Science Minister Bernd Sibler (CSU) wants to maintain classroom teaching at Bavaria’s universities despite the tense Corona situation. For him, the focus of this winter semester is on “the presence offers and the ability to study for all students at the Bavarian universities, combined with the best possible health protection,” said his ministry on Saturday. “The high vaccination rate of our students supports the extensive use of the face-to-face offer.”
The Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) had previously announced that it would only allow convalescent or vaccinated students into the lecture hall. “Students with a non-2-G status cannot take part in face-to-face events, but can follow the content online,” announced the university on its website. The regulation should apply from Monday – with a transition period until November 22nd. The CSU-affiliated Ring of Christian Democratic Students (RCDS) in Bavaria criticized the university’s plans. “Every student in Bavaria must have access to education and teaching,” said RCDS state chairman Filip Balzert. “In our experience, digital teaching is still not mature enough in many places to be able to integrate individual students in a meaningful hybrid way.”
However, with its decision the FAU has apparently only exploited the currently applicable framework of regulations. The introduction of the 2-G rule on the basis of the current 14th Bavarian Infection Protection Measures Ordinance is “basically possible,” said the Ministry of Science. The prerequisite for this is that “a continuous digital range of courses” is available for unvaccinated students and that events such as laboratory work or internships, where attendance is a prerequisite, continue to be carried out under 3G conditions – that is, with an admission of vaccinated, convalescent and negative Tested.
According to the Bavarian University Conference on Saturday, “there is currently no concrete plan to transfer the 2-G concept to other universities,” as managing director Alexander Fehr said.