Activities

The Mêtis  Project – A Framework of Support, Advisory, and Assistance to Women Faculty at the University of Haifa

The Mêtis  Project is the flagship project of the Gender Equity Unit, designed to promote and showcase the legacy of women leaders in academia.

The project touches on multiple areas, from scholarships to networking, with the aim of offering a complete and comprehensive support net for the needs of women faculty at the University.

Letter from the University Administration on Reducing Gender Bias in Writing

Dear University Community,

We wish to draw your attention to our response to the recent order of the Civil Service Commissioner to use the singular masculine voice exclusively in all future official notices and documents. This order also applies to public announcements and tenders, and was issued without offering an alternative that encourages women to submit applications for government jobs.

The University of Haifa announces that it will continue to be fully committed to gender equity, gender equality, and the actions that such commitment entails, including the important trend of inclusion of women in language. This welcome trend is a reflection of the understanding that spoken and written language constitute important means for promoting values  and changing reality.

In this spirit, and in line with Section 8A of the Law of Equal Opportunities in Employment, the University will continue to ensure equal access of women and men to jobs and key positions in the University and will not support the use of language that deters women from submitting applications. The University will therefore continue to publish tenders, official publications, and other communications that directly and clearly refer to women and men using gender-neutral language as far as possible.

Sincerely

Prof. Ron Rubin, President

Prof. Gur Elroi, Rector

Mr. Sharon Zaid, CEO

Prof. Shulamit Almog, Gender Equity Advisor to the President

Post-maternity-leave support package for returning faculty members   

·         Reduced teaching load by 2 semester hours (1 annual study unit) for faculty returning after maternity leave.

·         Faculty members who are  primary family caregivers are eligible for a reduced teaching load (2 semester hours, equal to 1 annual study unit) in the maternity leave semester or subsequent semester, subject to conditions stated in the rules including approval of the Dean.

·Travel grant: To support participation in international academic conferences, women faculty members who have a child under the age of 1 year are eligible for a grant of $500–$750 to cover air fare and accommodations for their child and an escort.

·         Research assistance: Faculty returning after maternity leave are eligible for a grant of up to NIS 2,000 for research assistance (in addition to the departmental allocation).

Grant requests should be submitted to the Research Authority.

·         Requests submitted by same-sex couples are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

For complete details of the support package, see the University of Haifa Faculty Manual.

Breakthrough Change – Gender Adjustments to Documents and Certificates

The language of the certificates will be adjusted to reflect each graduate’s selected gender. Graduates may choose gender-neutral language

 Family Friendly Work Hours

Expectations of availability for work tasks in the afternoon and evening hours challenge efforts to maintain a healthy work-life balance. To this end, the University of Haifa has determined that all official activities and mandatory work meetings be scheduled between the hours of 10 AM and 3 PM.