Policies for achieving inclusion in higher education

ABSTRACT Considering the extensive social and private benefits that higher education generates, ensuring inclusive access and success is essential to achieve social justice and economic efficiency. With this premise in mind, this article reviews current knowledge about equity promotion policies in higher education and what is known about the effectiveness of various policies, drawing from experience in various parts of the world. It starts with reviewing definitions of under-represented groups in higher education, which can be considered as ‘equity target groups’. After examining the depth and scope of disparities across regions and countries, it analyses studies focusing on the effectiveness of equity promotion policies and measures. For this purpose, it distinguishes between financial aid programmes (grants, loans) and non-monetary interventions (outreach, affirmative action, retention, specialized institutions, etc.) that seek to remove the barriers facing students from under-represented groups. It concludes that policies matter and can make a significant difference.

[1]  H. Shangali,et al.  Recycling of plaster of Paris , 2020, African Journal of Disability.

[2]  Renato S. Vieira,et al.  Affirmative action in Brazilian universities: Effects on the enrollment of targeted groups , 2019, Economics of Education Review.

[3]  Ya-li Wu,et al.  [null]. , 2019, Zhongguo ying yong sheng li xue za zhi = Zhongguo yingyong shenglixue zazhi = Chinese journal of applied physiology.

[4]  S. Cecchini,et al.  Social Programmes, Poverty Eradication and Labour Inclusion. Lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean , 2019, ECLAC Books.

[5]  A. Leibbrandt,et al.  What Works to Reduce Inequalities in Higher Education? A Systematic Review of the (Quasi-)Experimental Literature on Outreach and Financial Aid , 2019, Research in Social Stratification and Mobility.

[6]  Education at a Glance 2018 , 2018, Education at a Glance.

[7]  J. Gore,et al.  The participation of Australian Indigenous students in higher education: a scoping review of empirical research, 2000–2016 , 2017 .

[8]  J. Wainer,et al.  Políticas de inclusão no ensino superior: avaliação do desempenho dos alunos baseado no Enade de 2012 a 2014 , 2017 .

[9]  S. Marginson.  The worldwide trend to high participation higher education: dynamics of social stratification in inclusive systems , 2016 .

[10]  F. Smyth,et al.  Pathways to inclusion in European higher education systems , 2015 .

[11]  Michele S. Moses,et al.  Affirmative Action Initiatives Around the World , 2014 .

[12]  J. Salmi,et al.  The equity imperative in tertiary education: Promoting fairness and efficiency , 2014 .

[13]  A. Rauhvargers.  Improving the Recognition of Qualifications in the Framework of the Bologna Process , 2004 .

[14]  R. Finnie,et al.  Family Background and Access to Post-secondary Education: What Happened over the 1990s? , 2004 .

[15]  Rodney Ramcharan.  Higher or Basic Education? The Composition of Human Capital and Economic Development , 2004, IMF Staff Papers.

[16]  William G. Bowen,et al.  The Shape of the River , 2000 .

[17]  Reston Black Focus.  The Human Rights Commission , 1950, Social Service Review.

[18]  T. Kelly.  Access and Equity , 2020, The International Encyclopedia of Higher Education Systems and Institutions.

[19]  S. Dmitry,et al.  Accountability of higher education institutions. Background paper prepared for the 2017/8 Global education monitoring report, Accountability in education: meeting our commitments , 2017 .

[20]  J. Salmi.  The Tertiary Education Imperative , 2017 .

[21]  T. McCowan,et al.  The Challenge of Widening Participation to Higher Education in Brazil: Injustices, Innovations, and Outcomes , 2016 .

[22]  J. Stiglitz,et al.  Income Contingent Loans , 2014 .

[23]  H. Eggins.  Access and equity : comparative perspectives , 2010 .

[24]  Dominic Orr,et al.  Evolving diversity: an overview of equitable access to HE in Europe , 2010 .

[25]  Sjur Bergan,et al.  THE LISBON CONVENTION ON THE RECOGNITION OF QUALIFICATIONS CONCERNING HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE EUROPEAN REGION: AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL CO‐OPERATION BETWEEN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE AND UNESCO , 1996 .