Social inclusion is one of UFABC’s conceptual foundations, alongside interdisciplinarity, excellence, and innovation. It is practiced as an act of responsibility and reduction of inequality, as well as an active process of identifying and developing talents, and promoting diversity and plurality of ideas that enrich the academic environment.
Affirmative Policy
UFABC is committed to student well-being and daily life. To this end, the University has a dedicated Dean’s Office for Community Affairs (ProAP), which is responsible for formulating, proposing, evaluating, and implementing affirmative policies that support the university community. Its initiatives and services are directed toward both national and international students, and include:
Through its Accessibility Center, UFABC carefully thinks about the daily lives of students with disabilities, from their travel to campuses to the development of strategies that facilitate the learning process and reduce barriers, including individual assistance, research into assistive technologies, and a series of accompaniments.Accessibility actions and services are aimed at national and international students, and include:
• Assistance to students with disabilities or special educational needs;
• Translation and Interpretation of Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) – deaf students are always accompanied in the classroom;
• Inclusive Monitors, undergraduate students trained to accompany students served by the Office;
• Additional time: guaranteed by law for some students with disabilities, such as low vision, motor impairment, dyslexia, and high skills;
• Accessible Library;
• Assistive technologies: the Office has some equipment such as magnifying glasses, audio recorders, video amplifiers, voice scanners, Braille displays, Braille printers, Braille typewriters, voice software, thermoformers, table rulers with punch, canes and wheelchairs, multi-plane Braille Mathematics and Statistics teaching kit.
UFABC offers some types of socioeconomic scholarships to its students to guarantee their stay at the university, aiming to help them with housing, food, and daycare expenses. Socioeconomic vulnerable students enrolled at UFABC’s undergraduate programs are entitled to socioeconomic scholarships and must register in an annual selection process to apply for financial aid.
The University coordinates health promotion, prevention, and education actions aimed at improving the quality of life of the academic community, in addition to providing basic care in specific cases when there is a health problem when the person is on the university premises. Due to its basic structure, it is not possible to carry out complex procedures. However, when there is an immediate need for specialized or complex care, the Emergency Service (SAMU) and/or the Firefighters will be called. Some actions developed in this context are:
• Provide the first response to health problems occurring within the university;
• Provide health promotion and prevention guidelines;
• Carry out health education actions;
• Perform simple non-invasive procedures, such as monitoring vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, temperature, respiratory rate, and pain measurement), dressings, and administering medications according to medical prescription;
• Loan of materials, such as crutches and wheelchairs;
• Collaboration in health-related research projects.
The University has a multidisciplinary psychosocial team formed by psychologists, social workers, and administrative assistants. Within the scope of Affirmative Actions, the psychosocial team is committed to contributing to developing an inclusive, welcoming university culture that respects human rights and diversity. It uses strategies and actions that foster a sense of belonging to the academic community and improve the conditions of permanence during the university trajectory. Furthermore, it seeks to improve mental health among the UFABC community, considering the individual, collective, institutional, and social dimensions of health in its actions.
The psychosocial service offers the entire academic community (employees, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and outsourced workers) the actions described below:
• Specific psychosocial support as a space for listening in situations of suffering related to personal, social, academic, and family issues, among others, assisting in the reflection process and offering guidance and referrals to the network internal and external to UFABC;
• Listening Group for undergraduate and postgraduate students at UFABC, held periodically;
• Other collective activities carried out occasionally: conversation circles, themed meetings, creative workshops, exhibitions, partnerships in plans, programs, and projects (such as University Integration Week, actions to welcome first year students, intersectoral coordination, etc.), among other activities.
Students can book sand courts, outdoor courts, and the gymnasium for recreational and sporting use. It is also possible to interact with the university’s athletic teams (AXIS and CAAP) to practice various modalities of competitive sports.
The meals produced in the University Restaurants follow the Food Guide for the Brazilian Population recommendations, published in 2006 by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Therefore, the meals include beans, rice, vegetables, and fruits. In addition, food from family farming is served periodically. To cater for the vegetarians, there is always a meat-free option in the University Restaurants, which may consist of textured soy protein, legumes, milk and dairy products, eggs, and other foods of plant origin.
Students in in-person undergraduate and postgraduate programs receive a 60% subsidy for their meals in University Restaurants, which makes the prices very affordable, especially for this group.
Contact us: proap@ufabc.edu.br