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Interdisciplinary Committee of Experts (IER) – Gender Studies

Summary

Advisory committee for issues of gender research and gender studies

Target groups

no target group restriction /

Implementing organization

University of Salzburg - gendup - Center for Gender Studies and the Advancement of Women /

Contact

Ingrid Schmutzhart; ingrid.schmutzhart@sbg.ac.at

Implemented/introduced

At Paris Lodron University of Salzburg since 1990 (in the form of Senate Advisory Committee for Women’s Research, Advancement of Women and Women’s Studies; renamed as Interdisciplinary Committee of Experts – Gender Studies – IER since 2004)

Relation to gender equality targets

Specified in the University of Salzburg’s Gender Equality Plan 2016 (Part IV of the current statutes, Section 85).

The objective(s) of the tool

Committee for safeguarding gender research and the scientific quality of gender teaching as well as its interdisciplinary orientation at the university and for advising the Rectorate in these issues, closely cooperating with gendup – Centre for Gender Studies and Gender Equality.

Description of the tool

The Interdisciplinary Committee of Experts – Gender Studies (IER – Interdisziplinärer ExpertInnenrat Gender Studies) consists of 12 members with expertise in the area of women’s and gender research and teaching respectively. Of these, a minimum of two members must be tenured (habilitiert); a minimum of one representative must have a non-university research- or external teaching background, one member must be a student and one member must belong to non-academic university staff. A balanced representation of the faculties is to be maintained. The Rectorate appoints members of the IER based on a recommendation of the Working Group for Equal Opportunities. From among the members, a chair as well as a vice chair must be selected. IER members are each appointed to serve for a two-year period. Renewed appointment is permitted.

Its specific tasks include designing and developing the curriculum; proposing announcements, composing the contents and deciding upon possible priorities for the annual academic year; recommending staff for the assignment of teaching positions; evaluating the curricular emphasis; developing strategies for embedding gender studies in subject-specific study plans more broadly; participating content-relatedly in the selection of academics deserving of support and advancement. Conducting these duties, the IER cooperates closely with gendup, which is responsible for implementing its recommendations organizationally.

How the tool works, practical experience

Drafting and organizing the teaching of gender studies are the IER’s primary focuses – its recommendations are implemented by gendup. According to Section 61 (4) (Part IV of the current statutes), the process for changing or enacting curricula requires participation both from the IER and gendup. In recent years, the implementation of gender studies in individual curricula has been the IER’s main concern: After having received a respective study plan draft, individual IER members successively remarked on the degree of implementation of gender studies present in the layout, submitting their views to the Senate. Currently, the IER no longer receives drafts to comment on. In the near future a professorship for Women’s and Gender Studies is supposed to be established in adherence to Section 60 (1) 4 (Part IV of the current statutes) in at least one faculty. For this, a separate working group of the IER is developing appropriate recommendations. Members of the IER can also be credited with the founding of the “gender_transcultural” doctoral school.

 

 

Attachments

Further details (in German only)