Information about the Coronavirus
Frequently Asked Questions
We have put together some frequently asked questions which are updated regularly. Please check back from time to time.
March 25th: new FAQs for students
March 12th: FAQs are put together
FAQ for students
General information
How is the current situation classified?
The coronavirus and its consequences have to be classified as a force majeure event. We try to keep the effects on you and your studies as limited as possible and have thus switched to distance learning immediately. This, however, may cause deviations from planned and originally announced modalities, for example in the area of examinations.
Will this semester or my studies take longer due to the current situation?
We will do everything possible to ensure that all students can study as smoothly as possible. An extension of the current semester is not planned. Furthermore, no courses will be rescheduled to later this summer (e.g. August) and no workload will be rescheduled to the next semester. The directors of all study programmes make every effort to maintain the original timeframes of your studies.
How is my concrete personal situation (e.g. self-isolation, quarantine, childcare obligations, voluntary work) taken into account?
We are well aware that the current situation is an unusual and exceptional situation for our students and we all do not how long this situation will last. Your study programme directors will take your personal situation into account and act as supportively as possible in order to ensure the best possible progress of your studies.
Will my social commitment be acknowledged in any way by the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland (e.g. extraordinary civilian service, extended civilian or military service, call-up as a militiaman or voluntary work for aid and blue-light organizations)?
We support the commitment of our students, especially in this current situation. Questions regarding compulsory attendance and internships are answered further below in the section “attendance and internships”.
The competences you acquire in the course of the assistance or support activities can also be accredited in relation to your classes. The decisive factor here is the comparability of the acquisition of competences. This seems to be possible especially for courses in the field of personal and social competence or in the health sector.
Presence at the campus
Can I be present at the campus?
No. Both our campuses are closed to students and external visitors.
Can I attend online courses at the campuses because the internet connection is better there?
No. Both campuses are closed to students and external visitors.
How do I get all necessary confirmations?
Please contact your study programme office or the International Office via e-mail. You will then receive your necessary confirmations electronically.
Is the library closed?
Yes, our library is closed at the moment. However, the electronic library will remain fully available 24/7 and we will try to provide as much as possible in electronic form.
You can access our electronic media in the usual way via our search engine: https://fhb.summon.serialssolutions.com/
A video tutorial concerning literature requests and access can be found here: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11790/1136
We also gladly answer your questions at bibliothek[at]fh-burgenland.at.
Examinations
What about oral exams that have already been appointed a date or will be held in the future?
Your study programme director will contact you about this. Examination, which require personal attendance are not possible at present. Oral exams can be held via online systems such as Skype, TEAMS or Webex. Our examination regulations do not exclude this solution. Please prepare for your exam as planned and check your e-mails regularly (FH Burgenland address).
What about written examinations that have already been appointed a date or will be held in the future?
Your study programme director will contact you and your colleagues in this matter. Examinations which require personal attendance are currently not possible. However, written exams can be held via online systems such as Skype, TEAMS, Webex or Moodle. Our examination regulations do not exclude this solution. Please prepare for your exam as planned and check your e-mails regularly (FH Burgenland address).
Will board examinations, Bachelor's examinations and Master's examinations take place?
The director of your study programme will contact you in this matter. Examinations which require personal attendance are currently not possible. Written and/or oral exams, as well as Bachelor’s and Master’s exams, can also be held via online systems such as Skype, TEAMS or Webex. Our examination regulations do not exclude this solution. Please prepare for your exam as planned and check your e-mails regularly (FH Burgenland address).
What is important when taking exams via online systems?
You have to install a camera and switch on the sound. Please set up the camera so that you and your immediate surroundings (e.g. desk) are clearly visible. The exam supervisor may ask you to show the entire room before the exam, for example to make sure that you are alone in the room.
How are internet connection problems dealt with?
This depends on the duration of the connection problems. If it takes just a few seconds, it will probably be possible to continue the exam. In the case of oral online exams, the exam will be interrupted in case of a longer disconnection and resumed after the connection is re-established. In the case of a longer disconnection during a written examination, a different task can be set instead. If the interruption takes very long and would enable the student to e.g. use unauthorised aids, a new appointment would have to be made.
What if I have no Internet access at all?
In this case the examination cannot be held. If necessary, you will be offered an alternative date.
Is a change from the originally announced assessment modalities and the type of examination possible?
This is possible due to this special situation caused by a force majeure event (coronavirus): As a University of Applied Sciences, we have both a due diligence as well as an obligation to minimize damage. We can thus change the type of examination (e.g. from written to oral etc.), provided that the learning outcome and a comparability of requirements are ensured. Furthermore, the assessment modalities can be adapted (e.g. project work instead of written exams etc.). You will be informed about all changes as soon as possible. If there are any changes, the study programme administration can ask you for a declaration of consent. If you do not agree, the assessment will be carried out as originally planned. However, due to the still unforeseeable duration of the current situation, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to complete your studies without delay.
Attendance / Interruption
Is attendance at online courses compulsory?
The agreed on attendance requirements also apply to online courses. Online participation in the course equals attendance.
Will my absence be excused in case of accounted for support services in connection with the current situation?
We absolutely support our students’ commitment in the context of the current situation. Absences due to auxiliary or support activities (e.g. extraordinary civilian service, extended civilian or military service, call-up as a militiaman or even voluntary work for auxiliary and blue-light organizations) can be excused by the study programme director. This especially applies to support services in the health sector (e.g. hotline 1450, support at hospitals, etc.). Please contact your study programme director in advance for clarification.
Can I also interrupt my studies if I participate in accounted for support services in connection with the current situation?
We absolutely support the commitment of our students in the context of the current situation. In the case of absences due to auxiliary or support activities (e.g. extraordinary civilian service, extended civilian or military service, call-up as a militiaman or even voluntary work for auxiliary and blue-light organizations) your study programme director can approve a request for interruption of your studies. However, please discuss all possibilities for continuing your studies without interruption with your study programme director beforehand.
Internships
Can I continue with my work placement?
Internships (in Austria and abroad) can generally be continued. Your organization will inform you about further steps. If an internship cannot be continued, we ask you to contact your study programme director.
Some companies cancel internships for students or do not allow a continuation. Can students do compensatory work?
Compensatory work is possible, provided that a corresponding acquisition of competences is ensured. In each individual case, your programme director will support you to find an alternative solution.
Can my current auxiliary activity (e.g. extraordinary civilian service, extended civilian or military service, call-up as a militiaman or voluntary work for aid and blue-light organizations) be recognized as my professional internship?
We very much support your commitment. Auxiliary activities can be recognized as internship. The decisive factor here is the comparability of the acquisition of competences. This applies to internships in the health care sector, whereby the legally prescribed acquisition of competences must be observed in particular.
Project, Bachelor’s and Master’s Theses
How do I get feedback on my bachelor’s or master’s thesis?
During the next few weeks we will only supervise bachelor’s theses or master’s theses via phone or e-mail. Please contact your supervisor and check your e-mails regularly.
Can I meet with the members of my project group?
Unfortunately not at our campuses. We recommend that you hold your project meetings online or by telephone if possible. We are currently unable to provide you with rooms at our campuses.
Laboratory Exercises
What about laboratory exercises?
Laboratory exercises will not take place at the moment. We are working on alternative ways (e.g. online simulations) in order to enable a smooth continuation of your studies.
Excursions, semester abroad or internship abroad
Can I continue my semester abroad or internship abroad?
We strongly recommend returning to Austria (see note on the website of the Foreign Ministry). If you return prematurely from a stay abroad, your university abroad probably offered you compensation possibilities via distance learning. If this is not the case, please contact your study programme director.
Are there any excursions?
Excursions planned for the period until 30th of April 2020 cannot take place. The question of whether excursions planned for the period after this date can take place is discussed regularly within the FH Coordination Group. We will inform you of our decision as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the FH Burgenland cannot reimburse any cancellation fees - however, we will do our best to advise students in order to obtain goodwill arrangements with airlines or hotels. Please also contact the students‘ association representation.
Optional subjects
Will there be offered any optional subjects?
Basically the same regulations that apply for regular courses also apply for optional subjects. However, at the moment the focus of our efforts will of course lie on compulsory subjects.
FAQs for lecturers
What does the change to distance learning mean for me as a lecturer?
Of course this is a challenging situation. However, your programme director will be happy to support you in using online tools such as Webex. You can find an online tutorial on this topic at https://moodle.fh-burgenland.at/pluginfile.php/395/mod_forum/post/47350/WebEx-Schnelleinstieg.mp4
Please check your e-mails regularly (FH account).
Whom can I contact if I have technical problems?
The colleagues on our "helpline" will be happy to help you. Please send an e-mail to helpline[at]fh-burgenland.at. We are currently working at full speed to enable teaching units via distance learning. We ask for your understanding and cooperation if one or the other problem cannot be solved immediately.
How does attendance verification for online courses work?
At the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland we have already gained many years of experience with distance learning. We recommend to demand an acoustic confirmation by students (reading out the list of names) or to request from all students to show themselves briefly via their web-cameras.
In these special times, we aim to show the greatest possible goodwill towards our students. We also assume that our students will participate in the online courses in a disciplined manner.
FAQs for applicants
What will the admission procedure for the study programmes look like now?
For the time being, admission procedures in all study programmes at the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland are possible only online. The programme management will contact applicants directly in order to make concrete appointments and agree on the form of online communication. Please check the e-mail address you have indicated in your application regularly.
How can I get information about studying at the FH Burgenland now?
In order to arrange for an online consultation, please contact the respective programme director or the respective programme management. You will find the contact details on our website.
You can also watch the FAQ videos on our Youtube channel to get a picture of the study programme: https://www.youtube.com/user/FHSBurgenland
Can I come to the FH Burgenland for a personal consultation, to the InfoLounge or to the information day?
Personal contact with applicants is not possible for the time being. The info day on 14th of March 2020 will be held as an online info day. The InfoLounge on 04th of April 2020 has been cancelled. We will of course answer all your questions online or by telephone. Please contact the respective programme director or the respective programme management. You will find the contact details on our website.
FAQs concerning events
Will there be professional events, conferences, graduation ceremonies etc. in the next few weeks?
Conferences, such as regiomedia, Bologna Day 2020 or Linux Days, as well as events with a larger group of participants, such as the Long Night of Research or graduation ceremonies have to be cancelled or postponed, if they should take place before 30th of April 2020. The question of whether events planned for the period after this date can be held is regularly discussed in the FH coordination group and a decision is communicated as directly as possible.
(Status March 10th, afternoon): Fortunately, there are currently no SARS-CoV-2 infections at the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland. Nevertheless, we fully support the measures taken by the federal government of Austria. Furthermore, it is important to us to support students, lecturers and staff in the best possible way.
The FH Burgenland coordination group, consisting of members of the university management, department and study programme managers, has decided that from tomorrow, Wednesday, 11th of March 2020, no lectures requiring attendance will be held at the study centers of the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland in Eisenstadt and Pinkafeld. We are currently converting courses into online formats – where possible - or, if necessary, postponing them - this for example applies to laboratory exercises. Already planned excursions and examinations with a large number of candidates are being cancelled, as well as planned conferences and graduation ceremonies. Work placements/internships will take place as scheduled - unless the respective company provides other information. For detailed questions, please contact your study programme manager.
We ask you all to check your e-mails regularly in the next few days. We will inform you via this channel about further steps or the organisation and implementation of online courses. It is very important to us that this situation does not result in any disadvantages for you.
The FH Burgenland info day on 14th March 2020 will be held in a different form. There will be the possibility for future students, interested in our study programmes, to get online information from the heads of the study programmes. If you are interested, you can register by e-mail via beratung@fh-burgenland.at or make an appointment by phone.
We are trying to do our best to ensure lectures as well as possible. Nevertheless, we ask for your cooperation to support our colleagues in the organisation of your study programmes.
The coordination group meets regularly in order to make the best possible decisions for all people working or studying at the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland. We are also in close contact with the responsible authorities in Burgenland and our federal government. We use e-mail communication, as well as our website to keep you informed about current developments.
Furthermore:
If you have any questions, or if you are uncertain whether you are ill, please contact the hotline 1450.
If you show symptoms, please do not go to a doctor under any circumstances, but call 1450 where you will receive all further information on how to proceed.
At the same time, please also inform your study programme manager.
