Equity in higher education

Students sit around in discussion

Three lessons for interfaith engagement on campus

How can we build a religiously plural community on campus in times of global division? Ten years on from the LSE Faith Centre’s opening, James Walters reflects on three lessons learned

James Walters

The London School of Economics and Political Science

Female lecturer speaking to students at the front of class

Low-cost ways to support women academics

Offering mentorship opportunities, supporting peer groups and addressing bias are some of the ways institutions can support women academics

Asri Saraswati

University of Indonesia

Structure of teepee against blue cloudy sky

Principles of Indigenous leadership and self-care in the academy

Indigenous leadership requires resilience, humility and self-awareness. These 10 principles offer a guide to cultivating wellness and fostering a supportive community

Chris Andersen

University of Alberta

A student standing outside campus thinking

How can we make HE more accessible for those with criminal convictions?

Students with criminal convictions are often left out of higher education widening participation efforts. This resource challenges the narrative and offers strategies to support them

Jayne Price, Paul Taylor

University of Chester

Hands holding books, illustration, diversify reading lists concept

A toolkit for working with students as partners

Bringing the student voice into the creation of a toolkit to decolonise and diversify university reading lists was a key purpose of a library project at the University of Chester

Charlotte Gleeson, Debbie Spencer, Jenny Warren

University of Chester

Young black PhD student

Co-creating PhD programmes for Black UK students offers a route to reparative justice

How to co-create, recruit and deliver PhD programmes for Black students: lessons from the University of Glasgow’s James McCune Smith (JMS) scholarship and development programme

Heather Lambie

University of Glasgow

A student being advised by a counsellor

How we support accessible learning for students with disabilities

See how effective support, from the provision of counselling services, Autism Spectrum Disorder induction days and appropriate work experience opportunities, ensures students with a disability or long-term condition succeed during their studies and beyond

Conor Curran, Shauna McKeown, Will Plunkett

Queen’s University Belfast

Young man playing guitar in studio

Income should not determine outcomes for young musicians

If we accept the view that music education is only for the rich, it makes us complicit in stifling the life choices of talented artists, writes Jennie Henley

Jennie Henley

Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM)

Students holding their graduation caps in the air

Working with local authorities to support asylum seekers into HE

How institutions can partner with local authorities to provide English language support to asylum seekers and refugees who wish to pursue higher education

Gabrielle Smallbone

Kingston University

Members of the Network for Persons Affected by NTDs in Liberia.

Lessons for co-producing research with affected communities

Advice on meaningfully engaging with diverse communities to co-produce research, drawn from a project looking at treatment for neglected tropical diseases in Liberia

Rosalind McCollum

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Yooung woman studying at her latop at university

Ensuring online education is inclusive and accessible to all

Creating a culture of inclusivity where every student feels welcome and listened to is paramount. Here are some ways to achieve it

Mayela Beatriz Rodríguez Romo , Martha Fabiola Espinosa Mata, Abraham Esteban Gómez Coss

Monterrey Institute of Technology

A student in the library makes notes

Black students are succeeding in spite of academia, rather than because of it – we need a reset

The narrative that widening participation is enough is creating isolation and disillusionment among Black PhD students. How can universities move beyond it to empower Black academics?

William Ackah

Birkbeck, University of London

Research group member taking part in performance activities

The Verbatim Formula: using creative arts for collaborative research

Find out how performance practices can support participatory research centred around emotionally charged lived experiences

Sylvan Baker, Maggie Inchley

The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Queen Mary University of London

A group of people work around an office table

Embrace the potential of dyslexic thinkers for the future of research

Academia has made progress in recognising neurodiversity, but dyslexic academics still face significant barriers. Here’s how universities can embrace cultural competency to support and unlock the potential of dyslexic thinkers

Edward Ademolu

King’s College London

Student holding her books smiling to camera

Giving voice and taking action: equity-driven leadership

Ways for leaders of community colleges to encourage collective practices that advance equity and social justice for their institutions and the wider community

Pamela L. Eddy , Kim VanDerLinden

William & Mary, University at Buffalo

Female lecturer at her laptop smiling to camera

Enhance inclusivity by switching to a more equitable work allocation model

A new approach to academic work allocation at the University of Newcastle promotes an inclusive working environment

Nicole Bagnall

The University of Newcastle, Australia

A teacher giving a lecture to a diverse class full of students

Building equitable learning pathways in higher education

Higher education pathways that enable equitable opportunities for students to gain the required academic knowledge and skills for successful study are essential for widening participation

Anna Bennett

The University of Newcastle, Australia

A woman gives a talk to a room of people

How university leaders can hold firm on the glass cliff

In her book ‘Leading from the Margins’, Mary Dana Hinton considers the challenges facing the next generation of women and people of colour in leadership positions

Mary Dana Hinton

Hollins University

podcast graphic

THE podcast: supporting student success at all stages of the university journey

University of Chester vice-chancellor Eunice Simmons talks about effective strategies for widening access and embedding equity in higher education

Eunice Simmons

University of Chester

Student father pushing a pram across the street

More needs to be done to normalise and support students with caring responsibilities in HE

Universities have a duty to ensure a robust system is in place to support a growing number of students with caring responsibilities

Michelle King-Okoye, Aigli Raouna, Joanna Alexjuk

The University of Edinburgh

Female construction worker surveying a building

Empower migrant and refugee women for career success

Creating educational opportunities tailored to the needs of refugee women equips them with the skills and confidence to pursue employment opportunities

Temitope Egbelakin

The University of Newcastle, Australia

A lecturer gives a talk

‘What colour is your English?’ Linguistic racism’s impact on faculty of colour

Linguistic racism doesn’t just affect international students – it can hurt the mental health of staff too. Here’s how we can combat it

Sender Dovchin, Vander Tavares

Curtin University, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences

working mother at laptop with toddler

Supporting parent academics through staff networks

The power of a combined voice can make working life easier for university faculty and staff with children. Here, Judith Lock lays out the challenges of mixing parenthood with academia and how networks lead to more family-friendly campuses

Judith Lock

University of Southampton

A Black student in a lecture hall

Equity without whiteness: what leaders get wrong in pursuit of an equitable campus

How can equity be advanced within a system that protects the status quo, and how can university leaders make a difference? Jordan Harper, Rozana Carducci and Adrianna Kezar examine how

Jordan Harper, Rozana Carducci, Adrianna Kezar

Morgan State University, Elon University, University of Southern California

University leaders attending a conference

University leaders must become entrepreneurs to address inequality

A university’s achievement should not always be measured by rank, facilities or number of graduates. The greater community appreciates institutions that take steps to provide equal access to education, writes Bhakti Eko Nugroho

Bhakti Eko Nugroho

University of Indonesia

A yellow ball rolls out ahead of blue blocks

We can face the challenge of corporatisation by embracing subversive leadership

Educational developers must balance the corporatisation of higher education with providing transformative education. To do this, subversive leadership is the key, argues Richard McInnes

Richard McInnes

The University of Adelaide

A student sits at a laptop in a library

Access and equity: the two most important aspects of applied learning

When designing applied learning experiences, remember to consider these two vital aspects. Muhammad Rahimi and Kenneth Keng Wee Ong offer their advice

Muhammad Rahimi, Kenneth Keng Wee Ong

Singapore Institute of Technology

Tundra swans flying in formation

‘Gender equality is more rewarding than just ticking a box’

A whole-culture change to dismantle structural barriers has included mentoring, promotions workshops, and childcare and family leave support. Here are reflections on 25 years of advancing gender equality at Queen’s University Belfast

Karen McCloskey

Queen’s University Belfast

Black woman mentoring younger colleague

The tough road to leadership as a woman in higher education

Representation matters, writes Marcheta Evans. Here, she offers advice for institutions and educators about the life lessons they need to pass to female scholars (and one for men, too)

Marcheta P. Evans

Montclair State University

A woman stands in front of a boardroom table, delivering a speech to colleagues

Women’s leadership is vital in the evolving landscape of higher education

The higher education sector is facing unprecedented changes since the pandemic, with technology evolving at a faster rate than ever. Becky Takeda-Tinker and Jenna Tarleton show that women can play a pivotal role in leading the way through this new normal

Becky Takeda-Tinker, Jenna Tarleton

Colorado State University Global

Female leader speaking to her team

Improve women’s accessibility to leadership by following these steps

Weaving equity practices into talent and succession planning and creating roles that work alongside personal commitments are just two of the ways you can enhance the diversity of your leadership

Kim Brooks, Grace Jefferies-Aldridge

Dalhousie University

Climate protest in the street

Empowering women leaders in fighting climate change: a call to action

Achieving gender balance goes beyond mere representation, writes Tahseen Jafry. Tackling the climate crisis necessitates a profound shift among the next generation of leaders towards gender-sensitive decision-making processes

Tahseen Jafry

Glasgow Caledonian University

An illustration of a woman held back by red bindings

The challenges facing female leaders in higher education – and how to address them

Women still face many hurdles on the road to leadership in higher education. Qiuling Chao outlines how we can overcome them

Qiuling Chao

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

A woman resting with period pains

Menstruation, maternity, menopause: making space in the academy for all elements of womanhood

Do women’s health policies in higher education meet the needs of those they are meant to serve, and how might the stigma relating to aspects of womanhood be addressed?

Christina Dzineku, Devon Oakley-Hogg

Leeds Trinity University, University of Glasgow

A parenting student studies with her daughter in the background

Twenty per cent of US undergraduates have children – we must do more to support them

Dedicating funds and resources to parenting students, most of whom are mothers and single, is also an investment in the prosperity of future generations, writes Sara Goldrick-Rab

Sara Goldrick-Rab

Education Northwest

Two hands, one offering up a tree growing out of the earth, the other offering up a high-rise city

Decolonisation as a driver for the Sustainable Development Goals

How decolonial approaches can underpin and drive work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals across higher education

Sean Porter, Eleanor Cook

University of Exeter

A diverse team of colleagues in an online meeting

Prioritising equity in higher education: the impact of individual identities

Recommendations for improving equity in higher education, informed by research into the impact of individual identities upon staff experiences of the pandemic

Sam Illingworth, Jamie Zike

Edinburgh Napier University

Gender equality at universities is crucial for society

Strategies for higher education institutions to strengthen gender equality

Gender equality can only become possible when harmful gender norms are challenged and equality is actively promoted. Perçem Arman provides key starting points for universities

Perçem Arman

Near East University

red arrow through a wall of wooden blocks

How to advance equity-informed leadership in universities

Increasing diversity at universities requires more than raising aspirations and enrolment among Indigenous and other under-represented students. Braden Hill offers seven ways leaders can address barriers to equity

Braden Hill

Edith Cowan University

Using ChatGPT to plug the gap in student attainment and the awarding gap

How to use ChatGPT to help close the awarding gap

Academics must put their fears of AI aside and understand how it can be employed to bridge attainment gaps in their programmes, say Dean Fido and Craig Harper

Dean Fido, Craig Harper

University of Derby, Nottingham Trent University

Three adult students working at a shared desk

A guide to promoting equity in HE for refugees and asylum seekers

Steps that universities can take to help refugees and asylum seekers access and successfully progress through higher education

Yeşim Deveci, Claire Mock-Muñoz de Luna , Jess Oddy

University of East London

Image of a young black woman scientist

Address STEM inequality by reconceiving merit

The cultural yardsticks used to measure merit in STEM are warped with bias and often devalue women, people of colour and LGBTQ+ scientists with records equal to white heterosexual male peers. To fix STEM inequality, academia must reconceive merit

Mary Blair-Loy , Erin A. Cech

University of California San Diego , University of Michigan

Gender equality

10 ways universities can tackle gender inequality

Ellie Bothwell outlines recommendations from THE’s recent report on how universities around the world are performing on gender equality

Ellie Bothwell

Times Higher Education

Advice on institutional action to advance racial equity among students and staff

Moving beyond statements of commitment to taking action on race equality

Tips for universities to examine their practices to ensure racial equity is embedded across institutional structures, by Shames Maskeen and Malcolm Todd

Shames Maskeen, Malcolm Todd

Leeds Trinity University

How to embed gender equality work into an institution's teaching and research practices so it is not lost when key individuals move on

Institutionalising gender equality work within a university

Strategies to ensure that gains in gender equality work at universities are not lost when the individual staff members driving them move on

Kathryn Rebecca Maude

American University of Beirut

Advice on building a sustainable long-term gender equality action plan to improve female representation at your institution

Embedding gender equality: building momentum for change

Eileen Drew explains how positive leadership, data-informed actions and priorities, mass engagement and collaboration all feed into a successful gender equality initiative

Eileen Drew

Trinity College Dublin

Advice on steps instructors can take to encourage equitable group dynamics among students

Supporting equity among students in group work

Natasha Holmes and Kira Treibergs share strategies for preventing implicit biases affecting student group dynamics, and facilitating productive and equitable teamwork

Natasha Holmes , Kira Treibergs

Cornell University

Australian government has invested heavily in university equity initiatives

Has government investment in higher education equity been worth it?

Evaluating the success of sector-wide initiatives is fraught, but there are some universal truths that should be considered, say Steven Howard and colleagues

Steven Howard, Sarah O'Shea, Kylie Lipscombe, Kellie Buckley-Walker

University of Wollongong

It is incumbent upon university leaders to create diverse and inclusive communities and curricula

Breaking the oldest rules in the book: making promotion and tenure more equitable

Pardis Mahdavi and Scott Brooks explain how a rethink of the processes that govern promotion and tenure to put diversity work at its heart could result in a more equitable higher education system

Pardis Mahdavi, Scott Brooks

Arizona State University

Building equitable scientific research partnerships with the global south requires trust and equality in decisionmaking

Creating equitable research partnerships across continents

Shabbar Jaffar provides tips for successful international collaborations built on trust, appropriate recognition and inclusiveness in decision-making

Shabbar Jaffar

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine