News Overview

Removal of all COVID measures

As of 25 April, all remaining safety measures (minimum distances, FFP2 mask requirement, proof of being vaccinated/ recovered/ tested) were removed. This means that there are no longer any special regulations for teaching and examinations.

At the same time, all student areas (studios, drawing studios, learning centres, etc.) were reopened under the usual regulations, lifting capacity restrictions and limited opening hours.

However, the wearing of FFP2 masks at low distances is still recommended, as is maintaining or obtaining full immunisation by vaccination in view of the coming autumn.

LLT Breakfast: Student feedback in TeachCenter

At the cozy LLT breakfast of the OU Educational Technology (LLT), you will have the opportunity to learn new things about the use of digital media in teaching. Afterwards, you will be able to exchange ideas with colleagues and members of the LLT team in an informal atmosphere. The main topic this time is how to collect student feedback using the TeachCenter.

• When: 31 May 2022, 8 - 9 am
• Where: Seminar room M36EG002 (Münzgrabenstraße 36, ground floor)
• Registration: telucationnoSpam@tugraz.at

Mind the Gap: Award for Gender and Diversity

TU Graz promotes discussion of topics related to human factors in technology and natural sciences. Five cash prizes of €750 - €1,500 are offered annually for different formats:

• theses and publications
• external trainings, workshops, meetings, conferences
• teaching content and/or methods
• non-scientific projects to promote diversity in research and teaching

The target group is students and staff, as individuals or in teams. Submissions are not subject to any thematic restrictions. Judging criteria are the innovative content, the degree of in-depth analysis and the extent to which diversity aspects are integrated.

• Submission deadline: 18 September 2022
• Further details in the Intranet TU4U

Events on teaching in summer semester

In the current summer semester, there are several exchange opportunities at TU Graz on teaching-related topics.

20-22 April: European First Year Experience Conference
Topic: Exchange on support services for first-year students
Participation in individual sessions: free of charge for TU Graz members (registration: efyenoSpam@tugraz.at)

5 April & 19 May: “Lecturers for Lecturers”
Topic on 5.4. (2 pm–3 pm): Methods of hybrid teaching and Gender Taskforce
Topic on 19.5. (1 pm–2 pm): Laboratory practices
Registration and further information: www.tugraz.at/go/tisch

31 May (8-9 a.m.): LLT Breakfast
Topic: Collecting student feedback with the TeachCenter
Registration: elearningnoSpam@tugraz.at

23 June (10:30 am-12:30 pm): Lunch & Teaching
Topic: Exchange on Unite!
Registration: gerlinde.mueller-reinischnoSpam@tugraz.at

Webinar: Online exams in STEM subjects with “Gradescope”

Michael Lang (Institute of Thermodynamics and Sustainable Propulsion Systems) gives in a webinar insight about the conversion of his face-to-face exams to an online format with the service "Gradescope", which was done in cooperation with the OU Educational Technology. Gradescope is specifically designed for STEM subjects and aims to facilitate the online administration and marking of exams.

• When: 6 April 2022, 11:30 a.m.
• Where: online as a webinar
• To the registration

COVID-19: Current regulations for academic affairs

From 1 March, traffic light colour yellow is in place at TU. For the start of the summer semester, the following rules apply for academic affairs:

• 50 % occupancy of rooms (1 metre distance)
• Removal of FFP2 masks only at the seat and if the 1-metre safety distance can be maintained
• Obligatory wearing of FFP2 masks on public spaces
• Teaching primarily on-site
• Participation in courses/ exams: only with valid 2.5-G proof
• Library, learning areas, IT learning centres, drawing studios and other studios are open

General regulations and accepted 2.5-G proofs can be found as usual at www.tugraz.at/go/coronavirus.

Student Survey 2021: All partial reports online

Almost 1400 students took part in the first TU Graz-internal survey of all students on study conditions & Co. 2021. Five partial reports have been published in stages since September 2021:

• Feedback on the survey and sociodemographic details about participants
• The way to TU Graz (including study motives and information offers)
• COVID-19 and digital teaching
• Study situation and satisfaction aspects
• Inclusive culture at TU Graz (including sense of belonging and experiences of discrimination)

The existing partial reports on the student survey 2021 (StuSu 21) will finally be combined into one overall report and can be accessed on the Intranet TU4U: https://tu4u.tugraz.at/go/StuSu

Invitation: EFYE conference at TU Graz

The "European First Year Experience" conference, which has been held annually since 2006, will take place at TU Graz in 2022 and thus for the first time in Austria. It invites the exchange of ideas and experiences on support services for first-year students. Concepts for establishing contact with prospective students, tried-and-tested offers of orientation support in the first year of study and the promotion of such processes by didactically trained teachers will be discussed.

Hard facts:

• When: 20 - 22 April 2022
• Where: TU Graz (Old Campus)
• Registration open until 25 March
• All info on the website

Further education: „Using and creating OER”

Between March and April 2022, staff of all Austrian higher education institutions can participate in a free OER (Open Educational Resources) continuing education course. The basis is the MOOC "Using and creating OER" on iMooX.at with a start date of 3 March, which is accompanied by three online meetings.

In addition to a general overview of the topic of OER, those interested learn how they can independently create such free teaching and learning materials and, if necessary, use them for their teaching. Participation overview:

• Total workload: 25 hours
• Places available: 25
• Registration deadline: 14 February
• Language: German

Further information and registration: Centre for digital teaching and learning (University of Graz)

COVID-19: Current regulations for academic affairs

TU Graz changed to the traffic light status red on 10 January. We plan to change to Orange on 1 March, until then, the following rules are in place:

• 25 % occupancy of rooms (2 metre distance)
• Removal of FFP2 masks only at the seat and if the 2-metre safety distance can be maintained
• Teaching now only in defined exceptional cases on site
• Participation in courses: only with a currently valid, negative PCR test
• Participation in examinations: 2.5 G rule
• Selected learning areas, IT learning centres, drawing studios and other studios are open
• Library is open under certain conditions

General regulations can be found as usual at www.tugraz.at/go/coronavirus.

Teaching staff survey about eCampus

Do you already know the eCampus, a use case platform of diverse applications of technology-supported teaching methods? It is a project of the Science Space Styria (“Steirische Hochschulkonferenz”) exclusively for the Styrian education area and is hosted at TU Graz.

Even if you do not yet know eCampus "from the inside", we encourage and ask you to participate in the survey on this and similar platforms. In any case, you will contribute to the optimisation and further development of this service.

• The Survey (in German, duration approx. 10 minutes)

The survey is conducted and evaluated by the CAMPUS 02, University of Applied Sciences. If you have any questions, please contact patrick.schweighofernoSpam@campus02.at.

Open Call: Joint Online Courses

Are you interested in developing an online class with a colleague from a partner university? Then you will be happy to learn that TU Graz is launching a 2nd call for joint online courses to foster teaching cooperation with international partner universities.

We are looking for high-quality teaching concepts promoting intercultural learning by connecting students from different universities. Innovative digital technologies should be used for this purpose.

• Funding: 3 x 15.000 €
• Deadline: April 15, 2022
• Target group: Junior lecturers (i.e. university assistants, and assistant professors). A professor/senior lecturer can act as coach in the project team.

Contact:

Barbara Böttger, International Office - Welcome Center
barbara.boettgernoSpam@tugraz.at

Further information: Intranet TU4U