The Equity Strategy: Equal Opportunities Including Anti-Discriminatory, Intersectional (EDI)

The University's basic principle is that equal opportunities regardless of gender, ethnic origin, age, social and religious background, disability/chronic illness or sexual identity are a human right and an absolute prerequisite for academic freedom, educational equality and a fair working environment. Diversity enriches academic and research-supporting working groups and the student body and is therefore welcomed and encouraged. In order to achieve this goal, the university has strategically linked priorities: maximizing equal opportunities for all by combating discrimination and actively promoting diversity and a culture of inclusivity. The university is both an employer and an educational institution that prepares people for working world. 

The University of Tübingen's strategy pursues a structural approach. It is about recognizing and naming exclusion mechanisms and disadvantages and taking measures to reduce them, as well as counteracting them with a culture and structure-changing policy. Where possible, deficits in equal opportunities must be identified on the basis of regular data analyses. Equal opportunity targets are formulated and integrated into the management tools and quality management processes.
 

Three goals are formulated in the University's mission statement:

1. A university culture based on diversity and equal opportunities is to be further developed,
2. The remaining disadvantages for women and other groups at risk of discrimination or underrepresented in studies, research and teaching are to be eliminated,
3. Working and study conditions should be created that allow all students, employees and academics to pursue their activities at the university as well as to reconcile their responsibilities in family and society.

In order to use synergies to achieve these goals, the topics of gender, diversity and care are not dealt with separately. In this way, commonalities and possible lines of conflict are identified. Above all, however, the objectives are pursued intersectionally: Gender in particular is interwoven with all other characteristics of diversity - diverse factors do not add up, but give rise to specific forms of multiple discrimination or life realities.