The FHNW respects and promotes the diverse potential of its students and staff and aims to ensure equal opportunities at all levels. By committing to a diversity-based study, continuing education and work environment, it is expressly in favour of embracing diversity and against discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying.
News – projects from the FHNW’s schools
All nine of the FHNW’s schools have numerous projects that explore or implement the topic of diversity from a wide range of perspectives. An up-to-date selection is provided below.
All-Gender WCs
Starting this semester, there will be designated all-gender WCs at most FHNW locations. These are single-user WCs and are open to everyone - women, men and people who do not assign themselves to the binary gender system. This allows everyone to use the toilet that corresponds to their own gender identity and expression. Gender-neutral WCs thus contribute to the maintenance and promotion of mental and physical health. They ensure safety and create a discrimination-free environment for diverse people. Providing gender-neutral WCs is a simple but effective step in promoting equality for people regardless of their gender identity. An overview of the currently available All-Gender WCs can be found under the heading "Queerness" within Inside FHNW (Intranet).
Launch of a cooperation project looking at the inclusion of LGBTIQ+ students at Swiss tertiary education institutions
July saw the launch of a cooperation project between the BFH Bern University of Applied Sciences, PHBern Bern University of Teacher Education and FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland as part of the swissuniversities P7 programme “Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities in Higher Education Development” looking at the inclusion of LGBTIQ+ students at Swiss tertiary education institutions. The project is pursuing a participatory approach with regard to the development of personas that enable their stakeholders to review their offerings, policies and procedures. Furthermore, the project is producing information materials and documents surrounding the running of workshops for use by tertiary education institutions. Further information (in German).
Toolkit: Women & Diversity in Innovation
The toolkit Women & Diversity in Innovation was developed by a team from the FHNW School of Applied Psychology in collaboration with six innovative companies in Switzerland. The comprehensive collection of measures and tools supports SMEs and large organisations in their efforts to promote diversity in the area of innovation and to leverage it for innovation.
INCLUDO
The FHNW’s new INCLUDO event format aims to create a space for all students, staff and continuing education participants to learn, exchange experiences and ideas, and connect with diversity, awareness and social sustainability. Annual events featuring different topics are planned at alternating FHNW campuses (access for FHNW members).
Topics and tasks
The FHNW is committed to equal opportunities for people – staff and students – with disabilities and impairments. In addition to providing the appropriate facilities, this also means enabling barrier-free studies. Contact points offer personal advice and provide information on issues such as disadvantage compensation. Additional information on barrier-free studying in Switzerland can be found on the swissuniability platform.
The FHNW makes it possible to reconcile areas of life such as work, family, caring for relatives and leisure. In addition to the benefits prescribed by law, generous working time arrangements and mobile and flexible working models serve to promote a work-life balance. Human resources departments, study administrations and diversity officers offer advice in this regard.
Parent-child rooms as well as rooms where mothers can breastfeed and express milk are available at the FHNW. The university also makes available bags of toys that allow children to be kept entertained while parents or other caregivers bring them onto the premises for a meeting or a visit to the library.
As part of the FHNW’s efforts in terms of diversity management, concepts and tools for maintaining and promoting diversity are integrated into the organisation. The document Strategic priorities and action plan 2021–2024 forms the basis for this. It not only defines areas for action but also gathers together concrete targets, indicators and measures and raises their profile.
Language in words and images has enormous impetus and charisma in terms of inclusion; at the same time, it strengthens a culture of awareness. Language can contribute to actively combating discrimination, social inequality, asymmetries and power relationships. The FHNW is therefore committed to the use of inclusive language in words and images. The German language guidelines (revision due in 2022) and the corporate wording manual contain guiding principles, requirements and recommendations for a diversity-sensitive language.
The FHNW is strongly committed to equal opportunities at management level. It has set itself the goal of increasing the current proportion of female professors and females (26.9% and 25.4%) by 15% by 2035. To achieve this, various management tools and accompanying measures are being implemented, such as adapted employer branding and guidelines for selection committees.
The FHNW opens its doors to school pupils on the annual “National Future Day”. Workshops offer a chance to discover new professions and gain a wealth of insights. The offerings can be viewed and booked on the National Future Day website.
In order to ensure a diversity-appropriate study, continuing education and work environment, the FHNW expressly advocates against discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying. To this end, the FHNW has issued regulations on the protection of personal integrity and on reporting and investigative procedures in the event of violations of personal integrity. At the same time, new management culture processes, awareness-raising activities and management tools such as key employee data are contributing to inclusion and awareness. Further details on personal integrity at the FHNW.
Awareness is a key element in promoting a culture of respectful dialogue and appreciative cooperation; at the same time, it protects the personal integrity of students, staff and continuing education participants. In addition to developing “cultural elements for cooperation and leadership,” various formats are currently being (further) developed that raise awareness in various areas and at the same time promote the diversity competence of the university’s students, employees and continuing education participants.
The FHNW is committed to a culture of diversity and thus to an LGBTQI+-friendly study and work environment. In addition to an inclusive language, there is a defined process for changing one’s name and gender entry. An expansion of facilities is currently under review (e.g. all-gender WCs, all-gender changing rooms). In the event of suspected discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, the reporting channels for violations of personal integrity apply.
It is a central aim of the FHNW to strengthen the diversity competencies of its members. The topics diversity and heterogeneity have been included in a growing number of teaching and education modules. The FHNW also offers continuing education programmes in the field of diversity and equal opportunities. Numerous research projects of the FHNW’s schools engage with a wide range of issues from the field of diversity.
See the contact addresses in ‘Inside FHNW’ for details of the diversity officers of the individual schools (access for FHNW members only).
The «Guide for University Practice» illustrates how diversity is embraced by different people at the FHNW. The brochure encourages thought and critical reflection on our own behaviour and presents approaches to shape diversity.
Starting this semester, there will be designated all-gender WCs at most FHNW locations. These are single-user WCs and are open to everyone - women, men and people who do not assign themselves to the binary gender system. This allows everyone to use the toilet that corresponds to their own gender identity and expression. Gender-neutral WCs thus contribute to the maintenance and promotion of mental and physical health. They ensure safety and create a discrimination-free environment for diverse people. Providing gender-neutral WCs is a simple but effective step in promoting equality for people regardless of their gender identity. An overview of the currently available All-Gender WCs can be found under the heading "Queerness" within Inside FHNW (Intranet).
Launch of a cooperation project looking at the inclusion of LGBTIQ+ students at Swiss tertiary education institutions
Toolkit: Women & Diversity in Innovation
INCLUDO