International
Information for International Students
We would like to inform everyone who is studying and working at TH OWL about the current status of the corona virus on this page. We have established a Corona-Action-Team, which coordinates the prevention measures at TH OWL and is in regular contact with the health authorities. You will be informed about current decisions of the team here.
General information
For up-to-date information on Corona vaccination, visit the "Together against Corona" pages of the Federal Ministry of Health.
The obligation to wear a mask on the premises (outdoors) of TH OWL is lifted with immediate effect and for as long as incidence level 1 applies both in the districts of Höxter or Lippe and in the state. The distance of 1.5 meters must still be maintained. If this distance cannot be maintained, the mask must be put back on. This applies particularly to queues and queuing areas.
Important: Masks are still mandatory inside the buildings.
In the case of work group meetings and other meetings that must necessarily take place in the presence of persons, masks are not mandatory in well-ventilated rooms, provided that traceability is ensured and the minimum distance is maintained. The decision on this lies with the person responsible for the event.
Which masks are allowed?
On the TH OWL campuses, the wearing of medical masks is still mandatory in the indoor area. Everyday masks are no longer sufficient in this context. FFP-2 masks may be used on a voluntary basis if exposure is appropriate. Information on the use of FFP-2 masks can be found under infection control measures (internal link).
Due to the Corona Pandemic, the TH OWL is obliged to collect the contact details of all persons present at the university - students, employees and guests. In the event of an infection, these data are to be passed on to the health authorities on request in order to ensure effective traceability of infections.
TH OWL collects the data using its own tracing system. Participation in the data collection is compulsory for employees and guests as of September 28, and for students as of October 5.
When entering the buildings and premises of the TH OWL, please note that you are obliged to log in and out correctly using the posted QR codes or manually via the homepage www.th-owl.de/corona/tracing.
Before using presence tracking, it must be set up for the respective terminal (computer, tablet, smartphone). The complete documentation, i.e. commissioning and subsequent operation of the tracing system, can be found in the following documentation:
Hygiene
The TH OWL has reduced the attendance at the university to a limited presence. There are dispensers for disinfectant in all sanitary rooms for the local staff. TH members can find notices with the most important hygiene rules here and on the doors of the sanitary rooms. In addition, the use of masks is mandatory.
You can find further information on the pages of the Robert Koch Institute and the Federal Center for Health Education.
Obligation to notify in case of infection or suspicion of infection
According to the Infection Protection Act, the coronavirus is a notifiable disease. The treating physician must submit a report to the responsible health authority. The public health department can prohibit the practice of certain professional activities if infection or illness is suspected. In this case, the employees of TH OWL are entitled to continued payment of wages. Continued salary payments are paid by the employer during the first six weeks.
Preventive measures COVID-19 at the TH OWL
The TH OWL is in limited attendance operation from November 2. Digital formats have priority over presence. The security measures of the TH OWL are designed to keep the risk of infection as low as possible in case of a presence at the TH OWL. All regulations can be found in this information sheet.
Free rapid tests can currently be carried out at various locations in the districts of Lippe and Höxter or at your place of residence:
Free rapid tests in the district of Lippe
Free rapid tests in the district of Höxter
Tests are still carried out in medical facilities if certain risk criteria are met. In the districts of Lippe and Höxter, patients who suspect infection or show symptoms can contact either their family doctor or, outside of office hours, 116117. In addition, the Lippe Health Authority has set up an information hotline at +49 5231 62 1100.
If you suspect that you are infected with the coronavirus, please do not visit the medical facilities unannounced!
Please contact the central telephone number+49 5261 702 2133immediately and inform your supervisor or course lecturer about your absence from the university. Please do not re-enter the campus until you have a negative test result and inform the university about the test result by calling the central phone number+49 5261 702 2133. If possible, please continue working in your home office during the waiting period.
Please report your illness immediately by calling the central telephone number+49 5261 702 2133 and inform your supervisor or the person responsible for your course about your absence from the university. After your report, the TH OWL will also contact the local public health department to coordinate further steps. At the request of the authorities, for example, possible chains of infection are checked with the help of corona tracing and possible contact persons are contacted.
If you are not able to work, please report your illness to the Department of Personnel and Organization in writing at krankmeldung(at)th-owl.de or by phone at +49 5261 702 5701.
In general, nothing changes here compared to another illness. As with all illnesses, including coronavirus, you are entitled to continued payment of your salary.
Please also report your quarantine immediately by calling the central telephone number+49 5261 702 2133 and inform your supervisor or the person responsible for your course about your absence from the university. If possible, you will continue working in your home office during the quarantine period. If it is not possible to work in your home office and you are not unfit for work, please also contact the Department of Personnel and Organization.
In this case there is an entitlement to continued payment of wages in accordance with § 56 Section 2 of the Infection Protection Act, the employer is reimbursed for the wage costs. For the first six weeks, reimbursement is granted in the amount of the loss of income. From the beginning of the seventh week, the reimbursement in the amount of the sick pay according to § 47 Section 1 of Book 5 of the Social Security Code is granted, provided that the loss of income does not exceed the annual income limit applicable for the statutory health insurance obligation. Anyone who has the necessary work equipment at hand, such as teleworkers who have concluded a corresponding agreement with the university, must continue the work as far as possible.
Attending university should always be avoided if you have symptoms of possibly infectious diseases. During the current pandemic phase, this applies in particular to relevant symptoms of the respiratory system. In connection with fever, you are not allowed to enter the campus until you are symptom-free for 24 hours. Please inform your supervisor(s) or your course lecturers of your absence from the university.
A medical clarification of the symptoms is recommended in any case. For this purpose, please contact your family doctor directly by telephone. If the suspicion of a corona infection is substantiated, please contact us immediately via the central telephone number+49 5261 702 2133.
No. Please call the central telephone number+49 5261 702 2133immediately and inform your supervisor or the person responsible for your course about your absence. Do not enter the campus and work in the home office until further information is available from the public health department. Please keep the university informed by calling the central telephone number+49 5261 702 2133.
No. Please call the central telephone number+49 5261 702 2133immediately and inform your supervisor or the person responsible for your course about your absence. Do not enter the campus and work in the home office until a negative test result has been received from the contact person or until further information is available from the public health department. Please keep the university informed via the central telephone number+49 5261 702 2133.
If the contact person has also been in contact with a confirmed infected person, please stay away from the university and work in the home office. In this case, please call the central telephone number+49 5261 702 2133immediately and inform your supervisor or the person responsible for your course about your absence.
If no contact to an infected person is known, you can enter the campus. Please observe the hygiene and distance regulations that apply to all students and avoid contact with other members of the university as much as possible. Should the contact person subsequently become suspected of having a corona infection, please contact us immediately at the central telephone number+49 5261 702 2133.
We are currently in a special situation. Due to the coronavirus, our social contacts and the possibility to go to work are limited. If you are researching, studying, teaching or working at the TH OWL and you notice that the situation is overburdening you or that you need mental support, do not hesitate to contact the following addresses
- Psychosocial initial counselling for employees
Phone: +49 5231 975 823
Mobile: +49 160 3812387
Email: gerlinde.dingerkus(at)hfm-detmold.de
- Student advisory service
- Protestant Advisory Center of the Lippische Landeskirche
- Family, marriage, children and youth counselling of the district of Lippe
- Diakonie (Social Welfare Work) Paderborn-Höxter e.V.
Excursions are possible in compliance with hygiene rules and regulations on gatherings in the public space of the respective district at the place of departure and destination.
Information on business trips can be found in the internal section of the portal.
The S(kim) is also in times of home office the central contact for IT, media procurement and library services. Despite the limited operation of the libraries and service points, the staff can still be reached by phone (+49 5261 702 2222) and e-mail (support(at)th-owl.de). The news page also provides current information and advice on technical support.
As of now, employees and students of the TH OWL can use the service "Videoconferencing and Collaboration Software" as a university service provided by S(kim). With "Cisco Webex", all members of the university have access to a solution for online communication that is sustainable in terms of data protection and information security.
A short introduction and the functionality of the service can be found in the corresponding S(kim) News.
FAQ – Enrolled students
Teaching and practical courses: Courses should be possible in presence, if this is didactically or due to the room equipment sensible. Lectures however, should continue to be carried out digitally as far as possible. The decision lies with the course orginaizer. Group sizes remain limited. Switching between digital and presence for one and the same course is to be avoided.
Student workspaces: Student workspaces on campus may be used according to the organization and under the responsibility of the department. Departments will review to what extent student work groups can be made possible on campus.
The library is currently closed to the public. Students can request required literature at support(at)th-owl.de. You will then receive feedback from there regarding pickup and return. As soon as there are possibilities to make the library accessible for individuals again, we will inform you.
At the OWL University of Applied Sciences, there is a testing requirement during the examination period. This applies as long as incidence level 1 has been determined in the districts of Höxter and Lippe as well as in the state of NRW.
All information about the test offer and the test stations can be found in this information sheet.
Instructions on how to perform the antigen rapid test are listed in this quick guide.
The following documents must be brought to the test appointment:
- ID card
- Student ID
- pre-filled certificate (English version)
You can book a test appointment via eCampus Ilias:
Students of TH OWL can still register for an initial vaccination at the vaccination campaign until July 4.
We can still offer the following date options:
- 5.7. in Detmold (BioNTech/Pfizer)
- 8.7. in Bielefeld (BioNTech/Pfizer)
The places for the vaccinations are limited. We will assign the dates after receiving your registration.
Registration for a vaccination appointment
The vaccination is voluntary. Those wishing to be vaccinated can find information on vaccines at the following links.
mRNA vaccines
Vector Vaccines
Testing is compulsory for all courses and examinations that are carried out in person at one of the TH OWL locations. Persons who can present a certificate of full vaccination or recovery are exempt from the obligation to provide proof of a test.
At in presence courses, self-tests are offered under the supervision of the event supervisor. Untested students are not allowed to attend the course.
Students who have not been tested may take part in exams. These will be carried out separately from the exams of tested students.
Participation in lectures, exams and learning events is only possible by presenting proof of negative COVID-19 through tested-recovered-vaccinated. This must meet one of the following criteria (see Mags NRW):
- Tested: you can get a so-called citizen test in the public test centers (district of Lippe, district of Höxter). The test result must not be older than 48 hours.
- Recovered: proof of a positive test result that was at least 28 days and a maximum of six months ago.
- Vaccinated: Proof of a full vaccination against COVID-19 completed at least 14 days ago with a vaccine approved in the European Union (vaccination card).
Test stations at the university locations of the TH OWL during the examination period
We ask you to bring proof of T-R-V with you to the attendance test in order to enable admission quickly (see above).
For students who would like to participate in an exam without a T-R-V certificate, self-tests are offered at test stations at the TH OWL locations with a confirmed prior scheduled appointment. This will provide a test certificate exclusively for university internal purposes. The operating times of the test stations will be determined after the in presence exams have been requested and confirmed, and then the process of making appointments will be communicated.
Your student ID card shows the "standard period of study".The state of North Rhine-Westphalia has extended the "individual standard period of study" in relation to the pandemic, which means that students who were enrolled in the summer semester 2020 and the winter semester 2020/21 have an increased individual standard period of study by 2 semesters.
Students who were enrolled in only one of the two semesters have an increased standard period of study by 1 semester. If you need a certificate of the individual standard period of study for your employer, your health insurance company or the Studierendenwerk, please send your request by e-mail to immatrikulationsamt(at)th-owl.de.
The upcoming PZ 2 examination period has been extended. The aim of the extension is to reduce the time required for the examinations. With a few exceptions, exams will also be taken digitally during this examination period. In addition to the already existing offers, the TH OWL offers the possibility of online exams with supervision. The supervision is carried out by TH OWL staff via video conference. Exam takers are asked to seek information from the department and their teaching assistants.
Further information on the design of teaching and examination in times of the Corona pandemic can be found in the corresponding promulgation sheet (Corona Statutes TH OWL) of March 10, 2021.
No, a refund of the semester fee for the current summer semester 2020 is not possible, as the amount is made up of running costs.
Thank you very much for your understanding.
The S(kim) Service-Point team will support you in all questions regarding our library and IT services and the provision of literature at all three locations. You can reach the telephone support at extension 2222 and the team is also available 24 hours a day via the "S(kim) Service-Point (Online)" or via e-mail at support(at)th-owl.de. In addition to the significantly expanded stock of eMedia, which can be retrieved directly from the MIKA catalog, this also applies to physical media, which are provided at the locations contactless or by mail. Interlibrary loan is again possible for books and journal articles. Journal articles are made available to users as digital copies.
Please note that access to eMedia (eBooks, eJournals, databases) is only possible from the university network. To access these services, you have to install and configure the OpenVPN Client. The software and instructions provide you with the S(kim) via the documentation.
The libraries are still open in restricted service mode from 9.00 to 13.00 (Monday to Friday). During this time, media can be borrowed and scanners can be used. A longer stay in the premises is not permitted. The sending of media is still possible: please contact support(at)th-owl.de
It is still not possible to open the student work areas without supervision. The reason for this is also the legal obligation to trace infection chains. Your teachers will check in which form student workspaces can be made available under supervision. Please contact your dean's office directly.
Up-to-date information on the opening hours and services of the libraries can be found in the news section of S(kim).
Basically, students who are unable to complete their specialized internship/practical semester due to the current situation, or who may only be able to complete it at a later date, should not suffer any study-related disadvantages as a result. As a rule, the examination offices will grant pragmatic solutions, such as an extension of the deadline for the proof of studies, etc. Please check the homepage of your department or contact your local examination office!
Placement tests at the ZA Fremdsprachen do not take place; information about catch-up dates will be published on the language-learning center's website in due course. The start of the language courses has also been postponed. If you have any questions, please contact the ZA Fremdsprachen by phone or e-mail.
You will find a wide range of online language courses on Ilias/eCampus.
The OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts provides its students with a comprehensive digital offer ranging from online documents, digital forums and self-tests to virtual lectures. The eLearning team and the learning centers actively support teachers and students in creating and using the online offerings.
The online offerings of the OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts are constantly being developed and expanded in order to offer the widest possible range of our courses to a large number of students in high quality.
If, due to the current situation with the corona virus, you find yourself in a financial emergency and you are no longer able to meet your living expenses, you can get help unbureaucratically through the emergency fund of the OWL e.V. Information about the emergency fund, the funding guidelines and details on the application process can be found here: www.hg-owl-ev.de/notfonds
If you would like to support the emergency fund for students with a donation, look here: www.hg-owl-ev.de/spendenaufruf
We are currently in a special situation. The corona virus limits our social contacts and the opportunity to go to work. If you do research, study, teach or work at the TH OWL and you realize that you are overwhelmed by the situation or need mental support, do not hesitate to contact the following addresses:
Initial psychosocial counseling for employees
Telephone: +495231 975 823
Mobile: +49 160 3812387
Email: gerlinde.dingerkus(at)hfm-detmold.de
