This work forms part of a larger project that proposes the reformulation of content structures and pedagogic practices at the School of Humanities of the University of Mar del Plata. The project has a twofold objective: To improve the retention rate of 1st year students by implementing actions related to the disciplinary and institutional areas and by developing mechanisms that would help the undergraduates in the process of "becoming college students"; and to strengthen the links between secondary and higher education in order to improve the students' possibilities of accessing and remaining in university. This presentation reports the work done so far in relation to the first objective. The different courses of studies offered by the School of Humanities show a high rate of dropouts among 1st year students. In a survey carried out among students and teachers the main reason for these dropouts was reported to be the lack of academic training with which students enter university. This paper will address the reasons that generate a kind of silent violence that is manifested in the difficulties students have in getting adapted to the university context, both socially and academically, and which derives in exclusion and self-exclusion when the students find too many obstacles to pursue their studies and, therefore, drop out. From a social perspective, these students belong to low-income groups; they come from marginal secondary schools and have parents who lack a university education. Our aim is to exchange viewpoints and experiences with colleagues from different universities on the different issues that relate to this sort of hidden exclusion.