Anti-Discrimination Office

TU Darmstadt promotes equitable collaboration between its community members at all service levels, study, teaching and research. It emphasises collaboration based on trust and respectful and appreciative interaction. It is committed to ensuring that no person is discriminated against within university life, on the grounds of racial attribution or ethnic or national origin, gender, religion or belief, disability, age, sexual identity or appearance.’ (from the preamble to TU Darmstadt's policy against discrimination, 2019)

The Anti-Discrimination Office at TU Darmstadt is responsible for implementing this goal. It offers confidential counselling in cases of discrimination and serves as a contact point for strategic and conceptual advice on preventing, avoiding or eliminating discrimination. It also provides expertise on forms of discrimination. Several forms of discrimination are often linked, for example, when racist attributions accompany sexualized discrimination.

Discrimination occurs when there is degradation, disadvantaging, (sexualized) harassment, stigmatisation, devaluation or exclusion on the basis of the following actual or presumed characteristics and for no objective reason:

● Racist attributions (based on phenotypic characteristics, presumed origin and/or religious affiliation, name, etc.)

● Religious affiliation or worldview

● Gender or gender attributions

● Sexual orientation and/or identity

● Physical and mental disability and chronic illness

● Age

● Social background or status

● Family care responsibilities (e.g. parenthood, caring for family members)

Discrimination can occur on the basis of individual or multiple, interrelated characteristics (multiple discrimination or intersectionality).

The decisive factor for classifying an action or behavior as discrimination is its effect on the person or group of people affected by it and not the question of the intention or motivation behind the action or behavior.

You have the right to study and work free from discrimination.

If you experience or witness discrimination, for Members the Anti-Discrimination Office of TU Darmstadt is your first point of contact. Our counseling services are:

• Confidential

• Focused on the individual's needs

• Outcome-neutral

• Anonymous upon request

Discrimination at the University can occur in various places and contexts. The Anti-Discrimination Office can be contacted for incidents in all areas, including:

• Seminars

• Work environments

• Administrative contexts

• Accessibility barriers

• Any incidents occurring on campus

The counselling provided by the Anti-Discrimination Office works independently of the complaints offices at TU Darmstadt. The counselling is open to any outcome and does not necessarily lead to an official complaints procedure. If an affected person chooses to make an official complaint, the Anti-Discrimination Office can provide advice and support throughout the process. It is important to know that in the event of an official complaint, in some cases the university must investigate the matter. Depending on the severity of the incident, the process may be discontinued at the request of the person concerned. It is always advisable to visit the anti-discrimination office in advance and learn about the various action options.

Legal Basis

The binding legal basics of the work of the Anti-Discrimination Office are

● The General Equal Treatment Act

● Hessian Higher Education Act

● Policy against sexualized discrimination and assault of TU Darmstadt

● Policy against discrimination of TU Darmstadt