Code of Conduct of the Karlsruhe University of Music

Guiding Principle

In keeping with the university’s mission statement, we – all members of the university community and everyone who teaches at our institution – are committed to this code of conduct. We seek to play an active role in creating effective, constructive and safe conditions for work and study. This requires a supportive, respectful and appreciative community founded on shared values. It is the responsibility of all of us to uphold and protect these values in our daily interactions.

Our Commitments

Shared Responsibility

Together, we create a respectful and appreciative learning and working environment based on shared principles. All members of the university treat one another with respect, express criticism constructively, and act responsibly in positions of authority. Communication that is demeaning, intimidating or humiliating has no place in our community, including in artistic or educational contexts.

We value an open and positive culture of discussion and debate in which mistakes are recognised as opportunities for learning. We respect differing views and opinions and seek to resolve conflicts in a constructive manner.

Diversity

We regard diversity as a key strength that enables organisations and societies to flourish and meet future challenges, and we approach new ideas and perspectives with openness and a willingness to collaborate. We are committed to using respectful and inclusive language and value diversity of perspectives, including in interdisciplinary collaboration. For us, diversity also means recognising different life experiences, physical abilities and cultural backgrounds in teaching, collaboration and assessment. Discriminatory stereotyping will not be tolerated at our university.

Self-Reflection and Open Communication

We are committed to treating one another with respect, communicating honestly and transparently, and taking responsibility for our words and actions. At the same time, we recognise that the impact of our behaviour may not always reflect our intentions. Trust and openness form the foundation of our everyday work.

We work together to challenge prejudice, stereotypes and structural discrimination, recognising that these can arise unconsciously as well as deliberately.

Respect for the Individual

We support the personal and professional development of all members of the university community. In doing so, we are particularly committed to safeguarding the right to freedom of expression and protecting individual rights, personal data and privacy.

Sustainability and Social Responsibility

We engage with issues of social and artistic relevance and actively seek dialogue and collaboration with others who share these interests.

We use the resources available to us thoughtfully and responsibly and take care to maintain a well-kept campus environment. In particular, we aim to make sustainable and climate-friendly use of the resources required for everyday university life.

How We Work Together

Life at the University of Music Karlsruhe encompasses a wide range of settings, including different forms of teaching, academic collaboration, committee work, administration and the university’s various services and facilities. We recognise that interactions in some of these contexts present particular challenges and require a heightened degree of sensitivity.

In one-to-one and small-group teaching, as well as in one-to-one student mentoring, close personal relationships often develop between teaching staff and students. Given their role and the power imbalance inherent in these relationships, teaching staff have a particular duty of care. Physical contact is permissible only where it is professionally necessary, communicated in advance, mutually agreed and where the student’s consent may be withdrawn at any time. Private or sexual relationships between teaching staff and students with whom they have a direct teaching or supervisory relationship are unacceptable. In one-to-one and small-group teaching and in one-to-one mentoring, we foster an atmosphere of respect and openness in teaching and learning.

Interdisciplinary collaboration, as well as work in administration, the library and technical services, depends on constructive interaction between colleagues as equals. We strive to ensure that everyone involved feels recognised and valued.

We seek to create an environment in which everyone is heard and able to express their views freely. We consider this an essential prerequisite for effective and productive committee work and shared decision-making.

Unacceptable Conduct

Discrimination

Conduct and statements that undermine the dignity of others have no place at the university. We are committed to ensuring that no one is disadvantaged on the grounds of ethnic or social origin, skin colour, gender identity or gender expression, sexual orientation, age, language, social background, occupational status, family or personal circumstances, religious, philosophical or political beliefs, or physical, intellectual or mental impairment.

Sexual Harassment

In accordance with Section 3(4) of the German General Equal Treatment Act (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz – AGG), we understand sexual harassment to mean conduct of a sexual nature that is perceived by the person concerned as unwanted, intrusive or degrading, irrespective of the intentions of the person engaging in such conduct.

Suggestive, humiliating or derogatory remarks and actions, the display or dissemination of pornographic material, unwanted physical contact and the exploitation of power imbalances are unacceptable.

Bullying

Conduct that systematically seeks to discredit or isolate individuals or to force them out of their position or their studies is unacceptable. This includes deliberate humiliation, exclusion, malicious accusations, the refusal to cooperate and the assignment of degrading or offensive tasks.

Threats and Violence

Any conduct that intentionally causes, or knowingly risks causing, psychological or physical harm to others is unacceptable. This includes verbal or non-verbal humiliation, insults, intimidation, threats, as well as the deliberate and persistent harassment of a person online (cyberbullying) or in everyday life (stalking).

Prevention

The university takes awareness-raising and preventive measures to promote a culture of mutual respect and appreciation. These include information sessions, counselling and support services, and targeted training opportunities for all members of the university community.

The university is committed to protecting its students and staff from discrimination, sexual harassment, bullying, threats and violence through appropriate measures, for example by providing awareness training, professional development opportunities and confidential counselling and support. All reported incidents are taken seriously.

We encourage all staff and students to uphold the principles of this code of conduct and not to ignore breaches of it. Wherever possible, and where those affected or those witnessing an incident feel able to do so, we encourage them to make it clear to the person concerned that their behaviour is unwelcome and is perceived as harassment, and to ask them to stop. Such direct communication is entirely voluntary and is not a prerequisite for receiving support or making a report. No one is expected to deal with unacceptable conduct on their own.

Where a direct conversation is not possible, where the person affected or witnessing the incident does not feel able to engage in one, or where such a conversation does not lead to a change in behaviour, they may seek immediate support from the contacts named below. These individuals will treat all enquiries in confidence and are required to respond to concerns in a manner that takes account of the needs and wishes of those affected.

(Translation: Landeskoordinationsstelle für Übersetzungsangelegenheiten im Hochschulwesen Baden-Württemberg, Universität Mannheim, www.uni-mannheim.de/lks-uebersetzung)