Student Diversity in Higher Education: Conflicting Realities

The EAN 20th Anniversary Conference, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands, “Student Diversity in Higher Education: Conflicting Realities”, (Tensions affecting policy and action to widen access and participation), Mon 20th - Wed 22nd June 2011
The European Access Network (EAN) celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with a conference on student diversity in higher education and the tensions affecting policy and action to widen access and participation for disadvantaged and underrepresented groups. In the current political and economic climate, what’s the future for them, and for the institutions committed to access, equity, diversity and inclusion?
For higher education institutions the pathway toward greater student diversity can be hazardous and difficult.  Those seeking and driving change in institutional policies and practices face pressures from both within and outside the institution that can hinder or stifle progress. Even in the best of times, fulfilling expectations can be difficult. Where achieving greater student diversity is seen as difficult and costly, or of lesser importance than other institutional goals, progress will falter.  Both within and outside institutions, there remains an unresolved tension between issues of diversity and quality, and there are also funding tensions, especially when finances are tight.
What can be done to ease such tensions and ensure that progress continues toward the achievement of diversity goals?