Preface

Governments in many countries have introduced policies and reforms to increase the access and participation of disadvantaged students in higher education. Such policies are introduced to provide equal access for all groups of people to participate in higher education. Some of the imperatives for the introduction of such policies include: increasing the attainment level of citizens with a university education; improving national economies and productivity; increasing the social mobility of citizens; and improving health and social outcomes. Other imperatives for introducing such policies and reforms include: the growing diversity of student populations; lower participation and success of students from various backgrounds; and increasing numbers of students who are unable to directly gain entry into undergraduate programs. While the policy and terminology on widening access are different, they are aimed at improving the participation of students from various equity groups. Widening participation, social inclusion, student equity, fair access, and other names are used in different countries.

For many years, widening participation policies were aimed at increasing the access of disadvantaged students, however in recent years there has been increased focus on both access and success. Institutions are increasingly held accountable to ensure that equity aspirations do not compromise academic standards and outcomes. The change of government priorities and funding arrangements in many countries has created uncertainty about how equity and quality outcomes can be achieved and sustained.

A growing number of countries are now funding widening participation initiatives and in some countries funding is also extended to private providers. Institutions have played a key role in implementing innovative strategies to increase the participation of disadvantaged students. Some of the strategies include: partnerships with schools and vocational providers; outreach programs in the community; increased use of technology to offer flexible study options; development of courses specifically for disadvantaged students; scholarships; and also opening of brand new campuses or pathway colleges to cater to the needs of disadvantaged students. Some institutions that have a history of providing access and participation of disadvantaged students have now progressed on to developing structures and models of various academic and non-academic support to ensure effective transition and success of students into undergraduate programs. Institutions have also developed inclusive curriculum and teaching methods to enhance student engagement in learning with comparable academic outcomes.

As higher education in some countries experiences uncertainty in both funding and future policy directions, there are some significant challenges related to widening participation. They include the future stability of widening participation funding; growing diversity of the student population and growing unmet demands; and the structure of higher education in various countries to meet the growing needs of disadvantaged students. The key challenge for institutions is to adapt to the changing landscape of global higher education and develop practices to innovate education and pedagogy which meets the needs of diverse groups of students. In an environment where governments are increasingly using measures to assess quality, institutions are accountable to improve the academic outcomes of all groups of students irrespective of the mode of education delivery. Institutions are also accountable to ensure that graduates, irrespective of their diverse characteristics, are prepared for the global workforce to meet the needs of employers and industry.

Widening participation policies and initiatives in many countries have resulted in considerable changes. Established universities that traditionally admitted high achieving students are recognizing that student diversity will continue to grow, and changes are needed in the way courses are delivered, taught, and assessed. Institutions are now developing inclusive academic support structures to cater to the diverse needs of students. However, in many developing countries, large populations of citizens are unable to access higher education. Government policies and lack of funding of higher education innovation have deprived many people of access to higher education. In such economies there is a growing trend in private higher education; however this phenomenon has not widened student participation. Governments and institutions that have achieved their targets on widening participation are gaining momentum and the challenge is to harness what has been achieved and develop evidence based strategies based on the past experience.

This book has engaged 23 leading scholars from 11 countries. While widening participation policies and outcomes in developed countries are known, there are limited attempts to learn and disseminate the policies, achievements, and challenges in other countries such as Brazil, China, Indonesia, South Africa, Palestine, and others. The “untold stories” of policies and outcomes of widening participation are a key aspect of this book. The book has chapters which are aligned to three key themes. Chapters 1–8 relate to national and transnational case studies on the history of widening participation and current policies; Chapters 9–11 relate to widening participation, inclusive learning, and academic outcomes; and Chapters 13–14 are about socioeconomic structures, concepts, and theories.