BGU | PRESIDENT'S REPORT 2022

Ahalan Wa Sahlan

welcome event in November for first-year Arab students High school students from Rahat visit labs on campus Prof. Halleli Pinson, Presidential Advisor on Gender Equity, at an event promoting the University as a safe space

The mentors will identify disadvantaged students and coordinate the necessary assistance and support offered by the Office of the Dean of Students to prevent dropout. INCLUSION Our second goal is to transform the BGU campus into a more inclusive space and reduce the sense of alienation experienced by students from diverse backgrounds. We organized several activities aimed at specific audiences: • We held a welcome ( AhalanWa Sahlan ) event in November 2021 for first-year Arab students, where they met Arab faculty members and received information about the various services offered by the University. • We held several events in conjunction with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Members of the academic and administrative staff attended a lecture on the special needs of this population, the Diller Family Center was illuminated in purple, and banners with messages to raise awareness were hung throughout the Marcus Family Campus. • A festive Iftar dinner for Arab faculty members with top university administration was held in April. • A meeting with representatives of the LGBTQ community on campus was held, where students spoke of their specific needs and obstacles. We held several lectures and seminars to increase awareness of LGBTQ needs in June.

A steering committee was created to organize an annual workshop for first-year students who are the first in their families to enroll in an institituion of higher education. Such students often suffer from alienation and feelings of inadequacy in academia and drop out at higher rates. This annual workshop will provide tools and guidance, identify psychological needs, and increase their sense of belonging to the academic world. It will empower them and increase their ability to persevere in their studies. The goal is to eventually transform these students into mentors for other new students, in exchange for scholarships (we are exploring possibilities for funding from the Israel Young Academy).

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Ben-Gurion University of the Negev