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 mask obligation, in addition to the minimum distance of 1.5 meters to be maintained, also applies to all work-related conferences, working group meetings and basically when two or more people come together. As a general rule, all meetings should be conducted primarily in digital form. Therefore, please check very carefully whether a meeting in presence is absolutely necessary.
In addition to the already existing regulations concerning the obligation to wear masks in public areas of all buildings of the TH OWL (corridors, elevators, sanitary facilities, etc.), from now on mouth and nose cover must be worn when entering the university premises. The obligation is thus extended to the areas in front of the entrances to the TH OWL as well as the parking lots. Therefore, please put on the mask when entering the university premises or when leaving the car. Contacts must be kept to a necessary minimum and distance must be maintained.
The city of Lemgo has also extended the obligation to wear an everyday mask to the area around the Lemgo-Lüttfeld train station and the campus parking garage. The extended mask obligation applies from Monday to Friday from 7.00 am to 5.00 pm in the area of Lüttfeld from Braker Weg to Johannes-Schuchen-Strasse.
Since November 2, 2020, in addition to the existing hygiene and protection rules, a mandatory wearing of masks has applied to all in-class teaching events without exception. Students and lecturers are obliged to wear the masks during the event as well. Should it be necessary to remove the mask for longer speeches, the minimum distance must be four meters.
According to § 3 Section 7 of the Corona Protection Ordinance, persons who do not observe an obligation to wear the everyday mask are to be excluded from the use of the offers, facilities and services concerned by the responsible persons.
Which masks are allowed?
In this context, both medical and everyday masks are permitted as long as the distance regulations are observed. Provided that the minimum distance of 1.5 meters is mandatory, simple medical masks are to be worn. 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
The TH OWL asks employees and students to avoid excursions abroad. Cancellations should be made in consultation with the dean.
Returnees
The TH OWL follows the recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute. Employees and students returning from a region that is classified as a risk area by the RKI should please stay at home for two weeks and do not enter the university. In this case, employees should inform their superiors and the Department of Personnel and Organization about their absence.
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
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.
Courses, including internships and mock courses in attendance, are to take place exclusively digitally.
Examinations in attendance and final papers: With regard to examinations in attendance and measures preparing for them in attendance, it is still stipulated that these are only permissible if they cannot be postponed at a later date for legal or factual reasons or if a postponement is considered unacceptable for the examinees. Examinations already registered and approved must be checked for these reasons and the persons responsible for the examinations must notify the Office of Judicial Affairs at justiziariat(at)th-owl.de, which can issue an exemption for them. This also applies to final theses which require special premises, equipment or other special framework conditions, for example laboratories, workrooms, sound studios and, in the artistic field, correpetition, practicing, individual artistic instruction and work in ateliers and studios.
Student work spaces, seminar rooms and lecture halls will remain closed. The entire university is not available as a learning space for individuals or for student groups.
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.
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
