Familie bedeutet eine Lebensgemeinschaft von Partnerinnen und Partnern oder ein Generationenverbund von Eltern, Kindern, Geschwistern und Großeltern, die/der sich durch die Wahrnehmung von Verantwortung füreinander auszeichnet.

Universities have looked for sustainable measures over recent years promoting ways to create family-friendly working and study conditions. These conditions should be adapted to the nature of the work and the working conditions at university. The „Family-friendly University“ audit, an initiative set up by the charitable Hertie Foundation, has been developed together with the University of Trier for that purpose. Its goal is to allow students and staff to find a balance between university interests and family concerns and to anchor it over the long-term in university policy.

On 31 August 2006, the Hochschule Esslingen was presented with the basic certificate for the career and family audit. It certifies that the university has undergone the implementation process and has worked out specific goals and activities for a family-aware staff policy and family-friendly study conditions. In 2009, a re-audit checked how successful the realisation was and where possibly more or new steps should be taken.