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General Terms and Conditions

FUBiS Term I, II and III are the official academic summer and winter programs of the Freie Universität Berlin.

These terms and conditions apply to all services and offerings associated with the FUBiS summer and winter university programs. The terms and conditions of any and all of our customers and suppliers are hereby voided and have no validity. Any changes or additions to these terms and conditions made before or at the time an agreement was reached must be confirmed in writing before becoming effective.

The Freie Universität Berlin has entrusted ERG Universitätsservice GmbH with the task of carrying out the organization and management of FUBiS.

1. Conclusion of Contract

Registrations can be made by using the registration form, either on-line or by downloading the form and mailing or faxing it to:

Freie Universität Berlin International Summer and Winter University FUBiS
c/o ERG Universitätsservice GmbH
Otto-von-Simson-Str. 26
D - 14195 Berlin
Tel.: + 49 30 838 73445
Fax: + 49 30 838 73 442
Email: fubis@fubis.org

FUBiS dates and deadlines 2010

FUBiS term I: January 16 - February 13, 2010 (four weeks)

• Early registration: until November 28, 2009 (program fee 150 €)
• Late registration: from November 29, 2009 (program fee 200 €)
• Final registration deadline: December 19, 2009

FUBiS term II: May 29 - July 10, 2010 (six week program)

• Early registration: until April 10, 2010 (program fee 200 €)
• Late registration: from April 11, 2010 (program fee 250 €)
• Final registration deadline: May 1, 2010

FUBiS term III: July 17 - August 14, 2010 (four week program)

• Early registration:until May 29, 2010 (program fee 200 €)
• Late registration: from May 30, 2010 (program fee 250 €)
• Final registration deadline: June 19, 2010

Once the registration is received and processed, the FUBiS/ERG Universitätsservice office will send the student a confirmation and an invoice by e-mail. The registration becomes legally binding by sending the confirmation and invoice. The participant thereby accepts the payment conditions outlined below. All bills must have been paid in full within the following time spans after receipt of the registration confirmation and the invoice: up to six weeks before program start within 14 days, after this date within 7 days. Failure to do so will result in the cancellation of the registration. All fees listed apply to individual registrations.

Enrolment for each course is limited to 18 students for subject courses and 15 students for German language courses. It is, therefore, essential to register as early as possible. If no place is available in any of the courses selected by the applicant, the FUBiS office will contact the applicant in due time in order to discuss other options. Should no solution be found, FUBiS/ERG Universitätsservice office will refund all payments made so far.

No insurance policy of any kind is included in the FUBiS fees. Each participant must have health insurance which must be valid in Germany (preferably Europe) for the duration of the FUBiS program. FUBiS strongly recommends that students also purchase an accident insurance and an indemnity/liability insurance. FUBiS offers an optional insurance package that includes health, liability and damage insurance.

2. Methods and conditions of payment

All payments must be made in Euros (€).

Payment via bank transfer:
All payments must be made to the following account of the Freie Universität Berlin:

Hauptkasse der Freien Universität Berlin
Berliner Bank (German Bank code 100 708 48)
Konto - Nr. 512164500
BIC / Swift-Code: DEUTDEDB110
IBAN DE90 10070848 0512164500
Anschrift: Hardenbergstr. 32, 10623 Berlin; Deutschland

Please note that you are required to cover all transaction fees associated with such a transfer of funds.

Should the participant’s account, due to currency conversion or bank-specific procedures, show a minor amount still payable after the conclusion of the payment transaction process, the participant has to pay the remaining amount during the opening event of the respective term at the very latest.

Payment by credit card:
We accept VISA and Mastercard.

For payment by credit card you must provide the FUBiS/ERG Universitätsservice office with the name of the card, your 16-digit credit card number, the name of the credit card holder, the expiration date of the card and the 3-digit card verification number, which you can find printed on the back of the card right after the 16-digit card number. If the name of the credit card holder does not match the name of the participant, we shall need the full address of the credit card holder.

3. Contents and objectives of the FUBiS program

The FUBiS course listings, contents, and objectives are published on our official website www.fubis.org. The selection of courses is the responsibility of each participant. We therefore advise the participant to take note of any relevant prerequisites, language level requirements, workload or other aspects of a course. Each participant should consider if the course contents and objectives of a given course correspond with his/her needs and expectations and also whether he/she possesses the necessary prior qualification for a course. We recommend that participants contact their advisor prior to registration.

Quality
FUBiS carefully selects its teaching personnel in a rigorous screening and application process. FUBiS instructors must have demonstrated outstanding competence and experience in their particular discipline. Furthermore, FUBiS guarantees that all courses, corresponding to their content, will be carried out in a professional manner and are in fulfilment of the stated objectives. The Academic Board of FUBiS has reviewed and approved all academic program offerings. This Board consists of at least five tenured professors representing different academic disciplines. A course and program evaluation and assessment procedure is in place.

Transcript
Every student receives an official transcript at the end of the FUBiS program. The transcript lists the duration of the program, the course title(s), the number of contact hours, the number of ECTS credits earned, and the grade(s). Please note that credits can only be awarded if you are currently / have been enrolled at a university.

Location
The program and all courses are held in one of the campus facilities of the Freie Universität Berlin. A transfer to a non-university site due to unexpected unavailability of space may occur under certain circumstances.

Number of participants per course
The maximum enrolment shall not exceed 18 students for subject classes and 15 students for German language courses.

Language Proficiency

German language course:

Students interested in taking a German language instruction course are asked to first sign up for a course of their choice. There will be an online placement test one week before FUBiS starts and a short interview on the first day of FUBiS to assure placement in a course that corresponds to the student's level of German proficiency.

Subject classes:

Students interested in partaking in a course taught exclusively in German, such as Business German or courses on German Literature must have language proficiency on an advanced Intermediate level (Mittelstufe II) in order to fully benefit from these courses. Most courses are taught in English. Language proficiency on an advanced Intermediate level (Mittelstufe II) is a necessary prerequisite for participation in these courses, too.

Additional program offerings
Additional program offerings booked by participants are not subject to FUBiS liability and can only be offered according to availability. 

4. Cancellation/Refunds/Changes

Cancellation of participation in the FUBiS program is possible in principle, subject to the following conditions:

Participants have to inform FUBiS in writing about cancellation. In case of cancellation up to four weeks prior to the start of a given program (see dates under 1), the participant receives a refund of course tuition fees and of payments for an accommodation, insurance and/or excursion organized or mediated by FUBiS, minus possibly applied bank fees. The program fee is non-refundable. No fees of any kind are refunded in case of cancellation less than four weeks prior to the start of a given program. In this case participants are requested to contact the FUBiS office.

FUBiS reserves the right to cancel courses with an enrolment of fewer than 6 participants four weeks prior to the start of a given program. Should such cancellation be necessary, the affected participants will be notified and informed about available alternatives. Should no solution be found, FUBiS/ERG Universitätsservice office will refund all payments made so far.

As FUBiS is an intensive short term study abroad program, there is no drop and add period. However, a class change is possible under the following narrow circumstances:

• The deadline for changing a class is the first Wednesday of a 4 week program (FUBiS term I and FUBiS term III), or the first Friday of 6 week program (FUBiS term II). No class change is possible after this deadline.
• The maximum enrolment of the other class is not met.
• The instructors of both classes have approved of the change of class.
• The student has to contact the program coordinator to seek written approval
• The student is advised to contact his home institution regarding credit transfer.

Should a student decide to drop a class, the rules and regulations for cancellation apply.

The course change fee for changes made after program start is  75 €.

The above mentioned regulations do not apply to changes between German language course levels.

5. Accommodation

The Freie Universität Berlin – like most German universities – does not own any student dorms or housing facilities. FUBiS arranges appropriate off-campus accommodation for the duration of the program as an optional service at the student’s request.

Berlin is home to four universities and a dozen colleges. Students looking for short-term leases face various challenges in finding housing that is available for short-term lease, meets basic standards and still remains affordable. As an optional service, FUBiS serves as an intermediary between students and a range of accommodation options that match these criteria. Please note that your lease will be short-term. In Germany, it is customary that short-term leases are relatively more expensive that long-term leases - one can expect to pay more than twice as much for a short-term stay. Cost advantages that FUBiS might be able to negotiate with housing providers are passed on to the student.

Accommodation options are published on the FUBiS website and can be chosen during the registration process. Placement is subject to availability.

Please note that FUBiS only serves as an intermediary. FUBiS is not liable for any agreement between the two parties of renter and landlord.

Changing or cancellation of booked accommodation is only free of charge up to four weeks prior to program start (see also 4.).

6. Copyrights and Rights of Use

FUBiS and ERG Universitätsservice GmbH reserve all copyrights to any materials distributed to participants. No materials or content thereof may be copied, sold or used for third parties without explicit prior approval by FUBiS. Each participant receives all documentation and materials for personal use only.

All materials submitted to FUBiS by participants (e.g. pictures) may be used by FUBiS and ERG Universitätsservice GmbH for advertising purposes without explicit consent of the participant. The participant transfers the required simple utilization rights for the intended purpose to FUBiS. FUBiS has the right to be named as author of the reproduction (online and offline).

7. Force majeure and acts of God

Cancellation of a course or other aspects of the FUBiS program as a result of illness, acts of God or otherwise unforeseeable events or developments may occur. In such a case, participants are not entitled to having such courses or other aspects take place.

8. Severability clause

If any provision of these terms and conditions is held by any competent authority to be invalid or unenforceable in whole or in part, the validity of the other provisions of these terms and conditions and the remainder of the provision in question shall not be affected.

9. Privacy policy

Each participant agrees to the storage and use of personal data for the fulfilment of the agreement. Personal data storage protection is governed by Federal German Data Protection Act. Participants' personal data will not be made available to third parties.

10. Place of jurisdiction

The laws of the Federal Republic of Germany shall apply to these terms and conditions, and the parties agree to Berlin (Germany) as the place of jurisdiction.