Welcome to Hochschule Geisenheim University!
Dear Students,
The summer semester is about to start and I hope you have had some time to relax during the semester break. Though the pandemic is still a part of our daily lives, there is hope that the worst is over. But as we are hoping that life will begin to return to normal, recent events in Eastern Europe have left us shocked. Though most of us are not immediately affected by the war in Ukraine, we are appalled by the atrocities committed in the country and horrified by the suffering inflicted upon the Ukrainian people. Our thoughts are with all those who fear for their family members and friends and with staff members and students at our local partner universities.
In terms of university operations, the upcoming summer semester will see a general return to campus with classes scheduled in presence. Like other Hessian universities, we are taking further steps to return to normal university life and have therefore decided to hold the upcoming semester in person.
General planning for the summer semester 2022
All classes are scheduled in presence; larger courses will also be offered in a hybrid format. Common hygiene regulations remain in place and must still be observed. Of course, our planning is subject to the pandemic situation and state regulations and might be adjusted if necessary. But with the start of spring we feel confident that we will be able to return to traditional university operations in the summer semester. A vibrant campus life is an essential part of your studies because there’s more to university education than pure studying – a campus should not just be a place of teaching and studying, but also a place of social encounter and exchange.
More information
If you have any questions, please contact your teachers, the head of your degree program, the Examination Committees or the Study Organization & Examinations Office. In addition, we also offer the following support services:
- Student Information Center in the Müller-Thurgau-Haus
- General Study Advice Service
- Psychological Counselling
- HGU’s corona website with corona FAQs
- AStA Student Representation
With your support we have started to redesign our website to make it more intuitive but we still have some work ahead of us. The aim is to provide tailored information based on the Student Life Cycle. You can look forward to the ideas that are currently being developed by a group of students and HGU staff members.
The pandemic has taken a toll on all of us and we have had to do without many things we have come to love. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you very much for your perseverance and your commitment.
Have a great start and a successful summer semester.
Best regards
Prof. Dr. Alexander von Birgelen
Vice-President of Academic & Student Affairs
Dealing with Suspected and Confirmed Corona Infections, Entry/Return from High-Risk Areas
A summary of all entry and travel restrictions can be found here: www.zusammengegencorona.de/informieren/alltag-und-reisen/reisen/
The website provides information on:
- obligation to undergo COVID testing when entering the country
- designation of risk areas/high-risk areas
- digital registration on entry
- exemptions for vaccinated travellers
Before arrival, please read the latest information on the current classification of the area from which you enter. The latest classification is available on the webpage of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI)
Please note that your vaccination certificate will only be accepted if you have been fully vaccinated with a vaccine approved in the EU. The officially approved vaccines are listed on the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI) website.
It is expected that no trips to countries outside Germany will be undertaken if the Federal Government has classified the country as a high-risk area and it is not urgently necessary.
If you have questions, please contact International(at)hs-gm.de.
Information about federal regulations on mandatory Corona tests for people entering the country::
https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/service/gesetze-und-verordnungen/guv-19-lp/coronaeinreisev.html
Federal government information for travelers and commuters:
https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/coronavirus/faq-reisen-1735032
The current German Foreign Office travel warnings:
https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/reise-und-sicherheitshinweise
Important information provided by the Robert Koch Institute and recommended action for people entering Germany:
https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Transport/BMG_Merkblatt_Reisende_Tab.html
Information on the designation of international risk areas by the Federal Foreign Office, BMG and BMI
https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Risikogebiete_neu.html
Study and Teaching
Rules and regulations for the summer semester 2022:
- Seating plans no longer ensure a distance of at least 1.5m to the seat neighbor
- Hygiene regulations of the RKI must be followed (sneeze etiquette, hand hygiene)
- Rooms without automatic ventilation systems have to be aired several times a day or after each group of students for at least 10 minutes.
- Wearing a mask (surgical or FFP2 mask) is still mandatory in all buildings and courses, also in sensory lab courses. Masks can be removed for the tasting if a minimum distance of 1.5 m can be kept or if seats are separated with partition walls.
- Teachers can remove the mask while teaching if a minimum distance of 1.5 m can be kept.
- Individuals who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 are not allowed to enter university premises. Legal provisions on the duration of quarantine apply.
- Irrespective of the official quarantine period after a Covid-19 infection (currently 5 days), access to the university after an infection is only permitted with an official negative test result. Staff members have to present the negative test result to Occupational Safety (Dr. Rose, Ms. Schmidt-Weis) and Human Resources. Students are asked to contact the Admissions Office to present their test results.
Feel free to contact us for any questions and problems concerning your studies, and we will try our best to help you. Please note that consultations on campus take place in exceptional cases only and in strict compliance with hygiene regulations (Hygiene Guidelines for Meetings in MTH). In addition, we are happy to provide advice online or on the phone. Please make an appointment with your contact person.
Hochschule Geisenheim University
- Study Advice: https://www.hs-geisenheim.de/studium/studierende/service-und-unterstuetzungsangebote/allgemeine-studienberatung/
- Study Organization: https://www.hs-geisenheim.de/studium/studierende/pruefungsangelegenheiten-und-studienorganisation/
- Other Contact Persons: https://www.hs-geisenheim.de/persoenliche-beratung/
- Digital Learning - Any Place Any Time! https://www.hs-geisenheim.de/studium/studierende/elearning/
- Psychological Support: https://www.hs-geisenheim.de/studium/studierende/service-und-unterstuetzungsangebote/psychologische-beratungsstelle/
AStA
- Accomodation: AStA apartment exchange https://www.facebook.com/groups/992437727457169/
- Meeting fellow students / becoming a mentee: https://www.hs-geisenheim.de/studium/studierende/studierendenvertretung/asta/
General Support
- Studentenwerk Frankfurt provides advice and support on study financing, as well as welfare advice and psychological counselling: https://www.studentenwerkfrankfurt.de/beratung-service/beratungszentrum
- Telephone Counselling: 0800-111 0 111, 0800-111 0 222 or www.telefonseelsorge.de – also via chat or e-mail.
- Domestic violence helpline: get free and anonymous support by calling: 08000-116 016 or go to www.hilfetelefon.de – also via chat or e-mail.
Events such as lab exercises, excursions, etc., in which attendance is a mandatory prerequisite for achieving the learning objectives, e.g. due to the use of equipment on site, can be carried out in accordance with the hygiene concepts.
For excursions, the usual approval procedure must still be followed (your lecturer will inform you).
If necessary, the examination boards can determine alternative forms for corresponding study components.
For detailed information about your exam dates, please go to the website of the Examinations Office: https://www.hs-geisenheim.de/en/studies/students/examination-administration/ -> Specific information about your degree program -> select your program.
Please note that, due to external developments, there may be changes in our planning so please check the website of the Study Organization & Examinations Office regularly as it provides the most up-to-date information relevant for all students during the exam period.
Regarding examinations in the summer semester 2022, the same hygiene regulations apply as for courses (see https://www.hs-geisenheim.de/index.php?id=2386). According to the “Message from the President regarding the Corona Virus (LIX), wearing a mask is still mandatory in all HGU buildings for the time being but the so-called 3G rule has been lifted.
Important information on final examination attempts – free attempt regulation has expired:
As of the summer semester 2022, the “Regulation to address the impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in higher education” no longer applies, i.e. there are no more COVID-related free examination attempts.
If you do not pass an exam at the final attempt in this first examination period of the summer semester 2022, your attempt will be counted and entered as “failed” (grade 5.0) in QIS.
Absence from an exam due to illness:
As of the summer semester 2022, the pre-COVID regulations for withdrawing from an exam due to illness re-enter into force. For further information, please go to:
https://www.hs-geisenheim.de/en/studies/students/examination-administration/ -> General Information -> Examinations (registrations, notification in case of illness, attempted cheating)
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact your degree program administrator.
Schedule
Written and oral examinations:
Examination period 1 summer semester 2022 (re-sit exams winter semester 2021/22):
- Wednesday, April 20, 2022 – Friday, June 3, 2022
Examination period 2 summer semester 2022 (main examination period):
- Friday, July 15, 2022 – Friday, July 29, 2022
Colloquium – Thesis Defense:
- July 25. – 28, 2022
Graduation Ceremony:
- Friday, July 29, 2022
Oral Examinations / Video Conferences
- In general, oral examinations are possible if hygiene concepts are adhered to.
- The Examination Committee may approve special forms of examinations in the summer semester 2022, for example video conferences. In case of video conferences, it must be ensured, among other things, that all participants agree to this form of examination, that the identity of the examinees can be established by means of an identification card, that they alone in the room and that no aids other than those permissible are used.
- If examiners or students belong to a risk group or cannot be present due other significant reasons, there is the possibility (if approved by the relevant Examination Committee) to conduct the oral examination as a video conference. It must be ensured that all parties involved agree to this form of examination, that the video conference is managed by the examiner(s) and conducted using a secure service, that the identity of the examinee can be established by video image and showing an official identification document, that he/she is alone in the room and no unauthorized aids are used, and that an examination protocol is drawn up in the usual manner. The explanation of the examination evaluation to the examinee is given orally during the video conference. If the candidate fails, he/she confirms orally that the evaluation has been explained to him/her. In the event that the examination has to be cancelled for technical reasons, the examination is considered not taken. This is determined by the examiner or the Head of the Examination Committee. If this procedure is not wanted, the examination may have to be postponed to a later date.
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The Internship and Vocational Semester (BPS) Advisors are happy to help you with any questions regarding BPS.
Please contact them if you need assistance or your BPS must be postponed or split. We know that companies can only offer internships or vocational semesters under difficult circumstances. Please stay in touch with us to find individual solutions.
- Dipl.-Ing. Martin Bahmann – Horticulture
- Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Binzel – Beverage Technology/ Viticulture and Enology
- Dipl.-Ing. Wilma Mattmüller-Schultz – International Wine Business (German Program)
- Manuela Ortner, M.A. – International Wine Business (English Program)
- Julia Brunck, M.Sc. – Food Chain Management/Logistics and Management of Fresh Products
- Landscape Architecture students may contact a lecturer of their choice.
- Stays abroad are generally possible. The current pandemic can lead to short-term changes however, and it is therefore strongly recommended that, before beginning a stay abroad, you should inform yourself about the entry and residence conditions of the respective host country as well as the requirements and general conditions of the host institution.
- Staff members should also inform themselves about the university's guidelines on business trips.
- Furthermore, we recommend that you regularly check the websites of the Foreign Office and the host institution for information.
- Students who are required to complete mandatory stays abroad should contact the respective examination committee.
- Postponing the stay is possible in most cases. Whether an approved scholarship has to be repaid in case of early termination or non-appearance has to be checked in each individual case or depends on the requirements of the respective scholarship provider.
- If you have successfully applied for an exchange place, you can use the online services of the host university. In many cases, it is also possible to combine classroom and online teaching and can be financially supported.
- If you have any questions, the International Office team will be happy to help you.
For an overview of our opening hours and current access regulations please go to the library's website: https://www.hs-geisenheim.de/en/university/central-services/library/
Hygiene and Protection Measures
In buildings and also on campus, it is important to ensure that people have as little direct contact with each other as possible or that their contact is reduced to a minimum. Contact in rooms of the university, during breaks or other activities is to be kept to a minimum. Physical contact, such as shaking hands is to be avoided.
Wearing a mouth and nose covering is recommended in publicly accessible areas. However, wearing a mask is not required in areas which cannot be accessed by the public, e.g. office spaces, if a minimum distance of 1.5 m to other people can be respected. The recommendation also applies to visitors, so please pass on this information.
Teaching staff may remove the mask while teaching.
It is recommended, if possible, to take off the mask after 3 hours (75 minutes in case of FFP2 masks), ideally for a period of at least 30 minutes.
In order to protect against infection, interiors should be supplied with as much fresh air as possible. This is one of the most effective methods of removing potentially viral aerosols from indoor spaces.
Fresh air ventilation
The simplest form of ventilation is window ventilation. Impact ventilation, where windows are opened fully, must take place before or at the beginning of the event and then at regular intervals. A ventilation period of 3 to 10 minutes is recommended. Even more effective (if possible) is cross-ventilation via opposite windows.
The time interval for ventilation depends on the size of the room, the number of people, activities (normal speaking or e.g. choir singing) and the available window area. The SARS-CoV-2 occupational safety rule of the BMAS recommends ventilation after 60 minutes for offices and after 20 minutes for meeting rooms.
Contact
Please contact Occupational Safety and Healthcare Management immediately if you have tested positive for COVID-19
If a member of your household or a close contact has tested positive, please call or send an email to Corona(at)hs-gm.de to discuss the next steps. Please do not access the campus before the issue has been discussed.
Corona(at)hs-gm.de / +49 6722 502 285
(Occupational Safety & Healthcare Management))
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