The mission statement of the Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences strives for respectful, fair, difference-sensitive and appreciative interaction with each other, which enables the equal participation of all university members. All members of the university are obliged to counteract discrimination.

This claim is constantly challenged by phenomena in society as a whole, and thus discrimination, sexualized violence, mobbing or stalking also occur at the Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin. Discrimination or belittlement can occur due to different dimensions of discrimination, which can also be intertwined:

• Ethnic origin, anti-Semitic and/or racist attributions.

• appearance

• gender identity and gender attributions

• sexual orientation

• disability and/or chronic illness(es)

• social origin or status

• age

• language

• marital status or pregnancy

• religious or ideological orientation or political beliefs

If you have experienced discrimination, sexualized discrimination and violence, bullying or stalking at ASH Berlin, a selection of qualified and low-threshold anti-discrimination counselors can support you. They offer a confidential and, if desired, anonymous initial consultation and listen to you. The initial counselors take you and your experiences seriously and can discuss further steps with you, including complaints or referral to external counseling centers. The counseling follows the following counseling standards:

• the counseling is always free of charge and confidential

• the perspectives of the person concerned are in the foreground of the counseling and are not questioned

• the counseling can be taken up anonymously, together with a companion and under naming of a pseudonym

• the counseling can accompany you in further desired steps

You are not sure whether you have experienced discrimination? Often, such experiences are associated with shame, overwhelm and hurt, and people find it difficult to talk about it. The anti-discrimination counselors can support you in classifying what you have experienced and, if you wish, in identifying further contact persons.

If you would like to report incidents or file a complaint, you can do so using the digital reporting form .

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You are welcome to contact the following anti-discrimination counselors at the Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin, even if you are not sure whether what you experienced was really 'discrimination' and even if the incident happened some time ago. If you prefer to talk to external counseling centers, we have compiled some contact options below.

Sometimes it can be useful to write down in advance what happened. The following questions may be helpful as an outline of the content:

• When and where did the discrimination take place?

• What exactly happened?

• How did it happen?

• Why did you feel discriminated against?

• Who was involved in the incident? / Can anyone witness the incident?

These questions can also be clarified together during counseling.

In acute violent situations, the police can be reached at any time via the toll-free emergency number, Tel. 110.

Protection against discrimination is enshrined in German law, e.g.:

• Since 2006, the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) has regulated the claims and legal consequences of discrimination in working life as well as in civil law for services/"mass transactions." It aims to prevent or eliminate discrimination on the grounds of ethnic origin, gender, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual identity. Protection of the AGG only applies to employees of the university (working life), usually not to students - but the Berlin Higher Education Act refers the protection against discrimination to all university members, including students (§44).

• The new Berlin Higher Education Act (BerlHG) in the 2021 amendment regulates, among other things, the tasks of Berlin's universities. The non-discriminatory development of all university members and the creation of appropriate structures are regulated under § 5a. In addition, the universities are obliged to appoint a women's* and equal opportunities representative as well as a representative for students with disabilities. The appointment of a representative for diversity and anti-discrimination is also new in 2021.

• The Equity Law Berlin (LGG) 2002 obligates all institutions of the state of Berlin, such as the state universities (including ASH Berlin) to ensure gender equality and the active advancement of women. §Section 12 defines sexual harassment in the workplace as discrimination and a breach of official duty and obligates employees with supervisory and management functions to investigate cases that have come to their attention.

• The Berlin State Anti-Discrimination Act (LADG) was introduced in 2020. It is intended to offer people protection against official discrimination based on racial attributions, ethnic origin, gender, religion and ideology, disability, chronic illness, age, language, sexual and gender identity, and social status. There is an LADG ombudsman's office that can be contacted if advice is needed.

• Other areas of law may also be relevant in connection with discrimination, in particular labor law (e.g. regarding employee sanctions) and criminal law (e.g. regarding sexualized violence).

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In October 2025, the Academic Senate adopted the updated Anti-Discrimination and Equal Opportunities Charter of ASH Berlin. The statutes apply current legal prohibitions on discrimination and protection requirements at ASH Berlin and expand upon them. They provide ASH Berlin with a comprehensive structure for the prevention of discrimination as well as counselling and complaint management in cases of discrimination. The statutes follow a post-categorical understanding of discrimination: beyond the known categories of discrimination, they also cover other attributions and experiences that could be used to disparage individuals. In addition, they also regulate the procedure for associated discrimination – i.e. when people are discriminated against because of their proximity to other individuals, such as parents of children with disabilities. Abuse of power is also explicitly mentioned in the revised statutes. In addition to counselling and complaint structures, the updated statutes now include the option of low-threshold intervention. This also offers witnesses of discrimination, violence and abuse of power the option of taking action and working together to bring about structural change.