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Student support

Student Life Officers, Well-being Team, psychologists, disabilities/illnesses
  • AUC Well-Being Team: Student Life Officer, Resident Assistants, Peer Support

    The AUC Well-Being Team consists of the Student Life Officer, the Graduate Assistants to the Student Life Officer, Resident Assistants and Peer Supporters.

    Student Life Officers

    AUC’s Student Life Officers (SLOs) strengthen the residential community of the AUC programme and advise AUC on policies and support systems for student well-being. The Student Life Officer and Associate Student Life Officer are responsible for developing and coordinating the work of the Well-Being Team, including the Graduate Assistants to the Student Life Officer, Resident Assistants and Peer Supporters.

    The SLOs are the first point of contact at AUC for support on all issues related to student life and are available to meet with students individually to offer support, advise on student life concerns and refer students to the appropriate support services.

    Graduate Assistants to Student Life Officers

    The Graduate Assistants to the Student Life Officers are responsible for advising and responding to welfare-related concerns of students, promoting health and well-being at AUC, coordinating well-being related activities and supporting the tasks of the Student Life Officers.

    Resident Assistants

    The Resident Assistants (RA) are AUC graduates living in the AUC student residences. They have an important role in the welfare and safety of the student community. Trained in general peer-support, first aid and emergency procedures, the RA's are vital in maintaining a safe, secure, pleasant and positive environment to all residents, and in creating greater social cohesion in the campus community.

    Peer Support 

    Peer Support is a network of informal support for students, by students. Current AUC students offer an outlet to fellow students about issues that can range from practicalities about studying to emotional concerns and advice on appropriate support services. Peer Supporters are professionally trained in confidential, active and non-judgmental listening. The Peer Support team also functions as a community building organisation within AUC and the student residences by organising events, workshop and group sessions.

  • Student support services overview

    Student support systems flowchart

    Below you can find a practical overview of the different support services available to AUC students in the form of a flowchart. The flowchart is divided by topic and directs current students to whom they should contact or what actions they should take depending on their situation. 

  • Ombudsman for students

    The VU ombudsman helps AUC students with problems or complaints. She has an independent position, is neutral and handles complaints in strict confidence: there is a duty of confidentiality. The ombudsman aims to resolve problems informally.

    VU ombudsman for AUC students: Pelin Zenginoglu

    Universities are large, complex organisations, where something can go wrong that makes you feel duped as a student and for which you want to make a complaint. It is in the best interest of students, employees and AUC (UvA and VU) that these complaints are dealt with seriously. The aim of the ombudsman's position is to contribute to AUC, UvA and VU staff providing the best possible treatment to students and to converting complaints into points for improvement. The ombudsman for AUC students is located at VU Amsterdam and her name is Pelin Zenginoglu.  

  • General health and well-being services: doctors, psychologists and therapy

    Student Medical Service

    As students of both the University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, AUC students can access medical treatment at the University of Amsterdam health centre where doctors with specific knowledge of student life are available for appointments. As general practitioners, student doctors can provide prescriptions, a lab test or vaccinations.

    Psychologists and therapy support

    Students also have access to both the University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam professional student psychological services for well-being and study related concerns. This includes mental health issues, personal circumstances or other study-related problems. Both institutions offer free and confidential individual counselling, training programmes and workshops for students.

  • Studying with a disability

    Working to maintain a diverse and inclusive learning environment for all, AUC welcomes students studying with a disability, specific learning difficulty or chronic illness.

    For guidance and information on the support available at AUC, students are encouraged to reach out to the Student Life Officer, their personal tutor or the appropriate support service offered at UvA or VU. Disabled applicants should inform AUC of their circumstance as soon as possible to discuss potential requirements. When requesting a special provision, the student may be asked to provide medical documentation supporting the need for the desired provision. Please note, if students choose not to disclose a health condition or disability, this may limit the support that AUC is able to provide.

    UvA IDEAs

    As part of the UvA, AUC students have access to UvA IDEAS. This platform consists of students with a disability who collectively ensure that every student has the chance to get as much as possible out of their studies without experiencing any obstacles arising from their disability.

    Disability Handbook

    The Disability Handbook aims to raise awareness regarding disability, accessibility, and inclusivity in higher education. Published online, it provides guidance to those looking for support to navigate disability-related challenges arising in academia and is available to anyone who wishes to inform themselves on the topic. For any questions or comments, you can contact the author, Lisa Dondainas.

  • Academic support at AUC

    There are services provided by both AUC and the UvA for students who require assistance or support concerning their academics.

    Personal tutor

    AUC tutors are the first point of contact for students with academic concerns or questions. The tutoring system at AUC assigns each student a personal tutor who meets with them on a regular basis. The tutors provide advice on academics and administrative issues including selecting courses, academic developments or curriculum changes, academic provisions, and life after AUC.

    AUC Writing Centre

    The AUC Writing Centre is available to support and advise students with any aspect of their writing, including specific assignments, general writing skills and ESL (English as a Second Language). The Centre is staffed by AUC’s academic writing team, who also teach the Academic Writing Skills and Advanced Research Writing courses. 

    The UvA Writing Centre

    This centre offers a number of services free of charge to UvA students. You can contact the UvA Writing Centre for assistance with a variety of academic writing, including literature reports or reviews, essays, research reports or theses. The Writing Centre makes use of student mentors who are senior students and PhD-students who know how to write well and have been trained to assist other students. Should you require this service, you must first make an appointment. If you have any questions about the centre, you can also send them an email using the address below.

    The Centre for Academic Language Support (CALS) ​

    This is a service provided by the UvA which offers one-on-one tutoring sessions, academic writing labs and group tutoring sessions to improve students' academic writing.