Universities: Trump abolishes diversity requirements, in Switzerland they are further tightened

For once, the reviewers were lenient. They acknowledged that Chur Theological College had appointed "two Equality and Inclusion Officers." Also worthy of praise were the "guidelines for gender-sensitive language" and "the fact that the college addresses current debates about the role of women in the Catholic Church." Nevertheless, there is still a need for action. "Chur Theological College must define clear goals and measures in the area of ​​diversity and periodically review their implementation," the report states.

All Swiss universities must undergo a quality assurance review every seven years if they wish to issue state-recognized diplomas and degrees. This applies to large institutions such as ETH Zurich or the University of Lausanne as well as to small private universities, which often specialize in a single subject area. The Swiss Accreditation Council is responsible for this process. In some cases, it grants accreditation only subject to certain conditions that must then be met within a specific deadline.

The need for regular reviews to determine whether an institution can ensure the quality of its teaching and research is undisputed. However, for several years now, the reviewers have placed a strikingly strong focus on diversity and equality issues, as can be seen from the publicly available reports of the review agencies. The most recent report on the Swiss Federal Institute of Sport Magglingen (SFIM), for example, states: "SFIM must continue to move toward systematically embedding/implementing the requirements for equal opportunities, for the benefit of both employees and students, particularly with regard to languages ​​and cultural diversity." The report on the private Swiss Business School (SBS) positively notes that "SBS actively strives to achieve a balanced gender ratio among its teaching staff," while acknowledging that "the search for qualified female teachers" is not easy.

As a result, the authorities are maintaining high pressure on educational institutions to implement equal opportunity measures or introduce gender-sensitive language. There is a risk of accreditation being withdrawn.

In the US, the trend is going in exactly the opposite direction. President Donald Trump has declared war on all diversity regulations. He describes affirmative action measures for people of a certain skin color or sexual orientation as "illegal and immoral discrimination." He says he wants a society in which not skin color, but only merit counts. The consequences are tangible: Hundreds of companies and institutions have closed their equal opportunity offices in recent months; the previously celebrated triad of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is suddenly frowned upon. Even the renowned Harvard University, which has offered the most resistance to Trump's meddling, renamed its DEI office.

The local authorities are undeterred by this. Quite the opposite. The University Council is in the process of revising the quality standards for accreditation. The NZZ has obtained the draft. The current ordinance only stipulates the promotion of "equal opportunities" and "actual equality between men and women." "Diversity" and "inclusion" are now to be added, which suggests that this area will likely receive even greater emphasis.

Will universities in the future not only record the gender of students and staff, but also their skin color, as has long been the practice in the US? Or even their sexual orientation, to ensure diversity in this regard as well? In the US, there's currently a lot of talk in conservative circles about "viewpoint diversity," meaning the diversity of perspectives and political views that must be encouraged, especially at left-leaning universities. Is that what they mean?

The University Council declined to comment at this time. The draft will not be discussed internally until May 26th and then sent out for consultation. The Accreditation Council, which submitted the proposal, stated in response to a request: "This is not about introducing quotas for skin color or sexual orientation." However, higher education policy typically places value on "a diverse composition of the student and teaching staff." "This can include, for example, migration experiences, different gender identities, or a less well-educated background."

At large public universities, accreditation requirements are not a major issue; they now all have well-equipped equal opportunity offices and contact points. It's no longer unusual for a less qualified person to be considered for a position to correct the gender imbalance. The situation is different for smaller, private universities. The University Theological College STH Basel, for example, which offers exclusively Protestant theology studies, was instructed during the last accreditation process to correct the "obvious imbalance in the gender ratio of its (full-time) teaching staff." It also stated: "STH Basel must define clear goals and measures in the area of ​​diversity and periodically review their implementation."

Stefan Schweyer is responsible for the accreditation process at STH. The theology professor believes that the strong focus on equal opportunity issues is affecting academic freedom. "It becomes difficult when aspects of hiring become relevant that have nothing to do with professional qualifications," he says. He is concerned that diversity will play an even greater role in the future: "Our institution is open to students of all religions and denominations. Nevertheless, our students are primarily Reformed and Protestant Christians; that's the nature of things." Even if diversity meant that the student body had to be religiously diverse, this is not attainable for STH Basel. "So far, however, it is unclear what exactly is meant by the demand for 'diversity,'" he says.

Most social trends spill over from the US to Europe and Switzerland with a time lag. This also applies to identity politics, which views every social group except white men as disadvantaged and particularly deserving of protection. This gave rise to the numerous diversity measures that have been implemented in many places, especially at universities. Perhaps the Trumpian countermovement will arrive here sooner or later. The question is whether the authorities can finalize the planned revision of the accreditation guidelines beforehand.