Overview: Structures and Responsibilities

Equal opportunities, compatibility of family and work, and diversity are deeply anchored as leadership tasks in the Presidential Board of the University with the Vice-President for Professorial Appointments and Equal Opportunities having policy-making power.

The equal opportunities and diversity policy is closely coordinated with the Senate, which is supported by the Committee for Gender Equality and Diversity. It is also coordinated with the Foundation Council and the University Foundation Committee.

In addition to the University's Equal Opportunities Officer, decentralised Equal Opportunities Officers are established in all faculties and central institutions as well as in the central administration. The Equal Opportunities Officers are networked together for mutual coordination and support in the Equal Opportunities Council. In many faculties there are further responsibilities at the dean's office, e.g. equal opportunities committees or equal opportunities deans.

University-wide supplementary structures and networks have been established for the area of diversity.
As part of the central administration, the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Unit is responsible for the implementation and further development of programmes and measures in the areas of gender equality, compatibility of family and work, and diversity. It advises and supports faculties, central institutions, departments and staff units of the central administration, grant funded research projects and research centres, graduate schools as well as specialists and executives (consulting).

The Equal Opportunities and Diversity Unit cooperates closely with the Equal Opportunities Office of the University Medical Centre.

By closely interlinking the various structures and responsibilities, the University of Göttingen supports the institutionalisation and professionalisation of equal opportunities and diversity policy and work.