“By participating in the Diversity Audit, the University of Passau has further deepened its campus-wide engagement with the topic of diversity and created more spaces for participation. I am very grateful for the broad commitment, diverse experience and expertise that numerous university members have contributed to the audit process at various levels in order to consolidate a culture of appreciation in the long term and further increase student and employee satisfaction”, said Dr Claudia Krell.
The Diversity Audit was a university-wide project led by the Vice President for International Affairs and Diversity, Professor Christina Hansen, in which interested members of the university were able to contribute. Professors, representatives of academic and artistic staff and students from all faculties as well as staff from the academic support divisions actively participated in the development of goals and measures in five different strategic areas: mission statement and communication, advisory and counselling services, study and teaching, research and knowledge transfer, and diversity-sensitive infrastructure. Auditor Dr Daniela De Ridder provided guidance to the University of Passau throughout the auditing process.
One key success resulting directly from the Diversity Audit is the Diversity Guideline, which sets out the University’s values, goals and measures. The Diversity Guideline is currently being finalised and will serve as a basic building block for the diversity work of the University of Passau in the coming years. Moreover, the auditing process also improved the visibility and interoperation of the various service points at the University and led to the creation of a variety of diversity-related participatory opportunities, such as the public Science Slam Diversity, which takes place annually during the Germany-wide Diversity Day. The audit participants also drew up guidelines and overview documents, including a guideline on how to respond to disruptive incidents during classes or events.
“The Diversity Audit has accompanied us for over two years on our path to becoming more diversity-sensitive. During this time we held many intensive and important discussions with members of all stakeholder groups at the university, which enabled us to reflect on our structures and ultimately create spaces that better mirror the diversity of our university community. A start – a promising start – has been made. The next important task is that we permanently establish our many ideas and innovative measures as a quality standard and a natural part of our university culture”, said Vice President Professor Christina Hansen.
The University of Passau was presented its “Vielfalt gestalten” certificate together with nine other higher education institutions in Berlin on 6 March. The Stifterverband sees the Diversity Audit as an instrument for strategic and organisational development. Thus far, a total of 66 higher education institutions have successfully undergone the audit. The auditors support the participating institutions as they develop and implement their individual diversity strategies without imposing predetermined standards. The certificate confirms that the higher education institutions and research organisations have undergone an extensive organisational development process.
Read the Stifterverband's press release [German content] here.