Umeå University has a zero vision regarding harassment and bullying. The work to reach that vision is, and must always be, never-ending. Nevertheless, the members of the University Management experience that the progress is too slow in reaching some of the fundamental objectives of this work, which recent attention by the media, staff and students has made evident.
For this reason, the University Management has prioritised to put extra focus on this topic through a number of measures. Learn in more detail about the ongoing work below.
These activities are being initiated by the University Management
The list will be continuously updated.
Last updated on 30 May
- (30 May 2022) Revise and clarify the University's procedures for investigating cases of victimisation, harassment, and sexual harassment.
The new procedures were decided upon and presented in Swedish on 20 May. The rules are now also available in English and the activity is moved to the page Completed activities. Read the Procedures to support managers when handling victimisation, harassment, or sexual harassment.
- (24 May 2022) Extended scientific analysis of sexual harassment at Umeå University.
The report Sexual harassment and gender-based violence. A study of staff and students at Umeå University was presented in Swedish on 20 May. A summary of the report was published in English on 24 May, and the full report will be published on 10 June.
- (29 April 2022) New activities:
A new support team is established to provide advice and support on health and safety issues
Develop proposals for operational support
- (12 April 2022) English report available: "Umeå University's handling of misconduct – 32 proposals for future improvements"
- (5 april 2022) Report available: "Umeå University's handling of misconduct – 32 proposals for future improvements" (in Swedish, an English version is underway)
- (22 December 2022) Two new activities: Extended scientific analysis of sexual harassment at Umeå University and Full day seminar for students and staff: Sexual harassment - in theory and practice.
- (7 December 2021) Evaluation of the university's handling of misconduct using an external reviewer. On 7 December, former Director-General Karin Röding was appointed to conduct the evaluation between 1 February and 31 March 2022.
- (26 November 2021) A meeting for heads of departments and other managers on the theme of harassment has been completed. The meeting took place on 25 November and a summary is presented on the page Completed activities.
- (23 November 2021) Directives and content have been established for the evaluation assignment of the university's handling of misconduct using an external reviewer. Read the full description in Directives for the evaluation of Umeå University's processing of misconduct (Swedish).
Extended scientific analysis of sexual harassment at Umeå University
What is the objective?
To carry out an extended analysis of the results that the national study from the National Secretariat for Gender Research, on behalf of the Collaboration and Research Program on Sexual Harassment and Gender-Based Vulnerability, collected in the spring of 2021 on the prevalence, extent and consequences of sexual harassment in academia in Sweden. The analysis will focus on data collected from Umeå University.
The analysis will be presented in a report and describe the gender prevalence of sexual harassment, abusive treatment, estimated support in relation to problems at work / studies and health among employees and students at universities. The report is also supplemented with an analysis of the results compared with the results from the university's employee survey conducted since 2006.
Assignment brief (In Swedish only)
When will this take place?
Work on the report will start in mid-December 2021 and will be completed in spring 2022.
Who is responsible?
The Vice-Chancellor gives the assignment to Britt-Inger Keisu, researcher at UCGS, Umeå Center for Gender Studies.
Full day seminar for students and staff: Preventing sexual harassment and gender-based violence in academia
What is the objective?
Conduct a full day seminar with both open lectures and workshops. Three lecturers will be invited. An international researcher with a focus on the theme from a theoretical perspective. In addition to bridging the gap between theory and practice, two lecturers will focus on the theme based on their practical and business-related experiences.
When will this take place?
Full day seminar with lecture and workshop is planned during autumn 2022.
Who is responsible?
The Vice-Chancellor gives the assignment to arrange the theme day to UCGS, Umeå Center for Gender Studies.
A new support team is established to provide advice and support on health and safety issues
What is the objective?
A special support team with increased resources will be set up at the Human Resources Office to which heads of department and managers can turn for advice and support when more serious work environment problems arise in their operations.
When will this take place?
The support team will be in place in the autumn of 2022.
Who is responsible?
University Administration / Human Resources Office
Develop proposals for operational support
What is the objective?
To develop a proposal that can serve as a basis for decisions on how support at departmental and faculty level should be designed to improve the ability of operations to respond early in the event of work environment problems.
When will this take place?
The proposal will be presented in autumn 2022.
Who is responsible?
University Administration / Human Resources Office
Measures based on the Equality Ombudsman's inspection of Umeå University
What is the objective?
In late December 2020, the Equality Ombudsman submitted a report after an inspection of several higher education institutions, Umeå University included. The inspection was based on how the higher education institutions worked with active measures in 2018, when the law on such measures was new. Active measures, according to the Discrimination Act, are prevention and promotion measures in an organisation aimed at preventing discrimination and serving in other ways to promote equal rights and opportunities regardless of gender, transgender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief, disability, sexual orientation and age.
Umeå University has initiated a project to evaluate and review how the preventive and promoting work is conducted in accordance with the Discrimination Act, both when it comes to employer and education provider perspectives.
When will this take place?
1 October 2021 until June 2022
Who is responsible?
The Vice-Chancellor of equal opportunities leads the project, the project manager is appointed from the Human Resources Office.
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