Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at the Department of Biology

At the Department of Biology, we strive to foster a respectful, inclusive, and harassment- and discrimination-free environment where students, staff, scientists and affiliated persons from all backgrounds feel welcome, safe, and empowered to succeed in their careers. We unreservedly support equitable opportunities, gender equity, diversity and inclusion at all levels. To achieve these goals, the Department of Biology seeks to identify and address issues relevant to members of all marginalized groups and minorities. This includes, but is not limited to, considerations of racialization, religion, sexual orientation, gender as a diverse and fluid spectrum of identities beyond the traditional binary classification of biological sex, socioeconomic status, disability and care duties.

The specific goals of the department are to improve DEI through increasing diversity in hiring at all levels including leadership, and increasing equity in support for career development, opportunities to excel at all career levels, and involvement in decision making. The Department strives to put high priority on generating a working atmosphere for students and employees in which every individual can develop to their full potential and in which conscious, unconscious, structural and systemic biases are recognized, openly discussed, counteracted, and, where needed, mitigated by compensatory measures. The Department of Biology strives to foster a culture of mutual respect and appreciation, where discrimination of any kind is unacceptable, and an openness to deliver and receive criticism regarding forms and content of exchange becomes normal across all professional hierarchies.

As a response to the 2023 external research evaluation of the Department of Biology, a DEI working group was established. If you have recommendations or suggestions for what the DEI group should address, but also if you have specific wishes or concerns, please reach out to “Contact email”.

Where to report observed or experienced instances of racism and harassment

This is to let you know that there are new instruments in place for victims and observers to report instances of racism and harassment anonymously:

  1. The university has launched a website with info on the university’s current campaign against racism. It includes an email address to report and get help in instances of racism (non-anonymously, although your report will be kept confidential for as long as you like), and a link to a form (in several languages) to report anonymously:
    https://www.unibe.ch/university/portrait/self_image/equal_opportunities/topics/respectful_and_inclusive_study_and_work_environment/racism/index_eng.html
  2. The city of Bern has an ongoing campaign in which you can report instances of any kind of harassment anywhere in town (as victim or observer):
    https://bernschauthin.ch/en/

Note that anonymous reports cannot be used to invoke actions against (named) harassers, and it does not allow the receivers of the reports to reach out to the victims to offer help. However, these reports may pinpoint hotspots and patterns that can then be followed up with targeted actions. Moreover, any sincere report contributes to highlighting that more work needs to be done to make everyone feel safe at this university and in this city.

Respectful and inclusive study and work environment at the University of Bern

(University links for support on disabilities and chronic illnesses, mental health, racism, sexual harassment and sexism, and hate speech):
Link

Reporting of sexual harassment and racist or discriminatory incidents:

Form to report Racist/Discriminatory incidents at the University of Bern:
Link

Procedure to report sexual harassment:

Link

Universities of Bern Counselling center:

cantonal center for counselling for mental health, career entry and career path, navigating campus life and more

https://www.bst.bkd.be.ch/en/start.html

Counselling and other resources for students:

Services and information from the SUB (Studierendenschaft der Universität Bern – the official student association of the University of Bern); links about legal advice, womentoring, LGBTQ+ resources and more:
https://sub.unibe.ch/en/services-information-11.html

Healthy UniBe (University links for mental and physical health):

https://www.karriere.unibe.ch/health/index_eng.html

Die Dargebotene Hand (emotional first aid; mental health):

https://www.143.ch/en/

Reden kann retten (mental health):

https://www.reden-kann-retten.ch/

Ombudspersons

The ombudspersons are independent and neutral sources of help and advice, who can mediate in conflicts between employees, colleagues and their superiors. The ombudspersons are bound to observe confidentiality; conflicts are treated confidentially. The Institute Director serves as the official ombudsperson of the IEE, but anyone who feels unfairly treated or hurt concerning IEE matters can turn to any of the appropriate ombudspersons listed below:

 

Ombuds office University of Bern:

Link

 

Equal Opportunities Commission of the Faculty of Science at the University of Bern:

https://www.philnat.unibe.ch/about_us/equal_opportunities/index_eng.html

Equal Opportunities at the University of Bern:

Link

Better science:
https://betterscience.ch/en/#/

The Department’s FINTA* group for women, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender early career scientists (students, PhD and postdocs) and professionals working at the Department of Biology:
https://fintagroupbiounibe.wordpress.com/

If you are interested in an informal exchange among Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) at the Department of Biology send an email to:
loraine.habluetzel@unibe.ch

Café Revolution (safe space in Bern for people affected by anti-black racism and people engaging in anti-racist work):
https://www.caferevolution.ch