ETH is built on respect

“Time for a full stop.” These words, which appeared recently on large, colourful dots on entrance doors, in the foyer of the main building and on numerous screens on the Hönggerberg campus, gave rise to lots of questions – precisely as intended. “The aim of this campaign was to attract the attention of our students and employees,” explains Lukas Vonesch, Head of HR at ETH Zurich.

This attention was then directed towards ETH's new respect campaign, which was launched on behalf of the Executive Board on 25 September. The explanation behind the mysterious dots came two weeks later in the form of flyers and posters saying things like “Of course I’ll help. If you’ll come on a date.” and “You're smart. For a woman.” These provocative slogans all have one thing in common: a full stop separates a neutral statement from a disrespectful one. But the point at which a neutral comment becomes disrespectful can vary from case to case and needs to be discussed, according to Vonesch. “Whether or not a statement is understood as discriminatory or offensive is a somewhat subjective matter. The important thing is that everyone knows their own boundaries and communicates them to other people – it's about knowing where to stop,” says the Head of HR.

ETH-wide Code of Conduct

This is precisely the aim of the new respect campaign. “With this campaign, we are hoping to reinforce the culture of respect at ETH and the personal responsibility of ETH members,” explains Renate Schubert, Professor for Economics as well as Associate Vice President for Equal Opportunities and Head of Equal! at ETH Zurich. Since 2008, the Equal Opportunities VP has been working to ensure that men and women are equally able to enjoy and succeed in their studies, research and work at ETH. Together with the HR department, the Safety, Security, Health and Environment department (SSHE), Corporate Communications and an external agency, Schubert is responsible for the design and implementation of the respect campaign.

The idea for the campaign came from the last employee survey, which indicated that the working environment at ETH was mostly regarded as positive and respectful, but that problems needed to be dealt with more openly and solution strategies illustrated more clearly.  Various measures are now being put in place to tackle these issues. Alongside workshops, videos and a dedicated campaign website, a university-wide Respect Code of Conduct will be published by the start of 2018. This Code of Conduct provides guidelines on respectful behaviour towards other people and states the kind of behaviour that will not be tolerated at ETH. At the moment, only three departments have conduct recommendations of this nature in place. These were introduced following the last respect campaign in 2010, which used various pictograms to draw attention to appropriate and inappropriate behaviour in day-to-day work.

“The Executive Board will not tolerate disrespectful behaviour”

According to ETH President Lino Guzzella, regular respect campaigns are particularly important at institutions like ETH. “Students, and many of our employees and researchers, only stay at ETH for a short time. It is therefore important that we remind people of our values on a regular basis.” The different nationalities and cultures at ETH are what make the university's research and teaching outstanding, but they also bring with them different ways of behaving and, in some cases, a divergence of values. This is why we need to establish a common understanding of the correct way to behave towards each other, according to the President. “The Executive Board will not tolerate disrespectful behaviour. If this kind of behaviour is identified, it is important to deal with those involved professionally and respectfully,” says Guzzella.

ETH offers various contact points for anyone who is affected by or witnesses disrespectful or discriminatory behaviour. To date, there have not been all that many reported cases of bullying, violence, harassment or discrimination, but each case is taken very seriously. “Anyone who witnesses unfair behaviour should speak to those involved and try to help rather than turning a blind eye,” says Vonesch. The way the incidents are handled varies from case to case and is always agreed with those involved. Anonymity can be preserved if desired.

Hypersensitivity should be avoided

Employees who experience discrimination and defend themselves are also protected against dismissal by equality legislation. If students report discriminatory behaviour, ETH will ensure that they are not disadvantaged in any way with regard to the continuation of their studies.

Vonesch is pleased that the discussion of discrimination and harassment has become more widespread in the media and among the general public in recent years. At the same time though, he is keen to avoid hypersensitivity. “It's always best if those involved can resolve the situation between themselves as far as possible. Often, the problem is simply caused by misunderstandings.” This makes it all the more important to encourage open, honest and direct communication between people – a further aim of the new respect campaign.

Fundamentally, however, the culture at ETH is excellent and the environment is characterised by diversity, helpfulness, commitment, motivation and tolerance, according to President Guzzella. To ensure that new ETH members internalise this culture as quickly as possible, the Code of Conduct will be presented and handed out at welcome events in future. Furthermore, the second phase of the respect campaign is planned for spring 2018. The aim of this phase is to include employees and students more actively in the implementation of the campaign. Ultimately, says Guzzella, the campaign will only work if ETH members engage with it: “Respect cannot be decreed from above. Respect has to be sustained and practised by each and every individual. What we need to do is promote this personal responsibility.”