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Inclusion Office
Students

As part of its commitment to society, ESCI-UPF’s Inclusion Office works to ensure that all students can develop their potential by valuing educational diversity and guaranteeing the rights of high-performance athletes and people with disabilities or at risk of socioeconomic exclusion.

At ESCI-UPF we understand inclusion in terms of universal accessibility, as a key condition for promoting people’s autonomy based on equality and non-discrimination. Not only do we ensure that all our services, activities and spaces are physically accessible, we also guarantee that all members of the university community can play their part under the same conditions. Our aim is to safeguard all students’ rights to university access, course progression and employment options.

The Inclusion Office welcomes and supports students with special educational needs from the moment they arrive at the school. Any student can apply for support by submitting proof of their special educational needs. They will receive guidance throughout their time at university and the school will make any necessary adaptations to the course programme to offer them the required support and resources.

Adaptations and resources
  • Extra time in exams and for assessable activities
  • Greater leniency towards spelling mistakes
  • Large-print exam papers
  • Study habits and techniques
  • Resources to increase accessibility in different spaces at the university
  • Digital options for taking exams
  • Reserved front-row seating in classrooms
  • Wheelchair-accessible furniture
  • Option to take oral exams (in accordance with regulations and the subject in question)
  • Psychological Support Service
  • Support programme for high-performance athletes
  • Mentoring Programme

Personalised online assistance: Mireia Vera

Assistance protocol
  • Detection and welcome:
    1. Before the start of the academic year, students who present with special educational needs at enrolment are directed to the Inclusion Office for an initial interview.
    2. Students may also be directed to the Inclusion Office if academic tutors detect any special educational needs during their meetings with students.
    3. Students may approach the coordinator of the Inclusion Office themselves at any time.
  • Guidance and request for support: initial interview with the Inclusion Office to assess any adaptations or additional resources.
    1. Students provide the Inclusion Office with up-to-date documents proving their special educational needs and/or disability. (Personal data protection regulations restrict lecturers’ and tutors’ access to these documents.)
  • The Head of Studies signs off on any adaptations to the course programme and/or additional support provided.
  • Tutors and lecturers are informed of any adaptations to the course programme and/or additional resources required.

Follow-up meetings are held with students every term to review their academic progress.

Support for students affected by Covid-19

The ESCI-UPF Inclusion Office provides support to students with special educational needs who as a result of illness or disability request additional resources or support to follow their course.

n keeping with the Covid-19 support put in place by UPF, ESCI-UPF has added the following points to its Inclusion Plan:

  1. In accordance with the instructions for notifying cases of infection or precautionary self-isolation as a result of possible infection among members of the ESCI-UPF community, all students who have to self-isolate, either as a precautionary measure or because they have tested positive for Covid-19, will be considered to be students with special needs in the current exceptional circumstances.
  2. Given the exceptional situation caused by Covid-19, a support protocol has been established for students who are affected by the pandemic, especially those whose illness or state of health prevents them from following their subjects as normal. Sick or self-isolating students with be treated as justified absences and the online support plan will be applied.

Any students who are admitted to hospital should email their details to their tutor (or ask a family member to do so) at the following address: inclusio@esci.upf.edu. The head of the ESCI-UPF Inclusion Office will inform the head of Covid-19 affairs at the school.

The Inclusion Office will carefully monitor each case until the student in question has fully recovered and resumed their academic activity at the university.

Any students who require psychological support can call the free anonymous external helpline run by Fundación Salud y Persona on 900 494 279 (access code: ESCI500).

Further information is available on the Covid-19 webpage on the ESCI-UPF website: COVID-19