As well as waffles, fruit and drinks (yes: by half past twelve the waffles had gone – those who arrived late could at least still snack on some fruit), there was an opportunity to evaluate and comment on the ideas and measures proposed by the Equal Opportunities Officer and the Equal Opportunities Commission for the forthcoming University Development Plan (HEP).
The measure that received the most support was “the introduction to compulsory, practical orientation training for managers and appointment committees on unconscious bias, discrimination-sensitive selection and fair assessment procedures, and linking this to leadership values” – not that we aren’t already active in this area, but there is clearly still room for improvement.
In addition, topics such as mentoring for female students, counselling services and other specific support needs were discussed.
Many thanks to Sandra Laumen and Jacqueline Kiefer for organising the event – and to everyone who dropped by, joined the discussion and provided feedback.
Looking ahead: The next stage in the HEP process is the workshop on 4 September 2026 (10.00–14.00) for students, staff and professors at the Mönchengladbach campus. So do make a note of the date.
