A programme favours university admission among minorities at risk of social exclusion
Five years ago, the University of Barcelona (UB) set up the programme Política Social i Accés a la Universitat (Social Policy and University Admission, PSAU) with the clear aim of facilitating the admission of students from minority groups at risk of social exclusion to the Faculty of Education in order to enrich the cultural diversity of the Faculty and enable them to become teachers who will promote education among members of their culture of origin. The initiative was commissioned by the former rector Joan Tugores to Ignasi Puigdellívol, member of the Facultyʼs teaching staff. At that moment, the project was stopped but it was retaken in October 2009 when the Facultyʼs governing bodies were headed by the Albert Batalla. A committee to develop the project was created and it was approved by the Board of the Faculty in 2010. In 2011, first actions took place at participating high schools.
Five years ago, the University of Barcelona (UB) set up the programme Política Social i Accés a la Universitat (Social Policy and University Admission, PSAU) with the clear aim of facilitating the admission of students from minority groups at risk of social exclusion to the Faculty of Education in order to enrich the cultural diversity of the Faculty and enable them to become teachers who will promote education among members of their culture of origin. The initiative was commissioned by the former rector Joan Tugores to Ignasi Puigdellívol, member of the Facultyʼs teaching staff. At that moment, the project was stopped but it was retaken in October 2009 when the Facultyʼs governing bodies were headed by the Albert Batalla. A committee to develop the project was created and it was approved by the Board of the Faculty in 2010. In 2011, first actions took place at participating high schools.
Groups of university students do not reflect in an accurate way the real social situation. One of the objectives of the programme PSAU is to change this lack of faithfulness. Pep Alsina, coordinator of the programme and vice-dean of the Faculty of Education, points out: “If we pay attention to the culture of origin of the people who compose professional sectors, we realize easily that they do not match the cultures that compose our society: new comers, minority groups, ethnic minorities, disabled people, etc.”. Therefore, he adds: “This programme aims at increasing the number of different profiles, characteristics and cultures of origin of university students”.
A group of teachers of the Faculty of Education, together with the coordinator of the programme, work to contact UB students who volunteer to be mentors of a group of secondary education students at high schools. Thanks to the unselfish collaboration of volunteers, the programme is developed successfully. Since its beginning, three high schools and about thirty mentors have participated in the programme.
An example of the success of the programme is Maria Gegova, former student of the Institut Miquel Tarradell. Born in Bulgaria, she participated in the programme in the academic year 2011-2012. “I was informed about the programme at the high school; they selected a group of students and we were introduced to our mentors. Tània was my mentor. If my memory serves me right, she was studying Social Education. When I met her, I thought she was friendly and I knew I would learn many things with her. I did not want her to help me studying, but I wanted to be informed about how things worked at the university”. However, Tània made many other things. “For me, it was a radical change. She aroused my interest in humanitarian aspects. Once she asked me if I would like to visit India to experience the real situation of the third world, and I answered her that it would be one of the last places to visit on my list. However, now I will give her a very different answer. Unconsciously, the way she saw the world touched me. I will always thank her for that”.
One of the mentors who have participated in the programme is Marta Lupiáñez. She heard about the programme PSAU on the Virtual Campus of the UB. She decided to volunteer because, after her experience as instructor at recreation centres, she has always be interested in working with children and teenagers, so she thought it was a good opportunity. She explains that the experience “has been a very rich cultural exchange”. “Reward comes in the shape of gratitude and happiness you observe in studentsʼ eyes”. In the group where she was volunteer there were four upper secondary students. They look for information about university degrees and admission marks, they visit two faculties, and they seek those vocational training courses that could interest students. Some days, they also help them to revise for exams. “Basically, it is about helping them to realize that if you are studying at the University, they are also able to get it”, affirms Lupiáñez.
Finally, Alsina affirms that “the role of the mentor is crucial: it provides academic support, but they also establish other type of relationship with students”. “I am speaking about emotional bonds —he emphasizes—, and an increase in expectations. Mentors encourage them: ʻThe University is not so far from you! If I was able, you will also be ableʼ. The mentor —most of them are woman—is not a sister, a mother, a teacher or a friend: it is a model; it is someone they admire, and someone to whom they feel free to ask any question that bothers them.