The state association of North Rhine-Westphalia in the German University Association (DHV) has asked the state government and those responsible in the universities to vigorously push ahead with the preparations for a possible opening of the universities for the coming winter semester.
"Of course we don't know how the pandemic will develop," said chairman and Cologne legal scientist Christian von Coelln.
Heike Schmoll
Political correspondent in Berlin, responsible for “Bildungswelten”.
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Anyone who wants to open the universities shouldn't wait now and then refrain from opening them, pointing out that the requirements are missing.
"No student rents an apartment at the place of study by chance if the universities do not clearly prepare for presence and give appropriate signals," said the regional association.
Smaller teaching events by far
The DHV sees the key to further opening steps in targeted vaccination offers for university teachers and students. Immunization can be accelerated with the help of mobile vaccination vehicles and the establishment of vaccination roads on campus. At the same time, the state should financially allow the installation of ventilation devices in lecture halls and seminar buildings as well as daily free testing options in the universities, as well as checks of vaccination cards. With a high vaccination rate and ongoing testing, the previously prescribed distance requirements at universities could soon become superfluous. Wherever possible, the students should also be divided into smaller groups.
For this purpose, lecture times should also be set in the early morning and evening hours, and laboratory and library opening times should be reorganized. The university professors no longer wanted to put off the students, “who have often not even seen their alma mater from the inside. Unfortunately, your interests have not played a major role in the fight against the Covid 19 pandemic so far, ”added von Coelln. However, higher education requires personal encounters, which in the long run cannot be replaced by virtual meetings.
The Rectors' Conference also appealed to students and employees at universities to take advantage of the vaccination offers at their home or study locations, "so that we can turn the universities back into places of learning and discussion where scientific discourse and social encounters go hand in hand".
The universities are currently preparing for different scenarios, which are largely based on the 3G rule - vaccinated, tested, recovered.
Exercises and seminars could be carried out with a mask and in compliance with the distance and ventilation rules in presence, larger lectures more digitally.
Hybrid formats should be offered if this is didactically sensible, technically possible and affordable.