Supporting Diversity, Confronting Discrimination, Creating Equal Opportunities
Audits assess whether the operations and activities that take place in given institutions comply with standards, guidelines and legal requirements. This audit, in which the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar is participating, will take place over the next two years together with seven other Thuringian universities with the aim of firmly anchoring diversity in university structures, establishing diversity-oriented measures, and developing and implementing a university-specific diversity strategy.
The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar is not explicitly focussing on one specific group or diversity aspect, but is instead looking at issues that affect all members of the university in terms of diversity, anti-discrimination and equal opportunities for students, doctoral candidates and employees across the university.
As part of the audit, a steering committee, which includes Vice President of International Affairs, Diversity and Transfer, Prof. Dr. Jutta Emes; Head of Human Resources, Beate Haltmeyer-Forstner; Equal Opportunity Officer, Tina Meinhardt; and Diversity Officer, Dr. Miriam Benteler. The Diversity Advisory Committee, which was established in 2019, functions as the steering group which supervises and supports the auditing process.
The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar has enlisted the help of auditor Prof. Dr. Andrea D. Bührmann, director of the Göttingen Diversity Research Institution at Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, to provide external support for the auditing process. Prof. Bührmann’s academic work focusses on the sociology of diversity and gender relations. She has been working as an auditor for the Stifterverband since 2019. Her goal for the »Vielfalt gestalten« (shaping diversity) audit is to further develop the university structures, processes and culture in such a way that »everyone is free to be different without fear« (Theodor W. Adorno) and has the opportunity to contribute their skills and talents. The Bauhaus tradition sees huge potential in diversity and »being different«.
In addition to five inter-university diversity forums (across seven Thuringian universities), four internal university workshops will be held as part of the audit.
The first workshop will take place on 18 June 2021 starting at 9 am. In terms of analysing strengths and weaknesses, this kick-off event will focus on figuring out where the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar stands when it comes to diversity and developing new ideas and perspectives for a future diversity strategy.
All university members interested in participating are encouraged to share their own diversity and perspectives, thus helping to actively shape diversity, anti-discrimination and equal opportunity policies at the university.
For further information on the audit, contact:
Dr.in Miriam Benteler
Diversity Officer
Bereich Diversität | Diversity Department
Amalienstraße 13, Rom 303
99423 Weimar
Tel.: +49 (0) 3643/58 42 43
E-mail: miriam.benteler[at]uni-weimar.de