- Campus , The University
- 07/10/2024
The group of attendees consists of about thirty staff members. Van de Geer starts off with a serious note. “Acceptance of people who are different is declining nationwide and globally. That’s the opposite of what we should do for minorities: we should support and embrace them. That makes a community stronger.”
The Secretary explains why TU/e welcomes people of all backgrounds. “Diversity expands our research scope and enhances the quality of our education.” This includes diversity in gender, ethnicity, nationality, age, socio-economic status, identity, visible or invisible disabilitiy, religion and sexual orientation.
In an interview that was published today, he shares his own coming out story. Van de Geer empathizes with anyone struggling with their orientation and emphasizes that every staff member and student at the university is allowed to be themselves.
Visibility
After the cloth covering the TU/e logo is lifted, a removable rainbow-patterned cover is revealed. The cover will stay in place all week and will then be stored for future use. On the KOE field, the logo has been updated with one-time-use stickers for this week.
Jargon
The terms inclusion, diversity and equality are often used interchangeably, says Chief Diversity and Inclusion Evangelia Demerouti, and she is eager to clarify them. “Inclusion is about your experience and whether you feel involved as a member of a group. Diversity refers to the composition of a group and equality deals with the resources different people need to achieve the same outcome.”
In addition to the opening, Diversity Week will feature a lecture by Demerouti on neurodiversity and job crafting. Compass, TU/e’s LGBTQ+ community, has not organized any activities this week due to staff shortages. The foundation is currently looking for new board members.
On Wednesday, Cursor will publish a background article on the emancipation of the gay community at TU/e.
Discussion