What we do
UM’s D&I Office is committed to nurturing an inclusive culture. As one of the most international universities in Europe, we are aware and proud that our strength lies in diversity. We strive to go far beyond quotas and compliance: we are determined to foster an environment in which everyone feels welcome and valued.
We have two main aims:
- Diversifying employee and student population
- Creating an inclusive atmosphere in which all talents and competencies can be mobilised for the well-being of UM community members and for the well-being of the organisation itself
In order to achieve these aims, the D&I Office's work covers four core areas:
Attracting and Retaining Talent
This pillar deals with attracting a more diverse group of administrative and academic staff as well as students. We aim to broaden our conceptualisation of talent in recruitment and retention, and provide an environment where students and staff can mature in our organisation.
Goals:
- Install an inclusive recruitment process that attracts diverse talent
- Rethink career development efforts for all groups
- Live up to raised expectations to retain talents
Actions:
Develop an inclusive recruitment script that review every part of the recruitment cycle. Get your vacancy texts checked by sending it to: checkmyvacancy@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Recognition and Reward of diverse talents to grow in organization
Showcasing UM’s D&I efforts and results in student/staff recruitment
Present UM Disability policy
Pay attention to vulnerable student groups (e.g. First Generation Students)
Fostering Cultural Change
Fostering cultural change is essential as it is the only way to sustainably become inclusive. This includes activities that encourage, develop and raise awareness for our diversity and inclusivity values.
Goals:
- Support and recognize bottom-up initiatives from students and staff
- Understand hurdles and opportunities in creating an inclusive culture
- Broadly integrate D&I perspective in UM education
- Bring people together to discuss D&I matters
- Exchange knowledge and experiences on regional, national and international level
Actions:
D&I Grants
Support for D&I student/staff organizations
Regular student and employee D&I monitoring
Diversify curricula
Include D&I in Intended Learning Outcomes of BA and MA programmes
Diversity Day, FEM symposia and more events
External contacts and audits
Strengthening Diversity Competencies
All staff has to be diversity sensitive to successfully create an inclusive UM environment. The importance of inclusion needs to be recognised and institutionalised in our existing quality cycles (student evaluations, UTQ portfolio, yearly talks). Both staff and students need the skills to succesfully navigate in UM's diverse academic environment.
Goals:
- Strengthen D&I competencies within UM community
- Include D&I competences in existing structures and quality cycles
Actions:
Offer relevant D&I trainings for students, teachers, managers
Include D&I into University Teaching Qualification, Continued Professional Development
Consider D&I competencies in yearly talks of teachers and managers
Evaluate tutors and students on D&I competencies in the classroom
Making Family- and Life-Phase Friendly HR and Education Policies
UM can offer more equity in career development, attract a more diverse pool of talent, and increase employee satisfaction and career sustainability by recognising and facilitating the care responsibilities of UM community members. By appreciating different ways of life, different needs at different moments in life and by creating the conditions for diverging career models, UM assures the possibilities of education or career alongside private responsibilities.
Goals:
- Support members of the UM community to combine their work/study with caring responsibilities
- Position UM as a family-friendly and caring university
Actions:
Identify gaps in the current provisions for students and staff with caring responsibilities and work to close these (based on best practices from within UM but also other universities)
Collect and communicate information about care topics
Ensure adequate facilities at UM (e.g. lactation- and resting rooms)
Establish a peer support network for students and staff
Ensure good handling of care topics by managers
Investigate options for childcare
Develop proposals for services/provisions e.g. dual careers programme
Strategy documents
Our policies are based on the strategy documents below:
D&I 2020-2023
Diversity at the Core
Community at the Core
UM Cares Objectives Agreement