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Support for underrepresented groups

 

Università IULM provides a comprehensive system of mentoring, counselling, and peer support programmes to ensure that students, staff, and faculty from underrepresented and potentially underrepresented groups are fully supported in their academic, professional, and personal development. These programmes cover women, refugee students, students with disabilities or special educational needs, LGBTQ+ members, low-income students, and staff.

  • Women: Università IULM provides women’s mentoring schemes and tailored support programmes as part of the IULM Gender Equality Plan, which identifies mentoring and psychological support as a cornerstone of women’s empowerment. In 2023/2024:
    • 85% of students engaged in peer mentoring schemes were women.
    • 78% of participants in counselling opportunities were women.
    • 80% of participants in mental health and wellbeing programmes (such as  Orienta-menti, Seminars on Study Methods, Stress Management, and Expectations, and Seminars about a stress-free graduation) were women.
    • Overall, 18% of the women student population took part in mentoring schemes.
    • In 2024, IULM reinforced its support through partnerships with the Anti-Violence Center Cerchi d’Acqua, offering psychological, legal, and financial support for women among students and staff who have experienced abuse or violence, and with Ankyra, supporting victims of domestic or relational violence regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.
  • Refugee students: Refugee and displaced students benefit from dedicated mentoring and tutoring coordinated by the International Mobility and Recruitment Office. Each student is assigned a staff tutor who provides continuous support with enrolment, cultural integration, and access to scholarships and services, ensuring equal participation in university life.
  • Students with disabilities and special educational needs: The DiversaMENTE Office provides one-to-one counselling, dedicated interviews, and tailored academic support for students with disabilities, DSA, ADHD, and autism. The Office organizes seminars on stress management, study strategies, and concept mapping, specifically designed for students with learning disorders, and ensures compensatory/dispensative measures during assessments and examinations.
  • Peer mentoring schemes: Università IULM runs a Peer Tutors programme, where senior students mentor first-year or disadvantaged peers, offering academic guidance, study strategies, and social integration. These schemes particularly benefit women, low-income, first-generation, and international students.
  • Staff and faculty: Università IULM provides a free and confidential Psychological Support Service, in partnership with the Centro Diagnostico Italiano (CDI). Managed by a senior clinical psychologist, the service addresses work-related and personal wellbeing issues and is frequently used by underrepresented groups, including women, staff with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ personnel.

Through these structured, multi-level mentoring and counselling services, Università IULM guarantees that all members of its academic community – students, staff, and faculty – can access tailored support programmes, enabling them to overcome barriers and fully benefit from university life.