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Current information regarding the coronavirus 2019-nCoV
The coronavirus (Covid-19), which initially mainly spread in Asia, has now reached all German federal states. The Robert Koch Institute daily reports an increase in the number of infected persons. The World Health Organization (WHO) has meanwhile declared the virus outbreak to be a pandemic, which is a disease in humans that spreads over many countries and continents or worldwide. Infection with the disease is particularly dangerous for elderly people and persons with pre-existing conditions.
The University Management has established an action committee developing protection measures for employees and students in order to be able to prevent infection with the virus at the KU and to respond quickly if a university member was tested positively for the virus to ensure that spreading of the virus is kept to a minimum. We have summarized all important information regarding current recommendations for action at the workplace, in connection with business trips, courses and examinations as well as all other events here. We urgently appeal to all KU University members to observe these regulations.
Please inform yourself regularly about current developments and check your e-mails regularly.
The following FAQs will be adapted and expanded continuously by taking into account all relevant current developments.
Hygiene-concept (Last updated: June 1, 2020; Download as PDF)
1. General situation – events
What is the current situation at the KU?
The KU monitory current developments closely and critically and has established a corona action committee that continuously monitors the situation and closely cooperates with the University Management to adopt appropriate measures. The committee is in constant contact with the relevant institutions and departments within the University and, if necessary, also with responsible authorities and the Ministry of Science. Instructions from the Ministry and authorities are being implemented without undue delay.
Do courses and lectures take place?
The summer semester is held digitally. Generally, no on-campus courses or lectureswill be held at the KU until September 30, 2020. This shall not apply to examinations and certain practical courses.
Start and end of summer semester: The lecture period for all KU faculties will start on April 20. The end of the lecture period was postponed to August 7. The two additional weeks can be used to hold practical course components, block courses or other courses that require students’ attendance on-campus and can therefore only be started at a later stage. The respectively responsible module coordinators (or, if applicable, degree program representatives or deans of studies) can decide individually whether they would like to make use of the additional lecture period. Students must be informed of planned schedule for the semester at an early stage.
Teaching predominantly carried out digitally: As of today, it will not be possible to hold on-campus seminars, practical classes or lectures at least until the end of May. Currently, it cannot be anticipated when it will be possible again to hold on-campus courses or lectures. All teaching staff must be prepared to only being able to offer online courses during the entire summer semester, if need be. Lecturers can also prepare and hold seminars, practical classes and lectures for the summer semester entirely as digital offers. The University Management will keep track of all developments in this respect and will inform you as soon as it is possible again to hold on-campus courses (if applicable, the number of participants might initially be restricted or special safety measures might have to be implemented).
No “semester freeze”: The KU will do everything in its power to ensure that the upcoming summer semester will not be a “lost” semester for its students. Although it might not be possible to offer the entire teaching program and to fulfill all usual standards, the lecturers will make every effort to offer a “basic digital program”. This was also the explicit wish expressed by the Ministry of Science. Wherever possible, the digital teaching program will at least comprise all scheduled required courses for the summer semester in the respective degree programs, plus an additional required elective offer, which might be slightly reduced. As the KU is well aware of the current limitations, it has decided not to take this summer semester into account when calculating the maximum permissible length of degree programs, if students are unable to complete all courses in the summer semester that are required for their degree because of the corona crisis. This means: The standard length of degree programs will be extended by one semester if there are corresponding limitations in the course of study.
Do events at the KU take place?
From March 16, 2020 onwards, all events and conferences are canceled. This affects both events that are organized by the KU and its facilities as well as those organized by external parties who wish to use the KU’s premises. is extended until September 30, 2020, and will be adapted if the general situation changes and hosting events and conferences will be possible again from a safety point of view.
This regulation does not apply to internal meetings held by departments or chairs. In case of internal meetings, please ensure that the rooms are sufficiently ventilated and participants keep sufficient distance. If applicable, it might be possible to book larger rooms for your meetings with the Facility Management Department.
Please consider alternative formats for events and meetings, such as telephone or video conferences. The KU Computer Center provides information on the technical possibilities at
https://www.ku.de/rechenzentrum/it-services/a-z/dfnconf/
By which restrictions will the University Library be affected?
From Tuesday, June 2, 2020, onwards, the University Library will open its reading rooms again – however, subject to restrictions: The Main Library and the departmental library Ulmer Hof as well as the Branch Library in Ingolstadt are open to a limited number of users from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. You can use the reading rooms as a place for learning and research as usual, however, working is only allowed in the marked workspaces. Due to constructional measures, the departmental library Aula remains closed until further notice. Stocks from that library will continue to be available via the special lending service and you can order books from these stocks and collect them at the Main Library. The departmental library Hofgarten will open by individual agreement.
Currently, the reading rooms may only be used by KU members. Please make sure to bring your user card (KU.Card) and register at the information desk when entering the library. Due to hygiene provisions requiring minimum distance, only a limited number of users is allowed to stay in the reading rooms at the same time: The maximum number of people allowed in the Main Library is 41 (including users who work in carrels), for Ulmer Hof the maximum number is 18 and for the Branch Library in Ingolstadt it is 21. Please be aware that you might be asked to wait until you can enter the reading rooms.
When using the University Library, please observe the KU hygiene provisions and in particular the “general measures for infection prevention” (minimum distance, hand hygiene, sneezing and coughing etiquette, entry ban for infected individuals). As the required minimum distance of 1.5 m cannot be ensured at all times in the reading rooms, users are asked to wear a face mask when walking around the rooms. They do not have to wear the face mask at their desks.
Additional information on lending or lending periods is available at the website of the University Library: www.ku.de/bibliothek
Which institutions/offers on campus are currently affected?
Student Office, Examinations Office, Student Advisory and Career Services: These facilities will be closed for the public. Consultation sessions will exclusively be held by phone or online platforms. In exceptional cases, it might be possible to make individual appointments.
All PC pools at the KU are closed or will be closed. In justified individual cases, you can apply for permission to use of the PC pools via the KU.ServiceDesk-IT (it-support(at)ku.de).
Canteen: We would also like to make you aware of the canteen’s offer in Eichstätt, where you can buy take away lunch from this week onwards. More detailed information is provided on the websites of the Studentenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg (www.werkswelt.de). At the canteen in Ingolstadt, a limited number of guests can also have lunch in the dining halls.
The Sports Center is closed until further notice. All events and courses of the University Sports Center are canceled.
The Jura Museum at the Willibaldsburg, for which the KU has meanwhile taken over sponsorship responsibility, was also forced to close its doors from mid-March onwards due to the corona pandemic. Now, the exhibition displaying fossils from the Jura age approx. 150 million years ago will be open for visitors again on June 2 (Tuesday - Sunday and public holidays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Visitors must wear a face mask during their stay. In order to minimize risks for visitors and staff, the museum is unable to provide visitors with educational offers such as guided tours or workshops until further notice.
The KU printing service has limited opening hours, but is fully available alsofor printing final theses, if required. Students can also use the printing station in the foyer of the Main Library (Universitätsallee). This printing station can be used as usual with the KU-Card. The KU-Card can be topped up in the foyer of the canteen.
2. Information for students
2.1 Examinations
Are examinations still being held?
It is authorized to hold on-campus examinations again. When holding examinations, examiners and participants are asked to adhere to the general hygiene measures and to the implementation provisions for on-campus examinations and practical courses at the KU. However, in view of limited room capacity for holding on-campus examinations in accordance with the hygiene measures stipulated herein, wherever possible, alternative examination formats that do not require students’ attendance on campus shall be considered.
It is also permissible to carry out oral examinations by video conference, provided that examiners use the systems that have been approved by the KU (Zoom or DFN). The KU Legal Affairs department will publish a guideline on implementing oral examinations by video conference in the next days. Examiners who would like to carry out oral examinations digitally are asked to communicate this beforehand so that participants are informed of the examination format already when registering for the examination.
The dates for registration for the summer semester examinations are already available on the website of the Examinations Office since the start of the semester. Please take into account all detailed further information regarding examination registration or de-registration and information on special provisions for the 2020 summer semester in connection with the corona situation:
Will State Examinations (Staatsexamen) be held?
The remaining State Examinations that still need to be held will start from May 18 onwards – affected students will be informed of the dates in detail.
Please also see information published by the State Ministry on its website:
https://www.km.bayern.de/ministerium/termine/1-staatspruefung-anmeldung-pruefungen.html
How will examinations be held during summer semester?
The University Management passed a special regulation for examinations (“Statutes on deviating regulations in the study and/or examination regulations and doctoral and habilitation regulations in connection with limitations to the teaching and examination practice caused by corona virus SARSCoV-2 at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt”, in short: Corona Statutes). These Statutes still have to be approved by urgent resolution taken by the deans and the Senate before they will enter into force at the KU. These regulations amongst others stipulate that it is allowed to deviate from the original examination regulations as regards examination types. The respectively responsible module coordinator shall decide in agreement with the dean of studies whether an alternative type will be offered instead of the originally envisaged examination type. The responsible module coordinators must notify students of any changes to the examination type at least four weeks after the start of the lecture period. It is currently envisaged to also allow oral online examinations; the corresponding legal and technical requirements and prerequisites are currently being assessed. For doctoral degrees, it will be possible to hold online thesis defenses. It is expected that the Corona Statutes will enter into force and be published in the course of next week. Additional information on practical implementation will follow.
2.3 Submission of seminar papers and final theses
Are there any changes regarding submission deadlines for seminar papers and Bachelor’s and Master’s theses?
Due to closure of the KU University Library, submission deadlines for final theses, seminar papers and written assignments were to date suspended until further notice. Meanwhile, the University Library has set up an exceptional lending service. This service is already available for research staff and the University Library has informed us that it runs smoothly. The service will be available for students from April 27 onwards. From then on, students can order and collect books from the Library. They can also have books sent to their home address free of charge three times. Taking into account a short adjustment period, we expect that this service will be fully available for students from May 4, 2020, onwards.
This means that students can start working on their final theses, seminar papers and written assignments again and new submission deadlines can be calculated. The reference date for calculation will be May 4, 2020.
Examiners are asked to inform their students of the new submission deadlines for seminar papers and written assignments; a corresponding example for calculation of the extended submission deadlines will be available shortly on the website of the KU Examinations Office in the sub-category “Information for employees and lecturers at the KU”.
Furthermore, examiners are asked to assess whether students could, in the current exceptional situation, prepare their papers without using literature that cannot be borrowed via the exceptional lending service (e.g. interlibrary loans, manuscripts,...) so that they can still complete the assignment and the module despite the current restrictions. When deciding on this possibility, examiners should take into account the requirements of a skill-oriented examination practice. In this context, please also take into account the digital library offers. In addition, the University Library is now also able to offer a service that sends essays, which are only available via interlibrary loan, directly to those who have ordered the item. This will be possible initially until the end of May based on a special agreement concluded with VG Wort (until now, interlibrary loans of essays were only possible when the ordered item was collected at the library). Unfortunately, it is still not possible to order books via interlibrary loan and reading rooms will remain closed until further notice. For detailed information on the exceptional lending service, please refer to our e-mails dated April 9.
Is there a regulation for seminar papers and written assignments?
From now on, students are notified that they have to go back to submitting their final theses to the Examinations Office in printed form simultaneously to the submitted PDF format (by registered mail or in person after having made an appointment). The exceptional regulation was revoked because online printing services, copy shops and the KU printing service have meanwhile resumed their work. Those students who have only submitted their final thesis in PDF format to be able to adhere to the deadline are now asked to hand in a printed copy of the thesis as soon as possible. The final academic record can only be issued after submission of the printed copy.
How can Bachelor’s or Master’s theses be submitted?
From now on, students are notified that they have to go back to submitting their final theses to the Examinations Office in printed form simultaneously to the submitted PDF format (by registered mail or in person after having made an appointment). The exceptional regulation was revoked because online printing services, copy shops and the KU printing service have meanwhile resumed their work. Those students who have only submitted their final thesis in PDF format to be able to adhere to the deadline are now asked to hand in a printed copy of the thesis as soon as possible. The final academic record can only be issued after submission of the printed copy.
Can seminar papers and written assignments also be submitted digitally?
Lecturers and examiners are asked to also offer students the possibility to submit their written assignments in a digital format (PDF). Here as well, it is mandatory that students use their KU e-mail address to send the documents.
Will the deadlines for qualifying research papers (Zulassungsarbeiten) be postponed?
In view of the current exceptional situation, lecturers who have issued the topics for the papers are asked to extend the periods allocated for working on the papers. However, it must be ensured that correction of the qualifying research paper is completed at the latest two working days before the first individual examination takes place, as admission will not be possible otherwise.
The qualifying research papers can also be submitted in a digital format (PDF) in advance using the KU e-mail address and be forwarded to the examiners. The declaration signed by the examinee in accordance with Section 29 para. 6 LPO I must be included as a scan. However, the printed version of the written paper with the signed declaration in the original must be submitted at a later date as soon as the situation allows.
The form for obtaining the examiner’s consent can be downloaded from the website of the KU Examinations Office. The supervisor of the qualifying research paper must give his or her consent in writing.
The KU cannot pass deviating regulations in this context, as these are binding provisions issued by the State Ministry.
The form can be accessed via this link: www.ku.de/pruefungsamt/studium/lehramtplus/staatsexamen-lpo-i/
If you have any further questions, Ms. Biersack or Ms. Hirschmann at the Examinations Office are happy to help. Just phone or drop them an e-mail. Contact data are available on the Examinations Office’s website grouped by degree program.
Will the dates when lecturers publish the grades be postponed?
For examinations that have already been completed, registration of the grades will not change. If upcoming examinations must be postponed, lecturers are asked to correct and grade these examinations as quickly as possible.
Is it possible to inspect examination scripts?
Examination scripts can be inspected by e-mail. For this purpose, a scan or photo can be sent to the student’s KU e-mail address in a password-protected zip file from another KU e-mail address; the password must be selected individually for every student and must be communicated to the student by phone.
How can I submit the topic for my Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis?
The application form for issuance of a Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis topic can be submitted as a scan by e-mail. The form must be signed by hand and the scan must be sent from your KU e-mail address (!) to the responsible administrator at the Examinations Office and your supervisor in cc:. Your supervisor can then send his or her consent to the topic from his or her KU e-mail address (!) to the responsible administrator at the Examinations Office. The responsible administrator shall then inform the student of the period allocated for working on the thesis by sending an e-mail response.
Are final academic records issued as usual?
Yes, but there might be a delay owing to the fact that certificates and final academic records have to be signed by members of the faculty who cannot be present on campus all the time.
Can I continue to borrow books from the University Library that I need to complete my seminar paper or final thesis?
By which restrictions will the University Library be affected?
From Tuesday, June 2, 2020, onwards, the University Library will open its reading rooms again – however, subject to restrictions: The Main Library and the departmental library Ulmer Hof as well as the Branch Library in Ingolstadt are open to a limited number of users from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. You can use the reading rooms as a place for learning and research as usual, however, working is only allowed in the marked workspaces. Due to constructional measures, the departmental library Aula remains closed until further notice. Stocks from that library will continue to be available via the special lending service and you can order books from these stocks and collect them at the Main Library. The departmental library Hofgarten will open by individual agreement.
Currently, the reading rooms may only be used by KU members. Please make sure to bring your user card (KU.Card) and register at the information desk when entering the library. Due to hygiene provisions requiring minimum distance, only a limited number of users is allowed to stay in the reading rooms at the same time: The maximum number of people allowed in the Main Library is 41 (including users who work in carrels), for Ulmer Hof the maximum number is 18 and for the Branch Library in Ingolstadt it is 21. Please be aware that you might be asked to wait until you can enter the reading rooms.
When using the University Library, please observe the KU hygiene provisions and in particular the “general measures for infection prevention” (minimum distance, hand hygiene, sneezing and coughing etiquette, entry ban for infected individuals). As the required minimum distance of 1.5 m cannot be ensured at all times in the reading rooms, users are asked to wear a face mask when walking around the rooms. They do not have to wear the face mask at their desks.
Additional information on lending or lending periods is available at the website of the University Library: www.ku.de/bibliothek
Are there any special changed regulations for internships?
Internships shall be completed in accordance with the examination regulations. If an internship institution at which students have already started their internships closes, the internship can be continued as soon as the institution will be open again, provided that the institution agrees to this regulation. Whether parts of a partially completed internship have to be completed at a later stage or whether the partially completed internship can be considered as being fully completed shall be decided subsequently by the board of examiners upon request.
2.3 Contacting services, facilities and lecturers at the KU
How can I contact the Examinations Office, Student Office and Student Advisory Service?
The Student Office, Examinations Office and Student Advisory and Career Services have closed their offices for the public. Consultation sessions will exclusively be held by phone or e-mail.
Do lecturers hold consultation meetings?
Until further notice, consultation sessions for students are only held by phone, web conference tools or by e-mail.
2.4 Information on studies abroad
What do KU students who are currently on a study stay or internship abroad have to consider?
All students are asked to take note of and adhere to the public announcements at their guest university or host institution and the instructions and recommendations issued by the Robert Koch Institute (www.rki.de/covid-19). If you have any further questions, please contact the KU International Office: outgoing(at)ku.de
The force majeure regulation shall apply for students who are currently in a program funded by Erasmus+: If students currently stay in affected regions in the context of a program that is supported by Erasmus+, incurring costs and costs that have already been incurred in connection with changes in the travel plans of affected persons are fully refundable due to “force majeure”. Affected regions are regions that have been declared risk areas or affected regions by the national authorities. Please contact the International Office for additional information re. further actions.
For students who are currently in programs funded by PROMOS: Students who receive PROMOS funding and are currently staying in the countries China, South Korea, Iran or Italy and who consider an early departure to be necessary due to an increased sense of personal insecurity shall be given the possibility to leave the respective country. If this applies to you, please contact the International Office.
KU students returning to Eichstätt/Ingolstadt from risk areas are asked not to come to the KU during the incubation period of 14 days after their return. This time will not be counted as unauthorized absence. You are asked to complete study workload and obligations from home to the extent possible.
Please inform yourself regularly on the KU website or the websites of the International Office regarding current developments and news in connection with your stay during the 2020 summer semester.
What are the consequences for students who cannot complete a required stay abroad (e.g. in double degree programs)?
Please contact the KU International Office (outgoing(at)ku.de) to discuss your individual case and find a solution.
What do international students who want to study at the KU in the summer semester have to consider?
The preparatory course and orientation weeks (March 24 to April 18, 2020) will not take place due to cancellation of all face-to-face courses and lectures. At this point in time, exchange students who want to travel to the KU from risk areas are requested to cancel their trip to Eichstätt/Ingolstadt. If applicable, please contact the KU International Office: incoming(at)ku.de
The Federal Ministry of the Interior has instructed extensive entry restrictions for Germany. That means, that at the moment persons who are not EU citizens are being refused entry at the German border (only exceptions: EU citizens or persons with a long-term EU residence permit who have to travel through Germany to get to their home country or who have an urgent reason for crossing the border). To be able to prepare the upcoming summer semester and identify which course offers we should make available especially for our international incoming students, we would like to ask incoming students to inform us (incoming@ku.de), if they are still planning to spend the 2020 summer semester at the KU (whether it be remotely or in presence).
If you are a double-degree student and your stay at the KU is a mandatory part of your degree program, please be assured that the KU will do its utmost to offer appropriate alternatives, if the summer semester cannot take place as planned.
Following a resolution taken by the University Management, the International Office has issued a notification for the majority of registered international incoming students for the summer semester recommending that they postpone or cancel their stay abroad at the KU. However, there are still several dozen international students who are dependent on KU credit points awarded for the 2020 summer semester and thus have to enroll for KU modules. This is no problem, as long as these modules are offered digitally. However, should on-campus courses be allowed again at the KU during the course of the summer semester, international students who do not have the possibility to travel to the KU at short notice will have difficulties to complete their assessments. This is why we would like to ask all module coordinators who organize courses in which affected international students are enrolled to find appropriate solutions for those students. The International Office provides support for the KU’s international students and is in constant exchange with them. If applicable, the International Office will contact the respective module coordinators in this respect.
Please make sure you check the KU website or the websites of the International Office regularly in order to be informed of any news or current developments regarding the upcoming summer semester.
3. Information for employees and teaching staff
Which type of business trips is allowed?
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In view of the still existing risk of infection, KU employees are asked to carefully assess which business or research trips or professional development trips are absolutely necessary at this point in time.
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Trips to countries for which the Foreign Office has issued a travel warning that is still in place are not authorized until further notice. Furthermore, colleagues who submit an application for approval of a business trip are asked to check whether they will be quarantined after crossing borders to certain countries. In this case, business trips will not be authorized.
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Before submitting an application for approval of a trip, KU employees are obliged to inform themselves of applicable hygiene provisions in the respective destination countries and for their journey to the destination without being explicitly requested to do so. In addition to submitting the usual application form for approval of a trip, the applicant must also submit a written confirmation that they have informed themselves of all corresponding regulations and provisions and that they are able to adhere to them.
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A hygiene concept of the destination of the trip, where possible, must be attached to such written confirmation.
Are already incurred costs for business trips reimbursed if the trip is canceled?
If you cannot or are not allowed to go on a business trip due to the corona virus, the cancellation fees incurred can be reimbursed out of the same budgets (e.g. your personal budget for the research trip) that were intended for financing the business, training or research trip. If you have any questions, please contact the HR Department.
The force majeure regulation shall apply for employees who are currently in a stay abroad funded by Erasmus+: If persons currently stay in affected regions in the context of a program that is supported by Erasmus+, incurring costs and costs that have already been incurred in connection with changes in the travel plans are fully refundable due to “force majeure”. Affected regions are regions that have been declared risk areas or affected regions by the national authorities. Please contact the KU International Office for additional information re. further actions: welcome(at)ku.de
Can I cancel already approved applications for leave?
In agreement with the Staff Representative Committee, the University Management has decided that any and all applications for leave for periods from and including March 14 onwards that had already been approved may only be canceled in rare exceptional cases. This means that all applications for cancellation of leave that are or have been submitted after March 13, will not be approved if
a) the days for leave were taken out of the leave account from 2018 or 2019 and/or
b) the originally approved period of leave does not exceed five working days.
Exceptions to this rule may be permissible if the work carried out by affected employees is absolutely necessary in view of the current circumstances because they work in fields that are systemically relevant.
The KU has spoken to other universities and learned that also other state universities and higher education institutions will be issuing the same or a similar regulation. At the KU, this regulation applies both for research staff and research support staff. The underlying reason for this decision is that employees shall use their leave days and in particular remaining days of leave from previous years now in order to ensure that the majority of staff will be available on campus when regular administrative operations are resumed. The KU expects an increased workload for the period when regular operations are resumed and will therefore need its employees at work in order to be able to catch up on unfinished tasks.
What to consider if I am expecting foreign guests?
Please assess carefully for each individual case, whether it is also possible that your international guests visits the KU the KU in a following semester.
Persons who have stayed in a region, which is classified as corona risk area by the Robert Koch Institute, during the last 14 days are not allowed to enter the University buildings for 14 days after returning from the risk area in accordance with an order of the Ministry of Science. This shall apply if the visited region had already been classified as risk area during the affected person’s stay there or if it was classified as risk area within 14 days after the person’s return from that region.
If the guests who are now unable to visit the KU are financed by means of the visiting professors’ program, the funding approval shall continue to be effective for the current calendar year. This means that the visit can be postponed to a later date. Please contact the KU International Office if you have any additional questions: welcome(at)ku.de
What to consider if I am returning from a corona risk area?
KU employees who have stayed in a region, which is classified as corona risk area by the Robert Koch Institute, during the last 14 days are not allowed to enter the University buildings for 14 days after returning from the risk area in accordance with an order of the Ministry of Science. This shall apply if the visited region had already been classified as risk area during the affected person’s stay there or if it was classified as risk area within 14 days after the person’s return from that region.
Am I allowed to work from home given the current situation (home office)?
>> Coronavirus: telework option to care for children and to minimize risk of infection
Information for research staff
Professors and research associates are urgently asked to work from home with immediate effect and until further notice (home office). KU premises shall only be used for work in exceptional cases. All KU research staff shall be able to make use of the home office option without having to conclude a special written agreement – in line with the regulations that usually apply.
Staff meetings shall preferably be held electronically. Please consider this as a preventive measure and “emergency exercise” in case the situation deteriorates further. Consultation sessions for students must only take place by phone, web conference tools or by e-mail.
The KU Computer Center provides online conference tools for virtual meetings: https://www.ku.de/rechenzentrum/it-services/a-z/dfnconf/
Please publish up-to-date contact information on how you can be reached by students and colleagues on your chair’s/institute’s website.
Information for research support staff
All employees who can fulfill their tasks from home without major restrictions are asked to work from home (home office) with immediate effect following consultation with their direct superior. This shall not only apply to employees who have children requiring care at home but rather to all employees who do not necessarily have to be present on campus to fulfill the entirety of their official duties.
In cases where employees work from home (telework) with immediate effect, it shall be sufficient if the superior notifies the HR Department of this. Please inform the HR Department by e-mail stating the name of the employees in question to andreas.sandner(at)ku.de.
No further authorization is required for teleworking. The regulations regarding data protection, data security, occupational safety and access rights to the home office workplace as stipulated in the Agreement on Telework shall also apply in this exceptional situation. Please make sure that you exclusively use your work e-mail address to transfer data. Any work-related documents must be destroyed at the workplace. Working time fulfilled at the home office workplace shall be recorded in the ZEUS system by using the function “Buchungskorrektur”. In deviation from the regulations stipulated in the Agreement on Telework, it is also possible to fulfill up to 100 per cent of working time at the home office workplace in this exceptional situation.
The KU HR Department will issue an information leaflet during the course of this week that will contain detailed answers to questions surrounding the issue of telework.
In the course of this week, the KU Computer Center will issue an information leaflet on how to set up your home workplace (home office).
All superiors are asked to approach their employees to assess whether and to what extent the upcoming period can be used to use up accrued overtime. Employees who have accrued overtime should make use of the possibility of reducing accrued overtime hours now in view of the additional workload that is to be expected for the period after the corona pandemic. Employees whose tasks are no longer required temporarily at present due to the limited maintenance of administrative operations are asked to reduce their working time in full or in part. This reduction can be effected by using up accrued overtime, building up negative hours (the working hours account will display a negative value), by taking vacation or – if this is desired – applying for special leave without continued payment of the salary. Employees will be given the possibility to compensate for accrued negative hours over an extensive period of time afterwards. The regulations on required attendance at the workplace as stipulated in Section 3.5 of the Agreement on Flexible Working Hours (Dienstvereinbarung zur Gleitenden Arbeitszeit) shall be suspended until further notice.
All employees who have children requiring care are asked to refer to the information provided in the e-mail dated March 13, 2020. In addition, the University Management notifies all employees who have children requiring care due to the fact that schools, kindergartens and childcare facilities are closed of their possibility to take up to ten working days’ leave from work with a complete waiver of having to fulfill missed working time retroactively if they find no other solution to ensure care for their children and if they cannot work from home.
Digital teaching
To date, the teaching practice is mainly based on face-to-face formats. We are well aware that current changes that now largely require lecturers to convert on-campus courses to virtual formats at short notice pose a tremendous challenge to all teaching staff. This applies in particular to all subjects in the humanities, as these usually place a strong focus on discourse and the teaching practice in these disciplines is strongly dependent on direct exchange between students and lecturers. We hope that we can also find good solutions for these disciplines together by offering our students a combination of self-directed learning and digital formats.
The current situation also causes tremendous challenges for disciplines that have a high practical component in their curricula. This includes, for example, musical and artistic subjects, teaching physical education, but also field trips and field internships in geography or media productions in the journalism programs. In this context, we will ensure that all practical courses that require students’ attendance can be held later during the summer semester.
The University Management, KU administration and its central facilities such as the Computer Center and University Library will provide every help and technical support they can to ensure that you are able to offer your courses and lectures to students digitally.
We have established a task force that deals with digital teaching which is led by KU Vice President for Studies and Teaching Prof. Eham. The task force is in close collaboration with the respectively designated contact persons at all faculties. Please also visit the website at
www.ku.de/digitale-lehre
to access comprehensive information and offers that we have compiled for you with the support from our colleagues. In particular, I would like to draw your attention to the link leading to a PDF guideline that gives an overview of possibilities and ways for offering courses via digital formats and provides information on technical and structural requirements.
Consultation hours for KU lecturers: digital teaching
Topics covered in these consultation hours range from video production for online courses over social reading of online texts to discussions in online seminars – all tools and methods used in virtual teaching. Every Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., Anja Schorr, Wolfgang Link and Thomas Sporer offer online sessions on media and technical questions regarding online teaching and promote exchange of good practice. These online sessions are held on Zoom with the meeting ID:
Please go to the forum on the KU’s continuing education platform to register and send us your questions in advance:
Information on video conferencing tools
Currently, almost all coordination and discussions within the University are either held by phone or online. Over the past few days, the KU Computer Center has made intensive efforts to provide a reliable video conferencing system for all KU members. One of the offers was tested successfully for several days. Conference calls were very stable. As of today, the KU has acquired a campus license for the professional web conference system “Zoom”.
From now on, all employees and students can create a user account with “Zoom” and use the tool as their personal virtual ‘meeting room’. It is also possible to invite participants who do not hold a “Zoom” license. As this system also allows for larger numbers of participants, it is also suitable for seminars and courses. KU lecturers will receive more detailed information on the tool soon and the newly established task force “Digital Teaching” will be providing support and guidance shortly.
“Zoom” is known as a cloud conference service that has a particular focus on data protection. For Europe, the tool uses servers that are located in Frankfurt and Amsterdam. Still, we recommend not to share any sensitive information via this tool until we have completely reviewed all data protection aspects. If applicable, you must also obtain participants’ consent before recording. All users should be aware of the fact that general information on the meetings (starting time, organizer, duration, number of participants, etc. – but no content-related information) will be visible for Zoom administrators at the KU Computer Center. This is necessary for support purposes and future decisions regarding licensing.
How to set up your “Zoom” account:
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Please register at kuei.zoom.us using your personalized KU e-mail address <first name>.<last name>@ku.de, e.g. Max.Mustermann(at)ku.de (not zuvXYZ(at)ku.de or similar). You will receive an e-mail with a confirmation link.
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Please click on the link in order to complete your Zoom registration. Currently, every user has to create their own password. In the future, it is envisaged to provide a direct login option with the KU login data.
Specific instructions tailored to KU users are provided by the KU Computer Center at:
www.ku.de/rechenzentrum/mitinfos/hinweise-zur-it-nutzung-im-home-office/
The Department of Communication and Marketing also provides a video tutorial on the KU Youtube channel shortly:
www.youtube.com/unieichstaett
Further instructions and tutorials are also available at:
https://support.zoom.us/hc/de
Please note that you can also continue to use the platform “DFNconf” that is provided by the German research network:
www.conf.dfn.de/dfnconf-und-covid-19/
You might have to resort to other times of the day, when the offer is more stable. More information on the web conferencing tools is available at
www.ku.de/rechenzentrum/it-services/lehre-und-lernen/webkonferenzen/
Furthermore, you have the possibility to offer online courses and lectures via the KU’s learning platform ILIAS by uploading documents or audio files for the students.
What do I do if I am quarantined by the Health Office?
If employees are quarantined by order of the Health Office in Germany in accordance with Section 30 of the “Gesetz zur Verhütung und Bekämpfung von Infektionskrankheiten beim Menschen“ (Law on prevention and control of infectious diseases in humans, lfSG) and cannot come to work for this reason, they are asked to proceed as follows:
Public servants are released from work in accordance with Section 10 para. 1 sentence 2 “Bayerische Urlaubs- und Mutterschutzverordnung“ (Bavarian regulation on periods of leave and maternity protection, UrlMV) with a complete waiver of having to fulfill missed working time retroactively. The same shall apply for employees.
If you need to be released from work because you are quarantined, please contact your responsible officer at the HR Department by e-mail. You have the possibility to talk to your direct superior in order to discuss the possibility to carry out your work from home (home office, tele work). In this case as well, please contact your responsible officer at the HR Department for processing of the request.
What regulations apply if kindergartens and schools are closed?
Employees who have to stay at home to care for their children because they are no longer allowed to attend childcare facilities or schools due to a possible infection with the coronavirus are released from work for up to ten working days (one-time allowance for all children and per year) in accordance with Section 10 para. 1 sentence 2 of the “Bayerische Urlaubs- und Mutterschutzverordnung“ (Bavarian regulation on periods of leave and maternity protection, UrlMV) with a complete waiver of having to fulfill missed working time retroactively, if childcare cannot be guaranteed otherwise.
Insofar as tele work from home is possible in addition to caring for your children, as agreed with your direct superior and the responsible officer at the HR Department, you must make use of this possibility.
Meanwhile, parents have the possibility again to organize childcare via the association Mobile Familie e.V. In this context, it is possible to have up to five children of KU employees looked after in a fixed group at jointly agreed times – depending on the needs of employees and provided that staff capacities at Mobile Familie e.V. are sufficient. If you think this might be relevant for you, please contact the Center for Marriage and Family in Society to have your situation assessed: corona-kinderbetreuung(at)ku.de
How should I act in case of illness?
Students, employees and guests of the University, who show typical symptoms of the disease (high temperature, cough, difficulty breathing and shortness of breath) and who have visited or stayed in a risk area in the last 14 days or had contact with persons who were diagnosed with the coronavirus, are asked to call in sick immediately, stay at home and contact the on-call service of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (Kassenärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst) or their GP. GP practices have precise instructions on how to deal with suspected cases of corona infections. They also ensure that the obligation to notify the German Health Office in accordance with the Infektionsschutzgesetz (German Protection against Infection Act) is fulfilled.
Irrespective of the type of virus, please ensure that you do not have close contact to other persons if you show symptoms of a cold. Please stay at home until your symptoms are fully cured and contact the on-call service of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (Kassenärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst) or your GP by phone. Sick employees do not help themselves or others by showing up at work when ill.
What happens if I am diagnosed with the coronavirus?
Contagious pathogens such as measles, polio, hepatitis B, influenza or the coronavirus are subject to the reporting obligation towards authorities in accordance with the Infektionsschutzgesetz (German Protection against Infection Act). If you are diagnosed with the coronavirus, your doctor is obliged to notify the responsible Health Office immediately. He or she also needs to report the patient’s personal data. The Health Office has extensive authority when it comes to introducing measures for fighting the disease – also regarding operational processes at the patient’s workplace. Doctors also have to report suspected cases of infection to the authorities.
If a KU employee or student is diagnosed with the coronavirus, he or she must stay away from the University. Employees must inform their superiors immediately by phone or e-mail. In addition, they also have to inform the HR Department without undue delay (krankmeldung(at)ku.de). In the interest of general safety, employees who have been diagnosed with the coronavirus are urgently requested to indicate this form of illness when reporting their illness to the HR Department. The HR Department is obliged to maintain secrecy.
Any further measures (closing buildings, quarantine measures, determination of contact persons) will be imposed by the respectively responsible office at the statutory Health Office depending on the current situation.
4. General information
How can I minimize the risk of infection?
The KU strongly recommends that all students and employees resolve all issues that do not necessarily require personal contact by phone or e-mail to the extent possible. This will reduce personal contact to a minimum.
All University members are asked to take a responsible approach to the current situation and, in particular, adhere to the following hand hygiene measures:
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Keep distance to other people (1 to 2 meters) and avoid contact to people who are obviously ill.
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Avoid shaking hands.
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Ensure that you wash your hands regularly (at least 30 seconds, use soap).
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Adhere to the coughing and sneezing etiquette (sneeze into the bend of your elbow).
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Avoid contact to persons who suffer from respiratory diseases.
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Avoid large groups of people.
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Wash your hands properly before preparing and eating meals.
Why are there no disinfectants in the toilets?
Normally, water and soap are sufficient to protect us from flu viruses, corona viruses and other germs. For this reason, it is recommended that you wash your hands thoroughly using soap.
Disinfectants are only useful in everyday life if you are in places with poor hygiene, e.g. if no water or soap is available or if you are traveling in countries with poor hygiene. By contrast, disinfectants are absolutely necessary in medical facilities or for the treatment of patients or chronically ill.
Are the textile towel dispensers used on campus hygienically clean?
The textile towel dispensers on campus are hygienic: The towel rolls are hygienically cleaned and the dispenser also provides a fresh towel section for each use.
Is there a risk of infection when touching surfaces or objects?
In case of corona viruses, which can cause respiratory diseases, transmission takes place primarily via secretions of the respiratory tract (e.g. saliva). If these infectious secretions reach the hands, which then touch the face, for example, it is possible that transmission also takes place in this way. Therefore, washing your hands thoroughly is an important prevention measure.
According to the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, transmission via inanimate surfaces has not yet been documented. However, transmission via surfaces that have been contaminated with viruses shortly before, e.g. door handles, is possible (so-called smear infections). Due to relatively low stability of corona viruses in the environment, this is only likely to occur in a short period of time after contamination.
An infection with corona viruses via surfaces that are not within the direct vicinity of a symptomatic patient, such as imported goods, mail or books, is therefore unlikely.
Who can I turn to if I have any further questions?
If you have any employment law questions that are not answered in this document, please contact your responsible officer at the HR Department.
If you have any questions regarding examination matters, please contact your responsible officer at the KU Examinations Office.
If you have any questions on health prevention and hygienic measures, please contact the KU Health Management: gesundheit(at)ku.de
Other useful telephone numbers (medical emergency service, Health Office...)
Health Office (Gesundheitsamt) Ingolstadt: 0841/ 3051461
Health Office (Gesundheitsamt) Eichstätt: 08421/ 70 - 0
Coronavirus hotline: 09131 6808-5101
On-call service of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (Kassenärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst): 116 117
Hotline of the German Federal Ministry of Health: 0800 / 011 77 22
Where can I find additional information?
Traveling: The Robert Koch Institute keeps a current list of corona risk areas: https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Risikogebiete.html
The Robert Koch Institute also answers frequently asked questions in connection with the coronavirus: https://www.rki.de/SharedDocs/FAQ/NCOV2019/FAQ_Liste.html
Information provided by the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts