Sakarya University (SAU) demonstrated a coherent and data-driven institutional approach to non-discrimination, equitable access, and inclusive participation, supported by both formal policy frameworks and operational support mechanisms. The university’s publicly articulated Measures Against Discrimination Policy affirms that distinctions such as gender, disability status, nationality, religion, language, ethnicity, or socio-economic background may not be grounds for differential treatment in any academic or administrative process. This policy is grounded in the Higher Education Institutions’ Ethical Conduct Principles (YÖK) and the Higher Education Personnel Law No. 2914, ensuring equal opportunity, impartiality, and respect for diversity across employment and student engagement practices.
SAU systematically monitors access and participation across the student lifecycle. Programme-level gender-disaggregated student numbers are publicly reported via SABİS dashboards, enabling transparency and ongoing tracking of women’s and men’s participation rates. The International Students Dashboard presents live enrolment data by nationality, capturing diversity across refugee-background and foreign students. Meanwhile, the 2024 Administrative Activity Report documents annual counts of students with disabilities, alongside details of associated accommodations and support services — demonstrating institutional transparency, accountability, and continuous monitoring of inclusiveness indicators.
To ensure equitable access, SAU implements affirmative and targeted support measures. The university maintains designated student quotas, support programs, and funding pathways for individuals with disabilities, disadvantaged backgrounds, and international applicants. The Accessible Life & Support Coordination Unit (Engelsiz Yaşam ve Destek Koordinatörlüğü) played a central operational role in 2024 by organizing:
Barrier-Free Summer School (12 August 2024): Course adaptations and participation supports for students with disabilities.
Disability Orientation and Social Inclusion Meetings (10 October 2024): Facilitating access to academic resources, campus spaces, and peer support.
Barrier-Free Unit Representatives Meeting (06 November 2024): Coordinated monitoring and improvement of accessibility practices across faculties.
In parallel, SAU advanced gender equality and empowerment objectives through the Women in Business Micro-Credential Program (25 April 2024), which supported women’s professional leadership development and labour-market participation.
To reinforce equality and anti-discrimination awareness, the university formalized collaboration with the Turkish Human Rights and Equality Institution (TİHEK) on 06 March 2024. Additionally, the Violence Prevention Strategies Workshop (29 November 2024) under the Şiddeti Önleme Akademisi framework promoted campus-wide awareness on preventing gender-based violence and supporting safe learning environments.
Complementary measures further support inclusive access to learning resources, including library services for visually impaired students and scholarship opportunities for students with disabilities. Transparent and equitable access practices are also embedded within the 2024–2025 International Student Admissions Principles and Graduate School application calendars, which publicly define admission pathways for international and refugee-background applicants.
Taken together, these policies, reporting mechanisms, institutional collaborations, capacity-building programs, and service provisions demonstrate that Sakarya University not only monitors participation among women and men (gender), students with disabilities, and international/refugee-background students, but also actively supports their inclusion through structured governance, accessibility planning, and targeted empowerment initiatives. SAU’s model reflects ethical governance, data-driven monitoring, and equality-oriented institutional culture—aligning directly with Reduced Inequalities framework.
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