Disadvantage compensation

• Students who can provide evidence of a chronic illness or impairment that has a concrete impact on their studies can take advantage of individualised measures to compensate for disadvantages. This takes into account the individual limitations of those affected and also realises the principle of equal opportunities by (ideally) creating equal starting conditions for all studentsand prospective students. The possibility of claiming compensation for disadvantages results from the Bavarian Higher Education Innovation Act (BayHIG) and the corresponding regulations in the respective Study and Examination Regulations.
• Compensation for disadvantages is therefore never granted across the board, but is always decided on a case-by-case basis!
• There is no general entitlement to a specific form of compensation for disadvantages (e.g. students who are unable to write cannot insist per se that a written examination be converted into an oral examination. It would also be conceivable, for example, for him or her to be provided with an invigilator and a typist in a separate examination room, to whom he or she can then dictate the text to be written)
• It is up to the examination boards to decide which measures can be granted in individual cases with regard to the specific impairment.
• The content requirements for the performance to be achieved are not reduced within the disadvantage compensation procedure. This means that only the framework conditions for the provision of services are modified, but not the service itself.
• The utilisation of compensation for disadvantages will in no way (positively or negatively) affect the assessment of coursework and examinations and will not be documented in transcripts or certificates.
• The counselling institutions as well as other offices involved (Examination Secretariat and Examination Board, examiners, the Senate Representative if applicable, the division for study-related legal matters) are subject to a duty of confidentiality.
• In principle,temporary illnesses cannot result in compensation for disadvantages; in this case, it may be necessary to consider withdrawing from the examination.

Procedure

• If you require compensation for disadvantages, please contact the Counselling Centre for Students with Disabilities at an early stage.
• As soon as possible, i.e. as soon as long-term requirements for the regular study and examination process become apparent, submit a written application for compensation for disadvantages to the responsible examination secretariat of the respective subject for forwarding to the chairperson of the examination board in the respective subject or to the responsible ministry (State Examination).
• As a rule, the application must be submitted at least four to eight weeks before the first examination, insofar as the area of responsibility of the University of Regensburg is affected (see the respective Examination Regulations in the subject).
• In the case of responsibilities outside the University of Regensburg, e.g. for state examinations, please contact the relevant offices directly to clarify deadlines, documents to be submitted and any special requirements! For students of teacher training programs, there is an extra information sheet on the homepage of the examination administration of the University of Regensburg on how to apply for compensation for disadvantages in state examinations. Please follow the instructions carefully!
• The application must be accompanied by a (specialist) medical certificate including a specific statement from the doctor; both here and in the written application, you must describe exactly how your illness/impairment will affect your studies and/or the respective examinations. Ultimately, the certificate must show how severely you are disadvantaged compared to students who do not suffer from your illness/impairment. It is also helpful if it is worked out how severe your illness/impairment is in comparison to the same group of affected students. The indication of special measures that the doctor considers necessary from a medical point of view to compensate for the negative effects of your illness/impairment are helpful and should therefore be indicated. However, they are only an orientation and by no means binding, as the doctor cannot assess either the subject or the legal side of the compensation for disadvantages. Any existing experience with regard to compensation for disadvantages or protection from disadvantages from school or previous studies should also be presented in addition.
• The application will be checked for completeness by the examination secretariat and then submitted to the examination board or its chairperson for a decision. The examination board may seek advice, in particular from the Senate Representative for Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illness and their team or the Legal Department. Before formally rejecting the application, it must consult the Senate Representative if this is requested in the application. If you do not receive the requested compensation for disadvantages or do not receive it in full, you can request a rejection notice in writing, which is subject to appeal.
• The students concerned are responsible for the organisational and practical implementation of the approved compensation for disadvantages! You should therefore inform the lecturers/examiners concerned immediately about the approved compensation for disadvantages so that any necessary organisational arrangements can be made in good time.