Diversity and Equality in STEM
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics - programs offered in the departments 1 - Architecture, Civil Engineering, Geomatics and 2 - Computer Science and Engineering.
The aim of the university is to significantly increase the proportion of women in STEM subjects and to enable all students, in their diversity, to have a good study experience. Therefore, the STEM coordination, under the umbrella of the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Office as well as the Women's and Gender Equality Officer, supports equal access to STEM subjects for all genders and a sensitive and empowering approach to the heterogeneity of students in STEM programs. It also promotes the development of initiatives to connect students and to inspire students for STEM subjects.
Topics
Mentoring Hessen - For Women in Hessen Working in STEM-Fields (German only)
Mentoring Hessen - For Women in Hessen Working in STEM-Fields (German only)
Strenghtening Diversity at Frankfurt UAS
The Frankfurt UAS signed the Memorandum of the National Pact for Women in STEM (in German. MINT) Professions „Komm, mach MINT“ in 2014, committing to supporting the pact through participation in joint actions and activities, as well as through its own contributions and concrete measures. The university is now part of the MINTvernetzt. successor network.
Through the STEM coordination, the university was represented at the MINTvernetzt Annual Conference in March 2023. There, the following video was created, presenting the network's work.
At the gFFZ, the Gender and Women's Research Center of the Hessian Universities, located at the Frankfurt UAS, research projects on gender and STEM are repeatedly conducted. A "Guideline for the Integration of Gender Aspects into Teaching" of STEM subjects has also been developed, providing instructors with important guidance for gender- and diversity-sensitive teaching. Recently, the BMBF-funded project "GenderFoLI" was carried out, designing and testing training courses for instructors in engineering sciences at universities of applied sciences and universities, motivating and enabling them to implement gender competence and gender knowledge in their teaching.
The Women's and Gender Equality Officers also serve as contacts for stakeholders (e.g., local women's officers or schools) advocating for the promotion of women and girls in STEM.
Only a minority chooses STEM
Only 33 % of students in school choose STEM Topics in their advanced courses and at university only 37 % of students study STEM-fields.
31 % of apprenticeships are in STEM and only 23 % work in the field.
The gendergap between men and women grows along this educational chain. While students are near 50 % women, less than 20 % of jobs in STEM are done by women.
The Frankfurt UAS strives for gender equality and wants to support and encourage women to pursue a career in STEM
As part of the "StudyCompass" -program, Frankfurt UAS offers counseling and support services designed to accompany and empower students in their learning. This includes resources such as a Mathematics Help Desk and Mathematics Special Topics. Given that research has shown that young women, particularly in STEM fields, are more prone to self-doubt and therefore at greater risk of dropping out of their studies, this offering is particularly beneficial for them.
The "Network Mentoring Hessen" co-founded significantly by Frankfurt UAS, is a unique mentoring project in Europe aimed at supporting female students, doctoral candidates, and post-doctoral researchers in STEM fields and actively fostering their careers in either industry or academia. Frankfurt UAS plays an active role in this network, providing both technical and personnel support. Every year, 20 to 30 new female students and doctoral candidates at Frankfurt UAS benefit from this program.
The Frankfurt UAS participates every year in the nationwide "Girls' Day" and "Boys' Day".
The Central Student Advisory Service offers various opportunities to get to know the subject matter and programs offered by our university, as well as the university campus itself. An overview and current offerings can be found here. Interested individuals can contact the colleagues at the Student Advisory Service directly.
One specific opportunity for pupils to get a taste of various programs, including many in the STEM field, from geodata management to electrical engineering, is the Sneak Peek. Here, pupils can attend real events from the programs, explore the campus, and engage with university students who accompany them as tutors. Another offering is „Building Opportunities (Chancen bilden)“ which supports both the ability to study and the orientation of pupis from non-academic backgrounds. Participants are supported through personal and professional guidance in the orientation and qualification process. The program reaches many young people with a migration background, including a disproportionately high number of young women, thus fulfilling the goals of gender equality, upward mobility through education, and integration.
Since 2018, Frankfurt UAS has been participating in the "Hessen Technikum" where high school graduates can complete a combined company and university internship for six months to gain better insight into STEM programs and career fields and make a more informed decision about pursuing a STEM degree afterward.
