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.

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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?