1. ASE has a non-discriminatory admission policy

ASE has a non-discriminatory admission policy, which states the right to participate in the admission competition for all graduates with a baccalaureate degree or equivalent, regardless of the year of high school graduation, provided that it is accredited according to law, and graduates are fit for the profile they are applying for, without any discrimination, ensuring full equal opportunities for people with disabilities (Admission methodology, art. 3).

2. Access to university track underrepresented groups applications

Access to university track underrepresented groups applications. Tracking of low-income students is ensured through the Social office, through which ASE grants scholarships to underrepresented categories without discrimination.

• ASE submits to the action initiated by the Ministry of Education for promoting positive discrimination in allocating study grants to underprivileged / underrepresented categories from the rural area or Roma ethnicity. Therefore:
  • 95 subsidized places are provided for easier access to studies for rural areas or Roma ethnicity students for the academic year 2022-2023, following the Ministry of Education policy of providing study grants to underprivileged / underrepresented categories from the rural areas or Roma ethnicity.
  • 39 subsidized places are provided for high school graduates from the social protection system and with special educational requirements/disabilities. 
• 197 places were provided for students from the Republic of Moldova, neighbouring countries and lower-middle income countries financed from the state budget out of which 156 benefited of scholarships for the academic year 2022-2023. 

3. Recruiting students/staff/faculty from under-represented groups

The principle of non-discrimination is applied in recruiting students, staff, faculty, and inscribed in the Admission methodology or in the Collective labour agreement.  

• ASE provides a number of places for underprivileged / underrepresented categories from the rural area or Roma ethnicity. 
• The ASE Plan for gender equality for the period 2022-2030 highlights that there are no problems related to gender equality as regards the recruitment process, as the recruitment/employment process follows national legislation and internal regulations, which explicitly provide for non-discrimination on the basis of gender. 
• An extensive campaign regarding the educational offer of ASE was carried out in high schools in towns with less than 10,000 inhabitants for distributing information about ASE’s educational offer and opportunities. 
• The project Developing and strengthening students’ skills through internships in accounting and finance provided the students in the target group (made up of 82% women, 57% people from rural areas or belonging to the Roma minority) information about employment opportunities, on the project web page. 

4. Anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies

ASE has developed a Plan for gender equality for the period 2022-2030, in which action measures were proposed for ensuring gender balance in leadership and decision-making, recruitment and career advancement, research and teaching, work-life balance and organizational culture, avoiding gender-based violence, including sexual harassment 

The Internal regulation invokes the principle of recognizing and guaranteeing the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, the right to preserve, develop and express their ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identities. Any type of discrimination is forbidden (Internal regulation, art. 22(2)).  

The measures to promote equal opportunities between women and men to eliminate direct and indirect discrimination based on gender are applied in accordance with the provisions of Law no. 202/2002 on equal opportunities between women and men (Internal regulation, art. 23).

Impartiality and non-discrimination is one of the principles governing the professional activity of the employees (Internal regulation, article 48(d)). One of the employee’s obligations is not to commit acts that violate the personal dignity of other employees by creating degrading environments, intimidation, hostility, humiliation, or offensive actions through discrimination (Internal regulation, article 50(8)). Direct and indirect discrimination and sexual harassment are considered disciplinary misconduct and penalized (Internal regulation, art. 103(12)).

Every employee benefits from working conditions appropriate to his / her work, social protection, safety and health at work, as well as respect for his / her dignity and conscience, without any discrimination; article 67(1): It is forbidden to dismiss the employees due to gender, sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, age, nationality, race, colour, ethnicity, religion, political option, social origin, disability, family situation or responsibility, membership or trade union activity (Collective labour agreement, art. 3(5)).

5. University diversity officer

There are several departments / offices with attributions converging to that of a university diversity officer, in charge with advising on and implementing policies, programmes, and trainings related to diversity, equity, inclusion and human rights on campus:

• The University Ethics and Deontology Commission 
• The Centre for Counselling and Career Orientation 
• The student counsellor 
• Student associations, involved in programmes related to global citizenships.

6. Support for underrepresented groups

6.1 Mentoring/counselling/peer support programmes

The Centre for Counselling and Career Orientation provides mentoring/counselling/peer support programmes to support students, staff, faculty from underrepresented groups. The psychologists certified in Educational psychology, vocational counselling / career counsellors provide specialized support to students, graduates and employees of the University.

The project Development and strengthening of students’ skills through internships in accounting and finance provided vocational and professional counselling to students in the target group (composed of 82% women, 57% people from rural areas or belonging to the Roma minority). These activities had the role of giving students the opportunity to become more aware of what assets they have in terms of vocational skills and competences, but also what would be the most suitable professional roles that they could approach at a future job. 

6.2 Accessible facilities for people with disabilities

• ASE provides, for students with physical disabilities, access routes adapted to them in all areas of the university, as well as conditions for the normal conduct of academic, social and cultural activities (ASE Charter, art. 75 (2)).
• All spaces in the ASE, including those for serving meals and for other extracurricular student activities – career counselling and guidance, medical offices, are also available to people with disabilities and meet the technical safety and sanitary standards in force. 
• Students could benefit from alternative methods of examination when suffering from a temporary or permanent disability, medically certified (ASE Charter, art. 71(9)).
• Special rooms for people with disabilities in campuses and other ASE training centres.

6.3 Support services for people with disabilities

• Students with disabilities and several other chronical diseases could benefit of grants (Methodology for awarding scholarships, 2(b)).
• Students could benefit from alternative methods of examination when suffering from a temporary or permanent disability, medically certified (ASE Charter, art. 71(9)).
• Teaching staff adapt their teaching, evaluation and examination methods according to students’ needs, taking into account those with disabilities or special needs. 

 6.4 Access schemes for people with disabilities

Access schemes for people with disabilities:

• Mentoring: provided under the activities developed by the Centre for Counselling and Career Orientation. 
• Accommodation policy/strategy implemented, including adequately funded mechanism for persons with disability
  • Social aid scholarships for students with disability (Methodology for awarding scholarships, 2(b).
  • Students with disability have priority for accommodation in students’ dorms (Methodology for accommodation in ASE hostels, art. 1(1d)) and benefit of special equipped rooms.

Other forms of support for underrepresented groups:

Research projects in which ASE is involved for dealing with inequality:  

• Economic, Social and Spatial Inequalities in Europe in the Era of Global Mega-trends – ESSPIN
• Understanding and modeling the spatio-temporal structures of inequalities and polarization in relation to psychological characteristics – STIP
• Use of entropy specific concepts for developing a model applicable to Romanian entrepreneurship – ANTROP

Research project and international collaboration for dealing with economic and social inequalities:

• “Empowerment through liquid integration of migrant youth in vulnerable conditions” (MIMY). Together with 14 other institutions from 9 countries, ASE is a partner in the research consortium coordinated by the University of Luxembourg. 
• “Economic, Social and Spatial Inequalities in Europe in the Era of Global Mega-Trends” (ESSPIN), lead partner: University of Thessaly, Greece. 
• “Integrative Mechanisms for Addressing Spatial Justice and Territorial Inequalities in Europe” (IMAJINE), lead partner: Aberystwyth University, UK 

The Academy of Hope is a socio-humanitarian volunteering project of both students and professors within ASE. Academy of Hope’s actions are aimed at:  

• helping members of the university community who face difficult medical and material situations;
• supporting people institutionalized in homes for children and the elderly through the annual Christmas and Easter campaigns;
• helping communities affected by floods, earthquakes, fires with multiple victims, medical crises, humanitarian crises such as the one in Ukraine;
• preparing the entire university community for correct behavior in emergency situations (earthquakes, fires, explosions) and providing first aid.