Living equality and diversity in day-to-day university life

The University of Freiburg's commitment to equal opportunities has been recognized for the fourth time with the "TOTAL E-QUALITY" award for the years 2021 to 2023. This year, the university will also receive the additional rating for diversity. The award is presented by TOTAL E-QUALITY Deutschland e.V.

"The fact that we have been awarded TOTAL E-QUALITY for the fourth time is encouraging, and confirmation of the many years of comprehensive work on equality and diversity at the University of Freiburg," says Prof. Dr. Sylvia Paletschek, Prorector for University Culture. The newly created Prorectorate for University Culture includes the areas of equality and diversity and academic personnel development, which are to be linked even more closely in the future and reinforced. "I would like to take the existing concepts for these fields into the faculties, discuss them, develop them further and initiate a process of reflection on university culture," Paletschek says.

In addition to the University of Freiburg, 55 other organizations from business, academia, administration and associations receive the award for their progressive equality policies. The award is made for three years at a time on the basis of an application. 30 organizations receive the additional rating for diversity. "The gender and diversity concept, which is integrated into the personnel development concept, has an impact on numerous levels of everyday university life. Thus, comprehensive measures can be demonstrated in all fields of action," said the jury, explaining its decision regarding the University of Freiburg.

With the Gender and Diversity staff unit established in 2008, the senate commission for equal opportunity issues, and the placing of gender and diversity issues under the new Prorectorate for University Culture in 2021, equal opportunities at the University of Freiburg are firmly anchored at the management level, both structurally and in terms of staff. In the future, a guideline for gender-sensitive language and for diversity-promoting job advertisements will be developed and contact points in case of discrimination will be compiled. There are also plans to rewrite a university-wide mission statement as a contribution to raising awareness of equality and diversity among all university members.