Student examination counseling

Contact: pruefungsberatung(x)stura.tu-chemnitz.de

*please use @ instead of (x)

Advisor: Mike Niederstraßer

The examination counseling service is currently working from home. Therefore, no face-to-face appointments can take place. Consultations take place by e-mail and, by arrangement, by telephone or video conference.

Nice that you found us. Even though we of course hope that all your exams are successful and that you are only stopping by here out of pure interest in what StuRa has to offer, we would like to give you some information about the counseling service in case everything doesn't happen as expected or has already happened. (as of November 2020)

 Who can contact us? 

For legal reasons, the advisory service is limited to members of the student body of TU Chemnitz. If you are going to be a student here soon or were until recently, contact us anyway and we will see individually if and how we can help you.

We are not allowed to work for examiners, even if they were students themselves and are now perhaps working on their doctorate or are only employed as assistants (which of course does not exist at all). Other ways would have to be found here.

What is the task of the counseling center?
  • Basically, as early as possible...
  • and even if it's just a potential question, or you don't quite know yet if it's going to be a question.
  • But if the problem is already urgent and deadlines are running out, you should also think about filing an objection (Widerspruch) yourself by means of an informal letter - if only to keep the deadlines. A statement of reasons is not necessary (at first) and can be submitted later. Write as soon as possible to the counseling service and give us a reference to the urgency or current deadline in the subject.
What questions can you contact us with?.
  • You have the feeling during an exam that something was not according to the rules or just "strange"
  • You were not admitted at all or missed deadlines
  • You haven't heard anything about your term paper, thesis, or proposal for months and it's getting urgent
  • There is just online chaos and you can't even see how to get a degree then
  • You are denied a written explanation of the examination evaluation or an inspection of the documents by copy.
  • You have received a decision, but what is written in it should not remain as it is, is somehow wrong or completely wrong.
  • It is about the reproach of the plagiarism, insufficient previous achievements, not kept deadlines, not recognized resignation or a rejected disadvantage compensation - perhaps even connected with consequences with the BAföG or completely in principle with the study.
  • After a committee decision or after "the professor" has reconsidered, suddenly something completely different is demanded than before.
  • You see yourself personally disadvantaged, discriminated against or you have been dealt with inappropriately
And when should you not contact us?

Questions about a good study process or the study organization are best answered by your student council or the student advisor of your study program. Also have a look at the pages of the other advisory services of the StuRa and the StuWe, maybe there is something even better applicable. In case of doubt, however, write to us, we will gladly refer you.

What can we offer then?

Our counseling finds out together with you, where the problems can lie, determines solution approaches and strategies of handling, offers help to the self-help. It also works together with other counseling centers (e.g. the Studierendenwerk), because rarely does a problem come alone.

We advise you on your rights and possible courses of action in the examination process, in the evaluation of examination results, admission to and withdrawal from examinations, examination retakes and examination decisions, as well as in recognition and credit procedures, in the compensation for disadvantages and all questions concerning examinations, up to and including the appeal procedure, in the contestation of decisions and evaluations, and much more. We also support you when it comes to writing these letters in German.

Where are the limits of this advisory service?

For legal reasons, no further support in legal proceedings is possible and also a direct intervention at examination boards is excluded. Before it comes to that, however, you should have already stopped by the counseling service.

The information and assistance offered by the Examination Advisory Service is primarily of a fundamental nature and includes discussions of legal issues affecting students, especially in matters of higher education law. Therefore, only extrajudicial services or activities as counsel (e.g. at hearings or appointments) may be provided. We have no right to refuse to testify and there is no prohibition on seizing files or other information provided to us. In addition, there are limitations of liability and we do not have attorneys' liability insurance.

Can you also help me as an interested committee member?

Also with regard to the appropriateness or the change of examination and study regulations, the examination advisory service can answer questions, whereby it does not replace the work of the student councils in this area, but answers inquiries that go beyond this and is connected to the StuRa in order to also be able to stimulate university political action, such as for changes in regulations. Individual thematic events can also be organized.

In addition to the individual case consultation for students, student committees or members can also turn to the consultation when meetings are to be prepared or supra-individual problem situations or changes are to be discussed.

I am a student member of the examination board and I have a question...
  • Sure, actually the university should take care of your training and support you to fulfill your role as the only student on the committee. Should. So if you want to know how to approach questions, or what new requirements or rulings have come up lately, or if you have the impression that you are cut off from all information in the committee because the chairperson decides over you, then just get in touch, or
  • come to the weekend seminar "Introduction to Examination Law" for student committee members. We offer such seminars once or twice a year. Unfortunately, the next one has been postponed indefinitely for now due to contact restrictions.
What does it cost me.

The work of the Exam Counseling Service is funded solidarily by all students who are members of the student body through the semester fee and does not cost you anything extra.

How do you reach us?

Please let us know first by sending an email to pruefungsberatung@stura.tu-chemnitz.de, so that the question can perhaps already be answered electronically or a consultation can be arranged. The offer of the examination consultation has recently been significantly expanded and is now available every Monday and Thursday from 11 am to 5 pm for your questions.

Currently, the consultation is only possible by e-mail (also possible in encrypted form, see extra entry) or by phone 0371 / 531 16004. In individual cases, however, personal meetings can be arranged separately, for which you will be picked up at the entrance to Thüringer Weg 11. However, you must wear a mouth-nose covering according to the well-known rules.

Directly to the StuRa I should not come and information by phone and simple e-mail are too little confidential for me, what's for alternatives?

To protect your personal data and the confidentiality of e-mails, you should never send unencrypted messages. Public institutions are required not to send personal data via unencrypted email without the consent of the communication partners. Since you and we mostly do not have access to our respective providers and therefore cannot ensure a (complete) transport encryption, an encryption on the content level would be recommendable, as it is offered by the PGP procedure. You can find good information about this topic at Riseup.

Do you have a PGP key and how do I get it?.
  • To send us secure information, you can use our PGP key (https://www.stura.tu-chemnitz.de/storage/app/media/beratungen/pruefungsberatung/pgp-pruefungsberatung.asc). Please also make sure that you encrypt not only the message but also any attachments and also send us your (public) key or deposit it on a keyserver so that we can reply in the same way.
  • After importing our key, please compare the fingerprint: A7A2 4A93 D2B2 C678 9221 C7CA B1EC D9DC BE88 D0BD and update your key list before use after a longer interruption, so that you know about a possible revocation or receive a new key.
  • Please also note that by default the header lines are not encrypted and the "autocrypt" (opportunistic security approach) and Pretty Easy privacy (p≡p or pEp; due to reduced control over keys) functions may pose a security risk depending on the deployment scenario.
On what legal basis does the advisory service operate?

We are active within the framework of student representation of interests and according to §7 para. 1 No. 1 and or in connection with §8 para. 1 No. 2 Legal Services Act (RDG) and, if necessary, as an advisor in the sense of §14 para. 4 VwVfG and offer assistance primarily for the enforcement of student rights, especially within examination law relationships and their justification. The advisory office is part of the student council as an organ of the student body according to §24 SächsHSFG for the fulfillment of internal university, university political and social concerns of the students.

And what happens after the consultation, if the bandages get tougher?

For any (further) legal advice or (extra-)judicial representation that may still be necessary, please contact such an expert body accordingly. Since the costs of a possible legal dispute can be considerable and often legal assistance is at least advantageous, a legal expenses insurance should be considered in time. Trade unions (such as the GEW or also ver.di) also offer legal protection for disputes relating to training law and certain social law disputes of their members as part of the membership rights.