Green vignette RUB ensures that the new semester gets off to an easy start
The University has come up with a pragmatic solution to check the so-called 3G status of people attending seminars and lectures. Anyone who has been vaccinated or has recovered can now get a green vignette.
After one and a half years of social distancing, Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) is now making a dash for the finish line – this being our reinstated freedom. As a large university with 42,600 students, RUB is opting for a pragmatic and voluntary solution for the mandatory 3G status check. All RUB students who are fully vaccinated or have proof of recovery that is valid until 31 March 2022 will be issued with a green vignette for their student ID.
For access control to courses, this counts as proof of 2G status (vaccination, recovery from Covid-19) for the duration of the winter semester, which makes the entire process much simpler. Anyone who can’t or doesn’t want to prove their 2G status must present a valid negative result of a so-called Bürgertest (“citizens’ test”). A self-test doesn’t count.
According to the Corona Protection Ordinance of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, universities must check 3G status for in-class courses. “As one of the largest universities in Germany with a campus that can be freely accessed from every direction, we are facing an enormous challenge,” says Chancellor Dr. Christina Reinhardt.
“This task is both logistically complex and tricky in political terms, and RUB is committed to responsibility, trust and pragmatism to manage it. The ultimate goal is, of course, to ensure that our teaching staff can conduct the required 3G checks without any problems. Moreover, we want the good team spirit we have enjoyed so far to continue after one and a half years of the pandemic.”
This is how it works
Individuals with 2G proof (Covid-19 vaccination or recovery) retain this status for a lengthy period of time. In order to enable these students to take their exams without delay, RUB distributes relevant vignettes via the dean’s offices at the faculties. The faculties have different regulations as to whether lecturers supply the vignettes during a first session of the respective course, or whether the dean’s offices provide such a service in advance. In addition, students can pick up their vignettes at a counter in Nordforum, starting on Wednesday, 29 September.
Vignettes are stickers that are stuck to student IDs after a student’s 2G status has been verified. Students can attach the vignette themselves under supervision. An unused vignette must not be given to a third party. Once the vignette has been attached, students only need to present their student ID in their courses in order to attend them. All other students (tested students and students with 2G status but without a vignette) must undergo the check at each session.
RUB expects that the vast majority of students will have 2G status and will voluntarily opt for the vignette, leaving only a small number of students to be repeatedly checked. This means that lecturers will only have to conduct a limited number of checks in their courses. The checks will basically focus on plausibility. Lecturers won’t be required to conduct in-depth verifications of test results, vaccination or recovery certificates, in the same way as in restaurants, theatres and other places where the 3G rule is in force.