The diversity audit’s approach is two-fold: It focuses on students as well as on one specific dimension of diversity. This audit represents a useful starting point for us to jointly develop a university-wide diversity strategy. In the long-term this strategy will focus on all status groups and diversity dimensions at JGU.
In a first step, we will focus on the social background of our students, particularly first-generation students, students from a migrant background and students without conventional university entrance qualification. In doing so, we continue what has been started in the 2011 project “Mainz – Stadt der Wissenschaft” (Mainz – City of Science): The anchoring of equal opportunities in the field of education for people from all walks of life. This way, JGU assumes its social responsibility in enabling students to tap their full potential and talents.
As the auditing process progresses we will pool existing programs as well as develop new ones in order to compensate for disadvantages students experience because of their social background. In the mid and long- term we mean to establish structures that regard a diversity-oriented change of culture as enrichment and opportunity.