scholarly journals Access to and Experiences of Higher Education Across Europe: The Impact of Social Characteristics

2020 ◽  
pp. 197-209
Author(s):  
Rachel Brooks ◽  
Jessie Abrahams ◽  
Predrag Lažetić ◽  
Achala Gupta ◽  
Sazana Jayadeva
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Research Question ◽  
National Level ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Social Characteristics ◽  
Higher Education Access ◽  
Education Access ◽  
Individual Interviews

Abstract Policymakers across Europe have increasingly emphasised the importance of paying close attention to the social dimension of higher education and taking further steps to ensure that the composition of Europe’s universities more adequately reflects the diversity of the wider population. While there have been a number of studies that have explored this through analyses of European- and national-level policy and others that have assessed a range of quantitative indicators related to student diversity, this chapter assumes, in contrast, an interpretivist stance; it is interested in the perspectives of those studying and working ‘on the ground’ within the European Higher Education Area. Specifically, we seek to answer this research question: To what extent do students and staff, across Europe, believe that higher education access and experiences are differentiated by social characteristics (such as class/family background, race/ethnicity/migration background, gender and age)? In doing so, we draw on data from a large European Research Council-funded project, including 54 focus groups with undergraduate students (a total of 295 individuals) and 72 in-depth individual interviews with members of higher education staff (both academic and non-academic). Fieldwork was conducted in three higher education institutions in each of the following countries: Denmark, UK-England, Germany, Ireland, Poland and Spain—nations chosen to provide diversity with respect to welfare regime, relationship to the European Union and mechanisms for funding higher education. We explore commonalities and differences between staff and students and between different countries, before identifying some implications for policymakers keen to promote further social inclusion within Europe’s higher education institutions (HEIs).

scholarly journals Inclusive Higher Education Access for Underrepresented Groups: It Matters, But How Can Universities Measure It?

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 44-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anete Veidemane ◽  
Frans Kaiser ◽  
Daniela Craciun
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
Higher Education Access ◽  
Education Access ◽  
Underrepresented Groups ◽  
Context Specific

Measuring access to higher education for underrepresented groups is a relevant yet challenging task. The article shows that while social inclusion is recognised as a priority, policymakers, academics, and institutional leaders struggle to define, operationalise, and measure it. This makes answering the question of what constitutes a socially inclusive higher education institution quite difficult. While the answer to this question may be context‐specific, there is a clear need for a set of commonly defined indicators that allow higher education institutions to measure their progress throughout time and in relation to others. The article synthesises insights from policy, practise, and scientific research to identify which indicators are the most promising for assessing the access of under‐representative students to higher education. By discussing indicator relevance, validity and feasibility, the article contributes to the quest for internationally comparable social inclusion indicators of underrepresented student groups.

Non-Burdensome Process: An Argument in Support of Reframing What Constitutes Necessary Disability Documentation

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Axelrod ◽  
Adam Meyer ◽  
Julie Alexander ◽  
Enjie Hall ◽  
Kristie Orr
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
First Language ◽  
College Campuses ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Higher Education Access ◽  
Education Access ◽  
Work Settings ◽  
Disability Accommodation ◽  
Disability Documentation

Institutions of higher education and their respective disability offices have been challenged with determining how to apply the 2008 Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) in our present-day work settings. Prior to the amendments, third-party documentation was considered essential almost to the point of being non-negotiable in need for most disability offices to facilitate accommodations for disabled students (The authors have made an intentional choice to utilize identity-first language to challenge negative connotations associated with the term disability and highlight the role that inaccessible systems and environments play in disabling people). The ADAAA questioned this mindset. Students with disabilities often found (and still find) themselves burdened financially and procedurally by disability offices requiring documentation to the point where students may not receive the access they truly need. Furthermore, college campuses are increasingly focusing on the limitations of the environment and not the person. As a result of this evolution, the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) offered a new framework in 2012 describing how to define documentation. For professionals in the higher education disability field and for those invested in this work, it is critical to grasp the evolving understanding of what constitutes documentation and necessary information to make disability accommodation decisions. Otherwise, disabiled students may be further excluded from higher education access.

Characteristics of UK higher education institutions that disclose sustainability reports

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 1279-1298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Remmer Sassen ◽  
Dominik Dienes ◽  
Johanna Wedemeier
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Public Funding ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Reports ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Uk Higher Education

Purpose This study aims to focus on the following research question: Which institutional characteristics are associated with sustainability reporting by UK higher education institutions? Design/methodology/approach To answer the aforementioned research question, this study uses logistic regression. Findings The results show that 17 per cent of the UK higher education institutions report on their sustainability (July 2014). In line with legitimacy and stakeholder theory, logistic regressions provide evidence that the larger the size of the institution, the higher the probability of reporting. By contrast, high public funding decreases this probability. Research limitations/implications The findings show characteristics of higher education institutions that support or hamper sustainability reporting. Overall, the findings imply a lack of institutionalisation of sustainability reporting among higher education institutions. Originality/value Although a lot of research has been done on corporate sustainability reporting, only a small number of studies have addressed the issues of sustainability reporting of higher education institutions. This study covers all sustainability reports disclosed among the 160 UK higher education institutions. It is the first study that investigates characteristics of higher education institutions that disclose a sustainability report.

scholarly journals Desafios e perspectivas do estudante com deficiência visual na educação superior: análise da produção científica

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (esp. 2) ◽  
pp. 1118-1136
Author(s):  
José Aparecido da Costa ◽  
Rosely dos Santos Madruga ◽  
Alexandra Ayach Anache ◽  
Eladio Sebastian-Heredero
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
Educational Assistance ◽  
Higher Education Access ◽  
Education Access ◽  
The Government ◽  
New Policies

The inclusion of students with visual impairments in higher education has still been challenging for managers and teachers to ensure academic success. Despite the investment initiatives by the government, but they are still insufficient in the face of the difficulties of access and permanence of these students. Therefore, the objective of this work is to analyze research on access and permanence with an emphasis on Specialized Educational Assistance for students with visual impairments in the productions of the Special Education Journal of the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) in the period from 2014 to 2019. We used a quantitative-qualitative analysis of the nature of reviewing scientific production in the journal in question, for this we work with the indicators of disability, visual impairment, higher education, access, permanence, specialized educational assistance and their combinations. The search resulted in 519 articles, of which only 39 address inclusion in higher education. 14 were selected for analysis, dealing with visual impairment, higher education, inclusion and permanence. We conclude that the number of visually impaired students in Higher Education has increased by more than 50% (fifty percent), that there is a set of legislation that favors inclusion, but the conditions, whether of resources/technologies or teacher formation, do not yet appear for its effectiveness, according to research. Specialized educational assistance, guaranteed by law, is not yet perceived as materialized. Publications are relevant for the creation of new policies, actions and strategies for the permanence of students with disabilities in higher education and specialized educational assistance according to their specificities, but it still need further study.

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