Welcome to Hochschule Geisenheim University
The following pages provide important information and contact details for adjunct instructors teaching at Hochschule Geisenheim University, such as required documents for the employment process and information on invoicing. The section "Teaching at Hochschule Geisenheim University" includes an overview of university IT systems and some useful information on the didactic and technical approaches to teaching at Hochschule Geisenheim University.
Still have questions?
Read our information sheet for adjunct instructors which provides useful tips for teaching at Hochschule Geisenheim University.
Employment Process
The Vice-President of Academic and Student Affairs assigns the teaching contract on behalf of the University President and is responsible for the proper handling thereof. Invoices incl. time sheets listing all single teaching units and cost centers are checked by the Study Organization & Examinations Office (StoP).
The following documents are required for employment:
- Personnel Form
- Personnel Form - Supplementary Details For Higher-Level Civil Servants
- Form "Issue of a teaching contract"
- Proof of university degree (copy)
Please complete and sign the forms and send them as a scanned copy to the head of your degree program (see "Who to contact about my employment?").
The heads of the degree programs in the Study Organization & Examinations Office (StoP) are happy to assist if you have any questions about your emplyment process. In addition, please feel free to ask if you need advice on:
- exams
- exam dates and registration periods
- grades
The colleagues also provide support and advice on questions regarding the content of modules and courses as defined by the curricula and assessment regulations (semester hours, ECTS, assessments).
Gartenbau & Getränketechnologie
Internationale Weinwirtschaft
Lebensmittellogistik und - management & Lebensmittelsicherheit
International Wine Business
Landschaftsarchitektur, Weinbau Oenologie & Weinwirtschaft
Weinbau Oenologie
In this section we have put together additional information for teaching at HGU.
Hochschule Geisenheim University issues teaching contracts to complement the range of courses offered. A teaching contract constitutes a special form of employment under public law. Adjunct instructors are not directly employed by the university, but perform their tasks and duties independently on a self-employed basis. {Decree of the Hessian Ministry of the Interior, June 16, 2003, Official Gazette p. 2562).
Civil servants who perform the teaching job as a secondary activity (Nebentätigkeit) must have it approved by the respective authority pursuant to § 73 Para. 1 No. 2 Hessian Civil Service Act (HBG). Pursuant to § 3 Para. 4 in conjunction with § 40 No. 2 TV-H, employees must notify their employer in writing in good time of any secondary activity as an instructor.
According to the amendment of the Hessian Higher Education Act in 2021, adjunct instructors are required to hold a university degree or, if required by the subject area, prove outstanding achievements in the relevant field and pedagogical aptitute. It is widely agreed that the adjunct instructor's level of education should match the course level, i.e. instructors teaching a master's course should hold at least a master's degree.
A teaching contract is usually issued for one semester. It can be revoked for good cause at any time.
Adjunct instructors at universities are not considered as employees subject to the German social security system, i.e. they do not have to make contributions to statutory health, long-term care and pension insurance.
Remuneration for teaching contracts is paid without tax deduction. Adjunct instructors are therefore obliged to declare the remuneration received in their tax return. As requested by the directive on the notification to tax authorities by other authorities (Directive on Notification Requirements, December 23, 2003, BGBI. 1 p. 2848), Hochschule Geisenheim University is obliged to provide a tracer note to the competent tax authority regarding all payments made for teaching contracts that will amount to or exceed 1,500.00 € in the respective calendar year.
Adjunct instructors are not covered by statutory occupational accident insurance. You may, however, take out voluntary accident insurance, e.g. with the insurance agency Verwaltungs- Berufsgenossenschaft based in Hamburg.
Teaching at Hochschule Geisenheim University
For questions regarding the content, structure and scope of your course, please contact your module coordinator or the head of your degree program.
A lot of information is available on the website of the Study Organization & Examinations Office (StoP)such as module handbooks and curricula as well as legal requirements for exams etc.
If this is your first teaching job or if your are wondering how to include digital tools in your classes, go to the section "How to plan and organize my courses?"
You need your HS-GM account to use university systems such as Stud.IP,BigBlueButton (BBB) or ILIAS, but also if you want to access your emails or the VPN server.
Upon receipt of your employment documents, the head of your degree program asks the IT department to set up an account for you. A few days later, you will receive a letter with your access details.
With your HS-GM account you can use the following IT services:
Stud.IP is the university’s campus management system where all courses are listed. Teaching staff can upload teaching material, such as scripts, presentations and work sheets for their students. It also serves as a communication platform and provides the possibility to evaluate courses. Online lectures can be organized with the integrated tool BigBlueButton (BBB).
Before you activate Stud.IP, please read the information sheet carefully which you have received in your welcome email.
For further questions, please contact the Stud.IP administrator Martin Bahmann.
Stud.IP Administration
You can access your emails via the exchange server.
Please register at exchange.hs-gm.deto receive emails from students and colleagues. Please also make sure to check your emails regularly or to forward them to another account so that you won't miss any important messages because both your colleagues and students will use your university email address to contact you.
In addition, the exchange server provides a shared calender function and a university-wide address book.
BigBlueButton (short: BBB) and its platforms Greenlight 1 and 2 are web conferencing systems used for online lectures and meetings. BBB can be used within Stud.IP. If you want to register to Greenlight 1 or 2, you need your HS-GM account.
Click on the following links to access the systems and to receive further information.
Link to BBB, Greenlight 1 and Greenlight 2
Greenlight 1 Greenlight 2 BBB über Stud.IP Weiterführende InformationenWith your HS-GM account, you can log in to both the university WLAN (HS-GM-WLAN) and the eduroam WLAN, which provide internet access throughout the entire campus. To set up the campus WLAN, please use your HS-GM account. For more details, please click on the link to go to the IT-service page.
The HSGM VPN conncection is available to all members of our university. You need VPN to use online services for literature search from off-campus locations. The library is responsible for the content management.
Our IT service center has put together all information required to set up the VPN connection. Please click on the link
ILIAS is HGU's digital learning space designed for interactive teaching and learning. It provides the following functions:
- Creating and managing online content
- Online courses with learning modules, electronic exams, self-tests, electronic portfolios and excercises.
- Collaborative work and communication with students
Link to ILIAS
ILIAS
The University Information System HIS - QIS/LSF provides many useful functions for teaching staff and students. Teachers can manage their courses (course overview, registration lists, etc.) and enter grades, and students can register for courses and exams or look up their exam results.
If you have any questions, please contact the head of your degree program.
Link to QIS
QISAs soon as we have scheduled all courses and assigned the lecture halls/seminar rooms, you will receive an individual timetable with the lecture times and the respective lecture room.
Simply log in with your HS-GM account and go to: "Personal timetables for teaching staff".
Please refer to the campus map for the location of the respective lecture hall.
If this is your first teaching job and you are wondering how to include digital elements in your didactic concept, HGU's eLearning team is happy to support you.
The team provides advice and support on all matters related to design, creation and implementation of digital teaching and learning formats and didactic concepts for your lectures. If you want to use our support service, please contact eLearning(at)hs-gm.de or join our digital eLearning service hour - fridays from 10 bis 11 am or by appointment.
In your welcome email you have received a link to a Stud.IP event which provides useful information on teaching at Hochschule Geisenheim University as well as links to trainings, tutorials, etc. You'll also have the chance to exchange ideas and experience with other lecturers.
HGU's eLearning team also offers trainings which focus on didactic aspects and the technical know-how required to create successful eLearning formats.
On the right-hand side, we have put together useful links to the eLearning web page and our e-tools.
Invoicing your teaching contract
Invoices for teaching contracts have to be submitted by the end of the semester.
Please complete and sign the "Teaching Invoice" and the "List of Teaching Hours" and send them via email to Ulrike Schneider.
Teaching contracts that are assigned for excursions will be paid as follows:
Travel expenses: All travel expenses incurred can be invoiced via the "form for invoicing a teaching contract"
Payment: If the excursion is considered as a paid teaching contract, the Study Organization & Examinations Office (StoP) authorizes the payment.
When a teaching contract is assigned, both parties should clarify in advance if expenses are reimbursed, and include the information in the teaching contract.
Reimbursement of expenses is based on the following criteria:
Public Transport
For public transport, 2nd class tickets will be paid. If the instructor is holder of a Bahncard, it has to be used to buy tickets at discount rates. Please note that expenses will only be reimbursed on presentation of the original receipts/tickets (no copies).
Private Car
If adjunct instructors use their own car for commuting between place of residence and workplace, an allowance of 0.21 € per km will be paid in general. For very strong reasons only, an allowance of 0.35 € per km will be paid.
According to the Law on Travel Expenses of the State of Hesse strong reasons include:
- the workplace cannot be reached by public transport.
- a considerable amount of time (i.e. more than 1 hour per day) can be saved when using a private car.
- instructors have to start their trip immediately for urgent reasons or due to imminent danger.
- other people traveling on business who are eligible for reimbursement of travel expenses can be given a lift.
- comprehensive documents or heavy items have to be carried along
- important personal reasons (e.g. physical disability) require the use of a private car.
Taxi
A taxi can only be ordered for strong reasons if the use of public transport is not possible.
Example: A large number of documents and heavy items have to be transported; physical condition does not allow to use other means of transport.
The reasons have to be stated in the form.
Accomodation Expenses
Accommodation expenses are reimbursed only for actual overnight stays. Any expenses exceeding the amount of 80.00 € gross (meals not included) have to be reasoned in the travel expenses claim form. Costs for breakfast will be subtracted from the hotel costs and are not reimbursed.
Adjunct instructors are not eligible for payment of daily allowances.
Reimbursement of travel expenses has to be claimed within the six-month limitation period. In this context, the day of each lecture given within the scope of the teaching contract is to be considered as the beginning of the limitation period. If the final day of this period is a Saturday, a Sunday or a public holiday, the period will be extended until the following workday (§31 Para. 3 Sentence 1 of the German Administrative Procedure Act (VwVerfG).
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