Diversitybuddies

In the long term, Diversitybuddies provide a decentralized support structure for students and staff members at the University of Graz who are affected by barriers to equitable participation. They…

• …serve as easily accessible, visible and trustworthy contact persons for questions and concerns related to equality and diversity in daily work or study life
• …refer individuals to the many advisory and support services at the University of Graz and beyond as required
• …act as multipliers for diversity-sensitive competencies within their respective institutes, centers, departments, & institutions

All employees at the University of Graz who are committed to diversity or want to become so and express their voluntary interest can become Diversitybuddies. Simply send us an e-mail or contact us using the form below.

To acquire the necessary competencies, new Diversitybuddies participate in a half-day introductory workshop that is held up to twice a year. This workshop covers the following topics: 

• Basic knowldedge on the topics of gender & diversity
• Role clarity: What are my tasks? What is not part of it?
• Basic counseling skills for effective handling of sensitive situations
• Information on advisory and support services available within and outside the University of Graz

To facilitate exchanges between the Diversitybuddies, there will be a dedicated space in the internal chat program uniCHAT. Additionally, there are plans plans to organize a regular meetup (“Stammtisch”) for all Diversitybuddies. Furthermore, Diversitybuddies are cordially invited to share their experiences with the university in the open meetings of the AntiBias-Circle and thus contribute in shaping the University of Graz as an anti-bias organization. These meetings will be announced in advance.

For your commitment as a Diversitybuddy, you will receive the following goodies:

• Reserved places for topic-related workshops and trainings offered by the Coordination Center for Gender Studies and Equal Opportunities
• A letter confirming your commitment as a Diversitybuddy from the Vice Rectorate for Internationalization & Equal Opportunities after successful completion of the introductury workshop or by providing evidence of completion of an equivalent training
• On request, documentation of your involvement within the Activity Framework of the University of Graz as well as in UniGrazOnline