For the first time, Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences has been certified as a family-friendly university and awarded the ‘audit familiengerechte hochschule’ certificate. Students and staff with children are now being offered new opportunities to balance their studies, work and family life.
Kleve/Kamp-Lintfort, 23 September 2015: The certification of Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences marks the successful conclusion of the audit process carried out in 2015. During this audit, Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences was assessed in terms of the opportunities it offers for balancing family life, studies and work. The ‘family-friendly university audit’ conducted by ‘berufundfamilie gGmbH’, an initiative of the non-profit Hertie Foundation, is a strategic management tool designed to bring about sustainable improvements in family-friendly structures and human resources policy. With this certification, the University’s Executive Board emphasises the importance of this issue and its commitment to further promoting a balance between studies, work and family life through appropriate measures. “I am delighted that the first audit process has been successfully completed. It shows that, during its start-up phase, the university has made an excellent start on the issue of family-friendly policies with its initial measures and has continued to develop them. However, the award of the certificate is only the beginning, as the task now is to develop and implement the many measures set out in the target agreement for the audit,” says Prof. Dr Nele Wild-Wall, Equality Officer at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences.
Improving the balance between studies, work and family life is a key priority at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences. A wide range of family-friendly measures are set to be implemented at the university over the next three years. This involves discussing ways to make working hours and locations more flexible, and reviewing other areas of the university to ensure reliable arrangements are in place. For students, for example, the conditions for family-friendly study arrangements are to be improved. All members of the university community are called upon to support the planning and implementation process with their ideas and enthusiasm.
The current certificate is valid until the end of 2018. However, Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences remains committed to the continuous improvement process beyond this date and aims to qualify for a re-audit in 2018 on the basis of the measures it has successfully implemented.
