At the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów, a policy to counteract mobbing, discrimination, and violence against both students and university employees has been in force since the 2019/20 academic year.
As of the 2019/20 academic year, the University of Information Technology and Management, based in Rzeszów, has implemented an Anti-Mobbing, Discrimination and Violence Policy for employees and an Anti-Discrimination and Violence Policy for students and postgraduate students. They define the rules for dealing with the occurrence of mobbing, discrimination, and violence in the academic community and resolving conflicts arising from these phenomena.
A complementary document to the above policies is the Gender Equality Plan adopted by UITM Rector’s Order No. 80/2022 dated November 4, 2022.
The function of the Rector’s Plenipotentiary for Counteracting Mobbing, Discrimination, and Violence is performed by Katarzyna Kurzępa Dedo, Ph.D.
Plenipotentiary’s duties include:
– receiving complaints from students and postgraduate students who, in their opinion, have become victims of discrimination or violence on the part of the student/students, postgraduate student/students, or an employee/employees of the University,
– examining complaints in formal terms and then forwarding them to the Rector who convenes the committee or initiates explanatory proceedings by the Disciplinary Ombudsman for Students of UITM,
– monitoring the phenomena of discrimination and violence against students and postgraduate students at the University and submitting reports in this regard along with recommendations to the Rector,
– conducting educational activities for students and postgraduate students in the field of counteracting discrimination and violence.
Definitions of discrimination, mobbing, violence
Discrimination means the exclusion or worst treatment of someone based on their gender, age, national origin, nationality, religion, belief, skin color, or sexual orientation.
Mobbing means actions or behaviors related to an employee or directed against an employee, consisting of persistent and prolonged harassment or intimidation of an employee, causing him to underestimate his professional suitability, or aimed at humiliating or ridiculing the employee, isolating him or eliminating him from the team of colleagues.
Violence is the intentional act or omission of one person to act against another, which by using the advantage of force violates the rights and personal rights of an individual, causing suffering and harm.
We speak of violence when 4 conditions are met:
- intentional – violence is a deliberate human action and is aimed at controlling and subordinating the victim.
- power imbalance – in a relationship one person has a distinct advantage over the other. She is stronger physically, mentally, materially, professionally, and socially and uses this advantage to force someone to submit to her wishes.
- violation of personal rights and rights – the perpetrator uses his advantage and violates the basic rights of the victim (e.g. the right to physical inviolability, dignity, respect, etc.) – he gives himself the right to offend, hit, criticize, take something or not give it. He does not take into account her needs, protests, and feelings.
- causing suffering and pain – the perpetrator exposes the victim’s health to serious damage and sometimes threatens her life. Experiencing pain and suffering makes the victims less able to defend themselves. The damage can be measurable or not, visible or invisible, immediate or delayed.
What is direct discrimination?
Direct discrimination is a situation in which a natural person is treated less favorably than another person in a comparable situation because of their sex, race, ethnic origin, nationality, religion, religious belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation.
What is indirect discrimination?
Indirect discrimination occurs when an neutral provision/decision/criterion violates the rights of a person or group, e.g. due to sex, religion, disability, etc. to the legitimate aim to be achieved and the means of achieving that aim are appropriate and necessary.
What behaviors are not discriminatory?
These are behaviors in which students feel disadvantaged, in particular by a university employee (e.g. in the context of passing credits, setting deadlines, applicable material), but this behavior is not caused, inter alia, by their gender, race, or nationality. Such situations do not constitute discrimination.
What is the Anti-Discrimination and Violence Policy for students and postgraduate students?
Acts of discrimination and violence against students and postgraduate students constitute a violation of generally applicable laws and internal regulations in force at the University.
You can read the description of the procedure here.
What is student violence?
Violence includes acts of physical, verbal, psychological, and sexual aggression, as well as cyberbullying (online violence), harassment, blackmail, and other forms of violence.
How should a student report violence or discrimination?
A student who believes that he has been a victim of discrimination or violence by another student or University employee may submit a complaint to the representative in writing or electronically. The Rector’s representative for counteracting mobbing, discrimination, and violence at UITM is Katarzyna Kurzępa Dedo, Ph.D.
What should the complaint contain?
The complaint should include:
- the date;
- description of the facts of the case;
- indication of exactly which actions or behaviors of another student or university employee are (in the opinion of the student submitting the complaint) a manifestation of discrimination or violence;
- indication of the name and surname of the person or persons who, in the student’s opinion, are the perpetrators of discrimination or violence;
- justification and indication of evidence that the discrimination or violence has occurred or is still taking place;
- signature of the student submitting the complaint.
The plenipotentiary examines the complaint in formal terms and then forwards it to the Rector who convenes the committee. The burden of proving that the accusations are false rests with the person identified as the perpetrator of discrimination or violence.
Contact to the plenipotentiary: pelnomocnikmdp@wsiz.edu.pl
An employee may be discriminated against in terms of:
- establishing and terminating an employment relationship,
- employment conditions,
- promotion,
- access to training to improve to improveprofessional qualifications, for all or a significant number of employees, unless the provision, criterion, or action is objectively justified due to the lawful purpose to be achieved and the means to achieve this purpose are appropriate and necessary.
How should an employee report mobbing, violence, or discrimination?
An employee who believes that he has been a victim of mobbing, discrimination, or violence by another student or University employee may submit a complaint to the representative in writing or electronically. The Rector’s representative for counteracting mobbing, discrimination, and violence at UITM is Katarzyna Kurzępa Dedo, Ph.D.
What should the complaint contain?
The complaint should include:
- the date;
- description of the facts of the case;
- indication of exactly which actions or behaviors of another student or university employee are (in the opinion of the employee submitting the complaint) a manifestation of discrimination or violence;
- indication of the name and surname of the person or persons who, in the employee’s opinion, are the perpetrators of discrimination or violence;
- justification and indication of evidence that the discrimination or violence has occurred or is still taking place;
- signature of the employee submitting the complaint.
The plenipotentiary examines the complaint in formal terms and then forwards it to the Rector who convenes the committee. The burden of proving that the accusations are false rests with the person identified as the perpetrator of discrimination or violence.
Contact to the plenipotentiary: pelnomocnikmdp@wsiz.edu.pl
December 2023
UITM Students know that every gender is equal
In a resounding display of commitment to equality, students at the University of Information Technology and Management recently engaged in a compelling debate titled „Every Gender is Equal.” The event, held at the IQ Student Club on December 12, 2023, was a noteworthy part of this year’s celebration of Human Rights Day. Dr. Zdzisław Rapacki, economist and former Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to the UN office in Geneva from 2004 – 2010 was the honorary guest.
Dr. Rapacki delivered an enlightening keynote titled „The role of international organizations in shaping standards and monitoring compliance with human rights.
In addition to Dr. Rapacki, the debate was attended by Małgorzata Wejsis-Gołębiak, a lecturer at the Department of Political Science and Administration at UITM, and students of Management: Mieczysław Moneta, supervisor of the Intercultural Research Club „The Globe” science club, and Valeriia Krasnozhon.
An important element of the event was the summary of this year’s Amnesty International Letter Writing Marathon. The debate was also accompanied by an exhibition of posters „EVERYONE HAS EQUAL RIGHTS REGARDLESS OF GENDER”/”ALL PEOPLE HAVE RIGHTS REGARDLESS OF GENDER”, which was the originator and organizer of the Council of Scientific Clubs of UITM in cooperation with KN The Globe, the exhibition consisted of 16 works by students major in Computer Graphics.
December 2023
We invite you to the debate „Równość płci/every gender is equal”
The event will take place on December 12, 2023 at 9:30 am at the IQ Student Club of the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow. The debate will be held in English with simultaneous translation into Polish. The debate will provide insight into how students from different cultural backgrounds perceive gender equality issues, introduce the range of anti-discrimination solutions used around the world and the activities of international organizations. The event’s guest of honor will be Dr. Zdzislaw Rapacki, economist and long-time diplomat, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to the UN Office at Geneva in 2004-2010.
October 2023
UITM joins the Academic Safety and Equality Network (ASBiR)
Membership in the Academic Safety and Equality Network (ASBiR) allows you to participate on an ongoing basis in events organized by affiliated universities and related to activities or plans of institutional solutions in the area of security and equality in the academic environment.
May 2023
Training on counteracting mobbing, discrimination, and violence
The training took place on May 26 and June 14, 2023, led by Andrzej Kiebała, Ph.D. During the training, the following topics were discussed: the issue of equality in employment, the types and effects of discrimination and mobbing, the employee’s rights in the event of discrimination and mobbing, the employer’s obligations in terms of preventing and combating discrimination and mobbing, as well as the liability of the employer and other persons (supervisors and other employees) for discrimination and mobbing.
November 2022
UITM Gender Equality Plan
The Gender Equality Plan aims to create a space of safety and equality conducive to the harmonious development of all members of the academic community, which consists of research and teaching staff, lecturers, administrative staff, and students.
October 2020
An Anti-Mobbing, Discrimination, and Violence Policy for employees and an Anti-Discrimination and Violence Policy for students
UITM has implemented this policy from the 2020/21 academic year. The first Rector’s Plenipotentiary for counteracting mobbing, discrimination, and violence was Konrad Szocik, Ph.D., and currently, the Plenipotentiary is Katarzyna Kurzępa-Dedo, Ph.D. Violence, mobbing, and discrimination are three phenomena that cannot be tolerated, especially in the academic environment. Each employee/student who has suffered discrimination, mobbing, or violence should report the matter to the Rector’s Plenipotentiary for counteracting mobbing, discrimination, and violence.
The HR Excellence in Research certificate awarded by the European Commission confirms that a given unit is characterized by a friendly research work environment and implements transparent principles of recruitment of research workers.
Maintaining this prestigious distinction by the University required and requires taking many initiatives to shape and improve the instruments of recruitment, employment, and employee evaluation. The first report on the implementation of The Human Resources Strategy for Researchers – HRS4R at the University of Information Technology and Management was submitted in 2019 and received a positive assessment from European Commission experts (…) – says the Vice-Rector for Science and International Cooperation, Dr. Hab. Agata JURKOWSKA-GOMUŁKA, prof. UITM.
