TASKS OF THE COUNCIL
The mission of the Council is to develop and implement organisational, administrative and educational solutions at the University of Lodz in accordance with the principles of equal treatment, aimed at countering all forms of discrimination in the academic environment. Members of the Council develop models and good practices in this area, thus fitting into the contemporary assumptions of social responsibility of the university. The Equality Council plays an advisory role at the University of Lodz.
The main tasks of the Council, established by the Regulation No. 79 of the Rector of the University of Lodz of 16 January 2025, include in particular:
- developing a comprehensive equality policy of the University of Lodz;
- developing guidelines for diversity management at the university;
- implementing the objectives of the Gender Equality Plan;
- giving opinions on existing practices aimed at ensuring equal treatment at the university;
- identifying the needs of the academic community regarding pro-equality and anti-discrimination activities (from the perspective of different individuals, employee groups, scientific disciplines, etc.);
- recommending solutions resulting from the diagnosis of these needs;
- undertaking and coordinating educational and information activities addressed to the entire academic community and aimed at increasing knowledge and awareness of equality and diversity in an interdisciplinary context, as well as the ability to recognise, respond to and counter undesirable behaviour, discrimination and prejudice;
- initiating actions to integrate gender and diversity perspectives into the curricula of all undergraduate and graduate programmes and doctoral schools through workshops, training and other educational and development activities;
- initiating cooperation of the university with the socio-economic environment for the implementation of correctional policy activities at local, regional, national and international level;
- developing and implementing various projects to combat discrimination and promote equality and diversity;
- providing content-related support to the administration of the university in preparing applications for obtaining funds from external sources for projects raising awareness in the field of anti-discrimination and promotion of equal treatment;
- cooperating and conducting joint activities with entities that are involved in the implementation of the equality policy and the Gender Equality Plan at the university, e.g. Centre for External Relations and Social Responsibility of the University, Support and Accessibility Centre, Employee Affairs Centre, IT Centre, Centre for Brand Communications, Work-Life Balance Team.
MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL
- The Equality Council consists of representatives of the faculties and organisational units of the University of Lodz and experts in counteracting discrimination, as well as individuals representing entities involved in the implementation of the Gender Equality Plan, representatives of trade unions operating at the University of Lodz, students and doctoral students.
- The Secretariat of the Council is run by the University's Centre for External Relations and Social Responsibility of the University.
- Members of the Equality Council were appointed by the Regulation No. 79 of the Rector of the University of Lodz of 16 January 2025.
PRESIDENT – RECTOR'S REPRESENTATIVE FOR EQUAL TREATMENT
MEMBERS
MEMBER – SECRETARY OF THE COUNCIL / REPRESENTATIVE OF THE INICJATYWA PRACOWNICZA TRADE UNION
MEMBERS – THE UNIVERSITY OF LODZ STUDENTS AND DOCTORAL STUDENTS' GOVERNMENT COUNCILS
- Piotr Rembowski – the University of Lodz Students' Government Council
- mgr Martyna Jarota – the University of Lodz Doctoral Students' Government Council
RESET – REDESIGNING EQUALITY AND SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE TOGETHER
The Equality Council is a structure whose purpose is to promote and monitor equality in the academic environment. Its establishment is related to the University of Lodz's accession to the RESET – Redesigning Equality and Scientific Excellence Together project. Its goal is to facilitate the introduction of relevant procedures and changes at the University of Lodz, while supporting the definition of actions for equality leading to the institutionalisation of the university's anti-discrimination policy, the application of which will go beyond the time frame of the project.
The Equality Council (at that time: Gender Equality Board) began its operations on the date of its establishment, i.e. 23 February 2021, and operated until 31 December 2024.
The participation in the RESET project has resulted in the development of documents and activities such as:
- Position of the Equality Council for Equal Treatment on Transgender People,
- Gender Equality Plan.