UNIVERSITY
Teaching after the Easter break
Dear students,
As promised, we are writing to you today to provide more detailed information about the arrangements for teaching and examinations as of 12 April 2021. Unfortunately, the steep upward trajectory of the infection rates, particularly over the past few days, allows very little room for the introduction of opening measures. Nevertheless, we would like to present you with opportunities to return to the campus from time to time. Based on the current COVID 19 regulations, we have opted for the following measures:
The summer semester 2021 will, in essence, remain an online-only semester.
It will simply not be possible to offer face-to-face teaching in the sense of regular lectures in the lecture halls and seminar rooms during the summer semester 2021. Our teaching staff will therefore continue to plan the entire semester as an online semester.
Two exceptions to the online-only principle: Outdoor lectures spaces & non-substitutable courses
Starting on 12 April 2021, selected courses will be held in our previously announced outdoor lecture spaces on campus. This will only be possible for single sessions of any given course. The intention behind the outdoor lecture spaces is to create opportunities for direct and personal interaction with students. The following rules apply here:
- In terms of seating, the outdoor lecture spaces have been arranged in such a way that the distance of two metres is maintained across the whole area. Please do not change the placement of the seats.
- Hygiene and safety measures:
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- FFP-2 masks must be worn at all times.
- A negative antigen test (not older than 48 hours) or, respectively, a negative PCR test (not older than 72 hours) must be presented. The test must be issued by an authorised agency; self-tests are not valid. Official documentation of a negative test result is deemed to be equivalent to the following:
- Evidence of neutralizing antibodies for a period of three months,
- medical confirmation of an infection that has occurred in the last six months prior to the scheduled testing and that has now passed,
- official proof pursuant to § 4 (18) EpiG (Austrian Act on Epidemics) or an isolation order, provided that the latter was issued to a person with a documented case of COVID-19 in the six months prior to the scheduled testing.
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- Teaching in the outdoor lecture spaces is intended as a sporadic addition to online teaching. If you have valid reasons (e.g. entry restrictions, belonging to a risk group, quarantine order) that prevent you from attending in person, you must not experience any disadvantage as a result. We would like to reassure you that our teaching staff will plan the units with this in mind.
- A list of participants must be kept for courses held in the outdoor lecture spaces. This is necessary to facilitate contact tracing in case of infections.
- The number of students attending sessions in the outdoor lecture spaces is limited to 20.
Selected courses have already been defined as non-substitutable. These will continue to be held as face-to-face classes. From 12 April 2021 onwards, in addition to the two-metre rule and the requirement to wear a mask, you must also present a negative test (as described above).
The respective course instructors will inform you whether and when a course can take place face-to-face. You will also receive a notification if the session has to be cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.
Overview map of the outdoor lactures spaces
University library
The university library’s reading rooms are open. You can use the reading rooms provided that you comply with our strict safety and hygiene regulations. Please check the library’s website for the applicable regulations.
Opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 08:30-16:00, Thursday: 11:00-19:00, Saturday: closed
PC workstations for students
The public PCs running campus software are available to students on a limited basis and in compliance with the applicable hygiene and protection measures. You can find more information here:
What next?
For now, we can only venture these first tentative steps. Please be assured, however, that we will continuously adapt the overall conditions for teaching to the epidemiological situation and the legal requirements. In the event that the situation eases, we will implement additional opening measures. If the infection rates develop favourably, we hope to offer “small-scale” face-to-face examinations from May onwards.
The pandemic is demanding a great deal of effort from all of us. This particularly affects you as a student. We appreciate your perseverance and your willingness to maintain the necessary level of motivation for the online courses and exams. As valued members of our university community, you are especially important to us. We are glad to have you with us, virtually for the time being, but hopefully in person very soon.
Please keep up to date with the latest developments on the website https://www.aau.at/en/corona
We wish you an Easter break that is both bright and restful.
Doris Hattenberger, Vice-Rector for Education (on behalf of the COVID task force)
update: 12 April 2021