As a professor at Goethe University, you will, of course, enjoy all the benefits of public service, such as a good pension plan, various models for parental leave, flexible working hours and much more besides. Beyond that, however, here at Goethe University in particular we offer you even more benefits, which in our opinion are part of good working conditions. Some of these are presented here.

Reconciliation of family and career

Photo credit: Katharina Meyer

Family Service at the Equal Opportunities Office

The Family Service helps all members of Goethe University to reconcile family and career. This includes upgrading infrastructure (e.g. parent-child rooms, nappy-changing facilities), regular and flexible childcare (day nurseries, supervised children's rooms, games during the holidays, etc.), workshops on topics to do with family and care responsibilities as well as needs-based and individual advice for all members of staff. The overall topic of care as well as the special interests of same-sex or single parents are also taken into account, as is the growing role of active fathers.

Newly appointed professors can consult the Family Service on the following topics, among others:

  • General advice and individual referrals concerning all topics to do with reconciling family responsibilities and career 
  • Registration for day nurseries on Westend Campus and Riedberg Campus
  • Childcare (flexible and regular)
  • Games in the holiday, childcare during symposia 
  • Family-conscious infrastructure on campus
  • Family Plus card and newsletter
  • Goethe Kids network

Further information can be found on the Family Service’s website: www.family.uni-frankfurt.de.

Dual Career Service – Support for dual career couples

The Dual Career Service Frankfurt helps the partners of new professors and post-doctoral researchers (international or with family responsibilities) to advance their own career prospects in the Rhine-Main region. Advice centres on the respective personal situation as well as the associated challenges and opportunities.

More information can be found at www.dualcareer.uni-frankfurt.de and in the Dual Career Service flyer (PDF).


Onboarding

Right at the heart of the Goethe community’s teams – with a health condition or disability too 

Are you interested in working at Goethe University and have a disability or chronic illness? Welcome! Goethe University has set out to become an inclusive, diversity-sensitive university. Our Inclusion Action Plan has been in place since August 2020. Goethe University has extensive experience in employing trainees with health conditions and making them feel at home. The participation of disabled team members is a long tradition at our university – and we want to become even better. If you would like to find out more in advance, on our Inclusive University portal you can find information sheets on applications and appointments as well as Goethe University's general stance on inclusion and its corresponding measures, together with information on accessibility.

Photo by gpointstudio / Freepik.com

Advice for international applicants – Relocation support

Goethe Welcome Centre (GWC) is the central, non-academic helpdesk for international applicants at Goethe University. Here, international applicants and their families can find comprehensive information about Frankfurt as a future place to live and work. 

The GWC provides advisory services for international applicants in the following main areas:

  • Information on visas and other issues related to residence in Germany
  • Information on accommodation and the housing market in Frankfurt
  • Advice on administrative, cultural and language-related questions 
  • Information on formalities and official procedures in conjunction with a possible move to Frankfurt 
  • Information on German language courses 
  • Information on the German school system and (international) schools in the Rhine-Main region.

Onboarding for newly appointed (tenure track) professors: The 100-Day Programme

Goethe University offers elective training modules designed to support newly appointed (tenure track) professors in their roles as managers and as new members of the organisation during their first 100 days on the job.

The 100-Day Programme for newly appointed (tenure track) professors includes a variety of modules from the Department of Human Resources and Organisational Development as well as other internal cooperation partners and their service and support portfolios. 

With this programme, professors are able to strengthen their new roles and become familiar with the new environment at Goethe University by participating in individually tailored modules based on their needs. The Department of Human Resources and Organisational Development facilitates the following modules: 

1. Individual initial advice on and analysis of the status quo of leadership and management skills
2. Individual coaching
3. Individual team development 
4. Seminars and e-learning courses on leadership and management skills
5. Collegial advice especially for tenure track professors
The Department of Human Resources and Organisational Development, the central partner for academics with management responsibilities at Goethe University, is responsible for this offer.
Further support partners during your first 100 days: 
  • IKH - Interdisciplinary Center for University Teaching and Learning
    Individual advice, networking, professionalisation of teaching skills
  • Research Support:
    Advice on research programmes; Assistance with submitting proposals and project management; Acquisition and management of collaborative projects 
  • Equal Opportunities Office:
    Support in the areas of equal opportunity, Family & Dual Career Service as well as diversity and anti-discrimination

Leadership Development at Goethe University

Goethe University provides management personnel, professors, and deans with a modular support portfolio in order to enable them to create their own competence paths in line with their needs. In this way, a shared leadership language is created and embodied at our university. 

With the growing competitive nature of the science system and the changing regulatory framework created by changes in higher education policy, science administration and management is in need of continued professionalisation. To meet the challegenes of science management, a solid understanding of human resources, finance, controlling, as well as law and administration is essential. Goethe-Lerncampus offers opportunities for researchers in management roles, who often have responsibilities for staff and budgets, to acquire additional knowledge in a variety of subject areas, depending on their experience and expertise.

The Department of Human Resources and Organisational Development, the central partner for academics with management responsibilities at Goethe University, is responsible for this offer.


Leisure and Transportation

University sports

The Centre for University Sports is one of Goethe University’s central service providers and offers an extensive programme of courses, excursions and tournaments for all students and staff. University sports offers a special opportunity for intercultural exchange and thus makes a significant contribution to the open and integrative culture at Goethe University. We also want to boost the health of all Goethe University’s members and encourage everyone to engage in physical exercise their whole life long.

Museum Giersch der Goethe-Universität

Goethe University’s Museum Giersch regards itself as the “university’s window” to the City of Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main region. It has successfully dedicated itself for many years to the study and communication of regional art – a unique selling point in the context of Frankfurt’s rich museum landscape.

LandesTicket Hessen

In the interest of climate protection and to support eco-friendly public transport in Hessen, Goethe University provides its staff every year with a “LandesTicket” travel pass free of charge. The “LandesTicket” for staff entitles them to free travel throughout the whole of Hessen and also includes a large number of destinations in neighbouring zones beyond Hessen’s borders. Particularly attractive: After 7:00 pm on Mondays to Fridays and all day on weekends and public holidays, one adult and all children up to the age of 14 from the same household can travel free of charge.