Invitees: Mette Elmose Andersen IP (MEA), Kristian Stampe Nielsen IP (KSN), Jakob Grauslund IRS (JG), Helle Precht IRS (HP), Ulrike Muscha Steckelings IMM (UMA), Boye Jensen IMM (BJ), Gundhild Tidemann Okholm SIF (GTO), Frederik Schou-Juul SIF (FSJ), Marianne Nygaard IST (MN), Jens Troelsen IOB (JT), Cathrine Damsbo Madsen IOB (CDM), Christina Møller Andreasen KI (CMA), Henrik Bjarke Vægter KI (HBV), Sigurd A. Kristoffersen FAKSEK (SK) og Anne Mette Kargaard FAKSEK (AMK)
Invited guests: Vibeke Høy Worm SUND HR (VHW)
Apologies from: Kristian Stampe Nielsen IP (KSN), Helle Precht IRS (HP), Gundhild Tidemann Okholm SIF (GTO), Frederik Schou-Juul SIF (FSJ), Cathrine Damsbo Madsen IOB (CDM), Henrik Bjarke Vægter KI (HBV)
1 - Welcome by MEA
Troels Mygind fra IST has stopped and we are in process for finding a substitute
2 - News from SDU Equality Committee by MEA
Recommendation: Information and discussion
- The deadline for turning in the Gender Equality Report is set to March 17 2026.
- IGAB will be coming to Denmark in April 2026. GET gave an update on the changes in the IGAB board. When it is ready on the webpage, we’ll send a link.
- TEK gave an update on their living lab framework and their experiences for creating a good working environment. We’ll invite TEK to present the work to our committee at an upcoming meeting.
- A status on SDU framework for the maternity and paternity leave and the challenges in connection with that.
3 - Roundtable updates, including status from local Equality Committees, departmental goals, work groups and current issues – by all
Recommendation: Information
IOB/IP:
- Written terms of reference are now ready.
- Discussion of creating events or arrangements to create awareness of the local committee
- It is on the agenda to see what the local committee can do in regard to the life changing issues some employees may face. Focusing on parents to young kids, caregivers to elderly parents and women in menopause.
FAK SEK:
- Væksthuset article went well. You haven’t read it you can read it here.
- SDU HR have updated the instructions on the process of applicants with preferential rights. You can read them here. This will be on the agenda for a future meeting.
- We are working on the career paths on SUND being more visible
KI/IRS:
- We are working on making more transparent career paths for postdocs and assistant professors
- We are focussion on the wellbeing of the Ph.d.-students and are developing more instructions on this area
- We are experiencing a lacs of guidelines in regards to offboarding when people retire. This will be on the agenda for a future meeting.
IMM/IST:
- We are trying to define the focus area for the local committee. The challenge is to condense it and be clear on how we differ from the central SUND committee.
IRS:
- Helle Precht is a new member of this committee.
- In the process of making a new research strategy including diversity and equality perspectives. Eg standards for gender balances.
4 - 8 Recommendations from DKUNI by all
The committee went through the eight recommendations.
Recommendation 1: SUND HR works closely with the departments to create visible career paths at the faculty level. Some departments currently have their own defined criteria, which may be revised once the overall framework is in place.
Recommendation 2: There is renewed attention on how to increase visibility around the use of existing parental leave policies according to individual needs. SDU HR will make the existing parental leave policies more visible on the website. At SUND, SUND HR will ensure the message is communicated through the employee handbook and across departments via the heads of department.
Recommendation 3: Nothing to add.
Recommendation 4: Across SUND, a project is underway to clarify how time is allocated across the faculty in relation to teaching, research, administration, and organizational support. Additionally, one department is working to ensure fair and transparent distribution of departmental tasks through ongoing monitoring, including non-promotional tasks.
Recommendation 5: There may be a need for more local initiatives here.
Recommendation 6: GET is used as a resource to qualify language and identify blind spots, for example in job postings, research strategy, and career matrix. Furthermore, SUND aims to communicate in both Danish and English.
Recommendation 7: Nothing to add.
Recommendation 8: Data is available on the VIP site, which is used to monitor work related to gender equality and diversity.
5 - Annual Wheel for SUND Equality Committee by KK
The annual wheel was approved, and a detailed plan for 2026 will be presented at the upcoming meeting.
6 - Content for the next newsletter by SK
8 recommendations from DKUNI
7 - Items for the next meeting on 3 December 2025 – by all
- Preparation for the next gender equality report.
- Inviting the Dean to a meeting in 2026
- Invite GET to give an update on the gender equality process and to do an evaluation on the local committees.
- Update on leaking pipeline