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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office

Promoting inclusive and equitable practices, and removing existing barriers to enhance diversity, accessibility and sense of belonging in German & liberal arts higher education.
Gender Equality Plan DEI Concept

Mission: 
Bard College Berlin aims to ensure equal access to educational opportunities without discrimination by promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and sense of belonging within all structures of the University at the intersections of gender diversity, age, [dis]abilities, ethnicity & migration backgrounds, LGBTIAQ+ communities, neurodivergence, socio-economic status, religion and cultural diversity.

DEI Office Values

  • Open Communication & Humility
    To give all voices of our diverse communities, especially those from historically marginalized backgrounds, a safe environment to be heard
  • Personal Growth
    To provide resources and expertise to empower individual and community initiatives, and to ensure non-discriminatory teaching and learning environments
  • Academic Freedom
    To foster a safe and respectful environment that brings freedom of teaching and research together with non-discriminatory and inclusive teaching and learning practices
  • Respect
    To encourage respect in the exchange of ideas to build a positive sense of community
  • Empathetic Leadership
    To provide guidance to leadership and administration
  • Passover Scavenger Hunt, April 2024
    COMMITMENTS
    • Establish Complaints Office
    • Holistic Review of the University System
    • Measure Progress
    • Promote Accountability and Transparency
    • Publish Reports
    • Increase Representation & Visibility
    • Reduce Barriers to Education
  • Community Iftar, March 2024
    DEI COMMUNITY GOALS
    • Staff & Faculty: Increase equitable and inclusive practices in employment processes such as recruitment, hiring, promotion & development opportunities, and employee satisfaction (retention rates) without discrimination and reducing structural barriers and bias. 
    • Students: Ensure accessible educational opportunities to applicants and enrolled students 
    • University System: Assess and implement inclusive and equitable practices, policies, structures, and procedures throughout the organization
    • Communication: Encourage students, staff, faculty, and leadership to be transparent, remain accountable, to listen and have empathy towards one another for a stronger sense of community

Resources

Statement from the Director of DEI
Lauren Gaillard

Statement from the Director of DEI

"With guidance from the DEI office, my hope is to further equip the BCB community with the knowledge and best practices needed to navigate the diversity and complexity of the world and to empathize with individuals' identities. As a liberal arts institution, Bard College Berlin values democracy, and one of my personal aims is for the DEI office to provide sustainable ways to highlight the diversity inherent in it. This office is dedicated to promoting inclusion as well as accessible and equitable opportunities in higher education, which are key elements of our DEI concept. Our commitments and community goals outline specific objectives we aim to achieve at BCB to drive systemic change. We acknowledge that creating such change and building equitable opportunities for all requires time, and it is this recognition that fuels our unwavering commitment to advancing what DEI represents: diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, justice, and a sense of belonging."

Workshops and Events 

The DEI Office regularly holds empowerment workshops and invites experts to campus to talk about their experiences and provide support.

Events

Events

View All Events >>

FAQ

Definitions

  • Diversity: differences among people in their gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, 
 race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, culture, national origin, religious beliefs and identity, disability status and age. 

  • Equity: being fair and impartial and challenging and responding to bias, harassment, and discrimination against people 
from diverse identities and backgrounds. 
Both as a basic principle and as a course of action.
  • Inclusion: the practice of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or were historically marginalized.
  • Discrimination is the biased treatment of a person based on that person’s race, ethnicity, national origin, 
socioeconomic status, age, perceived or actual physical or mental disability, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, 
gender identity, marital status, creed, religion, or political beliefs. 

  • Harassment is a form of discrimination consisting of physical or verbal aggressive pressure or intimidation of a person because of their race, ethnicity, national origin, socioeconomic status, age, perceived or actual physical or mental disability, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, creed, religion, or political beliefs.
  • Gender-based misconduct includes sexual and gender-based harassment, gender-based discrimination, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, stalking, and intimate partner violence. For a more detailed definition please go to Bard Annandale’s Gender-Based Misconduct Policy.
For a broader and more in-depth discussion about the definitions of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion visit here >>

Contact

Lauren Gaillard
Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 
Office: Ground floor, K24
dei[at]berlin.bard.edu / +49 30 43733 139

Campus Quick Links

Campus Quick Links

Download brochure (PDF)