Leaking Roofs and Broken Promises: University of Minho Students Demand Action on Crumbling Campuses

The University of Minho is grappling with a student rebellion over crumbling infrastructure across its campuses, a situation that threatens to disrupt teaching, research, and day-to-day academic life for thousands of students and faculty in northern Portugal. The recently elected administration has acknowledged the crisis and promised a comprehensive survey and repair plan—but no timeline, no budget line, and no start date yet.

Why This Matters

• Safety risks escalate: Leaking ceilings, exposed wiring, and persistent damp in lecture halls are disrupting classes and exams—and could pose health hazards.

• Students demand transparency: The Movimento Dignidade Académica (MDA) has launched a public petition demanding a published structural audit, a scheduled renovation calendar, and regular updates.

• Timing is uncertain: The university administration, which took office in December 2025, says it is still conducting a "detailed assessment" of needs—meaning repairs could be months or years away.

The Flashpoint: Campus de Gualtar

The epicenter of the infrastructure crisis sits in Braga, specifically at the Campus de Gualtar, where the Complexo Pedagógico 1 (CP1) has become a symbol of systemic neglect. Every time heavy rain sweeps through northern Portugal, the building's structural failures are laid bare: water cascading down walls and ceilings, buckets lining corridors, persistent dampness, deteriorating or missing false ceilings, and light fixtures dangling precariously overhead.

Student activists say the problem is neither new nor isolated. According to the MDA, these conditions repeat year after year with no structural solution in sight, directly compromising lectures, assessments, research activities, and academic events. The group, which recently secured representation on the Fiscal Council of the Academic Association of the University of Minho, argues that the institution is failing to meet the minimum material conditions required for safe study, investigation, and work.

Beyond Leaks: A Catalog of Dysfunction

While the CP1 building draws the most attention, the MDA's complaint extends across multiple facilities at the university. The petition lists a litany of shortcomings:

• Restrooms frequently out of service or lacking basic hygiene standards.

• Broken or missing basic student amenities, such as microwaves in dining areas.

• Persistent damp and poor air quality in spaces lacking adequate ventilation or heating.

• Aging infrastructure managed reactively rather than through preventive maintenance.

• Parking capacity far below demand, causing daily congestion and frustration.

• Contractual obligations left unfulfilled, with no public explanation from administration.

The MDA frames the issue as one of institutional dignity: "A democratic, inclusive, and participatory university depends not only on pedagogical or scientific quality, but also on the material conditions that allow people to study, research, and work safely and with dignity."

What the Administration Is Saying

The University of Minho's rectoral team, which assumed office just three months ago, has positioned infrastructure modernization and maintenance as a top priority. In a statement to Lusa, the administration confirmed that a detailed survey of needs across all university spaces is currently underway, designed to streamline and plan interventions in an efficient and coordinated manner.

The university stressed its commitment to ensuring adequate conditions for work, study, and research, reinforcing its pledge to academic excellence and community well-being. However, the statement stops short of offering a timeline, cost estimate, or phased implementation plan—the very transparency the student movement is demanding.

Meanwhile, the administration pointed to ongoing investments in other infrastructure projects, including:

• New student residences at Fábrica Confiança in Braga and Santa Luzia in Guimarães.

• Upgrades to cultural facilities.

• Expansion of the Data Center.

• Energy efficiency projects.

• Acquisition of electric vehicles for campus transport.

None of these initiatives, however, directly address the infiltration, dampness, and structural decay plaguing teaching spaces like the CP1.

What This Means for Students and Faculty

For the approximately 20,000 students enrolled at the University of Minho across its Braga and Guimarães campuses, the infrastructure crisis translates into tangible disruption. Classes are interrupted or relocated, exam conditions are compromised, and research equipment is at risk from water damage. Faculty members must improvise around faulty facilities, and international students arriving in Portugal expecting modern academic environments are confronted with leaking roofs and makeshift repairs.

The MDA's petition calls for:

• A transparent and public technical diagnosis of the structural state of university buildings.

• A scheduled intervention and rehabilitation plan with clear deadlines.

• Regular communication with the academic community about repair progress.

• Guaranteed minimum standards of safety and hygiene in all teaching spaces.

• Clarification on parking solutions and an expected timeframe for normalization.

Without these measures, the student group warns, the university risks further erosion of trust and legitimacy within its own community.

The Bigger Picture: A National Crisis

The problems at the University of Minho mirror broader challenges facing Portuguese higher education institutions. A national housing and infrastructure crisis has left students scrambling for affordable accommodation, while aging university buildings across the country struggle with deferred maintenance and inadequate public investment.

In December 2025, Portugal's Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation proposed a new social action model for higher education, aiming to reduce stigma around student residences and give students more housing choice. Yet the debate has largely sidestepped the condition of existing academic buildings—where students spend most of their waking hours.

Other Portuguese universities have faced similar complaints about outdated facilities, inadequate heating, and sanitation failures. The University of Minho itself experienced a gas supply cutoff in March 2023, leaving classrooms, offices, and labs freezing and temporarily halting certain research activities. A year later, in 2024, the university's library services were disrupted by problems with both physical and digital infrastructure.

Historically, resolution of such problems has depended on multi-year institutional maintenance plans and government funding, often reactive rather than preventive. The University of Minho has secured significant capital for high-profile projects—such as the €9M rehabilitation of the Edifício do Castelo for the UMinhoExec Executive Business Education center, with contributions from the Municipality of Braga (€100,000 in 2025, €400,000 in 2026, and €500,000 in 2027)—but no comparable allocation has been publicly disclosed for the deteriorating teaching buildings at the heart of student life.

What Happens Next

As of late February 2026, the situation remains unresolved. The University of Minho administration is conducting its survey, but has not committed to publishing its findings or setting firm deadlines for repairs. The MDA has opened its petition to the wider academic community, and pressure is mounting for the rectoral team to translate promises into action.

For students navigating buckets in hallways and damp-stained lecture halls, the question is simple: when will the university stop assessing and start fixing? Until then, the condition of the Campus de Gualtar stands as a daily reminder that even Portugal's leading research institutions can falter on the basics—shelter, safety, and a dry place to learn.