Removing obstacles

Family Service and Office for Gender and Diversity introduce themselves

FAU is committed to ensuring that everyone has equal opportunities when it comes to learning, research and personal development. The diversity of FAU’s members is a valuable source of potential and opportunity.

FAU firmly believes that no one should face obstacles to studying because of their gender, social background, migration background, age, religion, sexual orientation, disabilities or family situation. This is why we offer various services to make you aware of the various options you have and remove obstacles from your path.

Equal opportunities for all

The Office of Equality and Diversity promotes equal opportunities for all members of the university. It offers various different services for promoting equal opportunities and diversity, and provides advice on measures aimed at supporting school pupils, students and young researchers, among others. If you are experiencing discrimination or sexual harassment, the Office of Equal Opportunities is one of the first ports of call.

There are also programs such as the ARIADNE mentoring programs aimed specifically at supporting promising young female researchers at different stages of their academic career. They offer individual mentoring advice, a seminar program for developing personal skills and networking opportunities.

Combining lectures and parenting

For young parents, studying when you have a child demands strong nerves and excellent organizational skills. The Family Service from FAU and Universitätsklinikum can provide you with the support you need to master this challenge. It can advise you on topics such as maternity protection, parental leave, parental benefit, and part-time study, and helps you organize childcare. The Family Service also offers childcare during the school holidays in both Erlangen and Nuremberg, helps organise individual childcare, runs classes in gymnastics for parents and young children, and a lot more besides. In addition, FAU has set up feeding and changing rooms so that parents can bring their children to university.

The University Library has a parent-child room where the little ones can play while Mum or Dad study. Students who are caring for family members can also contact the Family Service for comprehensive support and advice.