Professor Irmgard Förster, Vice Rector for Equal Opportunity and Diversity, commented: “This is a big success with many people behind it who are committed to achieving further gains in the areas of equality, inclusion and mutual respect at the University of Bonn. The seal documents that the University is working on diversity issues with professionalism on a broad front. The re-audit has yielded valuable insights into the areas where we can further improve and work for effectively.”
The non-profit organization Stifterverband für die deutsche Wissenschaft conducts Diversity Audits as a service for universities interested in taking their diversity work to a higher level of professionalism by obtaining external process oversight. To date, 84 universities and research institutions across Germany have undergone diversity auditing. The purpose of a re-audit is to review, consolidate and further develop the measures taken pursuant to the initial audit.
The University of Bonn first underwent a self-reporting1 process for the re-audit, which formed a basis for a subsequent peer review. The visiting auditors, who are bona fide diversity professionals, observed the diversity work ongoing around campus and made specific recommendations for the next steps to be taken. Some 80 representatives from all stakeholder groups participated in the peer review, contributing their perspectives on the University's progress in recent years.
A big success: female faculty members have increased in number to exceed 30% of the professorate in 2024
The findings from the peer review process indicate that the diversity work at the University of Bonn is going well, as the peers reported being “impressed at how many initiatives with such a breadth of content are ongoing. The University of Bonn can be rightly proud of this level of engagement and the visible progress made in recent years.” In particular the auditors noted that great strides have been made in the area of equal opportunity. In 2019 the Rectorate set a goal of increasing the percentage of women in the professorate from below 20% to 30% by the year 2026, yet this milestone was already reached in October of last year—two years ahead of schedule.
The peers furthermore called particular attention to a number of particularly successful measures implemented since the initial audit, including:
• The Pathways to Research grant program2, part of the Excellence Initiative, aimed at equal opportunity in education. Students and doctoral students from a refugee or immigrant background have been able to apply for funding under this program since 2023.
• The Gender and Diversity Course Catalogue3, published each semester since 2021, is a key tool for making diversity more visible on campus.
• External counseling on incidents of racism 4has been offered since 2022.
• The University of Bonn has been providing free menstruation products 5since 2023 under a project with long-term funding.
Diversity strategy currently in development
In addition to noting successes, the peers also pointed out areas requiring further work. The main recommendation from the peer review is for the University of Bonn to work out a diversity strategy clearly outlining objectives, responsibilities and plans for implementation. “We are in the final stages of completion on this,” Vice Rector Förster noted. The Vice Rectorate and Equal Opportunity and Diversity have been working on the strategy for over a year now in cooperation with all relevant University stakeholders, including the University Gender Equality Commissioner, the Office of Family Services, the administrative divisions and the General Students’ Committee. The work to define and outline the strategy is expected to be fully completed this summer.
Another auditor recommendation is heightening the visibility of the existing points of contact for diversity issues. An improvement worthy of mentioning is the launch of a website containing a directory of all advice and counseling sources and other services relating to equal opportunity and diversity.