The Rectorate informed all staff, employees and students by e-mail that online registration will be required from 27 October 2020 before TU Dresden buildings and facilities are frequented. Please use the appropriate tool. The house rules have been adapted accordingly.

The upcoming summer semester, like the two previous semesters, will, in part, be organized digitally. There will be a mixture of online and on-site courses. The latter will primarily be offered to students who are in their first semesters, as well as for events that require on-site attendance due to the nature of the degree program (internships, laboratory experiments, etc.). At the same time, we would like to remind you that the pandemic situation is serious and developments remain difficult to predict. Therefore, we ask you as lecturers and students to also prepare all your courses and examinations to be carried out online.  

In all the above-mentioned instances, the currently required hygiene regulations must be observed, including the minimum distances between participants. If this is not possible for a specific internship, FFP2 masks must be provided to the participants by the respective faculty (in consultation with the occupational safety department, protective clothing may be required).

The protection of the health of both lecturers and students has the highest priority. Therefore, safety concepts have been developed for courses requiring attendance. A minimum distance of 1.5m between persons in the building and during the courses must be observed, and the group size is to be reduced. Additionally, rooms with separate entrances and exits should be used wherever possible, and hygienic conditions (washing facilities in the sanitary facilities) be ensured. Students are also strongly advised to obtain and wear a mask to cover their nose and mouth. Advice on the use and cleaning of cloth face masks.

The teaching formats will also be adapted to the current conditions.

Please observe the applicable hygiene rules at TU Dresden.

The legal bases for you as a teacher are §60a and §60c of the UrhG (German copyright law). You may reproduce and distribute up to 15 percent of a work for the purpose of non-commercial scientific research in compliance with the statutory provisions and make it accessible to a limited group of users. This overview shows which materials can be made electronically available for university courses. The legal bases for us as a library are §60b and §60e of the UrhG. Libraries may reproduce up to 10 percent of a published work as well as individual articles that have appeared in specialist or scientific journals for individual orders requested by users for non-commercial purposes.

If you need media and literature for your online courses that are only available in printed or physical form in the SLUB's collection, the SLUB would be happy to help you put together a digital course reserve collection.

If you upload files to OPAL, please pay attention to the following points:

• The OPAL course is password-protected and is only accessible to a limited number of students
• To the extent permitted, the files are only available for the academic work of the students for that semester.
• Students are advised that the transfer of files to third parties is not permitted; the copies are only to be used for their own private and academic work
• The files will be removed from the OPAL course after the allotted time has expired.

In order to facilitate your research in times of Corona, some publishers and database providers have extended access to their offers. You can find an overview of the extended range of electronic resources here.

The following tools can be used with the ZIH login:

• Video conference rooms for smaller groups (about 6 participants) can be created with Jitsi and secured by password.
• Chat rooms in Matrix with single or multiple persons allow text-based synchronous communication.
• In the online storage Cloud store, 2 GB storage space is available for students. Individual files or entire folders can be activated for download or shared editing for specific people. Versioning and commenting of files is possible.
• In the learning platform OPAL, working groups can be created and managed independently by students. They allow the cooperation of group members through tools like calendar, blog, forum, wiki and folders for file exchange. Further information can be found in the OPAL manual.

Until further notice, no more public events will take place on the campuses of TU Dresden. This includes sports activities, rehearsals and events of artistic groups etc.

Degree programme or subject-specific information is provided on the respective pages of the Schools, faculties, examination offices or central units.

From December 10, 2020, there will be no more classroom teaching at the TU Dresden due to the increasing number of infections. Only digital forms of teaching and learning will be offered. Even learning in small groups in TU Dresden buildings will no longer be possible from this date. As soon as the situation changes we will inform you here about available rooms.

On December 17, 2020, the Act on the Freedom of Higher Education in the Free State of Saxony (Sächsisches Hochschulfreiheitsgesetz, SächsHSFG) was expanded to include Section 114a. According to this, all enrolled students who are not on leave of absence will receive an individual standard period of study extension of one semester each for the 2020 summer semester and the 2020/2021 winter semester. You will automatically receive a certificate for each semester in your selma document folder by the end of the 2020/21 winter semester. With the extension of the standard period of study, all students are given the opportunity to extend their studies due to the ‘corona semester’. Nevertheless, if you apply for this (in writing), there is also the possibility that any non-credit already granted for the 2020 summer semester due to the pandemic will be cancelled.

Due to the extension of the standard period of study, the examination deadlines according to § 35 para. 4 SächsHSFG are postponed by up to 2 semesters in compliance with the standard period of study. This means that there is no longer any reason to submit a parallel application for non-credit for these semesters. Please note that an approved non-credit for the 2020 summer semester or the 2020/21 winter semester will not result in any further benefits for you that are not already covered by the individual extension of the standard period of study. Double concessions, e.g. concerning the above-mentioned examination deadlines and the postponement of fee charges in the case of a second or long-term course of study, are not permitted in accordance with § 114a SächsHSFG. Nevertheless, the possibility of applying for a non-credit according to § 20 para. 5 sentence 2 SächsHSFG, § 10 para. 2 Enrollment Regulations is not excluded. This will be formally reinstated in the selma portal as of April 1, 2021, for the 2020 summer semester and the 2020/21 winter semester. Before submitting your application, we generally recommend that you inquire with the relevant authorities about the effects of a non-credit and the associated resetting of the subject semester on the payment of BAföG, child benefits, scholarships, orphan's pensions, educational loans, etc.

Students who have taken a leave of absence from their studies in the 2020 summer semester and the 2020/21 winter semester have no disadvantages concerning their available study time and the collection of fees compared to students who have not taken a leave of absence. As a result of the leave of absence taken, the subject semester was not counted, which also means that the students in question have a maximum of 2 semesters longer for their studies. Fees for second or long-term studies are also suspended during the semester of leave of absence.  Please also note that leaves of absence in the 2020 summer semester and the 2020/21 winter semester are granted in addition to the 2 semesters of leave of absence possible under Section 12 (3) of the Matriculation Regulations. BAföG recipients: alone should inform themselves about the effects of a leave of absence at the BAföG office. If, after consultation with the BAföG office, you find that the leave of absence has negative effects in your specific case, please contact the SCS in this matter.

If you have any questions, please contact the Enrollment Office or the International Office (new Unit International Affairs) by email via the SCS. The responsible staff members will find a suitable solution for your specific situation together with you.

The upcoming summer semester 2021 will, in part, be organized digitally.

On-site teaching at TU Dresden will be limited in the 2020/2021 winter semester. Please register for your courses using the OPAL learning platform so that you can take advantage of the e-learning offers from your department. Please check whether enrolment via selma is necessary for your degree programme. You can find an overview of the degree programmes affected by this on the website "Exam and Course Management in selma". If you have any further questions about enrolment in selma, please contact your Academic Affairs Office or the ServiceCenterStudies.

Please also check TU Dresden’s homepage for up-to-date information valid for the entire university.

Applications for guest student can still be made. Before applying, interested parties should contact the respective lecturer to find out whether participation in the online course is possible. Since a guest login is required for later access to the course, the guest login can also be applied for. This can be done informally on the application form for guest students, adding your place of birth. The application form for guest students can be downloaded as a pdf document from the website. Please send the application form for guest students by email to the Centre for Continuing Education.

Lecturers and examiners are urged to convert their examinations into digital formats or to switch to alternative examination methods. (e.g. take-home exams, open-book exams, multiple-choice exams).

The Center for Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching (ZiLL) supports examiners in the technical and content-related preparation as well as the implementation of examinations.

If it is unavoidable to conduct an examination on-site, examiners are obliged to create a corresponding hygiene concept and to ensure that the hygiene concept is implemented during the examination

For details read the Rector's message as of 8^th January 2021

• Festlegungen für den Prüfungsbetrieb für das Wintersemester 2020/2021 (23.11.2020)
• How examinations should be done: https://tu-dresden.de/studium/im-studium/ressourcen/dateien/corona_imstudium/2020-06-09_Festlegungen_Pruefungen_TUD_ENG.pdf?lang=en
• Hygiene Regulations for on-site examinations: https://tu-dresden.de/studium/im-studium/ressourcen/dateien/corona_imstudium/200610_Hygieneregel_Pruefungen_SoSe2020_ENG.pdf?lang=en
• The current status can be accessed here: Examinations/certificates

Implementation of the SARS-CoV-2 Occupational Health and Safety Regulation at TU Dresden

The SARS-CoV-2 Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (Corona-ArbSchV) has become effective on January 27, 2021, and is valid until March 15, 2021. New rules apply to activities in research, teaching, studying, administration, and the technical staff.

When rooms are used by several persons at the same time, the minimum space for each person in the room must not be less than 10 square meters, insofar as the tasks to be performed permit this. Otherwise, equivalent protection must be ensured by other suitable protective measures, in particular frequent ventilation and suitable partitions between the persons present. This must be observed in particular for laboratory work or personal contacts on the campus that cannot be implemented in any other way, e.g. for examination purposes.

Members of TU Dresden shall be provided with medical facemasks, FFP2 masks or comparable respirators by the respective head(s) of the organizational unit if:  

• in the case of simultaneous use of rooms, the minimum space for each person in the room is less than 10 square meters,
• the minimum distance of 1.5 m cannot be ensured,
• increased aerosol emission is to be expected during work activities.

Appropriate mask types according to §3 paragraph 1 Corona Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (ArbSchV) are, among others: Medical face masks as well as KN95, N95, P2, DS2, CPA masks. For the exceptional cases mentioned, appropriate masks can be made available centrally.

A general mask obligation continues to apply for entering buildings. For this purpose, the previously valid individual mouth-nose coverings can be used.

If you have any questions regarding upcoming exams (including the submission of final theses), please contact the Examination Office of your department directly. Please use the overview of all Examination Offices. Students in Teacher Training please contact the ZLSB directly.

Web meetings can be used. Details must be clarified with the examiners. The Examination Committee should be appropriately involved in the decision. In order to create transparency within the university, the meeting must be held publicly. The announcement of the defences, for example, can be made on the TUD website, whose address could be made known via the general distribution list. The details are decided upon in D7. TUD's Data Protection Officer (DSB) has given the following advice on this in previous inquiries: For reasons of data protection, no electronic recording should be made, but rather a conventional record should be kept.  The person to be examined must be informed about this before the examination begins. Furthermore, according to the Data Protection Officer, it must be ensured that the connection is encrypted. The requirements of the examination procedure and the examination regulations must also be complied with, despite the fact that the examination is conducted by video conference. The same applies to PhD proceedings. Aspects to be considered are public/non-public aspects of examinations, consultation on examination results with a closed circle of participants or proper appointment and participation of examiners and observers. These matters can also be resolved by video conferencing. From a technical point of view, the video conference must run smoothly; it must be ensured that the person connected via video conference can hear the examination discussions well, is clearly audible and cannot be distracted, etc. It must also be ensured as well as possible that the person to be examined has no opportunity for deceit throughout their examination performance. It must furthermore be ensured that the examiners are able to evaluate the examination performance completely and directly and thus independently.

Depending on the course, there are different types of internships (e.g. laboratory internships, internships in schools or in companies), so it is not possible to make a blanket statement on how to deal with  internships during the Corona pandemic. Please contact the person in your faculty, who ist responsible to coordinate the internships to adress possible modifications and changes in the implementation of the internship.

The Prorector for Education and International Affairs has issued regulations for the performance of examinations at the TU Dresden during the Corona Pandemic, dated May 4, 2020. These stipulate that "the examiners may also offer significantly different examination formats". For you, this means that you may have to submit a new or modified application for disadvantage compensation so that your impairment is also taken into account accordingly in the modified examination format.

It will advise you on
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gesine Marquardt and Prof. Dr. Gerhard Weber
The representatives for students with disabilities and chronic illness.
www.tu-dresden.de/bfsb

Dipl.-Päd. Anja Winkler
Certified Peer Counselor (ISL)/Peer-to-Peer Advisor for prospective students, students and employees with disabilities/chronic illness  anja.winkler4@tu-dresden.de

Here you will find questions & answers in the context of the non-recognition of a semester in connection with examinations taken:

Question: Since the nonrecognition can only take place in the next semester: What happens to students whose standard period of study expires this semester?
Answer: Nothing happens to these students during the examination process, as the first relevant deadline does not apply until 4 semesters after the end of the standard period of study.  Then, however, a first fictitious failure of the final examination occurs, which the students can prevent by not taking the semester into account.

Question: Does nonrecognition also occur if only one examination has not been completed?
Answer: Yes, even then nonrecognition is possible.

Question: If you have completed all your exams and return one of them, is it still possible not to get credit?
Answer: Yes, even then non-accounting is possible.

Question: Do examinations lapse if the semester is not credited?
Answer: No

Question: Can all types of examination papers be returned?
Answer: Yes.

Question: Can grades be returned without explanation?
Answer: Yes, see Explanatory Note Number 4 to Senate Resolution https://tu-dresden.de/intern/studium-und-lehre/ressourcen/dateien/studiengangsangelegenheiten/webseite-pruefungsmanagement_ab-juli-2019/Ausfuehrungsbestimmungen_090620.pdf

Question: Will the return be noted on the certificate?
Answer: No.

Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, there are currently many restrictions on public life worldwide. This also affects areas that may be relevant to your planned application to TU Dresden for the summer semester 2021, such as the possibility to take language courses and language tests, to have documents certified or to send them by mail.

Please contact us via e-mail, if your questions are not yet answered in the FAQs of the International Office regarding the application process during Corona.

Currently, we receive many questions by exchange students that are not sure about their (planned) exchange studies at TU Dresden. We have compiled a list of FAQ for you; please contact us via email in case of any questions.

Some of the most frequent questions and answers have already been posted by the International Office. If you have any other queries regarding your current stay at TUD, please contact the International Office (AAA) via the ServiceCenterStudium.

You can find information on internships abroad on the website of the LEONARDO Office Saxony.

Until further notice, there will be no excursions/study trips in the summer semester 2021. For further information, e.g. on alternative dates, please contact the responsible person at your department.

Current information on BAföG can be found on the website of the Studentenwerk Dresden (Student Union).

You can apply to the BaföG office for an update if your parents' or spouse's income has decreased. If your studies are being delayed due to the corona pandemic, the Studentenwerk Dresden or the Students' Council (http://www.stura.tu-dresden.de/beratung) will advise you on options of a longer funding period.

The Association of Friends and Sponsors of TU Dresden (GFF) supports students who face financial challenges due to the corona pandemic. You can find information on how to apply here.

KfW Credit

The Federal Government supports students who have got into financial difficulties due to the corona pandemic with loans. Please refer to the KfW website for information on the possibility of a loan. The KfW loan is interest-free until 31^st March 2021 and open to all students residing in Germany.

An extension of the tenancy is possible also beyond the standard period of study: https://www.studentenwerk-dresden.de/wohnen/verlaengerung-mietvertrag.html. Student inquirers should contact the Studentenwerk directly.

The semester not being counted towards the total number of semesters can - like a leave of absence - have an impact on financial benefits to students. Before applying for the semester to be not counted, students are advised to consult with the relevant funding agencies. For BAföG beneficiaries, the semester not being counted does not have any positive effects on the duration of funding. The Studentenwerk or the Student Council will advise you on the possibilities of an extended funding period.

Yes, the diverse range of advisory services now take place online (e.g. via Skype with audio/video) or by telephone. You can book an appointment here. Forthermore there is an increased range of e-tutorials: for example, Zitat statt Plagiat - Was, warum und wie zitieren?! (Quotation Instead of Plagiarism - what, why and how to quote?) is fresh from the oven. You can find a complete overview of our SLUB tutorials here.

All of the SLUB’s digital services are available as usual. An increasing number of publishers and database providers are making their services more accessible. As a member of the TU Dresden, you also benefit from this. Here you can find an overview of this extended range of e-media (is continually updated).

SLUB and Go: minimal contact lending service

In addition to the expanded digital services being offered during the coronavirus crisis, the SLUB will open its doors again on 27.04.2020 with a minimal contact lending service. This service is, however, subject to conditions. The main priority still is to prevent a rapid spread of COVID-19 as much as possible. All SLUB locations are reopen with restricted services for a minimal contact lending service. It will be open exclusively for returns and the collection of literature that was ordered in advance online. Collection will only be possible during your booked timeslot.

The SLUB still focuses on online services (here you can find an overview of all digital services). The service desks will not be staffed, and the free scan delivery service SLUB on Demand will remain in place for students and researchers at the TU Dresden. With the introduction of the new minimal contact lending service, the library now also wants to give all SLUB users access to urgently required literature that is only available in analogue form while also complying with the official requirements.

If you would like to use the lending service, please check out this webpage and book an appointment online. You can find detailed information on all current services in the COVID19 checklist. You can also keep up to date on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You do not need to book a timeslot to visit the branch libraries.

For urgent cases the library offers a free scan delivery service for the duration of the corona crisis. It is available for all members of the TU Dresden with a valid SLUB card and is limited to a maximum of 3 orders per week. Detailed information on SLUB on Demand is available here.

SLUB and Go: minimal contact lending service

In addition to the expanded digital services being offered during the coronavirus crisis, the SLUB will open its doors again on 27.04.2020 with a minimal contact lending service. This service is, however, subject to conditions. The main priority still is to prevent a rapid spread of COVID-19 as much as possible. All SLUB locations are reopen with restricted services for a minimal contact lending service. Collection will only be possible during your booked timeslot. You do not need to book a timeslot to visit the branch libraries.

The SLUB still focuses on online services (here you can find an overview of all digital services). The service desks will not be staffed, and the free scan delivery service SLUB on Demand will remain in place for students and researchers at the TU Dresden. With the introduction of the new minimal contact lending service, the library now also wants to give all SLUB users access to urgently required literature that is only available in analogue form while also complying with the official requirements.

If you would like to use the lending service, please check out this webpage and book an appointment online. You can find detailed information on all current services in the COVID19 checklist. You can also keep up to date on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

At the moment, the TU Dresden service and consulting facilities do not offer personal office hours. However, all facilities can still be reached via email, telephone and in some cases via chat and telephone consultation hours.

Workshops are partly offered as webinars. Please inform yourself under Advice and Service about the current availability. If you have any questions about studying, please call +49 351 463 42000 or email the ServiceCenterStudies .

We will answer your questions or forward them to colleagues from the specialist departments. The TU Dresden, together with the Studentenwerk, offers its employees and students psychosocial, medical and organizational advice and support. For students: You can arrange a personal or telephone consultation by email. Please briefly describe your request and we will respond promptly with an appointment.

The TU Dresden Career Service will be offering a digital semester program from May.

The Studentenwerk Dresden offers advice, by phone, e-mail and  in person, on various topics related to your studies. Please find out about current office hours on the Studentenwerk website.

Semester of leave of absence

Pregnant women and students with children can apply to the Admissions Office for leave of absence from their studies for the period of maternity leave or the statutory parental leave. In accordance with the Federal Law on Parental Benefits and Parental Leave (BEEG), the Act on the Autonomy of Institutions of Higher Education in the Free State of Saxony (SächsHSFG)  provides students with a total of six additional semesters of leave for childcare during the first three years of the child’s life.

Students can find out what other options are currently available in the FAQ’s under the menu item “Enrolment and Re-registration”.
https://tu-dresden.de/studium/im-studium/coronavirus#section-2-1

Part-time courses

At TU Dresden, it is currently possible to pursue part-time courses in all distance learning degree programs, as well as in many direct programs.
https://tu-dresden.de/studium/vor-dem-studium/studienangebot/teilzeit-und-fernstudium

Organisation of the 2020/2021 winter semester

On August 11, 2020, TU Dresden agreed on principles for the organization of the 2020/2021 winter semester.
https://tu-dresden.de/studium/im-studium/ressourcen/dateien/corona_imstudium/organisation-wintersemester-2020-21.pdf?lang=de

The Vice-Rector Academic Affairs has issued regulations for the examinations in the 2020/2021 winter semester (November 23, 2020)
https://tu-dresden.de/studium/im-studium/ressourcen/dateien/corona_imstudium/2020_11_23_Festlegungen_fur_den_Prufungsbetrieb_WS2022021.pdf?lang=de

The university-wide regulations for studies and examination procedures to curtail the legal uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 crisis, (fundamental resolutions of the Senate on April 29, 2020) apply from October 26th, 2020. 
https://tu-dresden.de/studium/im-studium/ressourcen/dateien/corona_imstudium/2020-10-14_Beschluss-Senat_zu_TOP-I-13.pdf?lang=de

In these exceptional times, if you are a student with responsibilities to your family, you can be sure of the understanding of your lecturers / module supervisors if you have not been able to complete some of the assignments in the given time. Therefore, do not hesitate to be candid about the challenges you are currently facing and jointly work out individual solutions that are suitable for both sides. If you require assistance in finding a solution, you can also contact the Campusbüro Uni mit Kind or Unit 9.3 Diversity Management, Coordinator for Family-Friendliness at TU Dresden.

Extended compensation for disadvantages

Independent of the coronavirus pandemic, the extended compensation for disadvantages - if this is anchored in the relevant examination regulations - can be applied for by contacting the Chairperson of the Examination Board.

§5 para. 4 of the Model Examination Regulations of TUD - Types of Graded Academic Work stipulates the following:

If the student can credibly demonstrate that they are not able to complete graded academic work according to schedule due to the caring for their own children (up to the age of 14), the Chairperson of the Examination Board shall allow the student to complete the work in an equivalent manner upon request. The Chairperson of the Examination Committee decides how the graded academic work is to be produced in consultation with the responsible examiner at their own discretion. The Chairperson of the Examination Committee decided on an appropriate measure to compensate for the disadvantages. Suitable measures to compensate for the disadvantages are, for example, extended time allowance, extended breaks, use of other media, use of other examination rooms within the university or another examination date. The same applies to preliminary graded work.

Further contact persons are the Examination Offices, the Equal Opportunities Officers of the faculties and the Faculty Students’ Councils. The Campusbüro Uni mit Kind will also be happy to support you in making use of the extended compensation for disadvantages.
https://tu-dresden.de/intern/studium-und-lehre/ressourcen/dateien/studiengangsangelegenheiten/doks/arbeitshilfen/MBPO63.pdf?lang=de

Maternity leave

The Model Examination Regulations of TU Dresden (cf. §3 para. 4 Model Examination Regulations - Deadlines and Dates) stipulate the following for deadlines in connection with the completion of the graduation examination:

The maternity leave period does not count towards overall time restriction and is therefore, the not taken into account. Regarding the claim for parental leave, please refer to §12 para. 2 of the Enrolment Regulations of Technische Universität Dresden.

It does not correspond to the option of extended time allowance in connection with the compensation of disadvantages as described above.
https://tu-dresden.de/intern/studium-und-lehre/ressourcen/dateien/studiengangsangelegenheiten/doks/arbeitshilfen/MBPO63.pdf?lang=de

Municipal childcare

In day care facilities for children, including curative day care facilities, in schools at the primary level and in special schools at the higher primary level, there is restricted regular operation with regular classes or groups and caregivers in defined rooms or areas. The new Saxon Corona Protection Ordinance (link: https://www.coronavirus.sachsen.de/download/SMS-Saechsische-Corona-Schutz-Verordnung-2021-03-30-gueltig-ab-2021-04-01.pdf) is valid from April 1 until the end of April 18, 2021.

Flexible Childcare for Students with Child(ren)

During the Corona pandemic, students with child(ren) also have the opportunity to take advantage of TUD's flexible childcare service (Link: https://tu-dresden.de/flexible-kinderbetreuung) on an hourly basis (e.g. while taking exams) from January to September 2021. The new Saxon Corona Protection Ordinance is valid from 1 April until the end of 18 April 2021.

Campusnest of the Students’ Union (Studentenwerk) Dresden

Since the Campusnest is subject to the regulations for childcare, it is closed until February 7, 2021.
https://www.studentenwerk-dresden.de/soziales/campusnest.html

Private babysitter

If you are not entitled to emergency care, you can contact private babysitting agencies to find out whether they can assist you with childcare and under what conditions this is possible.

Children's sick days (Kinderkrankentage)

If their child is sick, parents may stay at home and care for them. The following rule used to apply: Parents get a total of 20 paid sick days when both are raising the child (each parent gets ten), and single parents get a total of 20 - covering all children under the age of 12.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the number of children's sick days has already been increased in 2020. This regulation has now been extended for the year 2021. This means that children's sick days can be used not only when a sick child needs to be cared for at home, but also when school or daycare centers are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
https://www.familie.de/kleinkind/gesundheit/mehr-kind-krank-tage-auch-2021-wegen-corona-alle-rechte-und-pflichten-fuer-uns-eltern/

Students with familial responsibilities are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic even beyond the digital start of the semester and the limited on-site teaching activities. For example, part-time jobs at major events or in the hospitality industry are no longer available. Instead, many questions arise: Are students entitled to unemployment or housing benefits? Does the postponed start of the semester have an effect on BAföG funding? Do the economic implications of the coronavirus crisis have an impact on child alimony payments? Questions like these will be answered by the Campusbüro Uni mit Kind family service centre, a cooperation between TU Dresden and the Student’s Union (Studentenwerk) Dresden, and by the Social Counselling Services of the Student’s Union Dresden.

Standard period of study and BAföG

On December 16, 2020, the Saxon state parliament passed the Education Strengthening Act (Bildungsstärkungsgesetz) and, at the same time, amended the Act on the Autonomy of Institutions of Higher Education in the Free State of Saxony (Hochschulfreiheitsgesetz) in a significant point.

In concrete terms, this means that the extension of the individual standard period of study by the period of the 2020 summer semester and the currently running winter semester due to the coronavirus pandemic has been approved. As a result, students have legal certainty that they will not suffer any disadvantages due to the coronavirus pandemic when receiving benefits for their studies under the German Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG).
https://www.medienservice.sachsen.de/medien/news/244412

Informationen

Parental allowance

The extraordinary situation caused by the novel coronavirus represents a particular hardship. Temporary adaptations are planned so that parents do not suffer any disadvantages in terms of parental benefits as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
 https://www.bmfsfj.de/bmfsfj/themen/corona-pandemie/finanzielle-unterstuetzung/faq-elterngeld-anpassung/fragen-und-antworten-zu-den-aenderungen-beim-elterngeld/154926

Child benefit supplement (Kinderzuschlag)

If the income is not sufficient for the whole family, parents or custodians can receive the child benefit supplement (Kinderzuschlag) in addition to the child benefit allowance. https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/familie-und-kinder/kinderzuschlag-anspruch-hoehe-dauer

Amount of financial help

In order to take the special situation of single parents into account, the amount of financial help, regulated in § 24 b of the German Income Tax Act (EStG), will be increased from the current 1908 euros to 4008 euros for the years 2020 and 2021.
https://www.bmfsfj.de/bmfsfj/themen/corona-pandemie/finanzielle-unterstuetzung/faq-entlastungsbetrag-alleinerziehende-einkommmenssteuer

Help for students in need

Coronavirus relief fund of the Association of Friends and Sponsors of TU Dresden (GFF)
As of now, TU Dresden students who are in financial difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic can once again apply for emergency aid from the coronavirus relief fund. Students who can prove that they are in an emergency situation as a result of the restrictions can receive a one-off payment of up to 450 euros.
https://tu-dresden.de/tu-dresden/profil/freunde-foerderer/gff/foerderung/antraege-fuer-die-corona-hilfsfonds

Loans granted by the KfW Development Bank (KfW) for German and

international students who have fallen into financial difficulties because of the coronavirus

 https://www.kfw.de/inlandsfoerderung/Privatpersonen/Studieren-Qualifizieren/Studium-finanzieren/?kfwmc=vt.sea.google.SEA_VT_Studienkredit_Allgemein_BK.{Anzeigengruppe}.{Anzeige}&wt_cc1=bildung&wt_cc2=pri|studieren-qualifizieren&wt_cc3=82025713368_kwd-311285257835_433623776525&wt_kw=b_82025713368_%2Bkfw%20%2Bkredit%20%2Bstudium

BMBF financial assistance (Überbrückungshilfe)

Students in emergencies caused by the pandemic can once again apply for financial assistance from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) during the period from November 20, 2020 to March 31, 2021. https://www.überbrückungshilfe-studierende.de/start

Emergency aid of the Students’ Union (Studentenwerk) Dresden

Should you find yourself in a temporary emergency situation during your studies for which you are not responsible, the social counselling service of the Student’s Union Dresden will try to help you.
https://www.studentenwerk-dresden.de/soziales/notlagen.html

Guide to Coronavirus Help of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS)

The Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs provides a schematic overview that provides orientation on the assistance available during the coronavirus crisis. The guide also provides links to the institutions which provide this assistance.
https://www.bmas.de/DE/Schwerpunkte/Informationen-Corona/lotse-fuer-corona-hilfen.html

Studying/working at home and caring for my child(ren)

Reconciling study, work and childcare is sometimes a difficult balancing act to achieve. The following are just a few ideas on how this can be done a little better.

Tip #1: Planning, planning, planning 

Planning, planning, planning  Tip #1:

Plan an agenda for each day, plan it thoroughly and record the individual stages in a timetable. Involve older children in the planning and place the timetable where everyone can see it. A notice board in the kitchen, for example, would be a good idea.

Tip #2: Define both shared and separate periods

Define both shared and separate periods Tip #2:

Split the time available into periods that you spend together and periods that your children spend independently. In addition to breakfast, lunch, and dinner together, plan activities that involve physical activity, such as a walk.

Tip #3: Use the morning and the evening

Use the morning and the evening Tip #3:

Use the time early in the morning and later in the evening, when your children are sleeping, for concentrated work. 

Tip #4: Starting the working day together

Starting the working day together Tip #4:

Create a fixed ritual with which you start your first learning or work phase together in the morning. It will help you to switch to another mode without changing location.

Tip #5: Create a defined workspace

Create a defined workspace Tip #5:

If possible, set up a separate area where you can work undisturbed. A spatial separation from the areas where your children work alone is usually very helpful.

Tip #6: Split childcare

Split childcare Tip #6:

Are both parents at home? Then take turns interacting with your children. A room arrangement often helps: Both parents work in different rooms, for example in the living room and the study. The person who works in the living room can be contacted by the children. The one in the study remains undisturbed. Over the day, you simply change rooms to take turn.
https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/coronavirus/wie-eltern-ihren-kindern-jetzt-helfen-koennen-1730182

Learning at home

The Saxon State Ministry for Higher Education, Research and the Arts compiled the most important questions and answers for learning at home.
LINK: https://www.bildung.sachsen.de/blog/index.php/2020/03/30/lernen-zu-hause-die-wichtigsten-fragen-und-antworten-im-ueberblick/

Explaining the coronavirus to my child(ren)

Even if your child is too young to understand the situation, you cannot shield them from the omnipresent topic. Help your child to get used to the current situation by providing clear and age-appropriate information. 
https://jugendinfoservice.dresden.de/de/elternweb/faq-familien-corona.php

Ideas to occupy my children

The schools and daycare centers are still closed (except for the emergency care), and meet-ups with other children outside their homes are restricted. In order to make everyday life with children playful and varied, a lot of creativity is needed. You will find a selection of activity suggestions here: https://jugendinfoservice.dresden.de/de/elternweb/faq-familien-corona.php

In order to bring movement and exercise into your home, ALBA BERLIN’s online program "Sports is fun" offers two digital school lessons (day-care and school) every Saturday for all children and young people - to watch and participate in. https://www.albaberlin.de/news/details/reaktion-auf-coronavirus-albas-taegliche-digitale-sportstunde-fuer-kinder-und-jugendliche/

Counselling and service institutions of TU Dresden

Should you need advice on how to reconcile work/study and family life, there are various counseling and service institutions available at TU Dresden.
https://tu-dresden.de/studium/im-studium/coronavirus#section-2-9

The family service center Campusbüro Uni mit Kind is a cooperation between TU Dresden and Studentenwerk Dresden and is happy to answer your questions and provide you with advice.
https://kinder.studentenwerk-dresden.de/

Counselling and service institutions of the Students’ Union (Studentenwerk) Dresden

The Studentenwerk Dresden offers counseling services via telephone, email, and in some cases in person on a variety of topics related to studying.  https://www.studentenwerk-dresden.de/soziales/kontakt.html

The Studentenwerk Dresden also provides counseling services specifically on the topic of studying with a child.
https://www.studentenwerk-dresden.de/soziales/kind.html

Counselling offers of the Dresden Youth Welfare Office

The coronavirus situation is a challenge for all walks of life, especially for families, children and young people. If contact with peers and friends is lacking, if the family structure is under great pressure due to the problems providing care, and because movement restrictions to protect against infection, tension and conflict can arise. In order to be able to provide advice and support, the Youth Welfare Office has set up a counselling hotline. https://jugendinfoservice.dresden.de/de/elternweb/faq-familien-corona.php

Up-to-date information on the opening hours of refectories and cafeterias can be found on the website of the  Student Union (Studentenwerk Dresden).

The following tools and digital environments will be available for digital teaching in the 2020/2021 winter semester (https://tu-dresden.de/tu-dresden/organisation/rektorat/prorektor-bildung/zill/e-learning/corona/tooluebersicht). Please note in particular that the video platform MAGMA will be replaced by the new cross-university platform Videocampus Sachsen (VCS), which will be available as of 1^st October 2020.

Learning management system

• Learning platform OPAL (synchronous and asynchronous learning scenarios, student communication, management of learning outcomes, provision of materials, etc.) 

Provision and exchange of files

• Learning platform OPAL
• Cloud store (cloud-based memory)

Video conferencing tools (for synchronous teaching, examination and communication)

• BigBlueButton
• DFN Adobe Connect
• GoToMeeting
• Jitsi
• Pexip/DFNconf (especially for streaming)
• Zoom

Provision of videos/audios

• Videocampus Sachsen (VCS), replacement of Magma as of 1^st October 2020

Monitoring of the learning progress (e-assessment) and examinations

• learning platform OPAL with assignment and test modules (via test suite ONYX)
• separate examination platform OPAL Exam@TUD

Live surveys

• Invote

Synchronous collaboration

• Chat service Matrix (currently until 31^st December 2020)
• Sharepoint

Support on the individual tools, possible applications as well as further training and advice on this topic is available at the ZiLL (the ZiLL prepared initial Recommendations for the design and set-up of online teaching) and at the ZIH by the E-Learning-Support. Information on this topic can be found on the corona websites regarding E-Learning (https://tu-dresden.de/tu-dresden/organisation/rektorat/prorektor-bildung/zill/e-learning/corona/tooluebersicht).

Please also use the continuing education and counselling services of the Centre for Continuing Education (ZfW), e.g. online guidance on higher education and media didactics, online continuing education on Open Educational Resources (OER) in digital university teaching, online guidance and continuing education on tutorial teaching (https://tu-dresden.de/karriere/weiterbildung/wissenschaftliches-personal/index).

The legal bases for you as a teacher are §60a and §60c of the UrhG (German copyright law). You may reproduce and distribute up to 15 percent of a work for the purpose of non-commercial scientific research in compliance with the statutory provisions and make it accessible to a limited group of users. This overview shows which materials can be made electronically available for university courses. The legal bases for us as a library are §60b and §60e of the UrhG. Libraries may reproduce up to 10 percent of a published work as well as individual articles that have appeared in specialist or scientific journals for individual orders requested by users for non-commercial purposes.

If you need media and literature for your online courses that are only available in printed or physical form in the SLUB's collection, the SLUB would be happy to help you put together a digital course reserve collection.

If you upload files to OPAL, please pay attention to the following points:

• The OPAL course is password-protected and is only accessible to a limited number of students
• To the extent permitted, the files are only available for the academic work of the students for that semester.
• Students are advised that the transfer of files to third parties is not permitted; the copies are only to be used for their own private and academic work
• The files will be removed from the OPAL course after the allotted time has expired.

In order to facilitate your research in times of Corona, some publishers and database providers have extended access to their offers. You can find an overview of the extended range of electronic resources here.

If you need media and literature for your online courses that are only available in printed or physical form in the SLUB's collection, the SLUB would be happy to help you put together a digital course reserve collection:

• Send the SLUB information on the literature that you need in advance. This includes literature that is not yet available in the online campus network and materials that you want to make accessible on OPAL (password protected) this semester (please point out the 3 most important sources that your students will promptly need as first sources and which should be included in the first document delivery. With the large number of modules in the TU Dresden, such a ranking is necessary for capacity reasons).
   
• The SLUB will convert your required materials into PDF files, as long as copyright laws allow it, and you can then make these materials directly and therefore in one central place available to the students via OPAL (with this procedure, we can avoid multiple orders of identical materials being sent to #SLUB_on_Demand and save time for the provision of other content).
   
• The legal bases for you as a teacher are §60a and §60c of the UrhG (German copyright law). You may reproduce and distribute up to 15 percent of a work for the purpose of non-commercial scientific research in compliance with the statutory provisions and make it accessible to a limited group of users. This overview shows which materials can be made electronically available for university courses.
   
• The legal bases for us as a library are §60b and §60e of the UrhG. Libraries may reproduce up to 10 percent of a published work as well as individual articles that have appeared in specialist or scientific journals for individual orders requested by users for non-commercial purposes.

If you upload files to OPAL, please pay attention to the following points:

• The OPAL course is password-protected and is only accessible to a limited number of students
• To the extent permitted, the files are only available for the academic work of the students for that semester.
• Students are advised that the transfer of files to third parties is not permitted; the copies are only to be used for their own private and academic work
• The files will be removed from the OPAL course after the allotted time has expired.

The officers for students with disabilities and chronic diseases have developed tips for barrier-free teaching, in particular with references to video conferences and BigBlueButton.

Please note the following instructions for video and audio recordings of courses.