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.

• 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 Student Life Manager 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 Student Life Manager 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 Student Life Manager 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?

Yes. Medical masks (FFP2 or N95) MUST be worn

• Inside all academic, administrative or other shared-use indoor spaces on campus During seminars(faculty may permit temporary removal by individuals)
• During seminars.(Faculty may permit temporary removal by individuals)
• While waiting in line inside the cafeteria
• While speaking with faculty or staff members in their offices unless directed otherwise.  

Masks are not required:

• Outdoors (where social distancing can be maintained)
• In your apartment
• While eating in the cafeteria or in another indoor space (where social distancing can be maintained)
• When alone in a room with other members of your own household group, e.g. in the library, reading room or computer lab

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. During visits, masks must be worn.
• 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?

Yes, learning remotely will be possible without any disadvantage to the student.

• All students and instructors must refrain from in-person attendance if they are feeling ill or are exhibiting any symptoms linked to Covid-19.
• However, regular attendance is essential to the collaborative work of learning in seminar format and forms part of the participation grade. 
• Unless prevented by illness, students are expected to engage fully with their classes.
• Instructors will offer alternatives to in-person attendance where needed, including remote participation or asynchronous options.

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 community members are expected to download and utilize 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.)
• Attendance will be taken and attendance list will be kept by the Librarian for fourteen days.
• Please use the Corona-Warn App QR-code function to check into the building.
• Users must wash or disinfect their hands before browsing library items.
• Gardens should be used for studying whenever weather permits.
• Each library room may be used for studying by up to two people at a time. A third person may enter the room to browse items for no longer than ten minutes at a time.
• 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.
• Attendance will be taken at the cafeteria entrance. Please use the Corona-Warn-App QR-code function to check into the building.
• 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.