Diversity at THU: Diversity enriches our university!
The Technical University of Ulm (THU) is a cosmopolitan institution and a place where people study, research and work together.
In research and teaching, and in our day-to-day professional lives, we benefit enormously from our students, lecturers and staff. They bring their diverse linguistic, cultural, personal and academic perspectives to THU as an open community of knowledge and learning.
Being open-minded also means that the Ulm University of Technology is committed to combating discrimination, incitement to hatred, racism and sexism. That is why, as a community of all university members, we are actively committed to not tolerating discriminatory behaviour at our university.
On this page, you will find the most important information on diversity and inclusion at the Ulm University of Technology.
Diversity goes back to the Latin diversitas. Translated, this means "variety" and "difference".
The social concept of diversity refers to the variety of people. It says: all people are valuable in their uniqueness, all deserve recognition and respect. People are differentiated by various characteristics; these characteristics are also called dimensions.
American researchers Lee Gardenswartz and Anita Rowe developed the concept of the “Four Layers of Diversity.”
At the center of the model is a person’s personality. Surrounding it are the so-called “core dimensions” of diversity.
These are:
These characteristics are only changeable to a limited extent. They have the greatest influence on whether people are included or excluded. (You can find more information on the dimensions of diversity, for example, in the Diversity Charter .)
The first six of the characteristics listed here have been protected in Germany since 2006 by the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) .
However, the model developed by Gardenswartz and Ross also shows that there are many other characteristics in the two outer layers that contribute to human diversity—such as professional experience, marital status, or position in the hierarchy. People can change the dimensions in the two outer layers themselves.
There are many terms related to diversity. For example, do you know what ableism means? Or what the individual letters in LGBTQIA* stand for? You can find the answers in the University of Bonn’s glossary.
Discrimination means that one or more people are unfairly excluded or disadvantaged on the basis of one or more characteristics, such as gender, age, or origin.
Discrimination can be intentional or unintentional. It can be direct—for example, when a person is not invited to a job interview because of their name. Indirect discrimination is harder to recognize: it occurs, for example, when a job posting requires a candidate to speak German without an accent, even though this is not necessary for performing the job.
Ulm University of Applied Sciences is committed to diversity and opposes discrimination.
Diversity is part of our mission and part of Strategy 2033. Diversity and tolerance characterize our university. We integrate individuality so that everyone benefits. We strengthen democratic structures and diversity of opinion.
Diversity Charter
In 2023, Ulm University of Applied Sciences signed the Diversity Charter and has since made it its mission to continuously promote equality and diversity.
Internal Moodle Course: Complaints and Suggestions for Improvement
There is an internal Moodle course for all students, staff, and professors at THU that lists all internal contact persons.
Equality and Equal Opportunity Contacts
Detailed information on equality and equal opportunity at the University of Ulm can be found on the “Equality and Equal Opportunity” page.
To ensure that students with disabilities or chronic illnesses are not disadvantaged during their studies, the Ulm University of Technology has appointed an officer for students with disabilities. Among other things, the officer’s responsibilities include asserting claims for compensation for disadvantages resulting from a disability. The person holding this position is elected by the Senate for a four-year term.
Currently, Prof. Dr. Felix Capanni serves as the Representative for Students with Disabilities. He can be reached at Felix.Capanni(at)thu.de or 0731 96537-371. Felix Capanni is the Associate Dean of Faculty T.
The Ulm University of Technology’s Disability Affairs Officer is responsible for employees with disabilities. Franz Roth holds this position. He can be reached at Franz.Roth(at)thu.de or 0731-96537572. He is an occupational safety specialist, representative for employees with severe disabilities, and fire safety representative.
The role of the representative for people with severe disabilities is to:
To make this possible, representatives for people with severe disabilities get to know the individuals with severe disabilities and their workplaces. This allows them to identify potential problems early on and keep an eye on challenges.
The General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) protects people from discrimination. The THU has an AGG complaints office that all students, staff, and external individuals can contact. Chancellor Dr. Christian Elmo Wolff has taken on this role. You can reach him by email at christian.wolff(at)thu.de.
Important to note:
You can find more information about the AGG and forms of discrimination at the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency.
Ulm University of Applied Sciences does not tolerate sexual harassment or violence in any form. The university has adopted a policy on this matter, which you can access on the intranet: Policy on Dealing with Sexual Harassment (internal document).
For anyone at our university who has experienced sexual harassment, discrimination, or even violence, or who wishes to report related issues or risks, the following contact persons are available:
Every conversation will be treated with strict confidentiality. Further steps will be taken only at the request of the person concerned.
The policy on dealing with sexual harassment, discrimination, and violence (internal document) describes the procedure for reporting incidents.
In addition, the THU is developing a protection plan against sexual harassment and violence.
Advocate of trust (service offered by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts)
An advocate of trust is available to answer questions relating to sexualized discrimination, sexual harassment and violence and provides advice free of charge. The following link will provide you with further information on the advice offered by the Ministry.
Ulm University of Applied Sciences has established an internal whistleblower system. Through this system, students, employees, and external individuals can submit reports if they have information indicating that our university is acting in a manner that is unethical, unlawful, or in violation of the law. This also includes reports regarding the direct actions of members of the University of Ulm (administration, faculty, staff, and university leadership) as well as students.
About the whistleblowing system
Such information is important and is taken seriously by THU. Please use the tool to prevent or avoid violations.
Discrimination often occurs unconsciously. That is why we at THU strive to raise broad awareness of this issue. The following resources are currently available:
Anti-Bias Workshops
Once per semester, the FH-Personal team offers a 90-minute workshop that introduces various forms of bias. Anyone interested in participating can register by emailing fh-personal(at)thu.de.
Moodle Course “Unconscious Bias”
Unconscious cognitive biases influence our decisions. This also applies to evaluations. That’s why the FH-Personal team has created a Moodle course. It explains various types of bias and offers tips on how to reduce or avoid them. Click here to access the course (internal link). It takes about 60 minutes to work through the content.
Standardized Processes in Appointment Procedures
Standardized processes and uniform procedures play a key role in reducing the impact of unconscious biases. For this reason, the FH-Personal team has standardized the documentation related to the application process. You can find the relevant attachments in the THU Appointment Guidelines (internal link).
The City of Ulm has compiled a comprehensive list of resources in Ulm and the surrounding area on its "Equal Opportunity and Diversity" page.
ArbeiterKind.de encourages high school students from families with no history of higher education to be the first in their family to attend college. ArbeiterKind offers valuable tips and support from experienced students and alumni. Whether you have questions about your studies, financing, scholarships, or starting your career—feel free to contact us by email at ulm(at)arbeiterkind.de. At THU, you can also reach out to Prof. Dr. Manuela Boin.
The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency provides a wealth of information on legal protection against discrimination.
Among other things, the Anti-Discrimination Agency of the State of Baden-Württemberg provides an overview of counseling centers by ZIP code.
People who need support after a crime can contact one of the more than 400 Weisser Ring centers located throughout Germany. Approximately 3,000 volunteers who have completed special training and obtained certification as victim support workers are active at these centers. The support is free of charge and can also be provided anonymously upon request.
NERO serves as a point of contact for victims of sexual offenses and other violent crimes. Its goal is to provide information about victims’ rights in an unbureaucratic manner, streamline the process, and, if necessary, refer victims to other agencies.