Student Card and Semester Ticket

How to get your Student Card

How do I get my Student Card?

At enrollment, students of Hochschule Geisenheim University receive a Student Card data sheet. Your photo, which will be printed on your card, should be attached to the data sheet. Unfortunately we cannot issue you with a Student Card without a photo.

The data sheet also contains your Declaration of Consent to the Data Protection Information and the Conditions of Carriage of the Transport Companies. We therefore ask you to glue a suitable photo to the data sheet and to hand in the signed sheet at the Admissions Office (Studienbüro) or send it to the Admissions Office by post.

What is a “suitable photo”?

  • Please provide a high-contrast color photo of your face in a standard passport-photo format
  • Please remember that RMV ticket inspectors, for example, must be able to easily recognize your face.
  • The photo must perfectly fill the rectangular frame (35x45 mm).
  • Do not use scanned photos with a resolution of less than 1200 dpi.
  • Please use glue sticks only to affix the photo! No staples, liquid glue or photo mounting corners, please.
  • Write your name and Student ID Number on the back of the photo in case it becomes unstuck.

When and how will I receive my Student Card?

Once your data sheet has been received by the Admissions Office, your Student Card will be ordered from Frankfurt University which produces the cards for us. This means that after we have received your data sheet it will be about 10 – 15 working days before you can pick up your Student Card at the Admissions Office.

Please note that we do not send Student Cards by post and they cannot be issued to personal representatives or authorized third-party proxies. The Student Card can only be issued in person to the student concerned. Please bring your national identity card or passport with you.

Further Information on the Student Card

Validating the Student Card

What does “validate” mean?

Once you have received your Student Card you should validate it at one of our two validation devices (also known in German as Validierer from the Latin term ‘validus’ = “effective, active”)in order to activate it. You’ll find the validation devices in the campus building. When the card is validated, information on the period of validity and an optional public transport ticket (SemesterTicket/JobTicket) are printed onto the card’s lower, white thermo-rewrite strip.

Tips on validation

  • Always remove any card-holder or cover before inserting the card into the validation device. Please make sure that the card is not warped or dirty. The lower white strip must not be scratched, soiled or greasy.
  • If the white strip becomes so scratched or soiled that the printed information is no longer legible, you can apply for a new card at the Admissions Office. You should always bring the old card with you, because otherwise we will be unable to replace your card free of charge.
  • Please never write on the card yourself and do not stick anything onto the card. Never try to correct illegible data on the thermo-rewrite strip using a pen. Any manipulation of the card can lead to prosecution for falsification of documents by the RMV and the Federal Police (Bundespolizei).

When does the Student Card have to be validated?

The stamp on the Student Card must be renewed each semester in order to extend the validity period of the Student Card and SemesterTicket. Even if you do not wish to use the RMV-AStA-SemesterTicket function and you apply to the Admissions Office for exemption from part of the semester fee, you will still have to validate your Student Card so that the validity date of the current semester can be printed on the card.

SemesterTicket

The Student Card includes the SemesterTicket, which is your travel pass within the RMV and RNN regional transport networks, the cross-network zones and for the Ingelheim-Oestrich-Winkel and Bingen-Rüdesheimer ferries. All forms of RMV transport can be used (with the exception of IC, EC, IR and ICE trains). To travel beyond the regional netIn addition, the SemesterTicket entitles students to any number of trips on the two Rhine ferries, either on foot, by bicycle, moped, motorcycle or car up to a maximum permissible weight of 3.0 tonnes, including the student/driver and any passengers. For all other vehicles transported, the corresponding tariffs of the ferry companies apply. These are then to be paid directly by the student. The right to travel is not transferable.ork areas you can purchase special onward travel tickets (Anschlussfahrkarten) valid from the border stops.

In addition, the SemesterTicket entitles students to any number of trips on the two Rhine ferries, either on foot, by bicycle, moped, motorcycle and car up to a maximum permissible total weight of 3.0 tonnes including student. For all other vehicles carried, the corresponding tariffs of the ferry companies apply. These are then to be paid directly by the student. The right to travel is not transferable.

Please note: The conditions of carriage and fare regulations of the regional transport networks apply.

In order to use the SemesterTicket you must first pay your semester fee via bank transfer. You will then need to renew your electronic Student Card with the SemesterTicket for the coming semester at one of the validation devices. The lower strip on your electronic Student Card is for the SemesterTicket stamp. This is printed onto the card when it is validated and updated at each re-registration. Please note that the transfer of semester fee payments can take up to 5 days, depending on the bank.

The Student Card does not carry a digital SemesterTicket, but simply a printed stamp authorizing the holder to travel on RMV and RNN services. For this reason, it is not possible for RMV or RNN to monitor your journeys.

No time gap occurs when you renew your Student Card for the next semester, which means you can travel continuously.

You can extend the validity of your Student Card as soon as you have successfully re-registered.

The SemesterTicket stamp is printed on the thermo-rewrite strip on your Student Card. This strip is sensitive to friction and sweat and must be handled with care so that subsequent stamps remain legible. Careful handling also protects the embedded antenna and microchip. We recommend a hard plastic holder. You should avoid using flexible plastic card-holders, as their chemical components often damage the sensitive surface of the card.

Refund of the SemesterTicket fee

Applications for reimbursement of the semester ticket must be submitted to the Admissions Office, in full, by the relevant deadline: April 15 or October 15. A card which has already been validated must be re-validated once the application for reimbursement has been approved by the Admissions Office, so that the semester ticket can be removed. Please also note the relevant deadline: April 20 or October 20. The semester ticket can be reimbursed when the Admissions Office has been informed about the new validation.

 Summary of the Process:

  • Submit your application (including the necessary documentation) by April 15/October 15 to the Admissions Office.
  • Wait for the info e-mail and then re-validate your card by April 20/October 20at the latest.
  • Inform the Admissions Office either by e-mail or in person about the re-validation.
  • Wait for the reimbursement to be credited to your account

If you have any questions, the Admissions Office will be happy to help.

Data protection information for the Student Card

The Student Card of Hochschule Geisenheim University serves as a student photo ID, SemesterTicket, library card and electronic wallet. The validation and updating procedures are fully automated. Production of the cards and operation of the validation devices is handled on behalf of Hochschule Geisenheim University by the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main. This involves the processing of your personal data. The necessary data is transferred to the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, where it is automatically processed. The data originates from the student administration system of Hochschule Geisenheim University. In addition, a valid photo is required for the production and use of the card. This photo is separately scanned in automatically via a data sheet and then digitally stored.

The legal basis for the processing of your personal data is provided by the ‘Regulation on the Enrollment Process and the Processing of Personal Data at the Universities and Institutes of Higher Education of the State of Hessen’ (Verordnung über das Verfahren der Immatrikulation und die Verarbeitung personenbezogener Daten an den Hochschulen des Landes Hessen

[Hessische Immatrikulationsverordnung]) dated 24 February 2010 (Statutory and Regulatory Gazette [GVBl. I 2010, p. 94 ff.]), the ‘Statutes of Hochschule Geisenheim University on the Use of Student ID cards as Smartcards’ (Satzung der Hochschule Geisenheim zum Studienausweis als Chipkarte), and the ‘General House Rules and User Regulations’ (Haus- und Benutzerordnung) of the Hochschule Geisenheim University Library.

Which data is stored?

By the Student Administration Department (Admissions Officeand Examination Administration)

Surname, first name, date of birth, degree course or courses with the corresponding study modules, student ID number, dates of enrollment and ex-matriculation, periods of leave of absence from study, fee exemptions, types of examination, examination entrance requirements, and the date and results of examinations may be automatically processed and stored for 60 years.

On the Student Card

The following data is stored in the memory of the contactless microchip: library account number, student ID number, electronic wallet, status of card holder (student), period of validity of the card, unique card serial number, issuing body and technical processor data.

For the production and validation of the card (Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main)

The Goethe University Frankfurt am Main receives, stores and processes the following data for the production of the Student Card: surname, first name, photo, student ID number, library number and student status.

When is the data deleted?

In the Student Administration Department (Admissions Officeand Examination Administration)

All personal data not specified in § 17 of Hessen’s Student Enrollment Regulation (Hessische Immatrikulationsverordnung) will be deleted within one year after ex-matriculation; the data specified in Section 1 will be deleted after 60 years.

On the Student Card

After ex-matriculation the card loses its validity and can be made illegible and destroyed by the holder.

For the production and validation of the Student Card (Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main)

If a card is lost or faulty, the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main has to be able to produce a replacement card and for this reason the necessary production data is stored in the production system at Frankfurt University and will be deleted within one year after ex-matriculation.

Will your data be passed on to third parties?

By the Student Administration Department (Admissions Officeand Examination Administration)

According to § 18 – 22 of Hessen’s Student Enrollment Regulation (Hessische Immatrikulationsverordnung), personal data may be passed on to the student body (Studentenschaft), the student services (Studentenwerk), the library, the relevant government ministry as well as the responsible health insurance providers (Krankenkassen). Personal data may be transmitted to other authorities if it is necessary for the legitimate fulfillment of the tasks of the authority concerned.

For the production and validation of the Student Card (Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main)

The Goethe University Frankfurt am Main receives, stores and processes the following data for the production of the Student Card: surname, first name, photo, student ID number, library number and student status.

Your Declaration of Consent

Student Administration Department (Admissions Officeand Examination Administration)

According to § 2 (Application for Enrollment) of Hessen’s Student Enrollment Regulation (Hessische Immatrikulationsverordnung), students and applicants of Hochschule Geisenheim University are required to provide the University with their personal data. Without this data they cannot be enrolled.

Student Card

The Student Card serves as a student ID, library card and SemesterTicket. Without your consent to the processing of your data as specified, we cannot issue you with a student ID card or SemesterTicket.

The security of data stored on the smartcard

The Mifare smartcard is one of the so-called “intelligent memory cards”.

The card and card reader communicate via a wireless link (13.56 MHz), which means that there are no visible contacts on the surface of the card. The antenna, which is necessary for wireless communication, is embedded around the edge of the card. Data and operating power are transmitted to the contactless Mifare chip through the antenna. The card’s construction allows for a maximum distance of 10 cm between card and reader antenna. This means that you can leave your smartcard in your wallet and simply place wallet and smartcard on the card reader at the checkout in order to deduct money from your card’s electronic wallet.

To avoid damaging the sensitive antenna coil in particular, the card should not be subjected to undue mechanical stress (bent or deformed).

The card has an installed capacity of one KB and a usable storage capacity of 768 bytes. The Mifare chip has a highly prestructured architecture consisting of 16 separate and independently usable sectors of equal fixed size. Access authorizations are separately assignable on a per-sector basis. Each sector is assigned a read key and a read/write key. This makes it possible to use the smartcard for multiple applications: each service can only access its ‘own’ sector: e.g. the canteen cannot access the library’s data.

The electronic wallet function uses anonymous payment, i.e. the checkout terminals only have access to the wallet and the card’s serial number, but not to the identity data (e.g. name, student ID or employee number) of the cardholder. This means however that if the card is lost, the wallet cannot be locked: the wallet function of a lost card can be used by third parties without restriction, i.e. the money that has been loaded onto a lost card can be “spent”.

If your card is lost or stolen

You should immediately report the loss of your Student Card to the Admissions Office.

The card will then be deactivated. Please be aware that we cannot lock the electronic wallet function. Credit that has been loaded onto your card is like cash and cannot be refunded.

If you lose your smartcard there is a 15 euros fee for a replacement card. To apply for a replacement card, please send the following form together with the remittance slip for the replacement fee to the Admissions Office:

Application for a replacement card

 

If your card is faulty

The SemesterTicket and validity period are printed on the card’s rewriteable thermo strip. This strip is sensitive to friction and sweat and must be handled with care so that subsequent printing remains legible.

To avoid misunderstandings with the ticket inspectors, please ensure that the strip remains clearly legible.

Should the printing on the strip become illegible, please apply to the Admissions Office for a new Student Card. This is free of charge if you hand in your old card.

We recommend that you keep your card in a hard plastic holder. You should avoid using flexible plastic card-holders, as their chemical components often damage the sensitive surface of the card.

If you are charged the penalty fare by a ticket collector this will (unless completely dropped) always be reduced to €7 if you prove (by presenting your valid Student Card) within one week to the transport company to whom you paid or owe the penalty fare, that you were in possession of a valid Student Card and SemesterTicket at the time. RMV Common Conditions of Carriage, Section 8 (Penalty Fares) paragraphs 1 and 5.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Should the card’s integrated Mifare chip fail or any other card fault occur, the card must be submitted to the Admissions Office for clarification.

Faulty or non-functioning cards will be replaced free of charge, unless this is due to careless damage on the part of the student, in which case a replacement fee will be charged. The cards are produced and personalized by the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University Frankfurt am Main and then sent to the Admissions Office of Hochschule Geisenheim University where they can be collected. It takes between 10 and 15 working days to produce and send the cards. The SemesterTicket included can only be used together with a valid photo ID.  Please bring your national identity card or passport with you when you collect your Student Card. The cards can only be issued to the recipient in person upon surrender of the paper SemesterTicket.

The original image data will be used for the updating and personalization of the Student Card.

Storage and handling recommendations

To ensure the proper functioning of the card please observe the following recommendations on storage and handling:

  • the card should be stored flat.
  • the card should not be bent or folded.

e.g. it should not be kept unprotected in a back pocket and it is generally not advisable to keep the card in a wallet in a back pocket.

  • we strongly advise you to keep the card in a protective cover.
  • as the smart card is outside a controlled environment when in use, it must be assumed that any malfunction is due to inappropriate handling of the card. In this case the issue of a replacement card will be charged to the student. The fee for a replacement card is 35 Euros.
  • the card should not be exposed to high temperatures (e.g. left in the sun or washed in a washing machine).
  • the smartcard should not be scratched or otherwise damaged (misused as an ice scraper, perforated, damaged by a wallet’s stud fastener, etc.)
  • the SemesterTicket stamp must be valid and clearly legible. The stamp can be renewed at one of the validation devices.