COVID-19: University operations summer semester 2021

26. February 2021

Dear University Members,
 
First of all, we would like to thank you for the many constructive conversations and feedbacks in the past days regarding the chosen strategy for the summer semester 2021.
 
Angewandte is the only Austrian university to open up all artistic-practical teaching, the work in the artistic classes and departments, the library as well as the work on research projects. This ambitious project requires both a joint effort by all university members and compliance with strict security regulations.
As of March 1, 2021, the following regulations apply in all university buildings without exception:

  • Mandatory carrying of a negative Covid test confirmation, not older than 48h. Test confirmations from the test lanes of the city of Vienna and the federal provinces and other public test sites (pharmacies, general practitioners, laboratories, operating sites, etc.) as well as the test lane Angewandte (see below) are accepted. In addition, accompanying antibody tests (not older than 6 months) allow access;
  • Mandatory wearing of FFP2 masks, except when staying alone in a room.
 
You can access the regulations in detail here.
 
In order that not only courses can be held and attended (where the respective university teachers are responsible for compliance with the safety regulations), but also independent work in the art departments is possible, a safety concept is needed in each art department as a prerequisite for the access of students. In addition to elements of self-responsibility, this concept must in any case also include organized, regular controls in order to be able to objectively meet the safety standards that the university members may expect and the health authorities will demand.
 
In addition to this decentralized control in the responsibility of the respective courses, workshops, the studios and the library, there will be regular checks by a specially commissioned person ("Health Checker"). The negative Covid test result must be presented at any time upon request. In the office and studio premises, the departmental safety concepts must be followed without exception. In the first few weeks, additional "health checkers" will be deployed in the entrance areas in order to be able to achieve the required safety standards during the initial phase of the decentralized control measures. In addition to the checks in the entrance area, the decentralized control processes in courses and the studios must nevertheless be adhered to and routinized. In those departments where individuals are repeatedly encountered without a negative Covid test result, attendance operations are suspended.
 
These general conditions must be adhered to without exception. We understand that this will demand a great deal from all university employees. Nevertheless, we are convinced that the possibility of returning largely to an operating mode that is in keeping with the nature of a university justifies this effort. Given the current developments in the pandemic, without these efforts during the summer semester, university operations such as we practiced last semester would not be possible.
 
Teststraße Angewandte
As of March 1, all university members will have access to their own test lane in the cashier's hall of the former Postal Savings Bank (access to test lane: Georg-Coch-Platz 1, 1010 Vienna). University members can be tested there free of charge and easily from Monday to Friday, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., after presenting their ID card. Anterio-nasal antigen self-tests are used. The smear test is performed as a self-test. The test confirmation handed out at the end of the test lane is only valid within the Angewandte.
 
We thank you for your cooperation and wish you all a successful summer semester!

Gerald Bast, Bernhard Kernegger, Barbara Putz-Plecko, Eva Maria Stadler and Maria Zettler