WAHEN Action Forums
WAHEN action forums will bring together members to share knowledge, hear from experts, new researchers and innovation in policy practice to forge collaborations together. The forums will be led by leading organisations in that particular equitable access and success field. The forums will benefit from the global reach of WAHEN to act as the driving force of professional practice in equitable access and success in higher education. The first forums will begin in May 2022 and they will meet virtually for 2 hours every 2-3 months. Depending on the views of the participants of the forum they may focus mainly on exchanging practice or working toward outcomes such as reports, events or collaborative projects. We will aim to launch at least five forums in 2022-23 and they are described below but, depending on the views of members, then we may instigate more forums.
Building progression routes into higher education
To propel equity in access to higher education forward how students at the pre HE stage are prepared and supported to enter and progress is fundamental. It is being increasingly accepted around the world that universities have a huge role to play working with schools, children and older learners before they enter right from younger ages helping them achieve at school, understand the course and institutional options available to them and to overcome the cultural barriers that HE presents to them. It is essential that a group like this exists. It will bring together those in universities from every continent who are working collaboratively with schools on attainment raising, mentoring and outreach. The group will also look at how admissions practices can be used to support equity and how financial support/scholarships can be used the most effectively.
First meeting will take place on 9th September 2022
Policy making for higher education
The evidence produced by WAHED and its partners suggests that, while there may be a significant amount of policy interest in higher education, there is a real need for a greater discourse regarding the implementation of these policies. Unless equitable access and success is more prominent in how it is supported by policymakers then our ability to progress this work will always be limited. This forum will provide the place for that discussion where different policy approaches across the whole spectrum of the equity field will be examined, different countries will share practice and the evidence on policy effectiveness will be examined. It will build on the work that WAHED has done in constructing the Global Equity Policy Map which includes details on polices in this field in over 100 countries.
First meeting will take place on 21st September 2022
Maximising attainment and success – supporting student outcomes
Transforming the curriculum, pedagogy and support structures of higher education to reflect the characteristics of a diverse student body is perhaps the biggest challenge that we face in the equitable acres and success field. This vital group will act as an innovation hub where those working at the leading edge of institutional change will share how they are building 21st century higher education experiences for learners from both disadvantaged and under-represented backgrounds. This will include how data is being used to drive change; the theoretical underpinning of institutional practice; what diverse curriculum looks like and the role of academic practice as a driver of change.
First meeting will take place on 5th October 2022
Opening up international higher education to all learners
As we work through the continued implications of the pandemic for higher education international experiences are entering potentially a new and exciting phase where the virtual and real can come together. This occurs against the backdrop though of a reality where international higher education experiences hugely favour those from higher socio economic groups and mainly richer countries. How do we really open up international HE for those from all backgrounds? What innovative practices are universities, organisations and NGOs undertaking? How can international higher education experience be accessible and affordable for all?
First meeting will take place on 19h October 2022
Research
WAHEN will support a special group focused on research and scholarly activity related to equitable access and success in higher education. The research and evidence base where equity in higher education is concerned is a growing field encompassing academics and policy oriented researchers. However, opportunities for this work to be shared and the essential dialogue to occur that is at the heart of research need to be developed. This group will be a space where evolving research can be shared, thematic sessions curated, theory discussed and those all-important international research collaborations built. The group will also support the development of a WAHEN research agenda.
First meeting will take place in November 2022