STUDENTS

In the Corona crisis, WiSo relies on the WiSo-Virtuellplus concept. The past two semester were characterized by an enormous effort of all faculty members in the context of WiSo-Virtuell. The challenges of the Corona pandemic will continue to accompany us in the summer semester. So far we will continue to develop creative ideas in a semester with a hybrid design. The concept is based on the following contents:

Continuation of study

In all of WiSo’s Bachelor’s and Master’s programs, the study program is offered on the basis of a hybrid teaching concept and adapted to the new conditions. In principle, every degree programme can be studied digitally and is enriched with classroom lectures. We offer safe study conditions through a rigorous and proven hygiene concept.

Digital instruction has been part of studying at WiSo for many years. For example, lecture recordings are widely available and already used by students. All WiSo courses have been reviewed to see if and how they can be continued online. In the UnivIS information system at www.univis.fau.de you will find information on the format (online, presence or hybrid online/presence) in which the courses are held as well as detailed information on the respective online format and information on time and place.

Furthermore there is a folder on the StudOn learning platform for each course that is usually held in the summer semester. Announcements have been made via StudOn detailing which courses will take place in the 2021 summer semester and the small number of courses that have been postponed. Please make sure that you join the relevant StudOn courses. This will ensure that you receive current information on your course. More on StudOn and UnivIS.

Further information on the coronavirus and its effect on FAU can also be found at www.fau.de/corona.

Student volunteering

AIESEC

AIESEC is the largest student organization worldwide, that set the goal to enable young people to have an intercultural exchange experience. If you are interested, you can find out more about the range of projects on https://www.aiesec.de, without commitment. Besides the offered aid projects, business and teaching internships, there is also the possibility of becoming a member of AIESEC. Leadership qualities. Practical experience. Responsibility. Personal development. Multicultural environment. Networking with NGOs, companies and students. “These appeal to you?”
Then simply apply for at https://www.aiesec.de/mitglied-werden-bei-aiesec and become part of our team. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us on our Instagram page.

FSI WiSo

The FSI is the student council initiative of the WiSo. Motivated students from all programs come together to represent the interests of the students. Even in this virtual semester, the FSI is actively involved in university politics, student life and in consulting on social media such as Instagram and Facebook. There you will find up-to-date information on a wide range of topics and on the activities of the various working groups. We are happy to refer to our Sustainable Sunday on Instagram (@fsiwiso) and Facebook (@fsi.wiso). In addition, there is a session via Zoom every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., which everyone is welcome to attend. The current meeting ID can be found in the Instagram Bio and further information about the activities of the FSI can be found on the website.

Junior Consulting Team

In the Junior Consulting Team, the student-run management consultancy in the Nuremberg area, students have the opportunity to apply their knowledge in practical projects at companies ranging from medium-sized enterprises to corporate groups. In trainings and workshops of renowned cooperation partners, the necessary know-how as well as practical skills are imparted. In addition, you become part of a great team and have the opportunity to network with partner companies. Interested? You can find more information on the website, on our Instagram page or in our short introduction document.

MTP

At Germany’s largest student marketing initiative MTP – Marketing zwischen Theorie und Praxis e.V., you have the opportunity to get in touch with companies both in the region and nationwide. Besides the chance to be part of this community, you can participate in workshops, lectures and projects. This allows you to make your first company contacts and improve your soft and hard skills. If you want even more insights, feel free to check out our Instagram account (mtp_nuernberg) or contact us via email at nuernberg@mtp.org. During the lecture period, we always meet weekly on Wednesdays from 18:30 on Microsoft Teams. Our 1st plenum will take place on 21.04 – feel free to contact us if you want to participate. We are looking forward to seeing you!

RCDS

The RCDS is a non-profit political university group at the WiSo, which actively shapes university policy and competes in the university elections every year. The RCDS supports students during these times in order to make this phase as pleasant and productive as possible, such as with a digital information evening, and on social media i.e. Facebook and Instagram. On its social media channels the RCDS provides helpful videos, for example on how to register on Zoom. Further details can be found in the Facebook event.

Sneep

Sneep Nuremberg acts as a student network for sustainability and business ethics in the region and specifically at WiSo and thus tries to help shape the transformation towards a sustainable society. In addition to the opportunity to make contacts and learn more about the topic of sustainability, this semester sneep also invites you virtually to collaborate on exciting projects on topics such as FairFashion, FairTrade, a sustainable approach to food or sustainability in teaching. Meetings are held on Tuesdays at 8:00pm at Zoom. More information on Instagram or Facebook, and via nuernberg@sneep.info.

Providing information and advice

Infothek

Due to the current situation, the Infothek is going back into digital operation. In order to offer the usual service and to provide students with information and help as usual, the Infothek team can be reached Monday to Thursday (09:30 – 15:30) and Friday (09:30 – 14:30) via the following channels: via ZOOM (the link can be found on the Infothek website at www.infothek.wiso.fau.de) or via email (wiso-infothek@fau.de). The office at Lange Gasse is currently not open to the public.

Service counter of the RRZE

The IZN’s service desk will also start digital operation again. In order to provide the best possible support for students with questions about software and the acquisition of required licenses, the classic on-site operation will be switched to virtual operation. The current opening hours and contact information can be found at https://izn.rrze.fau.de.

Strengthen agile mindset

The current situation requires flexibility and agile responses from all of us. We need to develop a mindset that is helpful to cope with an increasingly complex world. Already in the summer semester all members of the WiSo made a significant contribution to this.

The current economic and social situation is often associated with volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. This is the VUCA world. It requires a high degree of flexibility: agility. Agility requires a mindset: the agile mindset.

Quality management

WiSo has operated a proven quality management system for many years. We are using this system to monitor digital transformation. If you see a problem, help us to help you. To solve problems where they arise, please contact the relevant module managers first. If they are unable to resolve the problem, please contact the relevant study advisors and degree program coordinators.

In the middle of each lecture period the course evaluation takes place at the Faculty of Economic Sciences. A continuous and goal-oriented evaluation of the courses aims to assess the quality of teaching and to initiate a permanent, systematic improvement process based on the results. Please take this opportunity and participate in the surveys. Results of the last semesters can be found here:

https://www.qm.wiso.rw.fau.de/qm-praxis/downloadportal/evaluationsergebnisse/

Promoting independent learning

How can I work from home as a student? What options are there for learning online? What learning strategies can help me during the coronavirus pandemic? – Students will be facing significant challenges this semester. In the new #WiSoVirtuell blog, the Center for Continuing Education in University-Level Teaching (FBZHL) and the Chair of Business Education and Human Resources Development give you tips and suggestions on how to structure and plan the virtual semester. There are also plenty of creative ideas to inspire you on the School’s social media channels, such as Instagram campaigns to take part in and share your experiences.

Contact:

Alessandra Kenner

Koordinatorin hochschuldidaktische Weiterbildung

Promoting diversity in e-learning formats

E-learning is a very broad concept. There are many forms of digital education. Learning resources can range from books, PDF documents and audio files up to entire courses published online. As a result, learning is no longer bound to a fixed time or a fixed location – whenever an internet connection is available. This brings freedoms, but also requires greater self-discipline and personal responsibility. Online resources are often combined with support and communication tools. For example, forums can be used to ask questions and provide answers. However, this may entail a delay before a question is answered. Additionally, virtual office hours in question and answer format can be held using Zoom and Adobe Connect for real-time, synchronous communication. Synchronous formats are also available for delivering learning resources. For example, as a live lecture or a webinar with a significantly higher level of interactivity. Webinars allow greater interactivity for students through group work or participation in discussions. Online tests and exercises are a further aspect of e-learning. Students can use online tests to check what they have learned and review whether their learning was successful. Sometimes online tests can only be completed once, sometimes more frequently. There are many different types of online tests and exercises and these can be quite different depending on your course. Usually, you will learn about online tests and exercises relevant to you in your StudOn course or in any kick-off event.

Digital learning opportunities can be combined with classroom activities. These so-called blended learning or hybrid learning formats enable learning independent of time and place as well as social exchange and personal contact between students and teachers. Whether your course takes place as virtual, blended learning or presence format and which elements are used in the courses you attend can vary considerably. Usually you will find out in the respective StudOn course, in the UnivIs or in a possible kick-off event.

The Institute for Innovation in Learning and the Learning Lab have created the “FAU Digital Studies” program. Here especially first-year students will find a lot of information and support for virtual studies. A regular visit to the site can be worthwhile.

Developing digital skills

WiSo-Virtuell requires, but also encourages, the development of digital skills. Promoting the development of digital skills is an important strategic task for WiSo. Through our close relationship with companies and professional practices, we know what digital skills our students and tomorrow’s employees need and promote these accordingly. Digital skills are promoted on a theoretical and methodological level (e.g. knowledge of digital tools and media) as well as a practical level in the application of digital tools and media. Learning with digital tools and media (e-learning) plays an important role in the development of digital skills in digital and virtual teaching/learning scenarios. Visit this website to see just one example of what can be achieved with this technology.

WiSo-Virtuell is all about acquiring and developing digital skills. An important part of this is, for example, using tools to organize video conferencing. We know that our students already use a variety of communication tools to exchange information and organize themselves through social media. In addition, FAU also now provides students with access to professional video conferencing tools. Particular mention should be made of Zoom: FAU has purchased 40,000 Zoom licenses for its students. Zoom offers a variety of features.

You can find more about these and other tools here. Overview:

Getting ready to start a career

WiSo’s Career Service supports you on the topics of “career entry” and “employability”. This is achieved through a broad range of virtual seminars and lectures to promote job-relevant skills (registration via StudOn). In addition, two special career events will take place at WiSo in the summer semester of 2021: First, the digital mentorship program, a mentoring program for BA students in which companies provide mentorships for selected WiSo students in the form of internships and working student positions. Secondly, the digital Career Day will take place again on June 15, 2021. On this career information day, WiSo students will have the opportunity to attend lectures and workshops, have their application documents checked, and talk to numerous companies. For more information on both events, please visit the Career Service homepage.

In addition, the Career Service Team will continue to advise you by phone or Zoom on your application documents and professional concerns (appointments by e-mail: wiso-career-service@fau.de). For shorter appointments, the Career Service also offers consultation hours via Zoom on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 09.30 – 10.30 a.m. The complete event program for the SoSe21 can be found at www.career.wiso.fau.de.

Contact: