10.6.6. Support for underrepresented groups

In 2025, METU provided mentoring, counselling, and peer support for students, staff, and faculty from under-represented groups through dedicated units. For students with disabilities, the Disability Support Office offered counselling, mentoring through designated departmental disability advisers, and peer support through trained student note-takers and course partners. For women students and staff, the Gender Equality Support and Sexual Harassment Prevention Unit (CİTÖB) provided counselling and support. For international students, the International Students Office provided advising and support services, and ESN METU ran a peer “Host Student” buddy programme. For women researchers and staff, METU research centres delivered gender equality training and introduced mentoring and family-support measures. The evidence for each group is set out below.

Students with disabilities

Counselling and support services: In 2025, the METU Disability Support Office actively supported 30 students in the spring semester and 32 in the fall semester, employed 17 part-time student assistants with a budget of 720,000 TL, and prepared 247 academic accommodation letters (METU Institutional Self-Evaluation Report 2025). The office provides course partners, note-takers, orientation, counselling, and an Accessible Resources Office that converts printed materials for visually impaired students.

https://kalite.metu.edu.tr/sites/kalite.metu.edu.tr/files/kidr2025.pdf

Mentoring by departmental advisers: To strengthen communication and cooperation between departments, students with disabilities, and the office, every department designates a disability student adviser. As of December 2025, 37 departments in six faculties and schools had named advisers: Engineering 13, Arts and Sciences 9, Education 6, Economic and Administrative Sciences 4, Architecture 3, and the School of Foreign Languages 2 (METU Disability Support Office, list of disability student advisers, updated 16 December 2025).

https://engelsiz.metu.edu.tr/tr/engelli-ogrenci-danismanlari

Peer support: Trained student assistants act as note-takers, chosen from students taking the same course, and as course partners, who support a student’s study outside class without having to take the course. Both sign a written commitment to keep the student’s identity and disability confidential. The office’s Faculty Guide on supporting students with disabilities sets out instructors’ responsibilities, including a syllabus statement inviting students to ask for accommodations, and gives teaching and exam guidance for different disabilities (METU Disability Support Office, Faculty Guide).

Women

Counselling and support: The Gender Equality Support and Sexual Harassment Prevention Unit (CİTÖB) provides counselling and support to students and staff. Since 24 November 2025 it has held weekly awareness seminars with student communities and departments, and on 1 and 2 December 2025 it trained dormitory residents and staff.

International students

Advising and support: The International Students Office supports international students with academic advising, scholarships, housing, health services and residence permits, and runs orientation and social activities.

Peer support: The METU section of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN METU) runs a peer “Host Student” (buddy) programme each semester, matching incoming exchange students with METU students, and organises cultural and social events.

https://metu.esnturkey.org/

Staff and faculty

Counselling: CİTÖB’s counselling and support services (see above) are open to staff and faculty as well as students.

Training for women researchers and staff: In March–April 2025, METU-GÜNAM ran ‘Timeless Women’, an awareness activity that collected and shared the perspectives of women researchers on scientific leadership, career pathways and inclusion in the solar energy field. In May 2025 it delivered gender equality training for its staff in two sessions, ‘A conceptual approach to gender, stereotypes and norms’ and ‘Gender and social inequalities’ (METU-GÜNAM Gender Equality Plan, December 2025).

https://odtugunam.org/dokuman/1/

Mentoring and family support: Since May 2025, the METU-MEMS Centre has paid staff their full salary during temporary incapacity for work and supports parents in using their leave rights on an equal basis for women and men. It also plans an annual mentoring meeting for young women researcher candidates (METU-MEMS Gender Equality Plan PL-009, 30 June 2025).

https://mems.metu.edu.tr/tr/system/files/cinsiyet_esitligi_plani.pdf