June 9, 2021

The LGBTIQ+ news & networking community Proudr has published the first LGBTIQ+ Campus Index for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. LGBTIQ* is a frequently used abbreviation of the terms Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersexual, Queer. In contrast to the USA and UK, there was previously no overview of how inclusive universities are in the area of sexual orientation and gender identity. For the first time, the Index now makes visible for the German-speaking world how LGBTIQ+ diversity is lived out at universities and academies and enables universities to gain insights into their commitment to more appreciation on their campuses and to compare themselves with other educational institutions.

The Index is based on a comprehensive audit consisting of 45 questions in five categories. These range from discrimination protections, to counseling services, to commitment to LGBTIQ+. A total of 561 higher education institutions in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) were invited to participate in the LGBTIQ+ Campus Index. 62 institutions accepted the offer and answered the questions of the audit in the form of a self-report, including Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences. With 49.2% of all achievable points, HKA is not only the most successful university of applied sciences (UAS) in the country, but is also one of the best UAS nationwide (see https://app.proudr.de/page/ergebnisse-lgbtiq-campus-index).

"By participating, the HEIs involved have made a commitment to their LGBTIQ+ students and show that they want to make it possible for them to develop their potential to the fullest through appreciative learning situations. All participating universities have put their previous commitment to the test and received suggestions for continuation and improvement through the audit," said the LGBTIQ+ news & networking community Proudr in its own press release on the index. "For us, the result confirms the many positive approaches that we have had, especially in the last two to three years, which we now want to develop further – and that is certainly a good start," emphasize Prof. Dr. Katrin Haußmann, Equal Opportunities Officer of HKA, and Prof. Dr. Michael Tewes, HKA's Anti-Discrimination Officer .