Messages of diversity?! An analysis of the diversity mission statements of state universities in Germany

Diversity and inclusion have become central themes in the self-image of universities. They are considered a core task of 21st century university development and numerous initiatives have been launched to drive this development forward. However, not all measures that universities develop in this context are based on empirical evidence and some even appear to have a negative impact on students from marginalized groups. This is where the present study comes in by determining the prevalence of the rationales and the scope of definitions concerning diversity in diversity mission statements of German public universities. Implications can be derived for further studies that analyze the effects of the respective elements in diversity mission statements.