The University of Konstanz is an institution that counts diversity and inclusion among its core values. As part of the Excellence Initiative, we have decided to promote the inclusion of all members, especially those with relevant diversity characteristics. This is reflected in our comprehensive Diversity Code (link) and in the specific goals we have set ourselves.
Led by our Vice Rector for International Affairs, Equality and Diversity, various committees and decentralised units, we are committed to creating an inclusive and appreciative atmosphere. Here, all members, regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic origin, language, religion, disability and other characteristics, can develop freely and participate fully in all the opportunities our university has to offer.
To measure the success of our interventions and enable data-driven organisational development, we use evidence-based management. This means that we use four sources of information to make decisions and develop programmes. In particular, this includes quantitative data collection such as the diversity climate and the survey of socio-demographic characteristics of university staff and students, but also qualitative data collection in roundtable formats. All these plans and considerations are also based on the best available empirical scientific literature and draw on the experience of experts. The development of our diversity monitoring is an ongoing process that began in 2021 with the survey of the diversity climate and will be continuously developed.
Diversity-Climate
The diversity climate represents “a shared perception among university members of whether and how their own organisation values diversity in formal structures, informal values and in the integration of members from underrepresented groups" (Dwertmann, Nishii and van Knippenberg (2016, p. 1137). We use this shared perception as an indicator of how diversity is dealt with at the University of Konstanz. To do this, we ask a total of three questions based on an instrument developed by Ette and colleagues and tested in the federal administration that captures the three dimensions of the diversity climate according to Cachat-Rosset (2019) on a 5-point scale.
Table 1: Measuring diversity climate
Dimension | Questions for students (status 2023) | Questions for employees (as of 2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Intention | The University of Konstanz is committed to the diversity of its members and staff and sees this diversity as an enrichment. I experience that people in my study environment, e.g. my fellow students and lecturers, share this view. | Please read the following statement: "The diversity and difference of employees is an enrichment and not a detriment". The majority of the employees in my direct work environment, e.g. in my work group/my supervisor/my superior agree with this statement.... |
| Process | "In my direct study environment, students are encouraged and supported in consideration of their personal characteristics (e.g. age, gender, skin colour, health condition, life and family models, ethnic, national, social or economic backgrounds, gender identities or sexual orientation)". I agree with this statement... | To what extent would you agree with the following statements in relation to the last 12 months or, if you have not been at the university that long, in relation to the period of your employment? "In my direct work environment, employees are promoted and supported taking into account their personal characteristics (e.g. age, gender, skin colour, health condition, life and family models, ethnic, national, social or economic backgrounds, gender identities or sexual orientation)". I agree with this statement... |
| Practice | "In my direct study environment, no one is treated unfairly because of their personal characteristics (e.g. age, gender, skin colour, health condition, life and family models, ethnic, national, social or economic backgrounds, gender identities or sexual orientation)". I agree with this statement... | To what extent would you agree with the following statements in relation to the last 12 months or, if you have not been at the university that long, in relation to the period of your employment? "In my direct work environment, no one is treated unfairly because of their personal characteristics (e.g. age, gender, skin colour, health condition, life and family models, ethnic, national, social or economic backgrounds, gender identities or sexual orientation)". I agree with this statement... |
Note: © 2021 These questions were published at the University of Konstanz and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International CC BY 4.0 licence, which allows the adaptation and use of the tool.
Using these tools, we have conducted two surveys to measure the internal diversity climate - a pilot survey in summer 2021 and a staff survey in December of the same year. The results of these surveys provide us with valuable data to further improve our strategies and actions. The full report can be downloaded from the menu on the right.
In essence, the surveys (see Table 1) show that the employees of the University of Konstanz perceive the diversity climate as high (4.3/5) and the differences between individual groups are very small. Nevertheless, we will use qualitative means to get to the bottom of the differences between the groups.
Table 2: Results of the diversity climate surveys of employees
| Category | Pilot survey | n | Employee survey | n |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall assessment | 4,36 | 163 | 4,3 | 976 |
Gender |
|
|
|
|
Female | 4,36 | 61 | 4,31 | 713 |
Male | 4,44 | 49 | 4,29 | 492 |
Education and care |
|
|
|
|
Yes | 4,15 | 22 | 4,3 | 482 |
No | 4,4 | 101 | 4,3 | 723 |
Impairment |
|
|
|
|
Yes | 4,51 | 14 | 4,22 | 124 |
No | 4,37 | 109 | 4,31 | 1.045 |
Nationality |
|
|
|
|
German | 4,38 | 74 | 4,3 | 1.082 |
Other European / Non-European | 4,33 | 22 | 4,27 | 179 |
Note: Responses were given on a 5-point scale, 1 indicating a very low perception of the diversity climate, 5 a very strong perception.
A further survey of students will take place in the winter semester of 2023, but these results are not yet available at this time.
Would you like to measure the diversity climate?
In the spirit of transparency and openness, we are making this report and all materials used available to the public under a Creative Commons licence. They can be viewed on our online repository (https://osf.io/prngx) and we are happy to advise other institutions on how to conduct such a survey.
Surveys using the Konstanz Diversity Climate Instrument have already been conducted at:
- Geislingen-Nürtingen University of Applied Sciences
- University of Duisburg-Essen
- Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences
Sociodemographic diversity at the University of Konstanz
The University of Konstanz has recognised the need to record the characteristics of its members in order to capture both the personal experiences of minorities, e.g. with regard to experiences of discrimination and the perception of the diversity climate, and to generate reliable figures on the question of the representation of specific groups. After a corresponding change in the evaluation regulations in 2022, it was therefore possible for the first time to collect comprehensive data on our students in the student survey Sag's uns 2023 (response rate 32%), which is shown in Table 2.
Table 3: Characteristics of students at the University of Konstanz
| Category | Status group | Tell us 2023 |
|---|---|---|
Gender | Male | 42* |
Female | 58* | |
Trans | 0,9 | |
Inter | 0,1 | |
Other | 0,3 | |
I refuse to be classified | 1,3 | |
Sexual orientation | Hetereosexual | 73,2 |
Bisexual/pansexual | 11,7 | |
Gay | 3,2 | |
Another | 1 | |
Unclear | 4 | |
I do not want to answer | 6,8 | |
Own nationality | German | 86,1* |
Swiss | 1,6* | |
Austrians | 0,5* | |
Europe - EU | 4,6* | |
Europe - Non-EU | 2,1* | |
Outside Europe | 4,5* | |
Migration (Immigration) | Yes | 21,3 |
No | 78,7 | |
Refugee Status | Yes | 0,8 |
No | 99,2 | |
Minority in Germany | Self-identification: Yes | 3,8 |
Self-identification: No | 93,6 | |
Don't know | 2,6 | |
Other identification: Yes | 4,2 | |
Other identification: No | 92 | |
Don't know | 3,8 | |
First Generation Academics | Acad. yes (at least 1 parent) | 64,7 |
Acad. No | 36,3 | |
Care Obligations | Children Yes | 1,8 |
Children No | 98,2 | |
Single Yes | 13 | |
Single parent. No | 87 | |
Health | None of the above | 54,3 |
Movement impairment (e.g. when walking, standing, reaching) | 1,6 | |
Blindness | 5 | |
Deafness | 1 | |
Speech impairment | 0,5 | |
Mental illness | 15,6 | |
Physically prolonged / chronic illness | 6,3 | |
Partial performance disorder | 1,7 | |
Other impairment / disease | 3 | |
I do not want to name the form of my impairment | 3,4 |
Note: Figures with * were taken from the Controlling Data Portal. These are administrative data that are not generated by surveys. In combination with data from the Sag's Uns survey, this can lead to total sums of more than 100%.
Diversity of the workforce
Unfortunately, less data is available on employees, but here too it is planned to collect more information in the future. The available data comes from administrative sources and can therefore be considered exact.
Table 4: Socio-demographic characteristics of employees
| Category | Controlling data portal | |
|---|---|---|
Gender distribution according to status | Students, female | 58 |
| PhD students, female | 53 |
| Early postdocs, female | 57 |
| Junior research group leaders, female | 52 |
| Junior Prof., Tenure-Track | 58 |
| Professors | 30 |
Nationality | German | 80,7 |
| Swiss | 1,2 |
| Austrian | 0,9 |
| EU | 7,0 |
| Europe, Non-EU | 3,0 |
| Outside the EU | 7,1 |