Field of Action 3: Fostering the Individual Gender- and Diversity-Competences
Our vision
All members of the university have relevant knowledge about gender and diversity and use this knowledge as the basis for appreciative, constructive interaction with each other. They recognize the potential of diversity and are committed to the active development of an equal opportunity university culture.
Target groups
Students | Academic staff | Technical and administrative staff | Executives | University management
Status quo
Numerous offers to strengthen individual gender and diversity competencies, for example in the form of anti-bias training, are already being carried out at RWTH for various target groups in the fields of study and teaching, research, innovation and transfer. Furthermore, the establishment of structures to impart knowledge on the diversity-sensitive design of selection procedures and committees. These include, among other things, equal-opportunity appointment procedures, the Gender and Diversity Knowledge Program, and the certificate international for employees. The RWTH website is also an important source of information in this context.
Need for action
Beyond the commitment of certain officials, the implementation of equal opportunities, which wants to be more than an appeal, requires the participation of all people at RWTH. Openness to other perspectives and a correspondingly conscious reflection of one's own behavior and actions must be further promoted and expanded at all levels of the university.
The university management should recommend that executives, teachers and researchers, employees in the central university administration as well as members of university committees and appointment commissions, participate in sensitization offers designed for specific target groups in order to support them in dealing with the heterogeneity of students and employees in a conscious, open and sensitive manner. The development of knowledge and skills in dealing with socio-cultural affiliations, individual life situations and the resulting challenges should receive more attention. In addition, managers should receive even more support by means of suitable offers to work toward an understanding and fair interaction among employees in their teams.
It must be made easier to find all relevant information in the context of equal opportunities.
Future activities
- Depending on identified needs: Provision or expansion of awareness-raising offers and exchange formats for decision-makers and multipliers, carried out by diversity experts
- Recommended awareness-raising offers, tools and workshops for all members of appointment committees and participants in personnel selection procedures
- Further development and expansion of offers for self-reflection concerning gender and diversity competencies for teachers, researchers, executives and employees in the central university administration
- Expansion of individual gender and diversity competencies as a cross-sectional task in all offerings for students and employees
- Sensitization offers and expansion of the inclusion module for student teachers; expansion of the possibilities of diversity-conscious teaching
- Consulting and sensitization offers with regard to gender- and diversity-sensitive announcement texts for further and continuing education measures
- Ensuring a diversity-sensitive approach to potential participants in training, information, networking and counseling offers
- Checklist or online tool for diversity-conscious teaching
- Expansion of offers for professionalization and sensitization in the areas of language, intercultural competence and equal opportunities
- Establishment of an exchange format for interested employees with different cultural backgrounds for mutual information and sensitization
- Creation of multilingual free or low-cost offers for competence development and sensitization with regard to gender and diversity
- Expansion of offers for the acquisition of English language skills, both spoken and written, in the ZHV, taking into account individual personal requirements
- Demonstrate a solid command of English as a precondition for filling permanent positions in the ZHV (after hiring, ZHV staff will be supported in gaining said language skills)