Diversity

Sense of identity, fields of action and objectives

Diversity management at universities involves encouraging awareness and appreciation of differences and similarities between students and University employees. Diversity describes the differences and similarities between individuals as stated in the German Equal Treatment Act (AGG) (gender, national/ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age and sexual identity), with the addition of social background within the context of educational establishments. FAU believes promoting a positive attitude towards diversity and taking a constructive approach is the responsibility of the university community as a whole. Increasing diversity among students and staff is welcomed at FAU as an opportunity and a valuable resource. Individuals are encouraged to develop their unique potential without constraints. By signing the Charta der Vielfalt in 2012, FAU pledged to create a prejudice-free working atmosphere.

The aim of diversity management is to create a University culture which embraces diversity by achieving a working and studying environment that leaves no room for discrimination and which makes a valuable contribution to academia, teaching, research and campus life. An intersectional approach is taken, bearing in mind the mutual interdependence and impact of various imbalances in the context of social power structures.

Diversity concept “Shaping diversity with passion and innovation” 2022-2027

On July 27, 2022 the Executive Board passed the university-wide diversity concept “Shaping diversity with passion and innovation”. The diversity concept is the basis for determining the concept for and strategical direction of diversity work at FAU, and pools and prioritizes the already existing range of projects and measures. It expresses our sense of identity and guiding principles in view of how diversity should be understood, integrated and put into practice at the University. It also states our development goals, strategic priorities for diversity and the corresponding fields of action for the period of validity of the concept.

An accessible version of the FAU’s Diversity concept 2022-2027 is available here. You can find an English version of the concept here.

Interview with Vice President People Prof. Dr. Andreas Hirsch and Dr. Ebru Tepecik (former Diversity Managements advisor, 2012-2023) on the official publication of the FAU Diversity concept.

Success in the second round of the diversity audit „Vielfalt gestalten“

Diversity audit of the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft

In summer 2023, FAU successfully participated for the second time in the diversity audit from the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft. As a result, our University was awarded the “Vielfalt gestalten” (shaping diversity) certificate for the successful implementation of its diversity strategy for encouraging diversity at FAU.

The Executive Board and the Office of Equality and Diversity thank everyone at FAU who played a part in the re-audit, the peer review committee, and the team from the Stifterverband for the excellent and constructive collaboration. The points and suggestions raised during the re-audit and the detailed feedback of the final report will be incorporated into our continued efforts to shape our diversity strategy as well as into measures and offers for encouraging diversity at FAU.

FAU was the first university in Bavaria to be awarded the certificate “Vielfalt gestalten”, in 2019.

Employees at FAU can access the report on the peer review conducted at FAU for exclusively internal use here.