What does the Diversity Office do?
Diversity is a spearhead of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. A Diversity Office (DO) was set up in 2019 to give structural attention to this part of our mission. Four Diversity Officers, in coordination with a Chief Diversity Officer, are active in areas where diversity plays an important role: education, research, HR policy and campus & community (student policy). Within the portfolios there are interfaces with gender, cultural and religiously related issues that are part of our social safety. The DO has a close collaboration with the diversity networks of VU Amsterdam such as VU Pride and WO&MEN@VU.
How can I contact the Diversity Office?
A great deal of expertise has been gathered in the DO on the themes of discrimination and racist expressions. Employees and students who are confronted with this can call on this expertise. Notifications can be sent to divers@vu.nl.
What can the Diversity Office do?
The DO is not directly involved in the settlement of complaints; VU Amsterdam has confidential counselors and an ombudsperson for this purpose. Within the DO, there are many informal connections with the educational organisation, faculties and support services. These informal connections can be used to contribute to the solution for experiences of discrimination and/or racist expressions in consultation with the student or employee. This may include information, advice, referral to confidential advisers and others and mediation. Finally, the DO also works closely with the social safety staff of VU Amsterdam, and a Diversity Officer is part of the university's Social Safety Expert Team.