1. Equitable Access, Success and
Quality in Higher Education:
A Policy Statement by the International
Association of Universities
2. 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.
3. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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.
8. 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
