University Culture & Diversity

We are committed to a participatory, solidary and diverse university. We advocate the principle of zero tolerance towards discrimination, violence and abuse of power in relation to all members of the university.

We state this in our preamble:

We understand diversity as a social reality and as an enrichment for joint learning, teaching education and collaboration. Our thoughts and actions are characterised by a culture of mindfulness, an attitude of recognising different realities of life, solidarity and intersectional awareness.

We oppose all forms of discrimination, violence and abuse of power, especially where different forms of discrimination overlap and reinforce each other, for example through racism, heteronormativism, classism and bodyism. We are aware that intersectional power relations also have an impact in educational spaces. That is why we are committed to structures that enable discrimination-critical thinking, self-reflection and inclusion.

We create spaces in which participation is lived and promote the co-design of teaching and learning processes by students. In doing so, we recognise different requirements, burdens and needs. In order to enable fair participation, we promote equal opportunities through needs-based support and the removal of structural barriers. Our goal is a supportive, participatory and discrimination-sensitive educational environment.

A central anti-discrimination office at The Hochschule Niederrhein is currently still being set up.

The task of the anti-discrimination office is to continuously work towards strengthening and developing a university culture that is critical of discrimination and power and to permanently anchor anti-discrimination as a central value in the university context.

It is aimed at all university members who:

• are themselves affected by discrimination,
• have observed and/or witnessed discrimination,
• want to show solidarity and actively oppose discrimination as allies,
• would like support in recognising their own gaps.

Contact: Antidiskriminierung(at)hs-niederrhein.de

The Hochschule Niederrhein promotes the compatibility of family and studies or career.

In addition to the strategic handling of the topic by the Equal Opportunities Officer, the family service is a permanent programme at The Hochschule Niederrhein. Offers are made at the various locations to support our university members with family and care responsibilities. These include the possibility of confidential counselling, the arrangement of childcare places, the organisation of meeting formats and our parent-child facilities on the campuses.

Contact: Familienservice(at)hs-niederrhein.de