Reduced Inequalities





Reduced Inequalities

KFUPM believes in giving equal opportunity to all. Our admission process and recruitments of both faculty and administrative personnel are highly inclusive and transparent. This university does not differentiate between people regarding gender, race, religious beliefs, disabilities, or nationality. Moreover, KFUPM strives to reduce income disparity in all its activities.

KFUPM modified all its contracted workforce agreements to ensure that the new agreements specify the wages of the contractor personnel rather than leaving it to the contractor to determine these wages, thereby being at risk of underbidding which could invariably result in low wages to its workers. This spans all categories of work, down to janitorial and cleaning personnel. The contractor workers received this exceptionally well, as it also ensures higher retention and better productivity.

Measures Against Discrimination

At KFUPM, admissions are based solely on academic merit, with multiple tracks available to ensure a fair process for all applicants. The Regular Track is determined by a weighted score, calculated as follows: 50% from the General Aptitude Test (Qudurat) score, 40% from the Achievement Test (Tahisili) score, and 10% from the high school GPA. Additionally, there are alternative admission tracks, including the SAT Track and the Olympiad Track, allowing students to qualify through diverse academic achievements. Admission decisions are based on these objective criteria, ensuring that anyone who meets the academic standards has the opportunity to study at KFUPM. Terms of Admission

It is noteworthy that there is a committee handling scholarship given to students on low-income. One of the tasks of this committee is to track and verify the financial situation of the students in this category. Also, KFUPM has an HR talent acquisition team targeting the recruitment of female staff and faculty.

The university has a strong policy against any discrimination. Paragraph 7.3 page 9 of KFUPM code of conduct covers anti-harassment. The same paragraph also states, “In order to sustain a non-hostile environment, some proactive behaviors and attitudes include treating all others with equal respect and dignity regardless of gender, ethnicity, or any other individual differences.” That is in an anti-discrimination context. See also the 7.1 “equal opportunities” paragraph. There it says, “The university provides equal opportunity to all affiliates and job applicants and does not tolerate unlawful discrimination of any kind…”. Code of Conduct

The Counseling and Advising Unit at KFUPM is concerned with providing advice to students on social, psychological, and educational matters. It is an optional service available to whoever desires it, including staff and students from under-represented groups. Counseling and Advising Unit

In addition to this, the university provides accessible facilities for people with disabilities. Mentioned on page 20 of the organizational and procedural guide for people with disabilities are some of the amenities provided to enhance the working conditions of individuals living with disabilities. These are:

  • Special tracks for the visually impaired
  • Toilet aids for people with visual and movement disabilities
  • Special access routes at the gates for people with mobility and visual disabilities
  • Automatic doors and
  • Audio maps.

Also, it is mentioned under services provided by the office of students with disabilities (page 20) that they provide academic, psychological, and social counseling services.

Furthermore, as mentioned on page 19, there are more services made available to people with disabilities. These include note-taking help and providing academic advisory services through coordination between students with disabilities and a faculty member cooperating with the special needs’ unit.

Additionally, students and staff with disabilities are encouraged to discuss all concerns and challenges they encounter while studying or working within the university. Moreover, students with disabilities are paid an allowance during their studies, as stated in the organizational and procedural guide for people with disabilities (page21)Organizational and Procedural Guide for People with Disabilities