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Family-friendly UdS
Our concept of family
Saarland University embraces a broad and diverse concept of family. This includes all parent-child constellations, such as single‑parent families, blended families, rainbow families, married couples, partnerships and sibling relationships, as well as the individual care and support of older or dependent people living in the same household.
Policies and standards for a diverse and family‑friendly university
Saarland University (UdS) is a place of learning and research where studying, conducting research and working with family responsibilities is supported both structurally and conceptually. Family‑friendly structures form an integral part of the university’s development plans, its target and performance agreements, the gender equality plan and the university mission statement.
Since 2004, Saarland University has successfully participated in the “Family‑Friendly University” audit and, in 2017, became the first university in Germany to be awarded a permanent certificate. By signing both the Family in Higher Education Charter and the Diversity Charter in 2021, the university reaffirmed its commitment to continuously advancing family‑friendly measures and meeting the individual needs of its members.
As a modern university, Saarland University fosters a non‑discriminatory and inclusive environment that takes into account the diverse life situations of its students and staff. Diversity is regarded as a core strength of the institution and contributes to the sustainable reconciliation of family life, studies and work. We firmly believe that a culture of appreciation and support tailored to different life phases is key to successful studies and to both academic and non‑academic careers.
Family-oriented policies
Since 2004, Saarland University (UdS) has successfully participated in the Family‑Friendly University audit of berufundfamilie Service GmbH and, in 2017, became the first university in Germany to receive the permanent certificate. This achievement is based on a wide range of measures that sustainably promote and firmly anchor family‑friendly study, work and research conditions.
At Saarland University, family‑friendliness is regarded as an integral component of sustainable university development and as a prerequisite for a diverse, equitable and high‑performing academic community. This guiding principle forms the basis for shaping all measures and processes aimed at fostering a family‑ and life‑phase‑aware university culture. As a certified family‑friendly university, Saarland University is committed to strategically integrating the principle of work‑life balance, implementing it effectively and developing it continuously.
The Family‑Friendly University audit is a strategic instrument that supports universities in systematically developing family‑ and life‑phase‑conscious framework conditions. It evaluates the current status, defines binding target agreements and regularly reviews their implementation through a structured dialogue process. In doing so, the audit makes a significant contribution to ongoing quality assurance and the continuous development of family‑friendly structures at Saarland University.
To strengthen study‑, work‑ and research‑friendly conditions at Saarland University, the following target agreements have been defined and implemented on an ongoing basis:
- Improving the framework conditions for academic qualification
- Expanding and increasing the flexibility of childcare provision
- Raising awareness among managers of work‑life balance issues
- Family‑friendly scheduling and campus design
- Implementing a family‑friendly parking concept
- Providing regular information for staff and students with family or care responsibilities
Saarland University (UdS), together with more than 150 universities and university‑related institutions, is committed, through the association Familie in der Hochschule e. V., to sustainably promoting and further developing the compatibility of studies, employment and academic work with family responsibilities across the German‑speaking higher education landscape. By sharing best practices and working closely within the university network, Saarland University strengthens its institution‑wide commitment to family‑friendliness and continually enhances its support services. This work is grounded in a broad and inclusive concept of family.
As a member of the higher education network, Saarland University is guided by the principles of the Family in Higher Education Charter. In line with this charter, the university pursues the following strategic objectives:
- Advertising all positions as divisible posts, enabling leadership duties to be carried out on a part‑time basis (job‑sharing principle).
- Successful expansion of the “Unikate” nursery through the establishment of a nature group, allowing the facility to operate with four groups in future; in the long term, a new childcare facility with six groups is planned.
- Extending holiday programmes to include pre‑school children, particularly during the transition period before starting school.
- Adapting and expanding support services for international families, including those with a refugee background.
- Enhancing information on “care and employment” through advisory formats, information events and networking activities.
Saarland University is committed to pursuing these goals on an ongoing basis, regularly evaluating the effectiveness of its measures and responding proactively to emerging needs in order to firmly embed family‑friendliness in everyday university life.
The Diversity Charter is an employer initiative promoting diversity in companies and institutions, coordinated by the association of the same name. At its core is the Diversity Charter itself, through which signatories commit to recognising the diversity of society and to creating an appreciative and inclusive working environment for all employees – regardless of age, ethnic background and nationality, gender and gender identity, physical and mental abilities, religion and belief, sexual orientation or social background.
Familienfreundliche Maßnahmen
With the brochure “Family – One Dimension of Diversity”, Saarland University (UdS) presents its wide range of family‑friendly measures. The brochure provides a clear and concise overview of all support services available to students and staff with family or care responsibilities, helping to ease their daily demands and facilitate the balance between studies, academic work or employment and family life.
You can download the brochure here:
Brochure “Family – A Dimension of Diversity” (PDF)
If you would prefer a printed copy or would like to make the brochure available in your department, please send us an email at familie@uni‑saarland.de. We will be happy to provide one or more copies.
The brochure was produced by the Staff Unit for Equal Opportunities and Diversity Management (CDM) as part of the dialogue process of berufundfamilie Service GmbH on 6 October 2023.
The image film published in 2025 by the Family Office illustrates what appreciative, everyday family orientation looks like at Saarland University. Through expressive, wordless imagery, it shows the UdS as a university where work‑life balance is not merely a concept, but a lived expression of the diverse family and study/work arrangements within our community.
All participants in the film are students or staff of Saarland University. They offer personal insights into their families and their individual approaches to balancing family life with their studies or work, demonstrating how they benefit from the university’s support services. In doing so, the film conveys an authentic and realistic impression of campus life – shaped by a family culture that truly supports people in their daily lives.
The first volume of the university colouring book presents selected chairs, projects, and facilities of Saarland University (UdS). In the colouring book, young artists will find lovingly designed illustrations to colour in, explore, and doodle on. Short, child-friendly information texts spark curiosity and invite readers to discover the university in a playful way – for children as well as for their parents, who can also learn interesting facts about the UdS.
If you would like to receive the colouring book for your children or display it in your area, please send us an email at familie(at)uni-saarland.de – we will be happy to provide you with one or more copies.