Participation procedure

In order to determine a diversity-specific status quo for the HfMT, the steering group first developed a diversity survey specifically tailored to the particularities of the HfMT as an artistic university.
This text is based on the surveys of students (2019) and staff (2021). The survey for the student group could be converted into one of six other languages (English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean) if required.

The results of the surveys were processed in several evaluation workshops and analyses in special working groups. In addition to the graphical processing of the quantitative results, the free texts were categorized according to the qualitative content analysis and then five overarching cluster topics were identified as fields of action. The aim of this initiative is to develop an individual diversity strategy adapted to the conditions of a university of the arts. Such a strategy is not only prescribed by law, but is a standard feature of every modern institution and is also derived directly from our guiding principle of artistic excellence in social responsibility.

The motivation to implement this task without the help of an external agency was primarily due to the awareness that the members of the Diversity Steering Group wanted to experience this process, from the development of the questions to the clustering of the results, as a joint cognitive process. As things stand at present, this has already proved to be extremely productive. Different approaches to interpreting the survey, beyond statistical key figures, by the various stakeholders at the university characterized the intensive exchange. Gender, origin, age, functional context showed how differently diversity is viewed and where, despite all the differences, there are productive intersections.

It was precisely these that were worked out and specified in several rounds.

Summarized in the five fields of action of respect, transparency, access, compatibility and reflection , they provide a structured overview of the evaluations.

As the topic affects the entire university, the Diversity Steering Group is currently involved in a participatory process in the various deaneries of the university, the Administrative Board, the AStA, the Ligeti Center (IHS) and other groups in order to present the fields of action in person and to initiate an internal discourse across the breadth and depth of the university, in which the various groups are involved in the design of the measures and can formulate concrete and individually tailored measures for their areas to achieve goals within the framework of the fields of action.

The aim of this participation process is to develop a holistic and intersectional diversity management concept for the HfMT with a focus on the specifics of a music and theater university, which is to be adopted by the University Senate in April 2024. The concept will pursue an anti-discrimination strategy to enable more diversity. It will also serve to recognize the diversity that already exists as creative potential for an artistic and academic university and to treat this diversity with appreciation in everyday university life.