Teaching in the summer semester continues online, for the winter semester many classes are planned in presence.

Winter semester 2021/21
See you back on campus

Applications for the winter semester have started, and RUB is planning a return to in-person teaching.

In the current summer semester 2021, most courses at RUB take place online. Yet, the plans for the winter semester 2021/22 are taking on more concrete form. The goal is to provide a more or less normal semester with many in-person classes.

“Many of our first-year and second-year students haven’t set foot on campus as yet, which is why we are now planning many in-person classes for them,” says Professor Kornelia Freitag, Vice Rector for Academic and International Affairs.

While planning the winter semester, RUB also takes students into consideration who will be starting their studies in October. The aim is to provide as many introductory and basic courses as possible on campus.

Application

The application deadline for all degree programmes with restricted admission has been extended until 31 July 2021. Information on enrolment in all other degree programmes is available from the Registrar’s Office. Lectures begin on 11 October 2021.

The insights gained into online teaching in the previous semesters also inform the planning process. Large courses that primarily serve to transfer information will continue to be offered online and in formats that can be flexibly accessed. This will help to avoid overlaps with in-person courses. “The students’ feedback on online teaching varies, but they consistently emphasise that lecture recordings, podcasts and other asynchronous formats provide more flexibility, for example for students with care commitments or working part-time,” points out Freitag.

Learning rooms

Learning rooms on campus will re-open steb by step. At the moments one can use rooms in the cafeteria of the building student-service-center, in the main libary and in the departmental libaries.

For students to return to campus, it is also necessary that as many of them as possible have been fully vaccinated by October. “In this regard, we agree with the German Rectors’ Conference, which expects the states and the federal government to support the universities in a vaccination campaign for students,” explains RUB Chancellor Dr. Christina Reinhardt.

Return to a normal semester

The crisis team will continue to monitor all developments. In the event of a setback, back-up plans are being prepared for a quick transition to more online courses. However, the decline in incidences and the increase in vaccination rates allow for a hopeful look ahead to the autumn: “Together, and taking all precautionary measures, we want to return to teaching and university exchange on campus, making full use of the newly opened digital possibilities,” says Freitag.