Top content

Welcome

The Equal Opportunity Office is a service facility at the university that seeks to achieve equal opportunities for women and men. Our work hinges on supporting Osnabrück University in its efforts to implement gender equality at all levels of the university system. A wide range of structural and conceptual tasks are undertaken by our staff. Our office is also responsible for pooling, coordinating and managing all kinds of equality projects and action. We develop concepts and projects on issues relevant to gender equality, in addition to planning conferences, seminars, gender and diversity training programs, and other events.

We welcome:

• Prospective students and students
• Young scholars
• Employees
• Professors

We are also the port of call for institutions beyond the university walls concerning gender equality and diversity issues. Perhaps you are interested in cooperating with us or maybe you require our expertise or wish to address any other issue – then do not hesitate to contact us! We speak English and German.

Due to the current situation, we only conduct consultation sessions by e-mail or telephone. For all other inquiries you can of course also reach us via the usual communication channels. Please refrain from personal visits to the Equal Opportunities Office in order to protect your and our health.

Gender equality − mandate

Target group: all members of the university

In accordance with Section 42 of the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act, the Equal Opportunity Officer supports the university in working towards the effective implementation of equal opportunities for women and men and in eliminating discrimination. In particular, she cooperates in university development planning and structural and personnel decisions, in the implementation, further development and evaluation of funding guidelines, and in advising women and men.

Dr. Sabine Jösting has held the position of Osnabrück University’s Central Equal Opportunity Officer – and Head of the Equal Opportunity Office – since 2008. She also represents the staff and students of the university in equality issues, chairs the Council of Decentralized Equal Opportunity Officers, and is responsible for PR and preparing academic reports.

Equal Opportunity Officer:

Equal Opportunity Bodies

Target group: all staff and students of the university

In addition to the Equal Opportunity Office, the university has two other institutions that work towards achieving equal opportunities: the “Council of Decentralized Equal Opportunity Officers”, which brings together all the Equal Opportunity Officers from the university’s schools and organizational units, and the “Equal Opportunity Committee” (ZKfG). This committee manages the “Female Promotion Pool”, an instrument applied by the university to provide funding to young female scholars, in particular.

Oversight of the Council of Decentralized Equal Opportunity Officers:

Oversight of the Equal Opportunity Committee (ZKfG):

Family-friendly university

Target group: all staff and students of the university

The university was first certified as a family-friendly university following an audit by berufundfamilie gGmbH in 2008.

By undergoing the audit, the university seeks to improve the ability of its staff and students to strike a balance between work/study and family, and to firmly establish a family-friendly culture at the university on a long-term basis. Existing and future services focus not only on the traditional nuclear family, but also on a diverse range of family models, such as blended families, also taking into account elderly care.

To find out more about the audit click here.

“Family-Friendly University Audit” Coordinator:

 

Are you responsible for children or dependent relatives requiring nursing care? Then you know first-hand that it is not always easy to strike a balance between study/work and family life – it requires a great deal of coordination and organization. The Family Service Advisor is available to provide advice and support to staff and students of the university in such situations. In addition to providing individual advice on work-life balance issues, we will help you to find childcare facilities, even outside the usual childcare hours: if you suddenly find yourself in need of day care for your children, we will put you in touch with a number of childcare services, such as holiday activities and emergency childcare. Family-friendly facilities such as changing units are shown on the digital site map of the university.

Family Service: Advice on striking a balance between study/work and family

Diversity

Target group: all staff and students of the university

Diversity as in variety, complexity and heterogeneity stands for an appreciative and conscious approach towards the diversity within the society. 
Osnabrück University is part of the nationwide network Diversity an Hochschulen (Diversity at Universities) and signatory of the Charta der Vielfalt (Diversity Charter).
The Diversity coordinator of the Equal Opportunity Office supports Osnabrück University in the formation of an anti-discriminatory space with a diverse range of services. In the following, you will find further information on these services as well as additional references on diversity related services within the university and beyond.

Anti-discrimination
Social power relations are also reproduced at universities, which on one hand can lead to privileges but may cause disadvantages on the other. Discrimination occurs when a person is disadvantaged based on certain characteristics such as race, ethnic or social origin, gender, religion, ideology, disability, age or sexual identity and orientation.
Intersectional discrimination occurs when several characteristics interconnect and interact in one individual. This then leads to cross-linked disadvantages. Discrimination never happens only in individual situations, but is structurally rooted in all areas of society.
The affirmative anti-discrimination work at Osnabrück University aims to support those affected through anti-discrimination counselling as well as to reduce structural and institutional discrimination through implementing policies.

Media
The urgency of intersectionality (Ted Talk) by Kimberlé Crenshaw, 2016, English
In this Ted Talk Kimberlé Crenshaw demonstrates the meaning and importance of the phenomenon of intersectionality.

Die Macht der Vorurteile (The Power of Prejudice) (documentary) by Denis Dismer and John A. Kantara, 2021, German
Dismer‘s and Kantara’s documentary illustrates the origins and development of racism as well as its extensive societal and individual consequences.

This interesting listing of literature (PDF, 126 kB) on different topics of diversity may give you some reading inspiration. Options in English are listed.

Counselling 
Do you suspect that someone has treated you in a non-equal way or discriminated against you based on a personal characteristic?
Do you encounter barriers at the university because of your (ascribed) race, origin, age, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation or other characteristics?
Have you observed discrimination or racist comments toward others at the university?
Are you transgender, intersex, or non-binary and want to learn about the options for changing your name and gender in the university’s records?
Our counselling service is confidential and anonymous, if desired. Counseling can be a chance for you to talk openly about your experiences. Even if you do not want to take any further steps afterwards, your reports are important for the university so that areas in which discrimination occurs can be identified and additional preventive measures can be taken. 
For advice, please feel free to contact gleichstellungsbuero@uni-osnabrueck.de. 
The Equal Opportunity Office offers you counselling on various topics, such as compatibility of work/study and family or care, sexualized discrimination, harassment, and violence, and studying with a disability or chronic illness. 

Accessibility & Inclusion
Representative for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses
The representative for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses of the Equal Opportunity Office is available to answer any questions you may have on the topic of "Studying with a Disability". Further information on how you can be supported as a student with a disability or chronic illness can be found on their website.

Digital map of the university
Data on the university's accessibility has been collected during a campus walk-through. Aids such as automatic door openers and elevators can now be viewed on the university's digital site plan. If you notice other hurdles and aids at the university, you can report these to the Diversity coordinator.

Internationalization 
Offers for refugees
All offers targeted at refugees, such as leisure activities, legal advice or information on guest studies, can be found at Coordination Refugees@UOS.

International Office
The International Office offers support services and programs for international students studying at Osnabrück University.

Department for Foreign Students of the AstA (Student Government)
This department  is available to all students regardless of their skin color and advises e.g. on study matters, residence issues, visa matters, housing, general questions about the city of Osnabrück or other concerns.

Language Center
The Language Center offers a wide range of German courses for refugees and international scientists and students.

Admissions Office
The Admissions Office takes care of matters concerning the admission of international applicants. You can find an overview of the counselling services with all contact persons on the homepage of the Student Services.

Religion
You can find a prayer room on the first floor of building 52 (Neuer Graben 7-9).

Sexual orientation, gender identity & LGBTIQ*
For LGBTIQ*, in addition to the services provided by the Equal Opportunity Office, the Student Government (AStA) provides the following departments.
The Department for Women and Gender Equality provides a self-organized forum for political debate and information.
The Queer Department is an independent department that advocates for the social concerns of queer students and promotes their cultural interests and political education.

Sexualized discrimination and violence

Target group: all staff and students of the university

We often find it hard to accept that our personal environment may also be affected by sexualized discrimination, harassment and violence. And yet international studies and the experience of staff at the Equal Opportunity Office show that, as places of work and study, universities are also an environment where sexualized assaults and harassment occur.

By adopting its Policy against Sexualized Discrimination, Harassment and Violence, Osnabrück University makes it clear that sexualized discrimination, harassment and violence are not acceptable under any circumstances and will be sanctioned accordingly. The policy is applicable to all members, staff and students of the university, as well as to visitors to university facilities and events. In addition to defining a number of terms, the policy also contains specific information about the complaints procedure in the event of harassment.

A team of qualified internal and external initial advisors is at hand to help assess the situation, without pressuring you to take action, and to explain the steps that may be taken. Nonetheless, it is up to you to decide how you wish to deal with the incident. We will take you seriously and be at your side in an advisory capacity.

Studying with a disability or chronic disease

Target group: students

Students with a disability may find it particularly hard to familiarize themselves with the university at the beginning and to cope with the bureaucracy involved. Buildings are spread far apart and may be difficult to reach; and each building is structured differently. It may take some time to get used to the public transport system and to find out where parking spaces are available.

An Officer for Students with Disabilities and Chronic Diseases is available at Osnabrück University to answer any questions you may have during your time at university.

Mentoring for female Master’s students

Target group: female students

Are you close to graduating and have high ambitions? What are your plans after completing your Master’s degree – do you wish to pursue a doctorate or an academic career, or work in a non-academic field after all? Maybe you already have a precise plan but are lacking the possibility to put it into practice. And what skills are required besides specialist knowledge, enabling you to embark on your career with confidence after graduating?

The mentoring program mainly offers female Master’s students at Osnabrück University the opportunity to prepare their individual career paths at an early stage. As a mentee within a mentoring relationship with a mentor from the realm of academia or industry, you will gain first-hand insight into various career systems. You will also be able to carve out an individual strategy for entering the professional world and to become clearer about your career objectives and personal goals. MentUOS is financed by the Federal Government and States Program for Women Professors.

Additional mentoring programs can be found here.

Development of young scholars: Female Promotion Pool

By financing its Female Promotion Pool, Osnabrück University seeks to support projects that contribute towards achieving gender equality. The objective is to reduce the underrepresentation of women and to fund highly promising projects in the area of women’s and gender studies.

As such, Osnabrück University’s Female Promotion Pool provides for promotion of the following:

1.    Completion Scholarships for talented and qualified young female scholars

2.    Female postdocs (postdoc funding)

3.    Women’s and gender studies in research and teaching

4.    Activities and projects on the actual enforcement of equal opportunities for women and men

For more information click here.

Gender-inclusive language

Target group: all staff and students of University Osnabrück

Language influences how we think and feel enormously. It is shaped and changed by society, and at the same time it has an impact on social conditions. It creates reality (vgl. Epstein 2000; Reiss 2010; Trömel-Plötz 2000). Women are still structurally disadvantaged in german society. For example, they earn less on average and are less likely to hold leadership positions (vgl. Statistisches Bundesamt 2016a; Statistisches Bundesamt 2016b). Language is only one aspect in which the reality and thus also the social discrimination is depicted. But it also has a big impact on reality and can change it. Therefore, it is possible to do much with simple means and small changes. Gender-sensitive language not only helps to attract more people, but also has a positive impact on collective societal structures of discrimination.

The Language Center of University of Osnabrück developed a handout that guides in gender-inclusive language. You can download it here (PDF, 578 kB).

Feel free to contact the Equal Opportunity Office if there is any question regarding gender-sensible and gender-inclusive language.

Project “Go Dezentral”

The project “Go Dezentral” is a third-party funded structural measure to survey, coordinate, and improve the cooperation between the Equal Opportunity Office and the decentralized Equal Opportunity Officers representing the various Schools and departments of the university.

Decentralized Equal Opportunity Officers are elected members of individual departments who ensure compliance with the legal equal opportunities guidelines in departmental appointment procedures and other administrative processes. The decentralized Equal Opportunity Officers thus act as a nexus between the departments and the Equal Opportunity Office. The Officers have an inside view of their respective academic cultures and disciplines, they understand the specific employment conditions and requirements of their academic fields, and they can make informed decisions about individual academic profiles in relation to more general equal opportunities considerations in hiring processes.  

However, the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act defines the office of a Decentralized Equal Opportunity Officer as a voluntary activity for which there is no structural compensation in the form of material/financial resources or a reduction of teaching obligations. There is also no provision for the equal opportunities advisors to belong to a professorial or tenured status group. Consequently, the Equal Opportunity Officer of the ten Schools at the Osnabrück University are primarily recruited from members of the administrative staff or untenured academic staff, some of whom are employed on fixed-term contracts or are still in the qualification phases of their own academic careers with corresponding dependencies. These job constellations are fairly common at a German university, but they also mean that the present decentralized structures are characterized by a significant degree of heterogeneity and turnover, which does not always guarantee a continuous and consistent implementation of important equal opportunities measures.

The goal of the project “Go Dezentral” is to develop and implement a decentralized equal opportunities concept that is tailored to the needs and conditions of the respective Schools and that addresses the specific concerns of distinct academic fields, but that also supports and strengthens the decentralized structures by creating binding guidelines, long-term reliabilities, and transparent communication processes.

Go Dezentral Coordinator

Top content