COVID-19 Response

Will classes be held in person or online this semester?

Bard College Berlin remains committed to conducting as many course sessions in-person as is safe and legally allowable. Courses will meet in person from the start of the spring semester, except for those designated as online OSUN courses. Unless announced, all instruction is in-person (“Präsenslehre”). Regular attendance is essential to the collaborative work of learning in the seminar format and forms part of the participation grade. 

• Please be sure to familiarize yourself with the hygiene and safety measures outlined in the Special Policies and Procedures During the Coronavirus Pandemic.
• Please note that regulations may change and we all have to be prepared to make adjustments quickly as needed. If state guidance is amended, you will be alerted of any changes.

Do I have to be vaccinated to attend classes?

To protect members of the Bard College Berlin community, all students, faculty and staff must be fully vaccinated. Please note that in accordance with the current medical consensus, to be fully vaccinated means to have received three doses of an EMA-approved vaccine.

• Students must be fully vaccinated with an EMA-approved vaccine (including the third or “booster” shot) prior to their arrival at the college for the Spring Semester, provided that they can receive their remaining doses without incurring unreasonable risks or burdens. 
• Students must provide documentation of their vaccination status via this form or directly to the Helath & Wellness Officer prior to or immediately upon arrival at the college, no later than 6 February 2022. The documentation will be kept on file and must be updated for the duration of their studies. Students must inform the Helath & Wellness Officer of any changes to their vaccination status as soon as possible and submit the necessary documentation. Failure to do so will be considered a violation of the student code of conduct and students will be referred to the conduct process.
• Students who are not able to be fully vaccinated (including the third or “booster” shot) before their arrival at the college must obtain their remaining vaccination doses in Berlin as soon as possible. Vaccinations are easily and freely obtainable in Berlin. The Student Life Office will provide the necessary guidance. Students must provide updated information and documentation regarding their vaccination appointments and vaccination status via this form or directly to the Health & Wellness Officer as soon as possible. 

Unless and until students are fully vaccinated, they must provide proof of a negative SARSCoV2 test result that is no older than 48 hours to attend any course sessions, use any common college facilities or gather with any members of the Bard College Berlin community outside their own household.

Will I have to wear a mask on campus?

Bard College Berlin is a mask-friendly campus. This means that the wearing of FFP2 or N95 masks (“Mund-Nase-Bedeckungen,” hereinafter: “masks”) is recommended in shared
indoor spaces in the university, but not mandatory. However, each instructor or group leader is authorized to require that masks be worn by all attendants in course meetings or comparable gatherings. Members of the community must provide their own masks. Outside of specific seminar sessions and comparable gatherings where masks are required, please use your best judgement to decide in what situations you should wear a mask on campus. In general, wearing a mask shows consideration for the health and wellbeing of others, especially those who are particularly vulnerable to the virus or are, for medical or regulatory reasons, unable to be vaccinated. Bard College Berlin may reintroduce mask mandates as local circumstances change. In this and other regards, college rules may exceed general health regulations from the Berlin state and German federal governments.

Seminar rooms and comparable gathering spaces must be aired out every 60 minutes, with all windows and doors fully opened for at least five minutes. (Please dress
accordingly.) All shared-use indoor spaces (including offices, teaching facilities, art studios, seminar, meeting and common rooms) must be aired out regularly.

All members of the community must wash their hands regularly.

How will social distancing work in college accommodations?

• No visitors from outside Bard College Berlin are permitted anywhere inside your residence hall without written permission by Student Life staff.
• For on-campus students, the students with whom you share your apartment are considered your “household” group.
• Masks are not required within your household group.
• Visits to your apartment by up to two members from other households are permissible. 
• All student rooms and shared kitchen and living room areas in student apartments must be vented regularly, with all windows fully open for five to ten minutes.

If a student feels ill or has to quarantine, will the student be able to continue learning remotely?

If a student has to refrain from in-person seminar attendance because of a possible, suspected, or proven infection, they may request that instructors offer alternatives to in-person attendance, such as remote participation or asynchronous options. Students remain responsible for ensuring that they stay current with or make up all course work.

What do I do if I exhibit symptoms associated with Covid-19? 

Members of the College who

• receive a positive(rapid) test result, or
• who are not fully vaccinated and exhibit symptoms associated with Covid-19, or
• who learn that they may have been exposed to the coronavirus

must immediately isolate themselves from all college members and notify the college.

• Students, please email Student Life (student [email protected]) and your professors. You may also use the college’s 24-hour emergency phone hotline (+49-1575 7926095).
• In addition, students should check the Berlin state website and call the Coronavirus Hotline and follow its professional guidance on quarantine and testing (+49 - 30-90 282828), Monday to Friday, 8 am - 8 pm. Student Life staff can assist with arranging care and finding testing, as available when requested.

What is the current situation in Berlin and what are the social distancing rules?

One of the most comprehensive resources are the reports that are regularly issued by the Robert Koch-Institute (RKI), the German Center for Infectious Diseases. The RKI provides daily updated infection numbers on Germany and specific numbers for Berlin are provided (in German only) by the Berlin Senate.

As the situation evolves constantly, please refer to the official guidelines from the Berlin senate for a comprehensive list of social distancing measures in Berlin.

Where can I get tested?

A number of hospitals in Berlin have set up special coronavirus screening centers for suspected cases. For rapid tests there are various testing centers in the city.

Should I download the German Corona Warn App?

Bard College Berlin recommends that community members download and use the Corona-Warn App, issued by the German federal Government, to track any potential exposure to individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19.

The app has several functions that help protect users and facilitate contact tracing, including QR-code check-in for university buildings, spaces and events, a contact log and digital proof of vaccination.

What are the library rules?

Yes, the library will be open.

• Users should return their items in the drop-box if they are visiting the library only for this purpose. (Reserve shelf items should be returned at the front desk.)
• Users must wash or disinfect their hands before browsing library items.
• Gardens should be used for studying whenever weather permits.
• During longer stays, all users must open the window for at least ten minutes every hour.

What are the cafeteria rules?

• Access to the cafeteria is from the rear of the building only. Please exit the cafeteria through the front door only.
• Maintain a distance of 1.5 meters while in line outside. Maintain distance as possible and wear a mask while in line inside the building.
• Due to space limitations, on-campus students must not to sit inside the cafeteria to eat lunch.
• On-campus students are required to take their lunch to their residence hall or sit outside. On-campus students are permitted to eat breakfast and dinner inside the cafeteria, provided social distancing can be maintained.
• Off-campus students may sit inside the cafeteria to eat lunch, provided social distancing can be maintained. However, they are encouraged to eat lunch outside or in other suitable campus spaces.
• Faculty and staff should eat lunch in their offices or outside, or to use kitchens, terraces or other suitable spaces in the academic or administrative buildings.
• All community members may sit and eat outside the cafeteria at any time, provided social distancing can be maintained.

If the situation regarding the pandemic at any point causes me serious personal concerns or distress, who can I talk to?

For all mental health concerns, Bard College Berlin offers its students a variety of services. Students have the possibility to set up online appointments and speak confidentially to a professional counselor about any personal difficulties. In addition, Student Life staff and trained peer counselors (BRAVE Counselors) also assist students in finding mental health specialists. You can also pursue mental health support from professionals where you live.