Stuvo expands: four new locations

Students can now consult student facilities at four locations in Leuven. They can get help with questions about study financing, living alone and physical and mental health. This expansion follows from the success of the local Arenberg Stuvo. From February 2022 onwards, students could visit the Arenberg Stuvo services thanks to the pilot project that was set up on the site.

The student facilities' division into different locations is an attempt to make Stuvo more accessible and approachable on the Leuven campus. 'On other, smaller campuses, everyone knows each other', says Ann Gaublomme, director of KU Leuven Stuvo. 'Because of that small scale it's easier for students to seek help and be referred to the right providers.'

Faculty related

Attached to each location is a series of faculties. Arenberg and Gasthuisberg were adopted as the ideal locations for a Stuvo-department of their own, because they represent distinct campuses in Leuven. Therefore, they were considered ideal locations for setting up separate Stuvo-departments.

For student facilities in the city centre, faculties are distributed between Van Dalecollege and Agora Learning Centre. 

'Connection with the faculties is important', Gaublomme emphasizes. 'Study counselors within the faculty are often the first point of contact, but they are not all-knowing.' The local Stuvo’s have a multidisciplinary team. That's why it's important that referral to the right Stuvo staff member happens smoothly, according to Gaublomme. 

Moreover, the local Stuvo’s can get more in touch with the specific needs of the students connected to their faculties. 'The goal remains that every student should be able to attend any local Stuvo', emphasizes LOKO president Sofie Ooms. 'But we also notice that student associations often approach us with specific questions, depending on the program.'

Dialogue group

Day-to-day operations of local Stuvos are discussed in a dialogue group. Dialogue groups are meetings that include all associations, faculty staff and LOKO- and Stuvo representatives. 

In addition, there is also room for other forms of evaluation and communication. 'Each local Stuvo is assigned a separate LOKO mandatary, who guarantees continuous follow-up', says Ooms. The various local Stuvo’s are also in contact with each other. Like LOKO, these Stuvo's designate a Stuvo-teamcoach for each local Stuvo.