Office of the Vice-President for University Community and Engagement

Promoting the equal participation of all university members and affiliates as they fulfil their study- and work-related obligations and responsibilities and taking active measures to prevent any form of discrimination — especially with regard to legally protected characteristics — are defined in Sections 7-8 of the Thuringian Higher Education Act (Thüringer Hochschulgesetz, ThürHG) and in the Preamble of the Constitution of Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

As a university, we employ a Framework Strategy on Diversity in management and across all our divisions and departments in order to create diverse environments, processes and structures free from discrimination. This involves three strategically aligned areas:

• Our diversity strategy ‘vielfältig.besser’ (better through diversity) includes strategic aims and measures to promote diversity across the entire university, taking into account factors such as age, family commitments, health, national and cultural background, educational path and academic background, LGBTQI+, individual capacities and other special life circumstances.
• We provide targeted support for people with disabilities or chronic illnesses in their studies and employment based on the University of Jena’s action plan for implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• As gender identity is an integral part of how a person perceives themselves and is perceived by others, we always treat gender as an intersectional dimension across all diverse contexts.  As a result of these interconnected dimensions of identity, our gender equality and diversity strategies are closely linked.
• Our "Policy for the Protection Against Discrimination, Harassment, and Violence" aims to promote a culture of appreciation and prevention of discrimination at the university and provides support in cases of experienced discrimination through sensitive counseling and complaint management.

This is also reflected in our efforts to mainstream gender and diversity. Gender equality, family-friendliness, and diversity form part of our central objectives, implementation tools, independent action fields, and tasks shared by all divisions and departments to promote early career researchers, and foster staff development.

• Graduate Academy Framework and Evaluation Regulations
• Staff Development Scheme ‘Knowledge and Growth’ (Wissen und Wachsen) for early career researchers at Friedrich Schiller University Jena.
• General Staff Development Scheme of Friedrich Schiller University Jena
• Appointment procedure regulations and management

In line with our gender equality management policy, managing diversity is a task shared by our management and all university divisions and departments. It involves regulated responsibilities as well as horizontal and vertical cooperation structures.

Strategic Planning

The Vice-President for Early Career Researchers and Diversity Management is in charge of developing central strategies and measures. This position also oversees the unit’s central diversity and quality management.  Part of the systematic inclusion of intersectional perspectives concerning diversity involves incorporating our responsibility for gender equality in such a strategy.

The Strategic Steering Committee for Diversity gathers experts and data on diversity from different areas of the university.  The committee consists of chairs and managers from the relevant university divisions and departments (academics and human resources), faculty representatives, the university’s Diversity Officer, representatives of other diversity-related groups and the university’s representative for inclusion and professional reintegration management.  The Steering Committee is led by the Vice-President. It advises the Vice-President and helps implement measures to promote diversity across central university’s functions as well as in peripheral areas.

At a decentralized level, strategic planning is overseen by the faculty management teams. The Deans’ Offices Equal Opportunities Forum is lead by faculty representatives and forms part of the Strategic Steering Committee for Diversity. It serves as a platform to exchange information and discuss equality and diversity issues. The university’s Equal Opportunity and Diversity Officers as well as the Vice-President for Early Career Researchers and Diversity Management are regular guests of the Equal Opportunities Forum.

Advice and representation

The university’s Diversity Officer acts as a central contact point, providing advice and representing the interests of all university members, both individually as well as globally in the university’s central steering committees. They are head of the Diversity Office which supports their work.

The Diversity Officer also oversees interactions between diversity-related interest groups (representatives for employees with disabilities, youth and trainee representatives, etc.) and the university’s service units.

Implementation

Diversity measures are implemented by the respective university units and service centres. They receive advice and support from the Diversity Office and the Office of the Vice-President for Early Career Researchers and Diversity Management.

The quality assurance and development of the university’s diversity management is carried out by monitoring diversity statistics across the entire university and by monitoring the university’s performance in relation the Friedrich Schiller University Jena Action Plan to Implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

1. Diversity Monitoring

In 2018, we introduced a strategy-based diversity monitoring system.  This monitoring system analyses the university’s current state of diversity and development across the entire university using pre-determined key figures and indicators.

Given the limited data available on this topic, one monitoring task is to generate a data pool in addition to evaluating existing data. In doing so, we take the protection of personal rights and the privacy of our university members very seriously. Our information on diversity characteristics and inclusion conditions and experiences are always based on voluntary self-disclosure. 

A summary of our diversity monitoring report 2018 is available as a leaflet:  Diversity at a Glance 2018 (EN)  [pdf, 179 kb]pdf, 179 kb · de.

2. Monitoring of our action plan to implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Our action plan involves measures to monitor our progress in implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2018).

The University of Jena aims to continuously develop its competence and quality of diversity management strategies. This is why our staff actively engage in the following networks (listed in alphabetical order).

• Akteursnetzwerk "Promotion Inklusive" - Vernetzung inner- und außerhochschulischer Akteur*innenExternal link
• Association for diversity in the workplace—Charta der Vielfalt e. V. (DE/EN)External link
• Association for families at higher education institutions—Familie in der Hochschule e.V. (DE)External link
• Dual Career Network Thuringia—Dual Career Netzwerk Thüringen (DE/EN)External link (coordinated by the University of Jena)
• Dual career network for Central Germany—Dual Career Netzwerk Mitteldeutschland (DE/EN)External link
• Dual Career Network Germany—Dual Career Netzwerk Deutschland (DE/EN)External link
• Exchange forum "Healthy universities in Thuringia"  - Austauschforum "Gesunde Hochschulen in Thüringen"External link
• Forum "Healthy Universities Thuringia (DE) de
• Jena family alliance—Jenaer Bündnis für Familie (DE)External link
• Network against discrimination at higher education institutions—Netzwerk Antidiskriminierung an Hochschulen (DE)External link
• Network for diversity at higher education institutions—Netzwerk Diversty an Hochschulen (DE)External link (nationwide)
• Network for diversity at higher education institutions in Thuringia—Netzwerk Diversität an Thüringer Hochschulen (DE)External link

Self-Commitments

2023

• Policy for the Protection Against Discrimination, Harassment, and Violence of the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jenapdf, 298 kb · de

2021

• The University Mission Statement  with an explicit commitment to promoting gender equality, diversity and antidiscrimination
• Strategy Internationalization
• Code of Conduct for Healthy Higher Education Insitution in Thüringia (Kodex Gesunde Hochschulen in ThüringenExternal link)
• Code of Conduct: Rules for Digital Teaching at Friedrich Schiller University Jena

2019

• Constitutionpdf, 445 kb · de of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (with the commitment to promoting gender equality, diversity and anti-discrimination (preamble)).
• Signing of the Charter for Diversity (Charta der Vielfalt - für Diversity in der ArbeitsweltExternal link)

2018

• Friedrich Schiller University Jena Action Plan to Implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Aktionsplan der Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena zur Umsetzung der UN-Behindertenrechtskonventionpdf, 690 kb · de)

2014

Signing of the Charter "Familie in der HochschuleExternal link" (Family at the University).

2010

National Code of Conduct for German Universities Regarding International StudentsExternal link

External Evaluations and Certifications

2024

• Total E-Quality Award 2024-2027External link. The award focusses on gender and diversity equality with an intersectional and inclusive approach.

2022

• Gold Award for Healthy Workplaces in Thuringia Thüringer Siegel für Gesunde Arbeit in Gold (DE)External link

2021

• Total E-Quality AwardExternal link - Sustainability Award ‘Gender Equality’ with an additional award in the category ’Diversity’.
• Jena Family Seal—Jenaer FamiliensiegelExternal link (renewed certification)

2019

• Signing of the Charter for Diversity (Charta der Vielfalt - für Diversity in der ArbeitsweltExternal link)

2018

• Awarded with Jena Family Seal (Jenaer FamiliensiegelExternal link) of the  Jena family alliance—Jenaer Bündnis für Familie

2011 - 2014

• The University of Jena participated in a study on promoting family-friendly working conditions at German higher education institutions run by the GESIS Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences—Center of Excellence Woman and Science (CEWS) with the aim to create a web-based consultation and information platform for universities:  Family Friendly Academia—Familienfreundliche Wissenschaft (DE)External link
• The University of Jena participated in a study on the impact of funding measures that encourage women to re-enter academia, run by TU Dresden and the Institute for Regional Innovation and Social Research: Women re-entering academia. A study on the impact of funding programmes from a professional point of view—Wiedereinstieg von Frauen in Wissenschaftskarrieren – Untersuchung des Beitrags von Förderprogrammen aus Lebenslaufperspektive (DE)External link

2008

• Membership invitation from the best practice network ‘Families in Higher Education Institutions’ (Robert Bosch Foundation), today an association for families in higher education institutions—Familie in der Hochschule e.V. (DE)External link