The University of Malta has been steadily investing in its learning resources and student support services in order to offer its students an adequate learning environment with readily accessible resources. UM is keen to attend to the needs of its diverse student population regardless if they are full-time, part-time, international as well as students with disabilities. A range of student support services that cater for in-person, online and blended learning are in place in a way that facilitate the different modes of learning at the University. In addition, UM is committed to equality, diversity and inclusivity, with a number of joint Senate and Council committees and groups working in these areas. The University adopts a comprehensive approach to learning resources and student support planning and management.
In order to strengthen, develop and synergize the intersections of gender, race, ethnicity, disability and other spheres of diversity, UM set up an Equity Committee that is supported by an Equity Office. This Office will lead the implementation of the Equity Plan with an established Action Plan and timeframes . The Internal Audit Function is represented on the Equity Committee and the Equity Office gathers institutional data that guides policy both at the University and Junior College (JC), which has its own Diversity Committee and equity plan approved by the JC Board in 2021. Vulnerable and under-represented groups are protected by a university-wide Harassment and Bullying Policy that was reviewed and revised in 2021.
The Gender Equality and Sexual Diversity Committee was the prime mover of the Gender+ Equity Plan. The Committee receives and monitors complaints from University staff and students with regard to sex discriminatory practices with the recommendation of appropriate action, and liaises closely with the sexual harassment advisors. It is also a promoter of the Sexual Harassment Policy . It also looks at a fairer representation of all segments of the UM population in the University’s communications effort. The Committee was the driver behind a Good Practice in Inclusive Language that was endorsed by the Senate.
CREA is a joint Council and Senate Committee that met for the first time in February 2021. It conducted a Multi-Faith Questionnaire developed by the Committee. It proceeded to make recommendations on the establishment of a multicultural centre that would serve as a platform to teach/publish/inform about cultures by adopting a multidisciplinary approach. The architectural aspect of this centre was deemed important.
The University has facilitated access for refugees with free courses at the International School for Foundation Studies . The University (through the Faculty of Education) collaborates with the Intercultural and Anti-Racism Unit, which is Malta’s entry point to migrant integration. UM partakes in the ‘I Belong’ Programme which aims to provide a holistic approach to integration through the knowledge of the country’s official languages (Maltese and English) and increased cultural awareness.
The Cottonera Resource Centre (CRC) was deemed to be important to reach out to students from under-represented communities. It served as an outpost in Cottonera and the surrounding area and for years it served as a station for UM to try and create a ‘conversation’ with the community.
The Student Solidarity Fund (SSF) of the University of Malta assists students facing financial difficulties with basic and essential needs. The fund was launched to help students struggling to get basic and essential needs in the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to provide “first-hand instant and interim relief” to students suffering financially. Although set up in response to the pandemic, the fund has continued to assist students.
The Rector has set up a committee to evaluate requests and disburse the donations. Requests are evaluated in consultation with professionals, including UM social workers at the Health and Wellness Centre. The SSF is supported by the Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU). UM staff and students contribute towards this initiative.
The University offers funding to a number of non-EU University students according to set criteria published by the institution. These scholarships are awarded to postgraduate (mainly by research) students and doctoral students. Some of these scholarships are offered through the Official Development Assistance programme by the Government of Malta in conjunction with the University of Malta.
The Doctoral School team is committed to support and enhance the research experience of all doctoral candidates at the University. It strives to bring together doctoral researchers and supervisory teams to benefit from the sharing of best practices. It promotes the idea to work with different groups across the University to promote widespread dissemination of doctoral research. The Doctoral School works with other service providers to ensure that researchers are equipped with knowledge and skills that can be applied to academic or non-academic career paths they choose to follow.
UM has several student societies that are recognised by Senate and are an integral part of campus life. There are around seventy organisations, some of which are university-wide whereas others are Faculty or Department-based. These societies offer students an opportunity to participate in interests other than those that are purely academic and to extend their network of friends, besides broadening their perspectives. Recognised student societies are eligible for student grants .
Student organisations are recognised on the basis of regulations approved in the Education Act (Cap 327) of 2019, whereby the Kunsill Studenti Universitarji was recognised as the students’ union for the first time in its 120-year history.
The University of Malta Student Charter serves as a point of reference for students and staff by defining, in its various sections, the rights and responsibilities of students, the KSU as the University’s student union, and the University.
Among students and staff, this Charter promotes a spirit of courtesy, acceptance, consideration and teamwork. It values academic freedom, seeks equality of opportunity and encourages students to become involved in decision-making at all levels.
The U3A in Malta was launched in Valletta on 23 January 1993 under the auspices of the University of Malta. The range of learning programmes and quality of knowledge dissemination is both extensive and impressive, so that the Maltese U3A is now firmly established as a key pillar in Maltese national policies on lifelong learning and active ageing.
There are no admission requirements and the U3A is open to everyone above the age of sixty, irrespective of any educational or academic qualifications. Lectures are delivered in Maltese unless the lecturer is a non-native speaker. The U3A operates from seven centres , six in Malta - Floriana, Sliema, Ħamrun, Vittoriosa, Birżebbuġa, and Mellieħa - and one in Gozo.
Based at the University of Malta’s Msida Campus, Campus FM houses two professional studios with digital recording and editing facilities, and is one of the channels of communication of the University with the rest of Maltese society. Most programmes are produced by UM and Junior College academics, UM employees and students.
In the Broadcasting Authority Audience Survey of June 2022, Campus FM climbed to 2.1% of listeners surveyed. The Chair of the Board remarked that “this position puts the University radio immediately after ‘the big ones’, overtaking listeners of established stations such as Smash, 103 (ex-RTK) and Radju Malta 2.”
At UM approximately 11% of administrative and academic staff are non-Maltese nationals and approximately 11% of the registered students are non-Maltese. These indicative numbers are evidence of a strong and deepening internationalisation and a campus community that remains predominantly local but increasingly global in terms of its research efforts, its networks, its reach and the citizenship and background of its staff and students.
The international students at UM are guided and supported by the International Office which is entrusted with managing the University’s international relations and the welfare of its international students.
Student handbooks assist and support students throughout their academic journey at UM. A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) along with a suitable template for the handbook has been developed by the QSU and is available online.
The Students’ Maintenance Grant is a scheme provided by the Government of Malta for students in Further and Higher Education. This scheme operates under a set of regulations, guidelines, and the respective Legal Notice, namely Subsidiary Legislation 605.06.
Stipends are paid periodically in backdated four-weekly payments. Furthermore, a one-time grant allowance is credited directly to the students’ bank account at the beginning of the academic year to be utilised for the purchase of textbooks and other educational material.
DegreePlus is a University initiative that recognises that the University years are an important period in one’s lifetime for personal growth and development. DegreePlus provides an exciting and diverse range of opportunities to help students broaden their academic and non-academic horizons. The areas covered by DegreePlus include voluntary work, entrepreneurship, sport, culture and heritage, languages, music, creative and performing arts and many more. The students who actively engage in extracurricular activities on and off campus have their work recognised in their University transcript and DegreePlus certificate. There really is something for everyone!
The English Communicative Aptitude (ECA) programme is designed and coordinated by the Centre for English Language Proficiency (CELP) in order to equip students attending UM with an enhanced competence in the English language. The programme targets students’ needs for better transferability of skills, enables them to successfully complete their course of study, and increases their opportunities for future mobility. Throughout the duration of this 12 ECTS programme, students are provided with a safe space in which to take risks while experimenting with their linguistic skills.
Effective oral and written communication is considered one of the key areas dominating twenty-first century education. Clarity and conciseness are at the core of effective communication, and these are some of the key skills that are directly addressed by the programme through continuous targeted practice until mastery is achieved.
Being the leading academic Library on the Maltese Islands, the Library houses approximately one million print monographs, over 60,000 e-journals and a wide spectrum of databases and e-book collections. Moreover, its holdings include a prestigious Melitensia Collection, which comprises works about Malta, publications authored by Maltese scholars, or works about any aspect of Maltese studies by any author, and publications on the Order of St John. Additionally, the Archives and Rare Books Department encompasses a significant range of literary manuscripts, historical papers and archival records, as well as prestigious collections of rare books and local cartographic material.
The Library has also embarked on an ambitious digitisation project whereby all print dissertations (approximately 17,000 volumes) housed within the Melitensia Special Collection have been digitised and made available for consultation on 24/7 remote access. The Library has also expanded its digitisation project pertaining to Special Collection. Digitising this unique and prestigious content will enhance the visibility of the treasures of the Library and provide enhanced access, both at national and international level.
Open Science is a top item on the agenda of all academic libraries. To this effect, the Library has implemented an Open Access Policy for the UM, which stipulates that UM academics are to deposit copies of their research papers on the UM Institutional Repository (OAR@UM) which was set up and is managed by the Library.
IT Services maintain several IT systems to support staff and students with learning, teaching and research. These IT systems include: a suite of online tools to facilitate communication, collaboration and storage of data (Google Workspace for Education); a virtual learning environment (Moodle); plagiarism detection software (Turnitin); lecture recording software (Panopto); web conferencing software (Zoom); and service management and live chat software to manage IT support requests (UniDesk).
In addition to these, IT Services maintain the instructional technologies (audio-visual) in teaching spaces and computers in computer training rooms, research laboratories and open study spaces . The University campuses are provisioned with the eduroam Wi-Fi service .
IT Services support the Office of the Registrar to manage the student records system (SITS Tribal) and the digital assessment platform (WISEflow). IT Services are currently supporting the Office of the Registrar to roll out a time-tabling software (Scientia) to enhance the student learning experience. Similarly, IT Services support the University Library to manage the provision of electronic resources/journals (HyDi and OAR@UM ) and other IT-based systems (e.g. Leganto Reading Lists ) that support staff and students in teaching, learning and research. In collaboration with several UM departments, IT Services also maintain the official UM app (My UM app ) which is a University-wide initiative to improve the mobile experience of students, staff and visitors who interact with the UM community.
The University of Malta supports all persons who have access requirements because of an impairment, medical condition, specific learning difficulties to ensure an inclusive community. Persons with access requirements may be students who satisfy the entry requirements of the UM and wish to continue their education at tertiary level as well as members of staff who require support during their working time on campus. UM has updated its regulations to safeguard reasonable accommodation to facilitate access, retention and completion of studies. The ACCESS - Disability Support Committee (ADSC) and its administrative arm, the ACCESS - Disability Support Unit (ADSU) have seen a growing number of students apply for support. The ADSC regularly updates the University of Malta Access Arrangements and MATSEC guidelines.
The Chaplaincy aims to support staff and students during their time at University, through a warm welcome, spiritual support and pastoral care to staff and students of all faiths and none. When required it also supports the Counselling Unit and the Student Solidarity Fund, if necessary.
Staff and students may relax, unwind or study in the common rooms, meet new friends, talk to the chaplain or use the chapel for some quiet time. At any point, they may also use the space provided by the Jesuit community at Dar Manwel Magri (DMM), which is located just a few metres away from the University Chaplaincy.
Several events are also organised by the Chaplaincy, from voluntary work to activities in the areas of spirituality, community and service.
The Help Hub at the University of Malta provides support to current students in a range of areas in the role of a one-stop-shop. This is the place that provides students with all the up-to-date information that may be required, brings students closer to the full range of support services offered at UM, as well as provides easy access to the vast network of student services.
The Help Hub brings together many of the key services offered at our University in one easily accessible place. Located within Students’ House, right off the main Quadrangle, the Help Hub provides students with the necessary individual as well as focused attention when registering an enquiry and asking for guidance through a one-stop-shop service.
This service provides prospective and current students of the University of Malta with career-related information. It provides support to help them make informed decisions about their career paths and programmes of study within the local context.
Services also operate in close liaison with all Faculties, Institutes, Centres and Schools at UM, as well as with the Health & Wellness Centre, the Admissions & Records Office and other sections within the Office of the Registrar.
SAS also advises mature students and those who apply for programmes on the basis of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), whereby UM recognises learning obtained through formal, non-formal and informal learning other than the mainstream certification.
UM’s vision on sport and physical activity is “to make sport and physical activity a central component of the student experience and to encourage all the University community to be active for life.” Opportunities to participate in sport and increase physical activity levels are available to all students and staff. UM aims to increase participation levels by including a variety of sporting disciplines and activities.
Students at UM benefit from discounted fees for a number of sport facilities such as the National Pool Complex, football pitches, gym, squash courts and a sports hall which may be used for basketball, handball, badminton, volleyball and netball amongst others. Students studying at UM can also register for extra optional units in sport as part of the DegreePlus initiative.
The Student Athlete Support Programme (SASP) is aimed at supporting student-athletes studying at undergraduate level at UM whilst at the same time competing in a sporting discipline at national and/or international level. The ultimate aim is to provide student- athletes with the possibility of striking a balance between their academic and sporting commitments and consequently excel, to the best of their abilities, in both.
Like students, staff benefit from the free use of sport facilities during the University’s normal operating hours. These include the use of the sports hall for basketball, handball, badminton, volleyball, squash, table tennis and netball. Discounted rates for the use of the Kinetika Gym and National Pool Complex are also available.
In addition, a number of opportunities to take part in organised sport events are also available. These include 5-aside football and volleyball tournaments. UM staff are also encouraged to participate in sporting events organised by the Malta Employees Sports Association (MESA) and which include, among others, athletics, football, and tennis.
Through the Institute for Physical Education and Sport (IPES) , staff are given the opportunity to learn a new sport, improve their skills, and meet new people. Interested members of staff may discover the joy of playing, learning a new skill, meeting new people, getting active and having fun through participation in their selected sport discipline.
The MUSC organises sport and fitness activities and events for students. These include the Inter-Faculty Football Tournament and the annual Sports Fest, both very popular with students.
