What to expect in winter semester 2021/22

The HWR Berlin would like to provide as much personal interaction between teachers and students during the coming winter semester 2021/22 as is possible. We are currently working on the assumption that 30 per cent of teaching will be provided in-person at the start of the coming winter semester. Depending on the development of the vaccination campaign and the general level of infections, the amount of on-site teaching and examination should increase during the course of the semester.

Restrictions will remain in place

The HWR Berlin is working on the assumption that a certain level of restrictions will need to remain in place during the coming winter semester 2021/22 and that we will not be able to return fully to normality:

• Current social distancing and hygiene rules will be retained.
• Participants in in-person teaching will be required to submit proof of a complete vaccination, a negative test result valid for that day or having contracted and recovered fully from COVID-19.

How is the pandemic set to develop?

At present it remains unclear how the infection rates will develop and the nature of the legal provisions in force in the autumn of 2021. This means that the HWR Berlin has made an early start to planning the coming winter semester, in order to ensure the safety of all its members in making the transition to in-person teaching.

What can we expect at the start of the semester?

The HWR Berlin does not expect that all students and staff will have been vaccinated by the start of the semester.

1. All departments are set to extend the level of in-person teaching provided in winter semester 2021/22; we are currently planning to provide 30 per cent of all classes on-site.
2. Students will be able to meet on the premises of the HWR Berlin and use group rooms and libraries. Group rooms will be subject to capacity restrictions and social distancing and the wearing of masks will be enforced.
3. Priority in the attendance of in-person teaching will be accorded to those students who began their studies during the pandemic and have attended little or no in-person teaching.
4. In-person teaching can only be provided if all the students and teaching staff involved are able to submit proof of a COVID-19 vaccination, the status of having contracted and then recovered from COVID-19 or a negative COVID-19 test result. Persons who are unable to provide one of these three proofs will not be admitted to in-person teaching.
5. Students and staff will be obliged to carry these proofs with them at all times, or will not be granted access to classrooms, examination rooms or the library facilities.
6. Where in-person teaching is offered, there will be no obligation to provide an alternative online offer. Teaching can be provided in the form of blended learning, with a mixture of both in-person and online provision.
7. The final examinations for winter semester 2021/22 will be performed in-person as far as is permitted by the legal framework in force at that point.

What can we expect in the coming autumn and winter?

The HWR Berlin is confident that all students and members of the teaching staff will have been vaccinated during the course of autumn or winter 2021 and that the university will be able to return to normality.

1. The HWR Berlin will return to in-person teaching on a step-by-step basis.
2. There will be no legal restrictions on the amount of on-campus teaching and examinations permitted.
3. However, online teaching and examinations can be retained for a transitional period.

This could also be of interest:

• FAQ: Information about the COVID-19 pandemic