Code of conduct for digital courses

They apply both to lecturers and students and for our entire academic staff:

1. Invitations to digital meetings are only for the intended recipients and may not be shared without permission.
2. Be on time. Plan some buffer to test the equipment and connection.
3. We recommend entering your first and last name in digital meetings, so you can address each other. This way, all participants can see who is attending.
4. Even if you are participating from home, a digital classroom is still a public space. So please dress and act accordingly.
5. Respect other people's privacy and treat insights that you might get during a video conference as strictly confidential.
6. Please turn on your camera during video conferences. It's a sign of respect. Having their cameras switched on helps all participants get feedback and recognize questions and difficulties more easily. Tip: Use virtual backgrounds to hide your personal space.
7. Observe the ground rules for your event. For example, you might start by agreeing how to raise your hand (either using the chat or using a raised hand button). We also recommend muting your microphone when you are not speaking. Background noise can interrupt your meeting. Observe the rules for your event to make it go smooth.
8. Be fair and polite. Besides digital courses, this also applies to forums and chat groups. Constructive criticism is desirable, if it is objective, appropriate and clearly addressed.
9. Lecturers are allowed to enforce virtual house rules and exclude students for inappropriate behaviour.
10. Please be patient with technical delays, for example, when someone is speaking and there is a connection issue.
11. Prefer to use digital communication channels provided by H-BRS (such as forums in LEA courses, instead of Facebook and WhatsApp groups). This allows all university members to join the conversation (students, teaching and administrative staff).
12. Before sending chat messages, forum posts or e-mails, please check them for errors and comprehensibility.
13. Use clear formulations in writing and do not use irony. The lack of non-verbal signals easily creates misunderstandings. Use only your university e-mail address for any communication.

Laws and regulations

Please observe all applicable laws and regulations.

It is crucial that you respect the privacy of all stakeholders when using and sharing digital content.

Regardless of the course format, respect:

• Copyright
• Image rights (as part of personality rights); never record (audio or video) digital meetings without consent
• Protection of personal data (right to informational self-determination)

Passed by the Office of the President on 24 November 2020