Plenipotentiary for Equality
On October 1st 2022 Anna Janicka, Ph.D. has been appointed Plenipotentiary for equality at the Faculty of Economic Sciences by the Dean of the Faculty.
The main tasks of the Plenipotentiary include acting as a consultation and contact 'point' for discrimination cases and responding to reported cases through counselling or, with the consent of the reporting person, referring the case to the Ombudsman, as well as providing students and staff with information about the support system in the Faculty and the University and information about equality courses and training.
The Plenipotentiary can be contacted at the following email address: .
General info
http://en.rownowazni.uw.edu.pl is an UW equality website where you can find information and advice on prevention and counteracting of discrimination and forms of support, including:
- information about types of discrimination,
- information for persons who have experienced discrimination or witnessed it,
- list of contacts at UW and outside the University,
- information about the Anti-Discrimination Committee,
- information about equality initiatives, including Gender Equality Plan for UW,
- Anti-discrimination Guidebook,
- information about prevention of sexual harrasment
- information for students, scholars and administrative employees on trainings and courses,
- Q&A - answers to frequently asked questions.
Gender Equality Plan for University of Warsaw is an equality strategy for 2020-2023. It is based on five goals, formulated on the basis of research on the needs of the UW community, expert consultations and a review of solutions employed in European universities.
Preferred names and pronouns
Among the students / working people there are people who prefer a different name and pronouns than those indicated by their data in their ID card. Please respect this and address them according to their preferred name - in line with the university's common rule of treating everyone with respect.
Support in individual cases is provided by Ms Magdalena Miksa from the office of the Academic Ombudsman (Ombudsman UW), who helps to solve issues related to the name visible in USOS or on the attendance lists.
Currently, the University of Warsaw is working on a systemic solution.
Educational activities:
- Anti-discrimination Handbook for Working and Studying at University of Warsaw
- Guide to prevention of sexual harassment at the UW
- A social campaign: "We are all Equal" - posters you already know, as well as educational videos on counteracting various forms of discrimination at University of Warsaw:
- Understanding Equality is an online course offering knowledge about equal treatment and skills related to anti-discrimination. It is available in Polish and in English for employees and students.
- For students: available as an OGUN each semester.
- For employees: available on the Kampus platform in the section “Szkolenia dostępne dla wszystkich pracowników”
- Equality training for research, didactic and administrative employees is organized by the Office of Employee Affairs
- Video of the conference "Counteracting sexual harassment in academia - towards standards and procedures" organized by University of Warsaw and the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights.
Additionally, in Polish:
- Recommendations for non-discriminatory language at the University of Warsaw - a guide prepared by an expert team from the Faculty of Polish Studies at University of Warsaw.
- Three guidebooks for and about transpersons at University of Warsaw - guides for transpersons at universities: for administration, for administration, for students. The guidebooks were prepared by Queer UW.
- At the University of Warsaw, there are transgender persons who, due to the lack of technical capabilities in USOS (which we are working on), cannot correct their data to match the gender they identify with. We encourage you to respect their situation and address them in a form consistent with the way they present themselves.
Support:
Academic Ombudsman is a place where you can report a conflict (between employees, between a student and an employee etc.) or discrimination and sexual harassment. The contact is confidential - your name and surname are not known to anyone except the person reporting and the person from the Ombudsman's office.
The Ombudsman offers:
- Direct support for a person experiencing discrimination.
- Information on available psychological help, redirection to the Psychological Assistance Center if necessary.
- Contact with the faculty/ relevant academic unit and assistance in obtaining organizational support, e.g. in terms of changing class groups, changing exam dates, obtaining a sick leave or occasional leave, etc.
- Educational activities towards the perpetrator, e.g. direct explanatory and educational conversation, conversation with the perpetrator's superiors, recommendation to participate in anti-discrimination training/ workshops.
- Disciplining actions against the perpetrator - written signal to the supervisor, recommendation to initiate a formal complaint procedure.
Anti-Discrimination Procedure is suitable for formal complaints in cases of discrimination and sexual harassment. It defines the rules of counteracting discrimination, including sexual harassment at the University of Warsaw. It also defines how to proceed in situations where discrimination occurs. The purpose of the procedure is to support activities against discrimination, protect members of the UW community and support people who have experienced discrimination.
The complaint under the Anti-Discrimination Procedure is open and is submitted to the Anti-Discrimination Coordinator. Information on the initiation of a case is sent to the accused and their superiors. The Anti-Discrimination Commission conducts explanatory proceedings aimed at issuing an opinion on whether the acts or omissions are discriminatory.
In its opinion, the Anti-Discrimination Commission may recommend corrective actions (e.g. transfer of an employee, change of group in the case of a student, psychological support, obligatory participation in anti-discrimination workshops, etc.) or the application of disciplinary sanctions. The explanatory panel may also recommend the initiation of anti-mobbing proceedings.
Commission for Counteracting Mobbing at University of Warsaw - it is worth reporting here in case of mobbing/ workplace bullying.
Psychological Counselling Center of the University of Warsaw - an initiative of University of Warsaw for people working and studying who experience various types of mental problems, low mood, etc. They cooperate with the Office for Persons with Disabilities.