On 6th June, the admissions at the University of Warsaw began. Enrolment is taking place via the Internet Recruitment of Candidates (IRK) system. In relation to the admissions, we are publishing a series of articles about the opportunities the University of Warsaw offers to its students. The following material presents, for example, a range of types of legal and psychological assistance.
At the University of Warsaw, students can benefit from material and legal support as well as psychological assistance, depending on their needs. The Scholarship to Start has been created for the most talented candidates who choose to study at the UW.
Material support
Students of the University of Warsaw can apply for social scholarships, special scholarships for persons with disabilities and the Rector’s scholarship for the best students. For the past two years, the most talented candidates to study at the UW have also received the Scholarship to Start. Last year, its recipients were 127 Olympians and 72 outstanding athletes. The scholarship’s value was PLN12,000. People who find themselves in a difficult life situation due to fortuitous reasons can benefit from an allowance, which is also one of the forms of assistance at the UW.
Scholarship rates and the amount of the allowance are set before the beginning of the academic year. Detailed information, the amounts in force in the current academic year, as well as the rules of granting material support are published on the website of the UW’s Student Welfare and Support Office: www.bpm.uw.edu.pl.
Psychological support
The UW’s Psychological and Counselling Services Centre (PL: Centrum Pomocy Psychologicznej; CPPUW) provides free support to students, doctoral candidates and university employees who are in psychological crisis, need psychological support or assistance with, for example, adaptation to new responsibilities. The centre provides psychological consultations, crisis intervention, individual support, as well as group psychotherapy, psycho-educational workshops and a club for neurodiverse people.
Psychologists, psychotherapists, community therapy specialists and psychiatric doctors provide support at the CPPUW. Since March 2024, the CPPUW has also operated a Helpline. By calling 22 552 44 24, members of the UW community can get free psychological help. Experts are on duty from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm Monday to Friday, both in Polish and English.
Legal support
University units that offer legal support:
Akademicka Poradnia Prawna – provides free legal assistance to students of all Warsaw universities. The counselling concerns student matters, e.g. regulations of studies or financial aid, as well as civil law, family and guardianship law, labour law and administrative law. The advice centre is operated by fourth-year students of the Faculty of Law and Administration, and the quality of their work is supervised by experts with experience in legal consultancy.
https://akademickaporadniaprawna.pl/
Klinika Prawa – operates at the Faculty of Law and Administration. The cases are handled by final year students, under the supervision of a lawyer and the advice is provided free of charge. The assistance is dedicated to people who, due to their financial situation, are not able to pay for the services of a professional lawyer or legal advisor.
Support for persons with disabilities
The UW’s Office for Persons with Disabilities supports students with chronic diseases and those whose health makes it difficult for them to study in the standard mode. The facilities for students include: a room in the halls of residence adapted to their needs, assistance and transport, exercises with a spatial orientation instructor, consultations with a psychologist and psychiatrist, sign language interpreter services, resources from the Academic Digital Library, specialised computer equipment, Braille notebooks, sound and magnification software, or assistive listening systems.
Resolving disputes and conflicts
For years, the University of Warsaw has been working towards a policy against discrimination, mobbing and other undesirable behaviours, which include not only procedures introduced at the University, but also information campaigns. Assistance in resolving conflicts, as well as in cases of unequal treatment at the University of Warsaw is provided by: UW Ombudsman (academic ombudswoman), Anti-mobbing Coordinator, Center for Dispute and Conflict Resolution (mediation), Rector’s Committee for Preventing Discrimination, and the Chief Equality Officer. Terms of reference and contact details are available at https://en.uw.edu.pl/about-university/administration/.