Task Force Diversity and Inclusion PLA - Flemish perspective

1. Diversity & inclusion
Flemish picture
Valérie Van Hees
www.siho.be
Diversity and inclusion in an international context

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Diversity and inclusion in an international context
SD Objectives
o Central to the Flemish SD policy is access to and participation in higher education,
but also progression and success within it:
o Getting more young people to and through higher education in a way that
promotes social cohesion, social mobility, ‘democratisation of higher education’
and that addresses the demographic trends;
o Improving the attainment and achievement for those who are most at risk of
failing in higher education programmes;
o Reducing the educational attainment gap between the different groups

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Diversity and inclusion in an international context
SD Strategy
o Flemish government provides a legal framework for HEI in which they are able to
develop their own SD policy
o Flemish government offers a number of measures (financial or otherwise) to
support HEI in the development of their SD policy
o The legal framework and other supportive measures are the result of a structural
dialogue between government and stakeholders (eg HEI, students, social
partners)
o HEI have a large autonomy to develop their own SD-policies.

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Diversity and inclusion in an international context
SD Measures
o Funding for SD integrated in overall financing mechanism for HEI (since 2012)
o Separate funding for student social services (embedded by law)
o Lower tuition fees for scholarship students
o An extra weighting factor (1.5) in the funding formula for students from a lower
socio-economic background, disabled students and students who combine
working with studying;
o Regulation Inclusive Higher Education (students with disabilities)

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Diversity and inclusion in an international context
SD Measures
o A number of small or specific funding/measures, including
o Project financing on student tutoring for disadvantaged groups;
o Development of tools for improving study choice of pupils venturing to enter HE;
o National aptitude test toolkit for new entrants allowing aspirant students to
test/evaluate their motivation/interests/aspirations, their way of studying and
learning, their preparedness for a particular discipline;

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Diversity and inclusion in an international context
o Establishment by law and financing of a Support Centre Inclusive Higher
Education (SIHO) to ensure synergies
SD Measures

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Diversity and inclusion in an international context

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Diversity and inclusion in an international context
Equality Equity Universal Design
Inclusive Universities

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Diversity and inclusion in an international context
Charter disadvantaged students
o Charter on collecting and monitoring data of disadvantaged groups in a uniform way
o Students with a disabilities
o Students with a migration background,
o Students newcomers
o Students with home language other than Dutch
o Students with other home language(s) besides Dutch,
o Working students
o Grant students and near-grant students
o Students originating from a short-educated or medium-skilled environment.

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Diversity and inclusion in an international context
Charter disadvantaged students

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Diversity and inclusion in an international context
Access Teaching & Learning

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Diversity and inclusion in an international context
Inclusive mobility
• Action plan for mobility of students (2013)
• Specific attention for inclusion:
- targets
- comprehensive monitoring
• 33% of the mobile students should
belong to underrepresented groups
- students with study grant
- students with disabilities
- working students
• www.inclusivemobility.eu

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Diversity and inclusion in an international context
National aptitude test toolkit

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Diversity and inclusion in an international context
Tutoring programmes

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Diversity and inclusion in an international context
Mental health

16. Q&A
Questions?
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Diversity and inclusion in an international context