Gender Equality Plan 2018-2023

Sankt Augustin, January 27th, 2022

The Bonn-Rhine-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS) has been certified as a family-friendly university since 2007. Since then, regular audits of the university-wide measures and programs have taken place. The realization of equal participation of women and men in all areas of the university is a binding goal of the university and is anchored in its university development plans: "Promoting gender equality and diversity and addressing new challenges of social and family lifestyles" is highlighted as an overarching strategic and university-wide goal in the current University Development Plan 2021-2025. The university is also obligated by the North Rhine-Westphalia State Equal Opportunity Act to promote women, to reduce existing gender-based disadvantages and discrimination, and to promote the compatibility of work and family life. 

The university provides the Equal Opportunity Commissioner with personnel and financial resources to implement her tasks. In addition, decentralized equal opportunity officers have been appointed in the university's departments. 

The Gender Equality Plan 2018-2023 takes stock of university-wide data, measures taken as well as results in the identified fields of action and formulates further goals and associated measures for this until 2023.

In addition, the Executive Board continuously initiates further measures and develops existing ones. For example, in 2021, the Executive Board has made it a condition in the job profiles for filling professorships that newly appointed professors at the H-BRS must be willing to reflect and implement gender and diversity aspects in teaching, research and transfer. Measures and programs are published promptly within the university. 

At the end of the Equality Concept 2018-2023, a report will be submitted to the Senate of the university to evaluate the measures taken so far and to pass a resolution on the continuation and updating of the Equality Concept for the following years.

Prof. Dr. Hartmunt Ihne

President

Preamble

The Bonn-Rhine-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS), founded in 1995, has been developing into a gender- and family-friendly university since 2007. Since then, the realization of equal participation of women and men in all areas of the university has been a binding goal of the university strategy. The current University Development Plan 2016 - 2020 emphasizes the importance of this issue: "The university promotes gender equality and creates space for the diversity of its members." Equality is also a direct responsibility of the President.  The present Equality Concept 2018 - 2023 continues the previous Equality Concept 2013 - 2018, which was positively reviewed at the Professorinnenprogramm II. It takes stock of the data and realized results in the various fields of action and formulates the further goals and associated measures up to the year 2023. 
The concept was developed by the Equal Opportunity Office of the H-BRS, in cooperation with the Center for Science and Technology Transfer and the Communication and Marketing Office, and in close coordination with the presidium. 
Within the framework of this concept, the H-BRS applies for funding for three professorships over five years as early appointments in the Professorinnenprogramm III. In addition, three positions for research assistants or teaching staff for special tasks within the framework of a junior staff concept, which support the implementation of future measures to promote equality, are to be financed from the project funds.  

Situation analysis

Statistical data                                                                                                                                                     In order to enable comparability with the nationwide and NRW statistics (available for the year 2016/2017) and to assess the changes compared to the initial situation before the first equality concept 2013 - 2018, a period from 2013 to 2016 -2017 is considered below. 

Female employees in technology and administration                                                                                   The proportion of women among the university's other employees has been above average since its founding and is a gratifying 70%, so no further analysis is made here.

Bonn-Rhine-Sieg University of Applied Sciences in comparison

In a comparison of all universities of applied sciences (HAWs) in NRW (Genderreport 2016), the H-BRS has an above-average proportion of women among the academic staff and professorships, especially in relation to the proportion of female students. The university ranks fifth out of eighteen state HAWs in NRW.                                                                                                                                                                In a nationwide comparison (university ranking according to equality aspects 2017), the H-BRS is in the top group for the following factors:  

• Scientific and artistic staff below lifetime professorship absolute,
• Professorships absolute (HAWs)
• Women's share of academic and artistic staff, below lifetime professorship 2010 and 2015 (HAWs).

Committees and university managementAccording to Section 11c of the Higher Education Act of North Rhine-Westphalia (2014)3 , university committees in North Rhine-Westphalia must have equal gender parity. The executive committee, university council and appointment committees of the H-BRS have equal staffed.

Female professors were encouraged to stand for election to the Senate and departmental councils, but it was not possible to achieve parity in the number of professorships. 
With the exception of the Department of Social Policy and Social Security, the proportion of female professors in the departmental councils does not correspond to the basic population of female professors in the department. In the Senate, too, the proportion of female professors of 11.1% does not correspond to the population of female professors in the university. 

Family-friendly university                                                                                                                          The services of the family counseling center at the H-BRS have been increasingly used in recent years. Overall, the number of counseling contacts has increased by 20% since 2013. Most consultations took place on the topic of reconciling studies/career and children, but the topic of caring relatives is also becoming increasingly important for employees at the university. As in Sankt Augustin, company kindergarten places were also set up at the Rheinbach campus during the concept period. These are well received by employees and students.

Stipends                                                                                                                                                         The percentage of women on college stipends correlates with the percentage of female students overall in 2017.

Promotions                                                                                                                                                  Despite not having its own doctoral program, in 2017 the Bonn-Rhine-Sieg University of Applied Sciences had 81 doctoral students in cooperative doctoral programs in the subjects of computer science, chemistry, biology, economics and electrical engineering. The proportion of women is 27%.

Equality quota                                                                                                                                            Section 37a of the Higher Education Act of North Rhine-Westphalia (2014) requires universities to calculate and promulgate an equality quota for departments. The goal is to achieve a ratio of female professors to male professors in the subject groups that corresponds to the equality quota. The H-BRS has included the equality quota in the appointment regulations and appointment committees, departmental councils and the president include it in the appointment procedures.

The calculation of the gender equity quota for the departments shows that two departments over-achieve the quota, two departments slightly under-achieve, and the Department of Applied Science significantly under-achieves the quota.

Context and environment of the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences                              The political decision to establish the Bonn-Rhine-Sieg University of Applied Sciences in 1995 as a "women-friendly university" led to a high proportion of female professors and academic staff right from the start. The university is very well networked in the Bonn science region and has numerous cooperation partners in the region and beyond.
The majority of prospective students come from the local area. However, the university has seen an increase in students from the rest of Germany, and its share of foreign students, 16 percent, is also very high for a state HAW. Regional applicants acquire their university entrance qualifications primarily at vocational colleges and high schools in the region.
The Bonn-Rhine-Sieg University of Applied Sciences has two main areas of focus in its subject structure: The departments of Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Technical Journalism as well as Applied Natural Sciences can be assigned to the STEM area, and the departments of Economics and Social Policy and Social Security can be assigned to the economic area. The deliberate strong focus on STEM fields accounts for the university's lower percentage of female students compared to the national average.
The H-BRS currently has three teaching campuses in Sankt Augustin, Rheinbach and Hennef. In Bonn, it operates a joint research institute with RWTH Aachen University, the University of Bonn and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft. In order to be able to offer appropriate service to the university members of the respective locations, services of the administration are offered at the different locations.

Anchoring gender equality in the university

Mission statement gender- and family-friendly university                                                              Between the Bonn-Rhine-Sieg University of Applied Sciences and the Ministry for Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, target and performance agreements were concluded until 2015, in which measures for a "gender and family-friendly university" were defined. As of 2016, the ministry switched to the instrument of the university contract, in which goals regarding gender research, increasing the proportion of female professors, promoting female postgraduates and family-friendly university were also agreed between the university and the state.

University development plan 2010 - 2015                                                                                           Equality is firmly anchored in the University Development Plan 2010 - 2015 with the aspects of gender and family-friendly university. During this period, measures were developed to increase the proportion of women in all underrepresented areas (professorships, management levels, MINT courses and research projects). In addition, the H-BRS implemented numerous measures to enable students and employees to combine their studies and careers with family, children or relatives in need of care. This made it possible to attract and retain qualified students and competent staff.

University Development Plan 2016 - 2020                                                                                                    In the University Development Plan 2016 - 2020, the university postulates its vision of becoming an application-oriented university. One of the elements shaping this orientation is the promotion of gender equality and the creation of space for the diversity of its members. In its social responsibility goals, it emphasizes a special role of equality, diversity, inclusion and the aspects of family-friendliness and the healthy working place of the university.

Distribution of funds gender and family-friendly university                                                                     In the performance-based allocation of funds, the state of NRW allocates ten percent of funding on the basis of the proportion of female professors. Within the university, no funds are allocated on the basis of performance. The university holds discussions with the departments about goals and measures for strategic development. The topic of equality is also included in these discussions.  The Equal Opportunity Officer is provided with an appropriate annual budget, and the university allocates personnel funds of €217,000 and material funds of €32,800 for the Equal Opportunity Office and the projects "Family-friendly university", "Komm mach MINT" and zdi School Lab.

Plans for the advancement of women and framework plans for the advancement of women (since 2017 equality plans)                                                                                                                                  Every three years, the departments draw up plans for the advancement of women in consultation with the Equal Opportunity Officer, who summarizes them in an outline plan for the advancement of women. The plans are submitted to and confirmed by the Senate. 
In 2017, a new state equality law-LGG NRW7-was enacted in NRW. The women's advancement plans were renamed equality plans. 
In 2018, H-BRS is making use of the experimentation clause (LGG NRW § 6a), which allows universities to synchronize equality plans, equality concepts and further equality reports in time and replace them with a single instrument.  

Center for Ethics and Responsibility                                                                                                         The central scientific institution "Center for Ethics and Responsibility" is concerned with the social responsibility of science in its many dimensions. One of the present and future issues is the equality of women in science. Within the framework of the lecture series "Technology and Environmental Ethics", topics of gender and diversity studies in the engineering sciences are taken up.

Strengths and weaknesses analysis (2018)                                                                                                 The following strengths and weaknesses analysis results from the previous surveys:

Comparison of strengths and weaknesses analysis from 2013 and 2018

How have strengths and weaknesses changed over the past five years?

Goals of the equality concept 2018 - 2023

In order to achieve the strategic goal of equal opportunities at all levels of the university, the following operational goals are derived from the strengths and weaknesses analysis and prioritized in their order. The goal is to reduce weaknesses and further develop strengths.

1. Achievement of the gender equality quota in all departments
2. Personnel development for young female scientists and increasing the proportion of female doctoral candidates
3. Anchoring of gender equality in the departments
4. Stabilizing the proportion of female students and graduates in engineering and increasing the proportion of female students and graduates in computer science
5. Increasing the proportion of female professors on committees
6. Further development of the work-life balance
7. Gender controlling
8. Establishment of gender research

Measures

In the following, the measures of recent years are reviewed to determine whether they were suitable for achieving the operational goals. From the perspective of the operational goals for the 2018 - 2023 equality concept, it is determined which measures will be continued, modified or terminated and which new measures will be added.

Achievement of the gender equality quota in all departments                                                 Achievement of the gender equality quota in all departments
Target group: Lecturers, female scientists with doctoral degrees
Responsible persons: Department of Personnel and Law, Equal Opportunity Commissioner
Structural anchoring: University management
Indicator: Applications by women for professorships, proportion of female professors, gender equality quota, consultations with the Equal Opportunity Officer

Successful actions that will be continued

„Grünes Licht für Professorinnen“                                                                                                              In this seminar series, women who are interested in a professorship receive support on the topics of "appointment procedure, trial lecture, status communication and appointment interview".

Targeted advisory services offered by the Equal Opportunity Officer in calls for tender                      In the advertisement texts for a professorship, it is pointed out that the Equal Opportunity Commissioner provides advice on this. In recent years, many female applicants have made use of this service.

Active research by the dean's office and the chair of the appointment committee in female scientists'
databases and networks                                                                                                               Chairpersons of appointment committees and department heads actively supported the search for female applicants for professorships.

Standardization of gender-appropriate elements in appointment procedures                                     New appointment regulations and appointment guidelines have been created that include gender-responsive aspects.

"Women Professors - Where Are You?"                                                                                             Inspired by the working paper "Professorinnen-ubi estis- wo seid Ihr?", the equal opportunity officers of Bochum University of Applied Sciences and Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences founded a project team to take up the findings of the working paper and implement recommendations for action. One of the core statements of the working paper is that the career path of the female professor at HAWs is not known to many women with a doctorate and professional experience. The project team created a communication concept and decided to create an image film on the job description of the female HAW professor and a website. The target group was young women with doctorates from universities and universities of applied sciences on the one hand and women with doctorates from the business world on the other. In 2016, the film and website were created (www.professorin-werden.de). At the annual conference of bukof (Federal Conference of Women's and Equal Opportunity Commissioners at Universities), the film and website were presented and released for use by all universities. Many HAWs nationwide made use of this. To increase awareness, an advertorial was placed in "Zeit Chancen" in 2017, after which the click rates on the website increased by leaps and bounds.

Measures to be modified

Cooperation with non-university research institutions                                                                            The aim was to cooperate with non-university research institutions (e.g. by forwarding advertisements for professorships to the equal opportunities offices) in order to attract female scientists who are interested in a professorship at the university. This did not result in a significant increase in applications from women. Newly appointed female professors from non-university research institutions stated that they had been made aware of the professorship through personal contact. The measure is to be modified by asking these female professors to approach suitable female colleagues in the research institutes when new professorships are advertised.

Finished measures

"Service Point Teaching Assistant Pool"                                                                                                 Within the framework of the joint project "Servicetelle Lehrbeauftragtenpool" (01.03.2012 - 31.12.2016), measures were successfully developed and implemented to both promote the qualification of lecturers and ensure teaching quality. Self-learning courses on the topic of "gender-sensitive teaching" as well as small group coaching to support (especially female) lecturers on their way to a university professorship were created during this time and are still available at the H-BRS.

New measures

Advanced training for appointment committees and appointment officers                                          The Vice President for Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and Continuing Education, in collaboration with the Human Resources Department, will offer training sessions on appointment procedures.

Extension of the calls for professorships to the international area                                                         The Vice President for Internationalization and Diversity supports departments by defraying the costs of bidding internationally.

Human resources development for young female scientists and increase in the proportion of female doctoral candidates

Target group: female doctoral candidates, female research assistants, female graduates
Responsible persons: Graduate Institute, Department of Human Resources and Law, Equal Opportunity Commissioner Structural anchoring: University management
Key figure/indicator: Number of female doctoral candidates, number of continuing education measures for female academic employees

Successful measures that will be continued

Continuing education opportunities at the university's Graduate Institute                                              The Graduate Institute of the H-BRS offers continuing education courses in German and English for all PhD students of the university on a regular basis. The modules range from PhD Project Management, Intellectual Property Right Protection, Advanced English Academic Writing Skills, to individual coaching for PhD students who are not sure whether they want to complete their PhD. Furthermore, information about funding opportunities is provided.

Awarding of doctoral stipends                                                                                                                    Every year, eight to ten doctoral scholarships are awarded to employees and graduates of the university. At least one scholarship is awarded by the Equal Opportunity Office to women only. Overall, attention is paid to gender parity in the awarding process.

Prize for the best master thesis of a female student                                                                        Annually, as part of the graduation ceremony or the opening of the academic year, the prize for the best master's thesis by a female student is awarded in the amount of €1000.

Personnel development of female scientific employees                                                                               In the departments, doctorates and continuing education programs in the form of advanced master's degrees are supported by allowing flexible work schedules or even granting partial time off. The university's research institutes support doctorates in particular through their involvement in the Graduate Institute Council and also award an annual doctoral stipend

Support services for young female scientists with family responsibilities                                        Female employees who have to interrupt their doctoral project due to pregnancy or parental leave and whose continued funding after restarting is endangered by limited third-party funding can apply for additional funding from the departments or the Equal Opportunity Office. In all questions of compatibility, female junior scientists are advised by the family counseling center HELP and the Equal Opportunity Commissioner of the H-BRS.

Peer Coaching                                                                                                                                                As part of the quality development in teaching and studies, peer coaching is offered to lecturers. Lecturers at the university come together in a team and work together to develop themselves further in the area of teaching. This concept is primarily used by female lecturers.

Teaching experience for master students                                                                                            Master's students are given the opportunity to gain teaching experience in the form of teaching assignments or half-time research assistantships.

New measures

Support in the application process for funding programs for young female researchers
(Career paths FH professorship)                                                                                                                The state program "Karrierewege FH-Professur" supports qualified young academics on their way to a professorship at an HAW. This is also intended to make even better use of the potential of well-qualified women. At its core, the program revolves around the professional experience outside of teaching that is necessary for a professorship. The Equal Opportunity Officer advises and supports a candidate applying for this program.

Increase in the proportion of female doctoral candidates                                                                          In the coming semesters, representatives of the Graduate Institute and academic staff who are currently working on their doctorates will present information on doctoral studies at the university in a "roadshow" in the master's programs. At the alumni day, the event "Meet the docs" will be an exchange between doctoral candidates, alumni and students of higher semesters. Interviews with female doctoral candidates are published on the Graduate Institute's website, reporting on successful doctorates.

Anchoring of gender equality in the organizational units

Target group: employees, students
Responsible persons: Deans' offices, administration, equal opportunity commissioners (central and decentralized)
Structural anchoring: University management
Key figure/indicator: Women's advancement plan (equal opportunity plan), number of permanent positions for women and men

Successful measures that will be continued

Equal opportunity commissioners of the departments                                                                            The amendment of the HG NRW strengthened the role of the equal opportunity commissioners in the departments. Equal opportunity commissioners and their deputies were elected in each department at the university and thus have an impact on equal opportunity activities. They represent the central Equal Opportunity Commissioner in personnel procedures and in departmental meetings. This increase in the number of equal opportunity actors makes it possible to cover many committees and personnel procedures. The goal is also to realize releases for the equal opportunity commissioners of the departments.

Plans for the advancement of women (equality plans)                                                                           With the instrument of the women's advancement plans, the departments are concretely obligated to implement measures to promote equality, the compatibility of career and family, and the reduction of the underrepresentation of women. In joint discussions with the deaneries, the departmental equal opportunity commissioners and the central equal opportunity commissioner, the measures of the past years are reviewed for their effectiveness and the further procedure and target figures for the next few years are jointly determined.

New measures

Gender-equitable personnel policy                                                                                                               In the coming year, the universities expect both the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the federal government to decide to what extent the Higher Education Pact funds will be made permanent. For many academic staff and technical and administrative staff recruited on a temporary basis through the Higher Education Pact, the decision is pending as to whether they will be taken on as permanent employees. The goal of a gender-equitable personnel policy is equal opportunity for both genders with regard to permanent positions. The central Equal Opportunity Commissioner and the Equal Opportunity Commissioners of the departments accompany this process.

Stabilizing the proportion of female students and graduates in engineering and increasing the proportion of female students and graduates in computer science.

Target group: female pupils and students
Responsible: Departments, Equal Opportunity Office
Structural anchoring: University management
Indicator: Number of visits by female students, number of female students

Successful measures that will be continued

STEM projects for schoolgirls   

• Komm mach MINT" project: Project weeks during the vacations for girls (GET together); school cooperations with high schools, junior high schools and secondary schools in the area; workshops for girls at school or college
• zdi-Roberta Center: teacher training courses and loan of Lego Mindstorms.
• Girls'Day: in 2018, the university held its 18th Girls'Day. The departments of computer science, applied natural sciences and electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and technical journalism serve more than 250 girls each year
• Project "FIT": In cooperation with Ford, the Department of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Technical Journalism offers a taster day for female students during the summer vacations

STEM projects for pupils

• Technology academy: series of events on Saturdays with a focus on own experimentation
• zdi- Schülerlabor: Cooperation with schools in the region, workshops and presentation of study programs, vacation courses for students
• Chemistry taster course during the Easter holidays
• Children's University in the Rhein-Sieg-Kreis: The Children's University is a joint event series of the Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences, the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences and the Philosophical-Theological University SVD St. Augustin and offers lectures and hands-on activities for children of primary school age.

MINT projects for female students

• Student Mentoring in Engineering: Women's Mentoring empowers young women in the Electrical/Mechanical Engineering/Technical Journalism Department and aims to provide a forum for aspiring female engineers to network and support each other. Female students from higher semesters, supported by student assistants, take care of female students in their first semesters. A mailing list for female students of the department and a course on the e-learning platform LEA support the communication of the group. Students who have benefited from mentoring as freshmen are welcome to volunteer as mentors.

MINT projects for female and male students

• Pro-MINT-us project: Within the framework of the Quality Pact for Teaching, this project aims to improve the study entry phase and the transition from school to university in the STEM subjects. Many female academic staff members are employed as role models in the project.
• Students' Special" series of events: Organized by the Equal Opportunity Office, annual workshops are held on the topics of "Studying with Children, Application Training, Stress Management and Time Management.
• H-BRS Motorsport: In this interdisciplinary project, students at the university develop and build an electric racing car and use it to take part in international competitions. The proportion of female students in this project is disproportionate to the proportion of female students in engineering.

Finished measures

Project StartGut from 2015 - 2017                                                                                                   Individual preparation of freshmen, study workshop. Female students are specifically sought as mentors in the study workshop. The project content will be continued by the Pro-MINT-us project until 2020.

Promotion of early study                                                                                                                Particularly suitable students were given the opportunity to take individual courses. After the end of the project period, the project was terminated due to a lack of acceptance.

New measures

Establishment of the "Sustainable Engineering Sciences" degree program                                          The gender aspect also played a role in the planning and conception of the bachelor's degree program in sustainable engineering in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Technical Journalism. The topic of sustainability was associated with the hope of appealing to prospective students who would not have tended to primarily seek a degree in electrical or mechanical engineering, which also applies in particular to female prospective students. This assumption has been confirmed after the first experiences, both in the advertising of the study program in advance (schools, fairs, information days) and in the enrollments of the first year. The promotional events directly revealed a higher level of interest from female students whose interest in the program was often based on environmental or scientific topics and who would not have been directly interested in electrical or mechanical engineering. In the first year, the proportion of female students in the sustainable engineering program was twice that in the electrical and mechanical engineering programs. For a more accurate assessment, the figures for several years will be evaluated in the coming years.

Computer science focus in the "Komm machMINT" courses                                                        Vacation courses playfully introduce schoolgirls to hardware-related programming with Arduino. In the Roberta (Lego robot) and Scratch courses (game programming), programming skills are deepened.

Increase in the proportion of female professors on governing bodies

Target group: female professors
Responsible persons: University management, equal opportunity commissioners, deaneries
Structural anchoring: University management, equal opportunity commissioners
Key figure/indicator: Proportion of female professors in committees

Successful measures that will be continued

Extension of the times for election proposals                                                                                                If there are too few applications from women, especially female professors, for elective bodies, a grace period is set and, e.g. for the departmental councils, the dean's office is asked to specifically encourage female professors to apply (implementation of Section 11c of the NRW Higher Education Act, 2014).

Equal representation on committees                                                                                                          The presidium, university council, and appointment committees have been and continue to be staffed with gender parity.

New measures

Support for female professors                                                                                                               Should female professors be increasingly used in self-administration in order to staff committees in a gender-equitable manner, there is the possibility of additional relief through student assistants, who are financed by the dean's office.

Anchoring work-life balance

Target group: University employees                                                                                                Responsible: Equal Opportunity Office, Administration, Department of Business and Economics
Structural anchoring: University management, Equal Opportunity Commissioner
Indicator: Number of consultations, feedback from Family Office and Equal Opportunity Officer 

Successful measures that will be continued

Auditing family-friendly university                                                                                                           The third re-audit "family-friendly university" was successfully carried out, the fourth re-audit is in the phase of the interim report. In the target agreement for the confirmation of the certificate, the university is attested that it is consolidating and intensifying concepts and activities for all target groups. Measures have been agreed upon to further promote the family-oriented culture of the university.

Guideline on Conduct in Partnership, Ombudsman Commission                                            Representatives of the Equal Opportunity Commission, the staff councils and the AStA jointly developed the guideline on conduct in a spirit of partnership. The guideline addresses all members of the university and is intended to help them resolve conflicts fairly or prevent them from arising in the first place. Contact points within and outside the university are designated for conflict resolution. Violations of the guideline, such as violations of personality and discrimination, can be reported anonymously to an ombudsman commission, which reports annually to the Presidential Board and the Senate.

Measures to be modified

Master stipend for students with child                                                                                                      The goal of the scholarship was to encourage students with children to have the financial confidence to pursue a master's degree. In order not to disadvantage students who were already in the master's program, bachelor's students in their final semester and master's students could apply. Mainly, only Master students who had already financially planned their studies received the scholarship. The guidelines for the award are now modified and limited to bachelor students in their final semester.  

Finished measures

Pilot project in the administration on the topic of "Mental stress in the workplace                       Following a survey in the administration on mental stress in the workplace, the results were presented to all employees and supervisors. Due to the stresses mentioned in the survey, such as excessive work pressure and constant disruptions, measures were taken to reduce them. General measures such as team-building seminars, ergonomic counseling and back and yoga courses have been offered regularly since then and will be continued in the follow-up project "Healthy University".

New measures

University development project "Healthy University"                                                                            The "Healthy University" project started on 01.04.2018. In cooperation with the health experts of Techniker Krankenkasse, a company health management system is to be established over the next five years and the university is to be certified as a Healthy University. Following a health survey in 2018/ 2019, tailored measures are to be developed and implemented. In the university development plan 2016 - 2020, the healthy workplace university was named as a strategic goal and is to lead to a Healthy University service agreement.

Gendercontrolling

Target group: Administration                                                                                                           Responsible parties: Department of Higher Education Planning, Evaluation and Controlling, Department of Finance and
and Purchasing, Department of Human Resources and Legal Affairs
Structural anchoring: university management
Key figure/indicator: gender-neutral university data

Successful measures that will be continued

Counter-gendered student and graduate surveys.                                                                                    The Department of Higher Education Planning, Evaluation and Controlling regularly provides student data that is gender-neutral. In addition, annual surveys of first-semester students and graduates, as well as surveys of students in the higher semesters, are conducted and made available for specific sections. In the student surveys, for example, questions are asked about the family situation (children, relatives requiring care) and whether the study conditions are suitable for meeting these family obligations.

Counter-gendered personnel data through introduction of new personnel software
The introduction of new personnel software has made it possible to generate personnel statistics for the various employment groups at the push of a button.

New measures

Together with the Vice President for Research and Young Scientists, the extent to which counter-gendered research data can be made available is being examined.

Establishment of gender research

Target group: female high school and college students, university staff.
Responsible: Professor Department of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Technical Journalism
Structural anchoring: University management
Indicator: Projects, courses

Successful measures that will be continued

Establishment of research focus "Technology Gender Journalism
Prof. Dr. Susanne Keil, Professor of Journalism, Online Journalism, Gender and Media, established the research focus in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Technical Journalism.                                                                                                                                                          Thanks to the financial support of the Equal Opportunity Office, it was possible to hire a research assistant for the research focus. This researcher supports the professorship in the development and implementation of gender-sensitive technical journalism, taking into consideration
digitization.

Blog on the research focus "gender2technik".
A web blog was introduced that uses technology journalism to transfer technical topics into a non-male context. Media are subjected to a gender check in teaching research projects and theses.

New measures

Application Grimme Online Award
With the blog gender2technik and the associated social media accounts, an application for the Grimme Online Award is sought.

Sustainability of the Equal Opportunity Concept after the Female Professors Program III

The goals and measures described in the previous chapters are part of the university's gender equality strategy and will be pursued and implemented regardless of whether the application for the Female Professors Program III is successful.
Family-friendliness and equality are firmly anchored in the minds of university staff, so that even beyond the Female Professors Program III, these issues will continue to have great relevance at the university.
The gender pay gap in professorships (performance and appointment bonuses), academic staff, and technical and administrative staff will be considered as a focus for the next few years. The Equal Opportunity Commissioner is striving for certification with the Equal Equality predicate for the university.

Quality assurance

The quality management of gender equality is embedded in the university's holistic quality management system. Counter-gendered university data are part of the strategic gender controlling.

The strategic equality goals are reflected upon every five years in the course of preparing the university development plan and adapted to current needs. Based on this, the operational goals and measures defined in the equality concept are further developed. Likewise, the equality plans of the departments form an important input for the updating of the concept. In order to monitor the achievement of objectives and effectiveness, the actual and target values are monitored on the basis of indicators. Data from the areas of university planning and controlling, personnel controlling, research and transfer, scholarship programs, and information from quality assurance procedures (QA) are compiled and evaluated with a focus on equality. The equality plans of the units form an important input for the updating of the concept. By using the experimentation clause in the LGG NRW, the term of the equality plans was synchronized with the equality concept to five years, and the university undertakes to review the equality concept after two years to determine whether it has achieved its goals.

Conclusion

Due to its founding history, the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences has a high affinity for the advancement of women and gender equality. With regard to the equal participation of women at all levels and in all bodies of the university, it has great successes to show. Particularly noteworthy in this regard is the equal representation of women on the presidential board, making it one of the few universities in North Rhine-Westphalia to have equal representation in its leadership. The challenge for the future is to recruit and retain excellent employees. Family friendliness and equal opportunity are a large part of H-BRS's attractiveness as an employer, but long-term employment prospects for many employees are lacking due to temporary budgetary constraints.

Supported by the Female Professors Program III, the university is setting itself the following goals in the coming years:

• Achievement of the gender equality quota in all departments
• Personnel development for young female scientists and increasing the proportion of female doctoral candidates
• Anchoring of gender equality in the departments
• Stabilizing the proportion of female students and graduates in engineering and increasing the proportion of female students and graduates in computer science
• Increase in the proportion of female professors on committees
• Further development of the work-life balance
• Gender controlling
• Establishment of gender research

Prof. Dr. Hartmut Ihne
President of Bonn-Rhine-Sieg University of Applied Sciences