Context-specific diversity management at higher education institutions – How profiling comes into play

In recent years, diversity has become an important topic in higher education due to legal, ethical and economic constraints. In times of high dynamics of change and fluid patterns of interpretation and value systems, a special focus on universities should provide a situational lens and highlight the variety of different logics to which the science system is subjected. In times of global and societal transformation, a context-sensitive recourse to different paradigms is not only an important factor of a systemic diversity management; it also allows the dynamic science system, which is confronted with increasingly heterogeneous students and staff, to provide target-group-specific answers to their needs. By strategically linking diversity goals with institutional profile building, it is possible to achieve a higher level of commitment to diversity topics by the university management. In addition, a pluralistic approach that nevertheless allows for an eclectic dialogue of measures aligned with the respective department, faculty and target group has the potential to create broad awareness of a system of diversity management at all university levels.

In this context, the HEAD (Higher Education Awareness for Diversity) Wheel provides a basis for a pluralistic discourse on diversity management, especially because it does not have a normative entrance portal. Therefore, it allows for the initiation of a diversity debate on one of its five segments. Whether this is done through demographic, cognitive, disciplinary, functional or institutional diversity depends on the university's priority and profile. The chosen entrance portal allows for an initial value-added discourse on diversity and a broader acceptance of diversity-related topics by localising context-sensitive and target-group-oriented docking points. Such an approach facilitates the transition to other facets of diversity, and due to its positive connotation, enables a resource-oriented diversity debate. This article discusses the different entry portals of the HEAD Wheel in the context of the profile development the Austrian university of applied sciences sector. It is shown that demographic diversity is primarily associated with inclusion, participation and anti-discrimination, while cognitive and professional diversity are embedded in a value-added discourse. Functional diversity is used in the context of specific job descriptions or employer branding, while institutional diversity is regarded as a meta-theme about any form of inter-organisational cooperation.