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Examination under corona conditions: A logistical challenge for the universities
Photo: University of Augsburg
The economics students in Augsburg are apparently afraid of the exams.
But not before exam questions about contractionary monetary policy or the analytical derivation of the LM function, but because of the corona pandemic: "I already know two people who currently have positive quick tests and still want to go to the exams next week...", writes a user in the chat group »WiWi's help WiWi's Uni Augsburg«.
SPIEGEL has a screenshot of the message.
The user asks: "Isn't there a way to get in touch with the university management?"
“We are already talking to the university about the entire pandemic,” says Laura Spickenreuther from the student council of economics students.
But in the current Omicron wave, she doesn't feel that she's being taken seriously.
From this week on, around 4,000 students are expected to write five to seven exams at their faculty, in attendance.
The problem: The faculty only offers an appointment to write later in one or sometimes even two semesters.
In Augsburg, the incidence is currently just under 2000, and even higher in the student age group.
According to Spickenreuther, the students are concerned that examinees will go to the exams despite being in quarantine or infected.
The student council is in charge of several chat groups, where people have announced that they no longer want to test themselves before the exams for fear of a positive result, or even considered participating despite an infection.
Similar announcements are made anonymously on the Studydrive platform.
The reason, according to Spickenreuther: Extending your studies for the rewriting date is a real financial problem for some students.
Students in Frankfurt or Bochum have similar worries, as reported by »FR« and »WAZ«.
A quarter of the examinees do not appear for examinations regardless of Corona
The University of Augsburg countered: "On average, around 25 percent of the students do not appear for the registered exams every semester," says Wolfgang Schultze, Dean of the Faculty of Economics.
The proportion has not increased significantly in the past Corona semesters.
Of course, it is forbidden to take part despite being infected or in quarantine, says Manuela Rutsatz, spokeswoman for the University of Augsburg.
Compulsory testing of vaccinated and recovered people is not possible.
3G applies in the tests, that's the legal situation, says Rutsatz.
However, the university recommends all students to test themselves, gives out quick tests free of charge and operates its own test center.
The hygiene regulations in the exams are also very high.
For the first time, the university has set up a large tent for the exams, as is otherwise known from the Oktoberfest.
Up to 545 people could be tested here at the same time "with the greatest possible" distance.
An oil heater blows warm air into the room.
"My fellow students say that you can sit there with a jacket without it getting cold," says student council representative Laura Spickenreuther.
The university also offers earplugs for those who are bothered by the noise of the fan.
Two to three tests take place here every day, says spokeswoman Rutsatz.
According to her, numerous other premises are also used.
Around 20,000 individual exams are written every semester.
"Due to the high number of students and exams, repeat examinations cannot be organized directly after the six-week examination phase," explains Dean Schultze.
Model hurricane Sabine
Spickenreuther, on the other hand, says that the university has already proven that it can do things differently.
When hurricane Sabine raged across Bavaria in spring 2020 and prevented students from taking exams in many places, the university organized an alternative date at short notice.
"In this case, the safety and health of the students was rightly prioritized," says a letter from the study council (StuRa Wiwi), which represents the students at faculty level.
A solution like the storm two years ago was not possible for organizational reasons, the dean's office announced on Thursday.
They exchanged information with the StuRa and agreed that there should be additional offers for repeating exams next semester.
In addition, the dean's office is observing the current examination situation and will, "should there be an unusually high number of absences, especially in the major examinations, create opportunities for repetition this semester".
StuRa chairwoman Pauline Haber told SPIEGEL that this was a step in the right direction, for her the issue was settled for the time being.
support from Parliament
Stefan Edenharder, President of the student convention, the parliament of the student body in Augsburg, told SPIEGEL that he was still concerned that there was a false incentive in economics to attend the exams despite infection or quarantine.
»I hope that there will be a change, that at least for the largest and most important exams, repetitions will be offered this semester.«
The chances for that are not bad.
The FDP MP Wolfgang Heubisch addressed the topic on Thursday afternoon in the Bavarian state parliament: "We must not do that to young people", even if it is expensive and difficult to organize.
He called on the Bavarian Minister of State for Science, Bernd Sibler, to intervene.
Sibler replied that the letter that universities should offer repeat appointments went out last week.
He himself was surprised by the situation in Augsburg.