Equity in higher education

Find out how to ensure that all students and staff within higher education have an equal opportunity to succeed, regardless of individual challenges or varied educational backgrounds. Equity is about ensuring university support and policies enable everyone to flourish, taking into account the wide range of differing needs across a campus community, as these resources explain.

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

Campus talks: 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

‘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

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

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

The 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

Adelaide University

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

‘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

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

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

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

Community organising: a case study in parent engagement

Widening participation in higher education and improving the education journeys of young people cannot happen in isolation, writes Michael Bennett. Here, he outlines a programme that connects parents, community groups and the university

Michael Bennett

King’s College London

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

Ntarama church massacre memorial in Rwanda

A case for bringing ethics of friendship and care to academic research

Friendship adds ethical and emotional dimensions that can make research equitable, sensitive, responsive and consequential to local communities, writes Noam Schimmel, based on his experiences in Rwanda

Noam Schimmel

University of California, Berkeley

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

Eleanor Cook

The 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

A group of medical students stand around a patient in bed

Social justice as part of medical education

Five strategies universities can adopt to aid medical students’ understanding of and engagement with social justice principles as part of healthcare training

Priya Harindranathan

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

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

A robust complaints process for students working in NHS placements

Students training as health and social care workers must be supported to speak up about complaints or concerns from practice settings. Helen Carr outlines a clear process

Helen Carr

Canterbury Christ Church 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

Decolonising the curriculum through collaboration, partnership and dissemination

Tips on how to decolonise curricula through collaboration, partnership and dissemination, from four university educators

Multiple authors

University of Reading

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

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

Young woman pushing an older woman along in a wheelchair

An invisible minority: what is needed to support students with caring responsibilities

Students with caring responsibilities in the UK have no joined-up support. Jessica Iyamu and Ellie Brown make a call for policies to provide consistent help across all universities for this overlooked group

Jessica Iyamu, Ellie Brown

University Campus North Lincolnshire (UCNL)

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

A healthcare professional assisting a male patient

Why and how to build awareness of cultural sensitivity in healthcare curricula

Why and how to adjust curricula to take account of cultural sensitivities relating to the discipline being taught, taking healthcare as an example

Craig Jackson

Loma Linda University

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

The higher education sector in the US is using an antiquated system of judging student metrics

IPEDS and the trouble with student metrics in the US

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System surveys hold great weight in the higher education system, but they are not inclusive enough and thus no longer fit for purpose, says Elizabeth Harris

Elizabeth Harris

Colorado State University Global

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

Advice on creating equitable pathways to better engage all students regardless of background or prior knowledge

Co-creation and empowerment: pathways to better student engagement

Effective approaches universities can take to promote equity and improve student learning outcomes and employability, shared by a team from the University of Salford

Sara Namvar, David Greensmith, Niroshini Nirmalan

University of Salford

Advice on how to effectively bring co-creation with students into your teaching practices

Co-creating with students: practical considerations and approaches

Stacy Katz explains how to develop meaningful learning experiences by collaborating with students, rather than determining for them

Stacy Katz

Lehman College CUNY

Most students need a helping hand, but giving every student the same thing does not necessarily equate to good support

Do we need equity or equality to make things ‘fair’? Actually, we need both

Fair, to some people, means everyone getting the same thing. But that’s only fair if everyone begins at the same place and needs the same things to succeed, says Todd Zakrajsek

Todd Zakrajsek

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Advice for early career researchers on handling challenging workplace issues and misconduct

Advice for early career researchers on handling workplace inequality, prejudice and exclusion

Sarah Jasim and Shaakir Salam offer early career researchers advice on how to navigate issues of inequality, prejudice and exclusion in the workplace and handle misconduct without risking their own positions

Sarah Jasim, Shaakir Salam

The London School of Economics and Political Science, King’s College London

A framework for an equity oriented pedagogy that improves student grades

Equitable teaching that creates pathways to success for all students

Andrew Estrada Phuong and co-authors present a framework for an adaptive equity-oriented pedagogy that helps diverse students achieve better results

Andrew Estrada Phuong, Judy Nguyen, Fabrizio Mejia, Christopher Hunn, Dena Marie

University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, Orinda Academy

Create online courses with equity at their heart to bridge the digital divide

Bridging the digital divide: online courses with equity at their core

Otito Iwuchukwu talks about how to take an equity-first approach to delivering online courses to ensure all students can access the resources they need and have their voices heard

Otito Frances Iwuchukwu

Fairleigh Dickinson University

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