We are committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful learning and working environment for our students and staff members, regardless of their sex, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity, age or any other characteristics that rightly or wrongly place individuals in a social group.
As an art university, we encourage our students to look at cultural products and messages in the public space with a critical and (self-)reflective attitude. We aim to spread values of respect toward other people and other cultures. We are therefore committed to tackling stereotypes that can lead to discriminatory behavior.
As an educational institution, the well-being of our students is our main priority. They need an environment that supports their education as well as their cultural and social development. We create this supportive environment by providing students with materials (infrastructure, technology, resources) and psychological support. This helps them to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in their studies and in a professional capacity. We provide a safe space – from both a physical and psychological perspective – where our students can learn, develop their skills, realize their unique potential and express themselves freely. More specifically, in the field of art and creation, we encourage our teaching staff and students to explore and critically reflect on all artistic forms and practices with an open mind. We provide every individual with a space to develop their* own creative style.
We are conscious of our duty to not only provide courses that prepare students for the world of employment, but to also ensure that they leave our university with an open mind toward other cultures, a respect for others, an interest in collaborating internationally and a sense of social responsibility, all of which are important values to have in the current challenging sociopolitical and environmental context.
As an employer, we guarantee our permanent and temporary staff members a workplace that is free from discrimination. We protect every individual in accordance with legal and regulatory provisions.
We therefore condemn all forms of discrimination, whether it is against an individual’s sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, age, disability or any other characteristic. We value the contributions from all members of our community as we aim to continuously improve our practices, to incorporate these practices into our daily lives and to achieve the challenging goal of true inclusion.
* The singular use of “their” here signifies that these principles apply to everybody, regardless of their gender identity. For example, they may identify as a cisgender man or woman, a transgender man or woman, or as agender or gender fluid. This grammatical form may not be used in other ECAL texts, but inclusion remains a fundamental principle in practice, nonetheless.
At ECAL, any actions taken in favor of equality or diversity are coordinated by Marilène Vuille, a strategic project manager. She is also the main point of contact for the Equality and Diversity network for Vaud universities.
Contact
marilene.vuille@ecal.ch
tel. +41 21 316 92 25 (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday)
In the canton of Vaud, the Office for Equality Between Men and Women (in French: Bureau de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, BEFH) organizes campaigns to raise awareness of and prevent discrimination, creates informative material and educational tools, and provides specialized advice and legal support to the public and organizations.
Bureau de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes (BEFH) du canton de Vaud,
rue Caroline 11, 1014 Lausanne
Contact
info.befh@vd.ch
tel. +41 21 316 61 24
At the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland (in French: Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale, HES-SO), Sabine Kradolfer is in charge of equality and diversity in the Quality department.
To find out more about the HES-SO’s equal opportunities policy and the actions they are currently taking, please visit: https://www.hes-so.ch/la-hes-so/egalite-et-diversite
Anti-harassment and discrimination guidelines: We have established a procedure to prevent and manage cases of harassment and discrimination toward our staff and students. It came into force on 14 September 2020, and it is available to download from the Intranet, under “Equality and Diversity” or “Administration – ECAL regulations and documents”.
In the canton of Vaud, the Cantonal Office for the Integration of Foreigners and the Prevention of Racism (in French: Bureau cantonal pour l'intégration des étrangers et la prévention du racism, BCI) is a place where victims or witnesses of racism can speak to somebody and get support.
Bureau cantonal pour l'intégration des étrangers et la prévention du racisme (BCI), avenue de Sévelin 46, 1014 Lausanne
Contact
info.integration@vd.ch
tel. +41 21 316 49 59
In the city of Lausanne, the Lausanne office for immigrants (in French: Bureau lausannois pour les immigrés, BLI) is the City's competence centre for integration and prevention of racism. Its objective is to promote social cohesion and equal opportunities.
Bureau lausannois pour les immigrés (BLI), place de la Riponne 10, 1002 Lausanne
Contact details
bli@lausanne.ch
tel. +41 21 315 72 45
TOM: Swiss labor law (art. 6 al. 1) requires employers to take measures to protect the well-being of their employees. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) established a set of internal regulations that companies must put in place in order to manage workplace conflicts and any form of discrimination against employees. SECO recommends appointing one person or several trusted people from outside of the company to whom employees can turn to in case of need.
We have taken this recommendation very seriously. We have established a service called TOM (Trusted Office Mentors) that is available for both our staff and students to use. TOM gives any member of our community (staff members, external speakers, guest professors and students) the opportunity to talk to somebody if they feel they are being discriminated against, or if they are dealing with a difficult situation or a psychosocial problem, such as feeling under extreme pressure, being involved in a conflict, or being subjected to sexual or psychological harassment. Meetings are always fully confidential and completely free, and they take place with a trusted professional who is not part of the university hierarchy.
These confidential meetings are conducted by professionals from a Lausanne-based practice that specializes in working environments within organizations.
Vicario Consulting
tom@vicario.ch
tél. +41 21 349 28 80
If you would like some initial guidance or further information about the services that we provide at ECAL, you may contact:
Marilène Vuille
marilene.vuille@ecal.ch
tél. +41 21 316 92 25 (lundi, mardi, mercredi).