Information about the coronavirus
The latest information and notes on the coronavirus can now be found at
www.tu-braunschweig.de/en/notes-on-the-coronavirus
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Update 31.03.2020
digital teaching
The project group Teaching and Media Education offers teachers support in the transition to digital teaching. In a webinar, teachers can gain insights into the most important tools and application possibilities of digital teaching. Information on dates and registration can be found here.
The offer will be successively expanded and new dates announced. The project group’s website also provides practical tips, links and other up-to-date information on the implementation of digital courses.
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Update 22.03.2020
Definition of the operating levels
In order to have a shared knowledge of the current situation as well as clarity in communication, the Presidency has defined three further levels for restricted operating levels in addition to the regular operating level. In this respect, we are guided by the criteria of the Robert Koch Institut, the regional health authorities and the evaluation of regional curfews in Germany. Broad information is provided on both putting the operating level up or down.
Operating levels
- Standard operating level
- Massively restricted operating level
- Emergency operating level
- Continued operations in “shutdown mode”
Standard operating level
Characteristic: “Standard operation, no restrictions”.
- Lectures are in progress
- Examinations take place as scheduled
- Events take place
- All facilities are open
- Working without additional safety instructions
- Attendance work is normal
- International guests are on the campus and our scientists travel internationally
Massively restricted operating level
Characteristic: “Process sequences largely as during normal operational level, avoid group formation, keep distance and reduce contacts, home office where reasonable”.
- Presence teaching suspended, events in some cases no longer possible
- Presence tests suspended (if necessary, hardship regulations under safety regulations apply)
- Some facilities are closed for security reasons (library, etc.), other facilities are still in full operation
- Special security requirements and org. frameworks, monitoring by crisis team
- Home office recommended, where technically possible and reasonable in terms of content, each facility remains accessible
- Enough work available for everyone, reduction of flextime surpluses
- Travel considerably restricted (basic ban on business trips)
- Meetings, committee work, etc. via telephone or video conferencing
Emergency operating level1
Characteristic: “Strong limitations compared to normal operational level, but core processes are maintained, ensure availability, emergency and work organisation as a challenge for all facilities”.
- Lectures suspended, events restricted / no longer possible
- No presence tests (if necessary, hardship regulations under safety regulations apply)
- Special security requirements and organizational framework, monitoring by crisis management team
- Basic travel ban
- First buildings closed to the public, further access restrictions
- A significant number of facilities closed or restricted in operation
- In the overall view of the university, work in a home office and on-call duty is the norm2
- Core processes must continue to operate without restrictions, possibly with longer processing times
- Cancellation of core working hours; availability within the framework working hours (6-20 hrs) is to be agreed on an individual basis with superiors
- Excess capacity, reduction of flextime surpluses on a broad basis, alternating shifts1Criteria for upgrading: further tightening of general infection prevention measures; RKI risk assessment “very high”; specific development in the region (e.g. burden on the health care system or considerable number of other facilities in emergency operation), increasing number of general curfews
2Duty to be available and to work remains in the home office (exception: vacation)
Continued operations in “shutdown mode”
Characteristic feature: “buildings closed, even core functions only guaranteed to a limited extent”.
- Lectures suspended, events no longer possible
- No presence tests (no more hardship regulations under security regulations)
- Special security requirements and organizational framework, monitoring by crisis management team
- Basic travel ban
- Excess capacity, reduction of flexitime surpluses on a broad basis
- Cancellation of core working hours; availability within the framework working hours (6-20 hrs) is to be agreed on an individual basis with superiors
- All buildings closed (access only via issued access authorizations)
- Only the most important functions are executed, i.e. even core processes are only operated to a limited extent
- Emergency staffing, presence limited to a minimum3
- Objective of the present operation: to avoid substantial damage to the Federal State of Niedersachsen3Duty to be available and work performance remains (exception: vacation)
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Update 18.03.2020, 6.30 pm
Closure of all TU Braunschweig buildings to the public
The buildings of our university will soon be closed to the external public. We ask all those interested in our university and science for their understanding. In urgent cases, please arrange an appointment with the respective institutes and facilities. Expressly excluded are, for example, deliverers and other persons who require access in the course of their official duties. All institutes and facilities are still required to accept deliveries.
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Update 17.03.2020, 11:00 am
Conduct courses online and independent of location
The project group Teaching and Media Education, the GITZ, GB3 and the university library have created a special website for teachers with tips and up-to-date information on digital teaching:
www.tu-braunschweig.de/lehreundmedienbildung/corona-informationen-fuer-lehrende
The team is working hard to maintain the teaching and to increase the technical capacities and is available for advice and support.
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Update 16.03.2020, 7:30 pm
Information to all employees
We have informed all employees about the situation by e-mail (so far only in German). In principle, the service is to be maintained. The e-mail contains information on home office regulations and mobile working, including during meetings, continued remuneration, prohibition of entry and business trips, holidays and childcare, call forwarding and more.
Please take a look at your e-mails.
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Update 16.03.2020, 7:30 pm
Information to all students and teachers
Today all students were informed about the current situation by e-mail.The English version will follow. The most important information about the examinations: The Presidential Board strongly recommends to the Examination Committees that, as of today, no more examinations requiring the presence of participants should be held. In particular, no more examinations will be held until further notice.
Dear students: Please check your e-mails!
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Update 16.03.2020, 8:00 am
How are decisions made, for example on exams
All decisions are made in close cooperation with the public health department, the city of Braunschweig, the state of Lower Saxony and other competent authorities. The Health Office has also approved examinations if more than 100 people participate, as the safety distances are maintained. We pay special attention to the safety distances in order to protect students and supervisors.
The crisis committee decides and implements measures according to the pandemic plan of the TU Braunschweig. It will meet today at 10 a.m., at 2 p.m. the Presidential Board will meet. Afterwards we will inform about the further procedure, for example with other upcoming exams.
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Update 13.03.2020, 11:50 am
Start of lectures postponed to 20 April
In a recent letter, the Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur has made an urgent recommendation “to postpone the start of lectures and teaching in attendance form at universities and equivalent institutions of higher education under state responsibility until 20 April 2020”. The university board has complied with this recommendation in an urgent resolution. Lectures will therefore – pending further updates – not begin until April 20, 2020. We will take care that examinations can continue to take place as explained below.
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Update 12.03.2020, 7:00 pm
Returning from risk areas
Anyone who has been in a corona risk area is no longer allowed to enter the university with immediate effect. This also applies to other institutions, including schools, daycare centres, retirement homes and clinics. In each case, the period of the past 14 days is decisive. This was decided by the state of Niedersachsen. The city of Braunschweig is implementing this requirement for the city area with a general ruling.
The current risk areas can be found in the overview of the Robert Koch Institute:
www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Risikogebiete.html
The directors of the institutes and institutions are requested to ensure that the returnees follow the decree of the city of Braunschweig. More detailed information will be published as soon as possible:
will publish more detailed information on its website as soon as possible:
www.tu-braunschweig.de/abt12
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Update 12.03.2020, 6:00 pm
Information for students and teachers
Examinations
According to the information currently available, there is at the moment no need and no recommendation to cancel events at the university in principle. Rescheduling examinations in the current situation would have many disadvantages, especially for you students. If you do not receive any other information, for example via e-mail or Stud.IP, please assume that the planned examinations will be taken.
The crisis management team is observing the situation closely and will react to changed circumstances in consultation with the responsible authorities. Should there be any changes in the examination or application and enrolment procedures, this will be widely communicated (via e-mail, Stud.IP, the university’s homepage or the social media channels).
Withdrawal or non-appearance for the examination
If, for whatever reason, you are unable or unwilling to take a registered examination, the general rules (§ 11 APO or BPO of the course of study) on sick leave, withdrawal from examinations etc. apply. This also means that in many cases you can withdraw from registered examinations up to one week before the date without giving reasons. In the case of examinations, withdrawal is also possible shortly before (usually up to the end of the penultimate working day before the examination).
And of course, as always, you do not have to and should not take an exam if you are unable to take the exam and provide appropriate proof. In the current situation, such proof would also be a letter from a doctor or an official body, for example the health authorities, stating that you are not ill, but that you should be in isolation at home as a precaution. The respective examination board decides on the resignations mentioned here.
Planned or upcoming excursions and trips
Overall, we recommend that you avoid all unnecessary travel, whether for study or private purposes. If you have any questions, please get in touch with the responsible contact persons* in your courses. Bookings for planned excursions, for example during the excursion week, should not be made at the moment and should be postponed until the travel warnings have been lifted.
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Update 12.03.2020, 10:00 am
The Fitbox in the sports centre (sports hall Beethovenstraße) has been closed as a precautionary measure until Easter 2020 (inclusive) due to the current corona pandemic. This measure is intended to prevent the large number of people using the Fitbox from infecting healthy users, should a person infected with corona use the Fitbox. The closure is purely preventive: no corona infected person has been in the Fitbox so far. Any risk to Fitbox users of the last few days is therefore excluded.
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Update 05.03.2020
The human resources department has put up-to-date information on the corona virus online.
The information portal also offers a bilingual information sheet on work incapacities for download.
The company medical service has also added to its information. The hygiene rules can be found alongside the relevant links to the Robert Koch Institute and other reliable, always up-to-date sources of information.
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30.01.2020
The Technische Universität Braunschweig maintains many contacts with universities and research institutions around the world, many of them also in China. International students and colleagues are part of the academic community at TU Braunschweig. Due to the lively exchange activities, you will find more information here:
www.tu-braunschweig.de/hinweise-zum-coronavirus