Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
dear colleagues,
dear students,

Following consultation on the current Corona situation, the Presidential Board has decided to annul the obligation to wear a medical mask and the general decree of 10 January 2022 in this regard with effect from 2 February 2023.

The “Framework concept for winter semester 2022/2023” (PDF, German) otherwise continues to apply, as does the “Binding hygiene rules of the University of Oldenburg” (PDF, German) and the “Guidelines for teaching and examinations” (PDF, German) for the current semester.

Since medical masks and especially FFP2 masks can effectively reduce the risk of corona infection, we continue to recommend wearing these masks. In this way, let us be considerate of vulnerable people in particular, in the spirit of good cooperation on our campus. As far as possible, the university will continue to provide FFP2 masks to both employees and students. Until further notice, self-tests will continue to be issued to employees on a regular basis - based on the guidelines for provision provided by the state.

We wish you a successful end to the semester.

Yours sincerely

Prof. Dr Ralph Bruder
President

Jörg Stahlmann
Vice President for Administration and Finance 

Dear colleagues,
dear students, 

With winter semester about to begin, we hope you enjoyed the summer months and found some time to relax. We intend for the coming semester to be as normal and abundant in face-to-face interactions as possible. That is our top priority. However, in the coming months, we will all be called upon once again to do our part to allow learning, teaching, researching and working on campus to proceed as smoothly as possible. 

In addition to the coronavirus pandemic, which we must continue to monitor as it develops, the energy crisis will pose a major challenge to our university. While it is true that universities now belong to the group of “protected customers” as defined by the Energy Industry Act, which we appreciate very much, we still need to save energy effectively and develop various scenarios to safeguard university operations. This issue has been on our minds for many months. 

Below, we have compiled important information and tips for dealing with both the energy crisis and the pandemic on campus.
 

Hygiene concept, mask mandate, voluntary self-tests to allow in-person attendance

Our goal is to allow maximum levels of in-person attendance on campus during the winter months while implementing special protective measures in response to pandemic developments. As current infection rates demonstrate, protective measures remain important, especially as numbers are expected to rise during the winter. In order to protect all of us at the university to the greatest extent possible, and in light of current federal and state legal requirements, we have decided to continue to adhere to our framework concept of “Responsible In-Person Attendance”as well as our hygiene concept (both documents in German, translation to follow soon). By doing so, we hope to continue to prevent chains of infection and protect vulnerable individuals. 

Thus, a general medical mask mandate will again apply inside all university rooms and buildings. 

Since FFP2 masks can effectively reduce the risk of infection with the coronavirus, we persist in recommending that you wear them. The university will provide FFP2 masks to both employees and students within the means at its disposal. 

We would also like to reiterate our recommendation that you test yourself regularly. In accordance with state requirements, we will continue to provide employees with self-tests on a regular basis. All students will receive a one-time allotment of self-tests, to be used on a voluntary basis, at the beginning of winter semester. Additional protective measures will be put in place for practical sports and music courses as well as exams which preclude the use of masks. If necessary, up to two coronavirus self-tests per week may be issued to students participating in such courses or exams. Information on the distribution of masks and tests can be found here. 

Employees working in offices which accommodate multiple workstations may minimize exposure by continuing to work remotely. The following principle applies:

Provided that there are no work-related concerns to the contrary, employees who want to avoid sharing an office should generally be approved for mobile work or telework in accordance with the applicable provisions. Conversely, no employee can be compelled to participate in mobile work against his or her will. 

Please note that there are additional or adapted regulations for specific work areas, which you can find in the above-mentioned concepts as well as on the university’s central coronavirus website. If your questions are not answered there, please contact us at .
 

Saving energy together

Growing concerns about energy security and rising energy costs compelled us to establish a crisis team back in May. Its tasks include monitoring critical and sensitive infrastructure at the university – such as laboratories, mainframes or databases – and taking precautions to protect it in the event of a supply shortfall. 

Maintaining in-person teaching operations with as few restrictions as possible remains our top priority during the upcoming winter semester, even if the situation deteriorates. Therefore, in contrast to some other universities, we are not currently planning to extend Christmas break or to increase the use of online teaching. Our library will also remain fully accessible to you, dear students, as a place of learning. You can find an assessment of the overall situation in an interview with Vice President Jörg Stahlmann (text in German, translation to follow soon). 

The university benefits from many energy-saving measures that have been implemented in recent years. These include numerous photovoltaic systems on the university’s roofs – in this regard, we hold the lead in Lower Saxony. In addition, there are many immediate measures, such as reducing the water temperature in the university’s swimming pool by two degrees or optimizing the energy efficiency of large heating, ventilation and cooling systems. As is the case for other public institutions, the room temperature in offices and classrooms will be capped at 19 degrees in the coming months. 

See here an overview of energy-saving measures of the university. In addition, we would like to announce an online informational event focusing on the university’s approach to the energy crisis on 11 October, 3:00 to 4:00 pm. You will receive an invitation containing further details shortly. 

How well we get through this winter on campus depends in no small part on how we as individuals manage to conserve energy in the workplace, in lecture halls and classrooms. Each and every one of us can make a significant contribution. How this can be done in everyday life at the university is shown here. Please act in the spirit of solidarity and join us!

We will keep you updated in the coming weeks and months. Therefore, please keep an eye out for news you will receive via e-mail or Stud.IP. Also, check back regularly on the new informational website dedicated to the university’s handling of the energy crisis. 

These continue to be difficult times. All the more reason to wish you all the best for the coming months. We hope you have a good start into the new semester and will be successful in your work and studies!

Kind regards, 

Prof. Dr. Ralph Bruder
President

Jörg Stahlmann
Vice President for Administration and Finance 

Prof. Dr. Karsten Speck
Vizepräsident für Instruction and International Affairs 

Prof. Dr. Christiane Thiel
Vice President for Research and Transfer

Prof. Dr. Annett Thiele
Vice President for Early Career Researchers, Equal Opportunities and Diversity

Dear Sir or Madam,
dear colleagues,
dear students,

Summer semester’s lectures and courses are drawing to a close. Today, we would like to briefly take stock, but also give you a first outlook on winter semester. Of course, our focus is now once again on the pandemic and its likely effects on studying and working conditions. But we, as a university, have also been concerned about questions of future energy supply for some time. Therefore, we would like to share some thoughts on this issue as well.

Reflecting back on summer semester
A summer semester proceeding as “normally” as possible, allowing for lots of physical presence on campus while accommodating the pandemic situation with special protective measures: that was the goal we started with in April, and we have achieved it together. Our “Framework concept for responsible in-person attendance” was effective to the point that we were able to discontinue some protective measures in mid-June (e.g. the “3G rule” and the FFP2 mask mandate in lectures, courses and exams). Neither teaching operations nor any other areas of the university were compromised by serious chains of infection. The option to work remotely also contributed to this.

At the same time, not quite everything returned to “normal”, and the last few months have once again brought some pandemic-related challenges and difficulties: work processes not running as smoothly as usual, increased sick leave impacting the remaining staff or protective measures being perceived as a hindrance, as more restrictions were being eased outside the university. These are just a few examples of what we all have had and continue to deal with on a daily basis.

We thank you very much for your dedication to our university. You have all personally contributed to making this semester turn out so well. We are very aware that it has often been a feat of sheer strength.

Looking ahead to winter semester
The pandemic situation will continue to be with us, significantly shaping life at the university. During winter semester, having as much physical presence as possible in all areas of the university will once again be a top priority for us as the Presidential Board. At the same time, we will keep a close eye on infection rates in order to be able to react quickly whenever necessary or possible. Previous experience with our protective concepts provides a very good foundation.

Therefore, we are planning winter semester 2022/23 as a regular in-person semester, featuring full in-person attendance, full occupancy of rooms and facilities, and as complete a range of teaching and leisure activities as possible. During fall and winter, we would like to provide you with an academic life rich in opportunities for personal contact. For this reason, we would like to make the following request of our students and instructors:

Plan accordingly, and please be prepared for a winter semester on site and in person.
The "Framework concept for responsible in-person attendance", the hygiene concept contained in the "Binding hygiene rules of the University of Oldenburg" as well as the "Handout on teaching and examinations" continue to form the foundation of hygiene protection at the university. Please be sure to regularly check the university’s central coronavirus web pages as well. If your questions are not yet answered there, please submit them to .

Energy Supply
We are all united in our concern for energy security. Our goal as the Presidential Board is to prepare the university as best we can for a scenario in which the supply of gas is indeed reduced. To this end, we regularly consult with representatives of the state, the State University Conference as well as other universities.

In May, we also established an internal crisis team. Its tasks include taking a closer look at critical and sensitive infrastructures at the university – such as laboratories, mainframes or databases – and taking precautions to ensure that they are not damaged in the event of a supply shortfall. Discussions with our energy supplier are also on top of the agenda, as is investigating alternatives to the current gas supply.

Our university further benefits from the fact that many energy-saving measures have already been implemented, especially in the past years, and more are currently being planned.

Reducing current gas consumption as much as possible so that supply is ensured in the winter – this issue concerns us all, and every one of us can contribute. Thus, we would like to take this opportunity to underscore the German government's request and kindly ask you to use energy carefully in both your private and professional lives. Please review your own habits critically to determine their energy-saving potential.

We are living in challenging times. All the more reason for us to wish you a good summer, which we hope will bring you rest and relaxation. We are already looking forward to seeing you again on campus.

Kind regards,

Prof. Dr. Ralph Bruder
President

Jörg Stahlmann
Vice President for Administration and Finance

Prof. Dr. Karsten Speck
Vice President für Instruction and International Affairs

Prof. Dr. Christiane Thiel
Vice President for Research and Transfer

Prof. Dr. Annett Thiele
Vice President for Early Career Researchers, Equal Opportunities and Diversity