AStA Universität Lüneburg

#NOTMYRPO

Last updated 24. April 2024 | Sprecherinnen

RPO change process 2022/23

You’re probably all wondering what will happen to the Framework Examination Regulations (RPO) after the winter break. Below you will find an update from your student councils (AStA, StuPa, Senate):

On January 11, the Central Study Commissions (ZSK) discussed the RPO changes and it still doesn’t look good for us students. Although our amendments were dealt with, they received little support from the deans of studies, who supported the Executive Board’s recommendation. Accordingly, there was no recommendation in the resolution, but a stalemate. The lecturers want to continue to allow compulsory attendance in seminars and tutorials and the so-called consecutive modules, abolish the second examination phase, shorten registration deadlines and much more…

Now the Senate will decide on the change to the framework examination regulations on January 25 at 2:30 p.m. The students in the Senate only have three out of 19 seats and continue to encounter a lot of resistance in their attempt to prevent the far-reaching and negative effects of the changes.

Now we have to speak up and express our displeasure! We therefore invite you to the student assembly on January 19 at 4 p.m. in lecture hall 1 – there we will inform you about the current status and the further procedure and make our protest known!
There will also be a stand in front of Building 9 from Monday, where you can continue to sign the student initiative (petition) and pick up new RPO merchandise! So far we have collected around 3100 signatures and want to achieve even more! We can only achieve this together.
Because the new RPO would be an RPO for the toilet!

Our framework examination regulations are to be changed – with dire consequences for us students.

Want to know what’s going on right now?

Here is a summary of background information about the process, its consequences and what we can do to defend ourselves against it.

What is the RPO anyway?

RPO stands for Framework Examination Regulations and regulates the formal framework of the degree program, i.e. what students and lecturers must and can do. It “contains general regulations on the course and procedure of study-related coursework and examinations at [Studienprogramms] at the […] University of Lüneburg” (see Gazette 2018, § 1). In short: How do we have to study?

The Framework Examination Regulations should not be confused with the Subject-Specific Annex (FSA). This regulates the content and individual regulations for the respective degree programs. In short: What do we need to study?

There are seven different framework examination regulations at our university, one for the Leuphana Bachelor (College), one for the Master (Graduate School) and one for teacher training programs. In addition, there are four RPOs for part-time, continuing education and certificate courses.

The last RPO change was in the summer semester 2020.

What should be changed and what consequencesquences does this have for us students?

  • compulsory attendance in seminars / exercises

Regular attendance is a prerequisite for admission to the examination. Regular attendance is achieved when 80% of the course has been attended. In the case of a weekly event, you are therefore allowed to be absent a maximum of three times. It does not matter whether it is an “excused” absence (e.g. due to illness) or an “unexcused” absence (this also includes, for example, paid work, care work, commitment).

  • In the case of modules that build on each other in terms of content, successful examinations are a prerequisite for admission to the following modules

This regulation makes it more difficult for students to complete their studies within the standard period of study. Because: If a module is not passed, the following module cannot be started in the next semester. Failure to pass would delay your studies by a whole year. Furthermore, this regulation massively interferes with our student self-determination. Students should be able to decide for themselves whether they consider themselves qualified to take a module!

  • Use of plagiarism software without suspicion and without requiring a declaration of consent from students

This once again restricts the freedom and self-determination of students. It is also problematic that the content and data of our written examinations can be passed on to external companies without our consent. If your own work can be passed on to third parties without a declaration of consent, this can lead to considerable legal problems for the students and the university. In addition to the questionable data protection, the copyright of your own text cannot be secured when uploading.

  • Stricter and shorter deadlines for exam registration and deregistration
  • Reorganization of the 2nd examination phase into a pure repetition phase

This means that you can no longer split your own exams into two phases. The second phase could only be used in the event of illness or failure to pass the first examination.

What can we do?

Nothing really…

…and that’s why we need all of you!

What are we going to do?

A lot, and together!

Let’s get active and stand up for our rights. Come to our booth on campus the next few weeks between 10am and 2pm, pick up some punch or cool #NOTMYRPO merch and sign the petition so the Senate MUST address our criticisms.

The next important dates for this are the student plenary meeting on 19.01. at 16:00 in lecture hall 1, where we want to bring you up to date and make our protest loudly known. Also make a note of January 25 from 2:30 pm for the all-important Senate meeting!

Further information and actions will follow. Follow us on Instagram for short-term info and come around.
Because the new RPO would be an RPO for the toilet!

Criticism of the RPO – old version

What do we study for? Exams and marks, yeah! Of course, that’s not really what matters to us in our studies, but nevertheless, there are always problems. That’s why you’ll find some useful information concerning your exams and other formalities in your studies on this page.

The AStA has created a readerto help you understand the examination regulations (RPO).

On this page, you will also find information about compulsory attendance, registration and deregistration for exams, advice, and our ideal RPO.

Compulsory attendance

In your seminar attendance lists are handed out? Your lecturers insist on attendance to admit you to the exam?

Bad news first: This can be legal.

The Lower Saxony Higher Education Act(Niedersächsisches Hochschulgesetz) excludes a general obligation to be present:

Study and examination regulations may only require students to be present in courses if this is necessary to achieve the goal of a course.

§7(4) NHG


In our RPO, this necessity is regulated through the “successful participation”:

If it is necessary to achieve the qualification goal, the responsible study commission may, upon application of a lecturer or the person responsible for the module, stipulate successful participation as a prerequisite for admission to the module examination. In doing so, it must be defined when successful participation exists.

§6(1) RPO


If successful participation, which can also include attendance, has been decided, the information about it mustalso appear in the course description in myStudy. The study commissions have equal representation, which means that the same number of lecturers and students are entitled to vote there. So if there is successful participation required in a module and you don’t think it makes sense, talk to your student representatives! Probably they can follow your argumentation and hopefully next year the module will not have a successful attendance anymore Also, keeping attendance records does not have to have any effect on the grading: Other examples are for research purposes. But this should be made clear at the start! If an attendance list is kept and it cannot be explained to you why then it may not be legal. In such cases, you should contact Thies Reinck, the ombudsperson of the university. He will mediate between students and lecturers. You can find more information here.

You are also welcome to contact us! We will gladly mediate and give you tips.

Our Ideal RPO

It’s easy to critizise, ideals of free education are important, but neither helps in a specific case alone.

In 2016, we sat down with students from all faculties and came up with our current “ideal” RPO. This group had formed after the plenary meeting in early June.

You can find the result here: Ideal RPO

The most important points for us:

  • §6 Forms of modules (1): A description of how we imagine study courses and a reference that there can be no compulsory attendance.
  • §11 Dates and deadlines (1): A list of students who cab move up to take a vacant place in the module remains active throughout the semester, and places are allocated by lottery.
  • §13 Repetition of examinations: Examinations can be repeated an unlimited number of times, including the Bachelor thesis. Each failed attempt will be noted in the Transcript of Records. Repeats must be offered in the same semester for combined academic papers and examinations, and in the following semester for the other forms of examination. A didactic inseparability must be decided by the responsible study committee.
  • § 14 Evaluation of examination performances, formation, and weighting of grades: The evaluation must be available no later than 10 days before the repeat examination.
  • § 16 Withdrawal, neglect, cheating, the invalidity of the Bachelor examination: Withdrawal is possible at any time. tudents who do not appear for an exam, even though they are registered, will not receive a failed attempt. A medical certificate is sufficient as confirmation of the inability to take the examination.
  • § 22 Additional modules can be taken! Even within a module, double assignments are possible, provided that the courses are different.