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king Abdulaziz University’s Efforts to Support Underrepresented Groups:
King Abdulaziz University (KAU) is committed to promoting inclusivity and equal opportunities by supporting underrepresented groups in academic and social domains. Below are the key efforts undertaken by the university:
1. Support Programs for Students with Special Needs
Providing advanced educational and technological services to ensure easy access to academic resources.
Equipping university facilities to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities, such as elevators and dedicated pathways.
Offering specialized support offices to assist and advise students with special needs.
2. Promoting Gender Equality
Empowering women in academic and administrative fields through targeted programs for female students and faculty members.
Increasing opportunities for female students in scientific and engineering disciplines where representation has been historically low.
3. Supporting Students from Socioeconomic Backgrounds
Offering scholarships and financial aid to students from low-income families.
Providing on-campus job opportunities to help reduce their financial burdens.
4. Enhancing Cultural and International Diversity
Attracting international students from diverse nationalities and cultures, contributing to a culturally rich campus environment.
Organizing programs to integrate international students with their local peers through student activities and cultural events.
5. Academic Support Programs
Offering tutoring and supplemental classes for students needing academic improvement in specific subjects.
Providing academic and advisory centers to help students achieve their educational goals.
6. Focus on Social Innovation
Supporting student-led projects and initiatives aimed at empowering underrepresented groups.
Collaborating with local and international organizations to develop programs that address representation gaps in the community.
Through these efforts, King Abdulaziz University aims to create a fair and inclusive educational environment that contributes to societal development and promotes equal opportunities for all.
KAU gives a big attention to applicants from under-represented groups, such as, Women, People with disabilities and International (non-Saudi) people. The university is in continuous tracking and collecting of under-represented groups' applications and admission rates, which is clearly reflected in the related statistics gathered about such groups, as can be seen below:
56% of KAU's First Degree Graduates are FEMALES. This is a critical indicator to understand how KAU is supporting Gender Equality and Reducing Inequalities through measuring and tracking FEMALES' applications and assuring their graduation completion in every subject area.
A significant 84% of FEMALE Students starting a First Degree in KAU, are First Generation FEMALE Students. This is a critical indicator to understand how KAU is a preferred destination for Saudi Women and it shows how KAU is supporting Gender Equality & Reducing Inequalities through facilitating the admission, follow-up, and support of female students, especially First Generation FEMALE Students coming from un-educated families.
Due to the attractive facilities the university provides to students with special needs, the number of Students with special needs has significantly increased from 205 students in 2015 to 1737students in 2024 and is a critical indicator on how the university is a preferred destination to national and international students with disabilities who are capable of practicing their university life with minimum difficulties and high self-dependency, thanks to KAU's facilities and services to Students with Disability. KAU has further established, in 2017, the Vice Deanship for People with Special Needs, which tracks and provides world-class facilitation services and leadership in serving the community of students with special needs and is the first of its kind in all universities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Therefore, KAU gives a close attention to underrepresented groups by tracking the increase in their numbers in order to align the efforts with the increasing demand. This requires huge efforts to facilitate their education on campus and their transportation between the university and their homes.
King Abdulaziz University adopts a non-discriminatory admission policy among students and works to treat everyone equally and provide opportunities for all students without discrimination. It also works to take into account admission requests from students with disabilities, low-income students, or minorities, and to exempt them from some conditions that prevent their acceptance within the limits of the legislation issued by the Council of University Affairs. This is evident in its commitment to the decision of the Council of University Affairs, which stressed the implementation of the royal order included in its eighth paragraph (supporting the enrollment of needy families in universities) by allocating a percentage of admission seats in universities for the children of those families, facilitating their admission conditions and exempting them from paying tuition fees in applied colleges and giving them priority in university housing programs and temporary jobs within the university). Accordingly, a mechanism was put in place to accept male and female social security students, stipulating exceptional university admission for male and female social security students and those in their position during the supplementary admission period, with the condition of submitting a security scene to the university in accordance with the policies followed, as priority in admission is given to the most needy applicants. The Kingdom also performs its lofty mission at the international and regional levels to serve Islam and Muslims in all fields, including the development and rehabilitation of human resources, by providing scholarships to attract distinguished international students in theoretical, scientific and research specializations to study in government universities in the Kingdom, including King Abdulaziz University. Dear, Through a special portal that enables all targeted persons to obtain all services with ease and without any obstacles due to discrimination, it contributes effectively to enhancing integration. The aspirations of the Ministry of Education in the Kingdom aim to achieve the outcomes of the scholarship program in line with the vision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2030 by supporting and participating graduates after their graduation in advancing the wheel of development in their countries after their return qualified with specialized scientific certificates and applying the skills and experiences they have acquired in all specializations.
The university also enabled students with disabilities to have the opportunity to join the university; This is through the programs and facilities it provides to this segment of society, as cases of students with disabilities are considered after the sorting and comparison process between students applying to the university through unified admission, to consider and evaluate each student case individually according to the documents and reports that show the student's health status, so that this category of students who meet the admission requirements can be accepted in the programs and academic specializations available to them.
The exception feature is also shown to the head of the department to accept applicants with disabilities for graduate programs in addition to the proposed number for admission and according to the capacity of the scientific department.
In addition to accepting male and female students with hearing disabilities (deaf), through an electronic admission portal dedicated to them, their applications are sorted, they are interviewed, their degree of disability is determined, and they are accepted into a special program for deaf education that begins with a preparatory year for female students with severe hearing disabilities, with the aim of raising the skill level of these students. The preparatory year has been structured in a way that allows for addressing the deficiencies of female students resulting from the weak outcomes of general education for this category, and in particular the weakness of the Arabic language. In addition to providing deaf female students with the skills necessary to complete their university studies
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