Legal Foundations for the Sciences
Junior Academics
1. Act on Temporary Scientific Contracts
In order to prevent short-term contracts for young female researchers and to improve career paths, the Act on Temporary Scientific Contracts (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz) has been amended. The amendment has been in effect since 17.03.2016. The BMBF has published further information on the law.
2. principles of the Bavarian state universities for dealing with fixed-term contracts under the Science Temporary Contracts Act and for promoting career prospects.
Back in March 2015, the Bavarian Ministry of Science issued principles aimed at "better working conditions and clearer perspectives for members of the academic mid-level staff". Point 3 describes measures to improve equality - or more precisely: to improve the compatibility of science and family.
3. Leaflet on the implementation of the above-mentioned principles for dealing with fixed-term contracts under the WissZVG
The Human Resources Department has compiled an overview of the most important changes for the future structuring of fixed-term employment contracts with doctoral and postdoctoral researchers in a leaflet. Please also refer to the President's Circular.
4. Info sheet of the DFG on fixed-term employment contracts in research consortia
The DFG has published a handout on the amendment to the WissZeitVG and writes: " The amendment has changed the requirements for fixed-term contracts for scientific (and artistic) staff and improved the possibilities for extensions, especially in the case of interruptions due to family time. A handout provides a brief overview of the innovations and the remaining fixed-term options for non-scientific staff granted within the framework of DFG-funded projects."
5. Framework Doctorate Regulations
The University's Framework Doctoral Regulations came into force on 8 February 2016. The key points are the prescribed registration with the start of the doctorate and the conclusion of a supervision agreement between the doctoral candidate and the supervisor.
Human Resources Development
1. Appointment Guidelines
With the decision of May 19, 2014, the university management published a guideline guideline for the implementation of appointment procedures, which also contains a leaflet on gender equality in these procedures in point 2.10.
2. Equality Concept
On February 16, 2016, the Senate adopted the University's new Gender Equality Plan. Bavarian universities have the legal mandate to increase the proportion of women at all levels of academia. The Gender Equality Plan describes procedural principles and measures that are to contribute to the fulfilment of this legal mandate.
The clear majority (57%) of students at the University of Würzburg are female. However, women are still dramatically underrepresented in professorships and management positions. The higher the hierarchical level, the lower the proportion of women. On average across all faculties, about half of all doctorates are completed by women. In the case of habilitations, the proportion of women has already halved to around 25%. And only about 16% of all professorships (out of a total of 425) are held by women.
The present Gender Equality Plan now defines measures to promote the qualification of young female academics for professorships. In addition, it contains regulations aimed at improving equal opportunities in appointment procedures. In addition, permanent mid-level positions must be publicly advertised in the future in order to achieve more transparency in the appointment process (please also see the circular from the Human Resources Department!).
All this is to change in the future, with the goal of increasing the proportion of female professors to 20% by 2020 and achieving as balanced a gender ratio as possible at all other levels of the academic career. An important instrument for checking the effectiveness of the measures is the introduction of a so-called gender monitoring - a regular data collection on the development in the past year and to determine the current status quo, as well as an annual reporting obligation.
All this is to change in the future, with the goal of increasing the proportion of female professors (excluding W1) to at least 25.6% by 2025 and achieving as balanced a gender ratio as possible at all other levels of the academic career. An important instrument for checking the effectiveness of the measures is the introduction of a so-called gender monitoring - a regular data collection on the development in the past year and to determine the current status quo, as well as an annual reporting obligation.
