Hochschulrecht und -governance im „COVID-19-Modus“ – ein erstes Crossover

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic as well as the measurements taken for its combat did not make a stop at the Austrian institutions of higher education. The intensive phase of the lockdown of the institutions of higher education lasted approximately two months. However, the impact does affect the entire summer term 2020, or rather the academic year 2020/2021 as well. Two laws and four regulations – excluding the COVID-19 regulation of ease – ensure (hitherto) the adaptation of the institutions of higher education and universities, especially in the fields of teaching and studying as well as students grants, in order to, on the one hand, enable the summer term 2020 as a “digital semester” and, on the other hand, to neutralize (“neutral semester”) any negative impacts for students (particularly recipients of students grants). This article presents a higher education law and higher education governance related crossover, and attempts a temporary conclusion of the chosen “COVID-19 mode” for the Austrian system of higher education.