Post on 23-Jun-2015
Equitable Access, Success and Quality in
Higher Education:
A Policy Statement by the International Association of
Universities
General Goals
• Goal 1: Aid and educate countries with low rates of participation in higher education to expand access.
• Goal 2: Aid countries with significant levels of participation in higher education to broaden access to higher education.
Basic Principles and Recommendations
• Equal access for all to higher education
• Increased quality in higher education
• Centering students’ full potential in admission criteria, education strategies and policies
• Developing national and institutional
policies to remove barriers to higher education
• Improving linkages between all educational institutions within and between
nations
• Promoting flexible academic programs
• Developing a new assessment in which institutions are evaluated according to their specific mission and goals
• Encouraging student mobility
• Creating policies that are sensitive to local conditions and not borrowed from other countries
Specific RecommendationsHigher Education: Student
Centered Learning and Pedagogical Training
Governments: Invest in entire education system holistically
Key Influences
• IAU’s Organizational Beliefs• linking and offering
its members quality services, and representing their interests
• equitable access and successful
participation in higher education
• UNESCO World Conference in Higher Education in 2009
• World Bank funded IAU
pilot project on new assessment tools
• OECD’s AHELO Assessment Tool
Positives
• The policy fits the goals of IAU and its HEI partners and is compatible with the Millennium Development Goals and the missions of UNESCO and the World Bank.
• The main IAU policy research contributors are represented by all but one region of IAU’s member countries.
• It has been signed and endorsed by many universities and the IAU has moved on to a new Work Plan for 2013-2016.
3
2
1
Negatives
• The policy’s broadness hinders its goal of “urgent implementation.”
• The policy is largely preaching to the choir.
• Affiliate members will not be able to implement the recommendations without outside funding.
Strengths• Non-political language• Indicates a relevant need (access and
quality in Higher Education)• Sets overall principles as well as
recommendations for HEIs and Governments
• Encourages adoption and implementation of principles and recommendations
Weaknesses• No specific goals are outlined• No data is given to support
recommendations• When there is a more concrete goal, no
examples for implementation are given or discussed
• No references are given for previous programs that could support this policy from other organizations
Opportunities• Allows flexibility for HEIs and governments
to develop policies specific to their institution and country
• Access and Success in Higher Education are addressable needs
• Presents new possibilities for improving the quality of Higher Education
• Provides a forum for HEIs and Governments to collaborate
Threats• Lack of specificity makes principles and
recommendations easy to ignore• While the need for funding is stressed to
governments, no concrete amounts or goals are given
• Emphasis on linkages and information sharing removes the burden of implementation from any one stakeholder – No one is held accountable
• Because not many low income institutions are IAU full members, they will not be able to implement the recommendations to due lack of funding
Any Questions?