerns, or suggestions you may have.

Sincerely yours,
Your Jens Strackeljan

Mail from 24 March 2022

Dear University Members, Dear Students, Dear Teachers,

The summer semester is just around the corner, and as a university we are challenged to create reliable framework conditions in this time marked by many uncertainties, especially for you as students and teachers. However, despite the fact that the legal situation is not yet completely clear and the pandemic is still clearly noticeable in our private and professional lives, we would also like to communicate to you, dear employees, guidelines on how we intend to jointly organize everyday life at the university in the coming weeks.

One thing is clear: Due to the changes in the Federal Infection Protection Act, many of the previously applicable regulations will no longer apply after the transition period expires on April 3, 2022.

However, in order to ensure safe and trouble-free university operations together with employees, students and teachers, it is necessary to replace the omitted regulations with responsible action. And we have no doubt that the experience of the past few months should enable each of us to do just that. The published service instruction and the change to level 1 of our internal university level plan provide guidelines for this.

The OVGU plans a regular presence operation for students and lecturers using the normal room capacities, combined with a mask obligation.

The 3G rules lose their validity immediately, restrictions for unvaccinated employees no longer apply. However, the familiar access regulations for teaching rooms and areas with public traffic (e.g. library) still apply until 02.04.2022. The OVGU passport has been very helpful to us in recent months, but we will not continue it under the new legal constraints.

Up to and including March 31, 2022, you as a university member still have the opportunity to use the testing centers on campus. After that, only limited free testing capacity will be available to you. Details can be found in the service directive.

Mobile work regulations have also been updated. The obligation of the employer to offer mobile work is no longer applicable. However, there is still the possibility to arrange mobile work without changing the employment contract until 02.04.2022. Even after that, we do not want to give up on flexibilization through mobile work. You can find concrete information on this in the service instruction or the service agreement. The option to be released for childcare will be extended until 23.09.2022.

Dear University Staff, Students and Faculty, It is not only containment ordinances, infection control laws, and step plans that require us as a university community to pay attention, act together, and commit. The Ukraine war also presents us as a university with new challenges in supporting our Ukrainian students and their families.

But the past days were also marked by positive news: The settlement of the global corporation INTEL in the state capital, which will positively change not only Magdeburg, but also the university.

In a video message, I would like to personally thank you, dear members of the university, for your understanding and commitment in the past weeks and months, and I look forward to facing the challenges ahead together with you.

Yours sincerely,
Jens Strackeljan

Mail from 16 December 2021

Dear students,

today we would like to give you an update on the exams in the winter semester and contact tracking.

Examinations

Teachers will be free to choose which examination format (online or face-to-face) at Level 2. There - where possible - teachers can choose a digital/electronic examination format or an online examination. Depending on the developing incidence or hospitalisation rates, there may be changes.

As a rule, you inform teachers about the examination format or the change of a format at least 14 days in advance. You have the option of requesting a change of examination type/format from your faculty (e.g. in the case of acute cold symptoms). Please contact your examination office. If you are unable to take part in an examination due to an officially ordered quarantine, please inform your examination office or the relevant lecturer. If you do not have an official quarantine certificate at the relevant time, send a copy/photo/scan of the positive PCR test result in this case.

As is the case for face-to-face teaching events, according to the current legal and regulatory situation, the obligation to provide proof of a valid 3G status (OVGU-Pass), a minimum distance of 1.50 m and a mask obligation (medical mask or FFP2 mask) as well as the university's hygiene concept also apply for face-to-face examinations.

All further organisational questions (e.g. on the right to withdraw) are answered in the updated form of the General Regulations on the Amendment and Supplementation of the Study and Examination Regulations in Dealing with the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (2021), which was passed in the Senate yesterday and will be published on the websites in the next few days in a legally binding form.

Contact tracing

Checking in to the rooms used for face-to-face teaching events/examinations is again to be carried out via QR codes. The check-in is linked to a valid 3G status and the log-in to your OVGU account. Please use the QR code scanner of your smartphone and not the UniNow app. Only when requested by health authorities, we will decrypt contact data from the CheckIn and share it with the outside world for the purpose of tracing infection chains.

I wish you a relaxing Christmas season and all the best for the New Year.

Kind regards,
Prof. Susanne Schmidt
(Vice Rector for Studies and Teaching)

Mail from 12 November 2021

Dear staff, dear teachers, dear students,

The start of the winter semester 2021/22 is now one month behind us. This is reason enough to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all students, faculty and staff who have contributed to making this unusual start to the semester possible or easier, especially for our first-year students. We are really happy to see especially you, dear students, on campus again - with due caution as well as 3G and hygiene rules, but in personal exchange and direct dialogue.

The current situation is unfortunately characterized by sharply rising infection figures and positive cases are also occurring at our university. In response to what is happening, new regulations will be issued by the federal and state governments in the coming days. At the same time, I would like to urge us as a university community not to slacken our efforts. Let us continue to behave prudently, attentively and cautiously, especially in the consistent observance of hygiene and distance regulations. Lecture halls and seminar rooms must not be overcrowded under any circumstances, and in the event of symptoms, attendance at the University is not an option. Instructors will then provide you with the learning material in an alternative form.

We will also come to a meeting of the crisis team in the coming week about a tightening in the obligation to wear masks. Unfortunately, there are occasional irregularities in the use of the OVGU pass. Therefore, in addition to the check by the lecturers and the also practiced control by the students among themselves, we will consistently carry out controls in lecture halls and seminar rooms with our guard service starting Monday.

In this context, we continue to regard a high vaccination rate among university employees as an essential prerequisite for a good outlook. Over 90 percent of all OVGU passes issued are based on proof of vaccination or "recovered" status. Only these high numbers enable the attendance percentages in the winter semester, yet they do not offer any guarantee for a university operation without risk. The university is not a closed bubble, as we all interact with an outside world that is far from the vaccination rate mentioned above. In order not to jeopardize what has been achieved, I would like to take this opportunity to urge you once again to accept an offer of vaccination against Covid-19. For example, first or second vaccinations and boosters are available without and with an appointment at the vaccination point (every Friday 2 - 7 p.m., every Saturday 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.) at the Allee-Center Magdeburg in the immediate vicinity of the campus. Further offers will follow in various parts of the city starting next week.

At this point we would like to inform once again about the procedure of the OVGU when reporting a positive test:

  • #Persons with positive PCR test will be officially informed by the responsible health department about quarantine regulations. Decisive criteria for a possible free test from a certain quarantine day are an existing complete vaccination protection as well as an existing symptom-free status. Please report their positive test to the University via . The updated reporting chain can be found here.
  • #Contact persons are to be identified by the University at the request of the Health Department. This includes, for example, students and lecturers in the context of courses, but also employees, for example in the examination offices. In the case of contact persons in the private sphere, the Health Department will question the person concerned directly. Symptom-free contact persons who are sent into official quarantine by the health office have the option of clearing themselves from the 5th quarantine day onwards by means of a negative PCR test or from the 7th quarantine day onwards by means of a rapid antigen test (which is carried out exclusively as a third-party test or under the supervision of trained personnel). Simple self-testing is not sufficient.
  • Those who have been fully vaccinated and those who have recovered as contact persons must provide proof of this to the public health department and are then exempt from quarantine, provided they are symptom-free. This is currently the case in the state capital Magdeburg.

Please keep in mind that regulations for officially ordered quarantine etc. may differ depending on the responsible health office.

The decision about a valid free test, the recognition of the status "vaccinated" or "recovered" as well as the current quarantine regulations lie exclusively with the health office and not in the responsibility of Magdeburg University.  If you as a staff member or lecturer receive an official quarantine information, please forward it immediately to your superiors or the personnel department K2, students please to the dean's office of their faculty.

I am convinced that we can continue to master the challenges ahead of us in the coming weeks and months only together and would like to sincerely thank you already now on behalf of the entire university management for your support and commitment in the sense of a further good course of the semester.

If you have any comments or inquiries regarding the above information, please feel free to contact us and stay well!

Warm regards,

Jens Strackeljan

Mail from 13 September 2021

Dear students of the University of Magdeburg,

before the start of the winter semester 2021/22, we would like to send you important information regarding the implementation of teaching and everyday university life.

The last weeks and months of the Corona pandemic let us look into the future optimistically, but nevertheless with respect. Together with the universities of the state and the Ministry of Economy, Science and Digitalization, we have agreed to conduct the winter semester 2021/22 as far as possible as an presence semester. We look forward to welcoming you back to campus in person.

Therefore, we would like to call on you: Come to Magdeburg again!

The winter semester 2021/22 will be conducted as an presence semester! The vaccination status among the students should be so high that we can revive the university teaching in presence and also the campus life by applying the 3G principle (vaccinated, tested or recovered).  Of course, the general hygiene rules apply, in many areas of the university the obligation to wear medical masks and wherever possible, the observance of distance rules is required. The recording of 3G status is to be done via a digital OVGU-pass. The university will also provide offers for students on campus via the test center, but capacities here will remain limited. More detailed information on this will be available on our websites at the beginning of the winter semester.

These regulations will initially apply until September 16th, 2021 (validity of the current containment ordinance of the state of Saxony-Anhalt). However, it can be assumed that they will continue to exist in the winter semester 2021/22.

We will retain elements of online study as a supplement to face-to-face courses. If necessary, individual courses may also have to be held hybrid or online due to their size for capacity reasons.

We would of course very much like to welcome our international students who have not yet been able to travel to Magdeburg campus. However, if traveling to Germany is not feasible, they have the option of pursuing their studies with certain online offerings. The late admission of a presence study is possible in principle. Please inform your faculty about the delayed entry.

The advanced immunization status of lecturers, students and staff alone supports our plan to return to face-to-face study. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of one of the many immunization opportunities available. For immunization information, please visit www.zusammengegencorona.de or make an appointment with your primary care physician. Additional immunization opportunities are planned for the University campus during the introductory week.

We will certainly be able to finalize many implementation details in the next 2 weeks, but some things we will simply have to try out together to find the best possible and most workable solution for everyone. We will inform all university members about details by the start of the semester.

We continue to wish you a good, restful as well as productive lecture-free time.

Stay healthy!

Kind regards

Prof. Dr.- Ing. Jens Strackeljan
(Rector)

Prof. Susanne Schmidt
(Vice Rector for Studies and Teaching)

Mail from 6 June 2021

Dear University members, dear students,

the decreasing incidences and the positive development of the overall pandemic situation allow us to set level 2 of the University of Magdeburg's gradual plan. In terms of the pure incidence rate, it would even be possible to change to level 1. However, the legal requirements currently still allow wide-reaching forms of mobile work, which of course have an impact on our university operations.

There are relaxations with regard to business trips. In addition, face-to-face meetings at OVGU Campus can be extended and excursions can take place. The buildings are largely open again, the library can be used even without a current negative test, and the Mensa is once again taking care after months of closure

For more detailed information, please see our updated gradual plan here.

Final decisions on upcoming exams are ongoing and will be announced in the next week.

With best regards,
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Strackeljan

Mail from 18 May 2021

Dear university members, dear teachers and students,

We have all experienced, even if to different levels, the restrictions imposed by the nationwide "Bundesnotbremse" in the past few weeks. For the past two weeks, however, we in Magdeburg have also been able to experience how positive the gentle, partial lifting of these measures is. The incidences in Magdeburg and also in the surrounding area are currently developing positively and have stabilised at a number well below 100.

The university management therefore considers the change to Grade 3 of our valid Gradual Plan to be justified. Please see - as usual - further detailed information on our website.

However, even if we move to Grade 3, it remains the case that the proportion of face-to-face teaching will not shift significantly this summer semester. However, if further opportunities for attendance should arise, all those involved, especially the students, will need sufficient time to prepare. In the spirit of Alexander von Humboldt, I hope that even after more than 12 months of Corona, our teaching and learning community will continue to work together.

The relaxations that are now possible primarily concern activities outside the study programmes. The library opening is well received, the Campus Service Centee offers a Click & Meet service, outdoor sports activities can be enjoyed again in agreement with the requirements of the containment regulation, and our Mensa is also planning its first opening steps. All this is being done responsibly and with close involvement in our testing and hygiene concepts.

Further development on the university campus is closely linked to the progress of the vaccination. Almost 1000 employees have already declared their interest in receiving in-company vaccination. We are working intensively to be able to offer you a corresponding vaccination service from the staff doctor from June onwards.

Finally, please allow me to make a comment on the topic of the 2021 state elections. A few weeks ago, we called for volunteers to help with this important vote. Many of you responded to the call and we would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again.

Stay healthy and confident!

 

With best regards,
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Strackeljan

 

Mail from 5 May 2021

Dear employees and students,

Today, as usual, we would like to inform you about current updates concerning the pandemic at the University of Magdeburg as well as news concerning studies and teaching.

Test Center

The COVID-19 testing center on campus, which opened a few days ago, has gotten off to a good start and is being used to an increasing extent by staff and students. Supported by the DLRG Magdeburg, between 60 and 70 rapid tests are currently performed per day under supervision. The capacity has been doubled in the current week. Appointments can be booked at termine.ovgu.de/testzentrum.

There are two innovations/hints:

  • The certificate of a negative test result can also be used for offers in the city of Magdeburg. This information can be found on the FAQ-page in the Self Test section.Guests of the
  • OVGU can be tested in our test center (by presenting a confirmation of the faculty). This information can be found on the FAQ-page in the Test Offer section.
  • To open the test result please use as browser, e. g. Firefox, Safari. With Internet Explorer the result might be displayed incomplete.


Opening of the University Library

Starting on, May, 05th, 2021, our university library will reopen to the public on a limited basis in compliance with the prescribed hygiene measures. In this way, we want to provide our students with a place to concentrate on their work and study outside their own four walls. Admission requires an appointment booking and a daily certified negative COVID-19 test result. Further information and a link to the booking system can be found on the pages of the University Library.


Use of university spaces for independent study or small group work

In order to support independent learning and to enable undisturbed participation in digital courses, rooms are available in the university buildings for students with current and negative COVID-19 test result. Since there are hardly any face-to-face courses at present, free rooms can be used by a maximum of 5 people. This low-threshold occupancy system relies on self-organization and understanding for each other, but this is certainly possible. To use this offer, please send a short info to .


Hybrid teaching recording

In order to avoid problems with video recording in lecture halls with conference facilities, the URZ has again offered to provide technical support for video recording. For this, a short email to the URZ () is sufficient.


Entry to Germany from India

The International Office has informed us that many of our first semester students from India are currently unable to enter Germany. This is due to the BMI's entry regulations for virus variant areas (For more information, please visit the BMI website). The International Office is in contact with the foreigners authority and will inform us as soon as something changes in the regulations. Please pay more attention to digital access to your teaching materials.


Special Call for Proposals Fund Study and Teaching

Applications in the area of study and teaching can also be funded in 2021 from existing residual funds from the Long-Term Study Fee Fund. Eligible for funding are innovative project ideas, digital or hybrid teaching concepts and further developments in studying and teaching that contribute to increasing academic success and improving studyability and do not exceed a funding volume of 5,000 euros. Applications can be submitted to the Prorectorate for Studies and Teaching () until May, 31st, 2021. Prior prioritization of the faculties is not required. Further information and the application form can be found on the website Fonds Studium und Lehre (only available in German).

With best regards,
Jens Strackeljan
Susanne Schmidt

 

Mail from 19 April 2021

Dear employees and students,

Almost a year ago, a summer semester at Magdeburg University began almost completely digitally for the first time. Probably only very few assumed in the spring of 2020 that teaching would continue to take place without face-to-face lectures after another 12 months.

Many service facilities on campus are closed to the public. Conditions for students are still particularly difficult. Innovative teaching and examination concepts have been developed, but they do not exist across the board and, above all, they cannot replace the lack of social contacts, professional exchange, undisturbed access to the laboratory and the elimination of the student job. Many employees have also had to adapt their work considerably. Some activities are certainly predestined to be carried out in mobile version. Nevertheless, we are all feeling the effects of the pandemic-related restrictions on a massive scale, such as limited mobility.

But one thing is absolutely indisputable after a year under corona conditions: there can only be a way out if a sufficient proportion of society has vaccination protection. In recent weeks, we have received repeated inquiries as to when the staff of the University of Magdeburg would have the opportunity to be vaccinated against Covid19.

The federal vaccination regulation governs the order of vaccination based on 3 priority groups. Especially in the first weeks there were violations of this order, which were intensively discussed in public. These are all individual cases, from which an institution like the University of Magdeburg cannot derive any justification for institutional consideration - deviating from the vaccination ordinance.

Yesterday, the booking option for priority group 3 was opened by the state capital Magdeburg and we are in close exchange with the city, to what extent this allows a rapid vaccination perspective for employment groups of the university.

From today, Monday, the University of Magdeburg also offers its employees and students the possibility of a weekly, free antigen self-test under supervision in the OVGU test center in building 5. In this test center, you will be issued a certificate with the test result, which is valid 24h within the OVGU.

The offer is initially intended primarily for those who do not work mobile. There is also the possibility for employees to pick up self-tests for testing outside the test center. The test contingent is currently sufficient to provide at least one test per week for all employees who do not work mobile.

All other information regarding the online appointment booking process and hours of operation is now available at www.ovgu.de/testzentrum.

There are a variety of testing center offerings in the city, including those immediately adjacent to the university. There is a close cooperation with the rapid test center in the IBA store, which is operated by the University Medical Hospital Magdeburg. Please take advantage of this additional opportunity - even during working hours.

Based on a close-meshed testing concept and progressive vaccination successes, we hope for a stabilization of the situation in the state capital Magdeburg. This would give us the opportunity to provide for openings on campus in the course of the summer semester 2021. Among other things, the university library should soon reopen its doors to the public, we want to create learning spaces for student small groups again and enable face-to-face lectures where the past months have taught us that online teaching does not work properly.

In the coming days, please follow the updates on the hygiene concept and the step-by-step plan. We eagerly await the federal decisions on the so-called emergency brake.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all university employees for your cooperation in addressing the corona-related challenges and encourage you to take advantage of the testing opportunities available.

 

With best regards
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Strackeljan

 

Mail from 30 March 2021

Dear students of the Otto-von-Guericke-University,

Before the start of the summer semester 2021, we would like to send you important information regarding the implementation of teaching and everyday university life.

Due to the dynamic infection events, the lockdown has been extended and at the moment, unfortunately, there is little to suggest that the situation will change in the short term. This means that Otto-von-Guericke-University remains in stage 4 of the current gradual plan.

The hygiene concept as well as the step-by-step plan will be adapted to the federal-state resolutions and the current dynamics due to the virus variants. Opening steps are already considered in the revised gradual plan.

We will publish the revised plans and regulations on our websiteat the beginning of April. In addition, we will continue to inform you - as usual - about all current changes on the university's social media channels.

Below we have summarized the most important determinations regarding teaching in the summer semester 2021.

#Teaching:

We have a clear goal in mind: we want to open up teaching carefully and gradually with necessary accompanying safeguards for face-to-face courses. We are taking the first step by opening up small events with a maximum of 25 participants, where presence is particularly important from a didactic point of view.  This applies, for example, to laboratory practicals or practical events in sports.

Strict infection control measures apply, which go beyond the rules of the winter semester 2020/21. To protect both teachers and students during classroom events, a minimum distance of 1.50 meters must be observed. In addition, the wearing of medical masks is mandatory for students during all face-to-face events, including at the seat. For instructors, medical masks are mandatory during classes if a minimum distance of 3 meters from students cannot be maintained. As an additional protective measure, the wearing of FFP2 masks is mandatory during meetings in presence between students and lecturers.

Instructors will inform students in advance of how the course will be conducted in detail. To allow for openings for face-to-face/hybrid events during the semester if necessary, rooms will remain visible in the LSF. Participation in face-to-face courses will continue to be voluntary for students in the summer semester 2021. If there are problems with hybrid teaching or with the implementation of courses, students should contact their respective deans of studies in the faculties directly.

The range of face-to-face courses will be gradually and carefully expanded over the course of the summer semester. The latest federal and state decisions show us that we cannot implement openings on campus without a functioning and meaningful testing concept. Therefore, the Rector's Office and the Crisis Team are working on a testing strategy for OVGU since mid-March.

#Additional notes for teachers:

Since participation in the classroom lectures is still voluntary for students in the summer semester, we ask you to pay more attention to ensuring that the course content is made available to all students and that they can prepare for the examinations. Please inform students of the special features of the individual courses before the start of lectures.

A contingent of FFP2 masks will be made available for collection in the area of occupational safety and environmental protection (K43) for reported attendance events of the faculties (priority lists).

#Testing strategy

By offering rapid antigen testing, OVGU plans to protect all members of the university who are currently present on campus and wish to do their part to help contain the pandemic. Currently, the rectorate, crisis team, administration and Magdeburg University Hospital are working closely together to develop a meaningful testing strategy for OVGU. We too are dependent on stable supply chains, but the experience of the past few weeks unfortunately shows that this is still a challenge at present.

We are confident that most outstanding issues can be resolved by the start of the lecture season and will continue to update you regularly on specific steps in the coming weeks.

Only through everyone's joint efforts will we be able to get a little closer to the normality of everyday university life again. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support and cooperation.

Kind regards

Prof. Susanne Schmidt
(Vice Rector for Studies and Teaching)

Prof. Dr.- Ing. Jens Strackeljan
(Rector)

Mail from 18 February 2021

Dear students, dear lecturer,

as announced in January, the university management met with the deaneries in the middle of the week to discuss the further design of the remaining examination period of the winter semester 20/21 and the design of the summer semester 2021.

Since the lockdown in Saxony-Anhalt is in effect until at least March 10, 2021, and the dynamics of the pandemic, especially with regard to the mutations that have occurred, cannot be predicted, we have decided that the alternative forms of examination are to be retained for the remaining examination period until April 10, 2021.

The examination committee in the faculties may approve exceptions to this rule, such as, for example, for laboratory or sports practical examinations. Face-to-face examinations are an exception in the current situation and can only be approved if (I) there is a maximum number of 25 examinees, (II) a minimum distance of 2 meters is maintained in the examination room at all times, and (III) a masking requirement (medical masks) is in place throughout the examination. Students who cannot or do not wish to participate in a face-to-face examination shall be offered alternatives.

Preview of the summer semester 2021

In the summer semester 2021, we want to create opportunities for collaborative learning, although this will be limited. Teaching will mainly take place in hybrid form. Lectures with a larger number of participants will be organized digitally. Smaller lectures and other teaching formats, e.g. practicals and exercises, should be possible at the start of the summer semester in small groups with a maximum number of participants of 25 and under strict hygiene conditions.

The decision as to which events these will be lies with the deaneries on the one hand and depends on the availability of appropriate premises on the other. Last but not least, the then prevailing pandemic situation will have to be taken into account. It may be possible to increase the number of participants in the current semester. Unfortunately, this cannot be predicted at present.

We will focus our efforts on reopening service facilities such as the library, at least with restrictions, on facilitating small learning groups on campus, and on implementing open learning spaces in the open areas.

We would of course very much like to welcome our international students, who have not yet been able to enter, to the Magdeburg campus. However, if travel to Germany cannot be realized, they have the option of continuing to pursue their studies online.

At this point, we would like to point out once again the overlap of the examination period in the winter semester 20/21 with the start of courses for the summer semester 2021 until 10.04.2021. As instructors, please make it possible for students to take exams during this time by making your course content available asynchronously.

We wish all students and teachers good luck with the upcoming exams despite the difficult conditions in some areas. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the staff in the dean's offices of the faculties.

 

Kind regards

Prof. Susanne Schmidt
(Vice Rector for Studies and Teaching)

Prof. Dr.- Ing. Jens Strackeljan
(Rector)

Circular mail from 1 January 2021

Dear Members and Employees of our University,
Dear Students,

On behalf of the entire university management, I would like to wish you and your families a very happy New Year, with the very best wishes for the future, and especially - of course - your good health!

The challenges with which the “old” year ended seem set to remain with us over the coming months. However much we long to overcome the coronavirus pandemic and the associated hardships and adjustments to our lives and hope for the vaccination program to pick up speed, unfortunately the reality is that we probably have many more weeks of considerable effort ahead of us to manage the consequences of this crisis. The incidence of infection continues to be high, and since last Tuesday it has been clear that the lockdown initially imposed by the federal government until 10 January 2021 will now remain in place until at least the end of January and our private and public lives will continue to be subject to major restrictions. In the next few days, the decisions of the federal government will be transferred into state law. It is to be assumed that there will be no significant exceptions for the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

Our hope was that from 11 January 2021 we would again be able to offer face-to-face teaching wherever this was advisable for substantive or didactic reasons. Due to the current situation, however, we are obliged to adjust this aspiration.

Based on the current legal situation, the university management has decided the following:

  • In line with the current tier plan, the University of Magdeburg will remain in tier 4 until at least 31.01.2021.
  • Teaching for the 2020/21 winter semester is scheduled to remain fully online until lectures come to an end on 04.02.2021. This means that face-to-face teaching will continue to be suspended beyond January 10, 2021.
  • To the extent that laboratory classes, practical tutorials etc. must be carried out in person, the strict hygiene regulations will continue to apply.
  • The research laboratories in the faculties will remain open until the end of January 2021 in principle, and detailed arrangements regarding the organization of research and teaching assignments will be made independently by the Deans in consultation with the university management.
  • The university library will remain closed to the public until the end of January 2021; it will still be possible to borrow and return books and media by arrangement.
  • The Campus Service Center and URZ is also closed to the public, but can be reached by phone or online. If necessary, a personal appointment can be made at the URZ.
  • Lecture halls and seminar rooms remain closed. This includes the closure of teaching rooms for groups of students.
  • Regulations for the coming examination period will be made by January 15th after consultation with the faculties.
  • For employees, until further notice the extension to working from home applies. If it is possible to work from home, then employees should do so in order to reduce contact with others to a minimum.

Employees, lecturers and students in the Faculty of Medicine should note the separate regulations that apply to them.

The above-mentioned measures will remain in force until revoked, but at least until 31 January 2021. In the coming weeks, the President’s Office will decide how, in particular, to organize the examination period beginning in February 2021 in close consultation with the Faculties, central services and committees of the university.

On behalf of the entire university management team, at this point I would like to thank you again for your understanding and dedication to jointly overcoming the challenges before us! Should you have any outstanding questions, the members of the office of the president remain at your disposal.

Stay safe! Yours faithfully,

Jens Strackeljan

 

Circular mail from 15 December 2020

Dear university members,
dear employees,
dear students,

The lockdown decided by the federal and state governments to contain the Corona pandemic will also lead to further adjustments at Otto-von-Guericke-University. After consultation with the faculties and the crisis team, step 4 of the OVGU's step plan will apply on the Universitätsplatz campus and the Zschokkestraße campus from Wednesday, December 16th, 2020.

Teaching and research

Teaching at the OVGU has already been restricted to the extent that lectures will be held exclusively online. From December 16th, 2020, all face-to-face teaching will be suspended until at least January, 10th, 2021. Courses are to be offered exclusively online or virtually. Examinations in presence may take place in step 4 in strict compliance with the rules from the hygiene concept. This means that wearing a mouth-nose protection is obligatory, and minimum distances must of course be observed. The research laboratories in the faculties will generally remain open from Wednesday, detailed arrangements for the organisation of tasks in research and teaching will be made by the deaneries on their own responsibility after consultation with the university management.

Library and Campus Service Centre

The University Library will be closed to the public from Wednesday onwards; borrowing and returning media will be possible and can be done by appointment. The Campus Service Centre will also be closed to the public from Wednesday, but can be reached by telephone or online. Details can be found on the websites of the University Library and the Campus Service Centre.

Access to buildings

Lecture halls and seminar rooms are closed from Wednesday on. There will also be a closure of teaching rooms for student groups. Campus buildings in general will close to the public from Monday to allow sufficient time for all employees to check locking authorisations. Building 6 will remain open up to and including December, 23rd, 2020. There will also be a closure of teaching rooms for student groups.

Canteens and cafeterias

The refectories on the Zschokkestraße and main campus will be closed from 16 December.

Home office and childcare

For staff, the mobile working extensions apply. If mobile working can be made possible, use should be made of it to actually reduce contacts to a minimum. To this end, work tasks can be reorganised. If nursery schools or schools are closed due to official decisions, the additional days off can be used if they have not yet been used up for that year and are not planned holiday periods. Remaining days can be carried over into the year 2021.

You will be informed about possible changes in a timely manner.

Teachers and students of the Faculty of Medicine please observe the regulations that apply separately to them.

The university management will agree on the further procedure with the faculties and the crisis team at the beginning of January 2021.

We would like to take this opportunity to ask you once again to strictly adhere to the hygiene measures that apply on campus and in the buildings. This way you can effectively protect yourself, your colleagues and also your families. The entire university is in a challenging situation, which urgently requires your cooperation. We expressly thank you for this and ask you to continue to intensively follow the information portal that has been set up. There you will find the detailed step plan and all the important FAQs for employees and students (including on the changes for mobile working and on teaching).

I wish you all the best, above all good health.

Yours sincerely
Jens Strackeljan

 

Circular mail from 10 July 2020

Dear Lecturers, dear Students,

The 2020 summer semester is drawing to a close, so I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the commitment, patience and flexibility that you have shown over the past few months. You have all had to process new experiences, and we will try to take the positives from these into the future.

In the last few weeks, the University campus and premises such as the library have become accessible again, and so hopefully, you, dear Students, have had the opportunity to prepare sufficiently for the forthcoming examinations. This year, exams will be held under unusual conditions. I wish you all every success in them over the coming weeks.

The shape that the next winter semester will take depends on the overall situation in the state of Saxony-Anhalt as well as the rest of the world. We are in dialog with the responsible authorities, meaning that despite any internal decisions that we make, we must remain flexible. Otto von Guericke University is a traditional university offering face-to-face teaching. Therefore, classroom teaching is and will fundamentally remain the desirable standard, complemented and enhanced by digital formats. Given that, for the 2020/2021 winter semester, the pandemic-related contact and distancing regulations will continue to apply, digital teaching is, solely for health protection reasons, unavoidable to a certain extent. We will therefore need to prioritize, and in this respect new students in their first semester are of particular concern to us. Current students will certainly still remember the first few days and weeks of their degrees at OVGU. Forming study groups, making friends and beginning (and enjoying) a completely new stage in one’s life is so much harder to do digitally.

We plan to commence classes for the 2020/21 winter semester at the end of October, with the exception of Medicine. The Senate will finalize the various dates on 15 July, after which we will notify you all as soon as possible. We hope that you will understand that at present we are unable to provide you with a precise timetable for the winter semester.

Sincerely yours,
Prof. Jens Strackeljan

Circular mail from 20 May 2020

Dear employees of the university, dear students

Today I would like to thank you sincerely for your support of the fundraising campaign "GUERICKE helps!", which was initiated together with the friends and sponsors of the university, and to inform you about the pleasing results. Thanks to the commitment of numerous university members as well as several partners of the Alma Mater, we succeeded in reaching our donation goal of 50,000 Euros within only 3 weeks.

This is a sum for which I would like to express my sincere and heartfelt thanks to the 420 donors who have made donations to date. No matter whether it was a small or large amount: Every euro received has helped us to support 111 students in need from all over the world with a one-off sum of 450 euros. The money will be transferred to them within the next few days.

This enormous sum is matched by well over 1200 requests and calls for help. 1200 mails or letters, which show us in a depressing way how great the hardships caused by the Corona crisis are for parts of our students, especially for our internationals.

This is why we have decided to continue even after we have reached our donation goal. Because even if normality moves into the world of work, there will still be students who, due to unfortunate circumstances, will not be able to finance their livelihood solely through student jobs or their families who do not receive support. There are many reasons for this, even beyond the Corona crisis, and they can affect anyone.

So if you have not yet had the opportunity to support our emergency relief fund, I would like to encourage you to visit the website, get informed and make a small or even larger contribution to our community work. Every Euro counts!

At this point I would like to thank you for your commitment - also on behalf of the entire university management and the Board of the Association of Friends and Sponsors.

I wish you all the best for the coming days and weeks: Stay healthy!

Sincerely yours,
Prof. Jens Strackeljan

 

Circular mail from 17 April 2020

Dear employees and students,

After nearly four weeks, the German federal and state governments have started to gradually relax the measures put in place to combat the coronavirus outbreak in Germany. All of us have been awaiting these decisions with great excitement and some of you may have been hoping for more. The 4th Corona Containment Ordinance in Saxony-Anhalt will permit schools and certain shops to reopen on a very limited basis next week . But what will this relaxation mean for everyday university life on campus?

Firstly, the scheduled full launch of the online courses as of the 20th of April will go ahead as planned. There will be some minor simplifications for on-campus exams and exam preparations, but all these are still exceptions. Our assumption is that it will be possible to carry out on-campus activities, such as laboratory training or minor activities in smaller groups, in addition to online teaching and in compliance with the hygiene and social-distancing rules as of the 4th of May 2020. At least this is the procedure that the Minister of Science. Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann and the state's universities have agreed.

This also means that, subject to hygiene, access control and queue avoidance provisions, we will be able reopen the University Library to the public. We also envisage a certain amount of relaxation at both the Campus Service Center and the International Office. Specific procedures are currently being worked out and will be communicated in a timely manner, but in this case too we are not expecting to start before the 4th of May 2020. Further details will be regulated in a decree from the state Ministry of Economics, Science and Digitisation, to which we will contribute with some of our own concepts.

Once again, it is particularly important to emphasise the fact that students will not be disadvantaged by these restrictions, for example if courses need to be cancelled or if they are unable to use the online services we are providing. University of Magdeburg will be flexible in terms of the semester dates and will take decisions that are in the best interests of our students. In terms of BAföG (the German Federal Training Assistance Act) or with regard to any study delays due to COVID-19 that result in students exceeding the standard study period, continued funding will be ensured for an appropriate period of time.

The second important point to note, particularly for employees, is that the strict hygiene and social distancing rules (1.5 metres between any two people) that have been in force up to now will continue to apply without change. The Federal Ministry of Labour has now adopted a Covid-19 occupational health and safety standard, which regulates the return of employees to their places of work. Naturally, this standard also applies to the OVGU and we will now come together to put plans in place for all areas of the university to significantly increase the proportion of attendance in relation to mobile work.

Taking personal responsibility during the coming weeks will also mean that anybody with recognisable symptoms, such as slight fever, flu-like symptoms or shortness of breath will have to leave the workplace and stay at home until such times as a doctor clears them to return to work.

In conclusion, let us continue to go forward together with new ideas to get through this unusual but by no means lost summer semester 2020 at the University of Magdeburg.

Keep safe!

Franziska Scheffler
Jens Strackeljan

 

Circular mail from 7 April 2020

Dear employees,

I hope you all began your week in good health and have been able to adjust to the new and, for all of us, unfamiliar circumstances whether on campus or in your home offices. We would like to give you a brief update on major events planned at the OVGU for 2020.

As you may have seen either in our newsletter or our press release published in the local media, our Alumni Day 2020, which had been scheduled for the 6th of June, has been postponed to an as yet unspecified date, which will hardly have come as a great surprise given the current situation. Nevertheless, for those alumni who would have been receiving their golden or silver diplomas to mark the 50th or 25th graduation anniversaries respectively, the postponement is a regrettable albeit understandable decision. Yet postponed is not cancelled: new plans are already in hand and we hope to be able to reschedule this special "class reunion" before the end of the year.

For the first time in over 14 years, the Long Night of the Sciences will also suffer an involuntary interruption: this event, which had also been planned for the 6th of June 2020 has had to be cancelled and will not be rescheduled. However, a date has already been set for the coming year and so, together with the City of Magdeburg and the other science institutes, we will have the opportunity to celebrate the 15th Long Night of the Sciences in a fitting manner on the 29th of May 2021.

In addition to the events mention above, our traditional "Super Saturday" programme, which is essentially shaped by our Course Information Day, also cannot and will not take place as scheduled on the 6th of June 2020 due to the current circumstances. In the absence of these tried and trusted approaches and given the unfortunate need to jettison proven processes and concepts at such short notice, alternative information channels and innovative formats are required to provide prospective students both within the state and beyond with information about the OVGU and our various programmes of study. We’ll need novel concepts and a great deal of commitment, which is why a focused exchange of ideas between the university management, MKM (Media, Communication, Marketing), the faculties and the central services must begin within the next few days. For one thing is clear: achieving higher education policy goals and attracting students will be no easy task for the OVGU under the current framework conditions. We will inevitably feel the consequences of the coronavirus crisis particularly when it comes to enrolling international students.

Yet, notwithstanding the challenges and tasks ahead of us, I would like to encourage all of you to play an active part in overcoming them, to step outside of your familiar comfort zones in a spirit of courage and optimism and, together, to dare to do something new. You can rely on the full support of the university management.

Despite the difficult times, I wish you and your families a Happy Easter!

Yours sincerely

Jens Strackeljan

 

Circular mail from 23 March 2020

Dear staff and students of the University of Magdeburg,

For some weeks now, the coronavirus has been challenging the day-to-day lives of our families as well as life and work at the University of Magdeburg, calling for decisions that seemed unthinkable just a few months ago. Yesterday, the state of Saxony-Anhalt imposed further restrictions in the form of contact restrictions, which should help to contain the epidemic, but which have an enormous impact on living and working together and require adaptation of previous forms of organization. Physical and social contacts must be kept to an absolute minimum.

What does this mean for the University of Magdeburg?

The most important thing: Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg is not closed! Within just a few days, we switched from normal operation to reduced basic operation. The university library is still running with a reduced service, refectories and cafeterias are closed, rules regarding working from home and working outside the university have been largely defined and implemented. We have agreed on a very high degree of flexibility, permitting staff to work from home wherever work can be performed outside the university.

After yesterday’s stipulations by the federal state, we have agreed to change the current status of our university to basic operation with minimum contact. Unfortunately, this means that specific rules are required here to ensure that flexible working is possible, for instance, in alternating shifts. It must be ensured that colleagues and supervisors can be reached, also when working from home.

The administration has defined core processes, so that new staff will be recruited, employment contracts renewed, appointments issued, invoices settled and salaries will continue to be paid.

The research laboratories in the faculties are still open, detailed agreements on the organization of tasks in research and teaching are being made independently by the deans following consultation with the university management. The central institutions are ensuring minimum operation and guaranteeing cooperation with the university administration and the President’s office by deploying on-site personnel to take care of essential tasks.

However, the University Medical Center cannot be transferred to basic operation. They are, and this should be expressly noted here, facing quite different challenges that must be overcome. The situation is changing rapidly and, if necessary, agreements on flexible working will have to be changed again. But this does not only apply to employees of the Medical Faculty and the University Hospital, but also to all employees of Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg.

Nevertheless, we have found answers to the most important questions in a very short time and for this I would like to thank all those who have supported the university management and the administration! The President’s office and the crisis unit acted swiftly in coordination with the deans and the Senate and in close consultation with the Conference of the Rectors of the Federal State (Landesrektorenkonferenz). You can find the latest answers to questions arising from the new situation in the Document entitled ‘Information to ensure basic operation with minimum contact’.

 

Dear students, we know only all too well that the situation is extremely difficult for you at the moment. Uncertainties about exam dates, the loss of student jobs or limited use of the university library have become the norm. However, one of the biggest challenges and priorities for all of us in the coming weeks is to prepare for what will very likely be a ‘virtual’ summer semester. I can promise you that we will do everything we can to find sound solutions and I assure you that you will not suffer any disadvantages.

Our university is proud of its high degree of internationalization. But this also comes with great responsibility for our students, which is certainly another major challenge in times of a pandemic that is spreading around the globe.

One thing's for sure: Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg depends on the commitment, cooperation and collaboration of all, and the current problems and challenges can only be mastered in collective responsibility and solidarity. Therefore, we ask that you inform yourself, pay attention to each other, help each other and above all: Stay healthy!

Best wishes,

Jens Strackeljan

Last Modification: 31.03.2023 - Contact Person: Katharina Vorwerk