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.

Universities as drivers of social mobility spotlight image

Universities as drivers of social mobility

Guidance on supporting the role of higher education in improving students’ lives, regardless of their starting point, including ways to assist students experiencing financial difficulties, help them build meaningful connections and develop workplace skills

Campus contributors, Laura Duckett

Campus

Male students shaking hands at job interview in library

Social mobility through career readiness: techniques to help students get there

Students might not acquire professional interpersonal skills on their own. So, if universities are serious about social mobility, they need to give learners opportunities to practise before they meet with prospective employers

Alyssa Rametta

Virginia Tech

A mature student with her son on her lap while she works at her desk

What about students who can’t take a placement year?

Ways for academics and careers teams to support students juggling multiple responsibilities, including helping them recognise and articulate the skills they gain beyond their studies

Danny Buckley, Natalia Vershinina, Julia Cook

Loughborough University, Audencia, De Montfort University

A man on a bridge using rope to bridge a gap

Level the playing field for BTEC students entering university

A cross-sectoral shared commitment to improving transition, retention and academic preparedness can help universities better serve BTEC entrants, says Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson

University of Chester

White male professor in discussion with diverse group of students in university amphitheatre

Whose knowledge counts? EDI’s role in securing linguistic and epistemic justice

Academic conventions in speaking and writing English can disadvantage first-generation, working-class and multilingual students and scholars. Here are some practical ways to make these norms transparent, negotiable and open to critique

Dylan Williams

Queen Mary University of London

A counsellor offering advice to a student in an office

How can we better support students experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity?

Universities must take a joined-up, person-centred approach to homelessness and housing insecurity, ensuring every student can access support, feel they belong and succeed, says Melanie-Marie Haywood, who shares advice

Melanie-Marie Haywood

Birmingham City University

Better teaching podcast featuring David Gooblar

Campus Talks: Teaching strategies to get students reading and speaking up in class

A champion of active learning shares ways to create more equitable classrooms, build students’ trust and support academic skills development

David Gooblar, Eliza Compton

University of Iowa

Graph emerging through surface of water, open research concept

How to build ethics into open research

Researchers, library professionals and institutions have ways to address inequalities around how data is collected and shared. Here are considerations to help support ethical, equitable open research

Meghmala Bhattacharya

Teesside University

Robotics students in a practical university class

For impactful teaching, remove barriers to learning – one decision at a time

Students can find information almost anywhere, but instructors provide something worth coming into the classroom for: meaningful relationships, authentic context and shared experiences. Matt Nowinski explains

Matt Nowinski

Virginia Tech

Staff and students strategising with Post-It notes on a transparnt screen

How to prepare, motivate and reward students who engage in EDI work

EDI work can take a psychological toll on students. Thoughtful discussion and engagement strategies are key, as are psychological support and remuneration, say a medical school team

Lois Haruna-Cooper , Emma Kelley , William Shem Braithwaite

UCL

A guide to identifying and addressing bias in higher education

A guide to recognising and addressing bias in higher education

Learn about the many ways bias manifests across higher education and discover strategies to reduce its impact – from mindful language and critical thinking to bias-aware teaching and hiring practices

Campus contributors, Laura Duckett

Campus

A student raises a hand in the classroom

How to spot bias in your own teaching – and what to do about it

Bias can materialise as a set of habits no one thought to question. Here’s how to look at your own teaching with clear eyes

Dami Folayan

Arden University

How can we better support female autistic students?

Autism can manifest differently in women and girls. Learn how small changes, such as warning students before making changes to classroom layouts, can make all the difference

Sarah Guest

University of Chester

Illustration of robot hands holding a resume

AI’s fluent answers hide bias. Here’s how to teach students to see it

AI advice arrives confident and efficient, which is why students don’t always notice what it assumes or when they stop deciding for themselves. Kamila Miller offers four classroom practices that make bias and dependence visible

Kamila Miller

University of Reading

Spotlight guide: Redefining success in academia

Redefining success in academia

Advice for looking beyond the traditional academic career trajectory and forging your own path to success in higher education

Campus contributors, Eliza Compton

Campus

Female architect looking at plans on site

‘Success in academia needs a metric for how scholarship improves lives’

If we want universities to address society’s greatest challenges, we should ask ourselves how our work makes the world better in tangible, measurable ways. Bobby Vance explains how this question has shaped his career

Bobby Vance

Virginia Tech

A Black female academic with glasses sat at a desk on her laptop

Supporting female academics in Sub-Saharan Africa to publish and lead

Five lessons from a Ghana-focused project that addressed the gendered conditions of academic work to give women the tools needed to participate fully and progress

Alicia Bowman, Juliet Thondhlana, Liticia Effah-Manu, Felicia Nkrumah-Kuagbedzi

University of Nottingham, Ho Technical University, Association of African Universities

Why a unity lens is crucial in higher education

When institutions highlight that commitment to learning, research and service to the broader public good is shared across campus, they help students and educators see themselves as part of a collective endeavour rather than isolated participants

Katerina Standish

University of Northern British Columbia

Making space for Black voices in higher education

While higher education has talked a lot about EDI, are Black academics noticing the difference in their day-to-day lives? A conference gave them a space to reflect

Yaz Osho

University of Westminster

The secrets of successful university outreach

Learn how to create and deliver effective university outreach programmes that get more people interested in and engaged with higher education

Campus contributors, Eliza Compton

Campus

Tour guide showing potential students around university campus

University outreach that works starts with a simple question

When it comes to outreach, are you building a cohort or expanding opportunity? Being clear about your goal can transform how universities design, deliver and assess outreach. Walter Lee explains

Walter Lee

Virginia Tech

Three school children in class with VR headsets on

Make university study tangible with VR

Virtual reality can help bring complex disciplines to life, widen access and build stronger partnerships with schools. Learn how

Stephen Hilton, Blanka Hilton

UCL, University of Kent

Campus Talks podcast interview with Anwei Feng

Campus Talks: The strengths that multilingualism brings to universities

An expert on multilingual education in China explains how to capitalise on the cultural and learning benefits of multilingualism for higher education, and shares strategies for supporting language diversity in the classroom

Anwei Feng, Eliza Compton

The University of Nottingham Ningbo China

Stop levelling the playing field in HE – it’s time to redesign the stadium

Design disability-friendly healthcare education from the outset rather than rely on reactive accommodations, says Daphne Pereira, who offers guidance

Daphne Pereira

Dalhousie University

A young woman holds a megaphone at a protest

Why we should teach students about academic freedom

Empower students with both a theoretical understanding of academic freedom and hands-on experience in advocating for those stripped of it. Here’s how

Kate Murphy, Tony Williams, Suzy Killmister

Monash University

Colourful speech bubbles with photos of mouths against a black background

Support student success in the multilingual classroom

Guidance on teaching international student cohorts with varying language proficiency and on creating inclusive classrooms where multilingual students can all participate and flourish

Campus contributors, Laura Duckett

Campus

Female high school student in lab wearing a white coat

From outreach to infrastructure: how academics can support a lasting STEM pipeline

Inspiring future generations of STEM scholars demands more than just a one-time introduction to science or engineering. Lasting impact comes from ongoing learning experiences, mentorship and institutional support, writes Keisha Simmons

Keisha Simmons

Georgia Tech College of Lifetime Learning

Secondary students solving a maths problem on a whiteboard

Widen access to higher education by improving school attainment

With school attainment a key driver of progression to university, outreach must go beyond traditional interventions to widen access. Matthew Lucas offers five evidence-led ways to design educationally robust programmes

Matthew Lucas

UCL

From polarisation to connection: counterspaces and reverse mentoring in higher education

It takes an intersectional approach, empathy and willingness to listen to cultivate affirming environments for marginalised groups, says Mazal Oaknín

Mazal Oaknín

UCL

Group of international students in a lecture all

Why ethical internationalisation starts with listening

If the UK higher education sector wants its transnational education partnerships to be socially responsible, academically rigorous and politically resilient, universities must prioritise co-creation and cultural literacy, writes Valentina Cardo

Valentina Cardo

University of Southampton

A student at his desk speaking to a professor

How to challenge problematic competence standards

We can make assessment fairer by learning how to spot issues with competence standards and supporting students to challenge them. Here’s how

Jess Jasper, Harriet Crooks

The University of East Anglia

LGBTQ+ inclusion that extends beyond Pride

Advice for ensuring LGBTQ+ staff and students feel seen and supported across teaching, research and all other facets of university life throughout the year

Campus contributors, Eliza Compton

Campus

Why faculty support should look more like a writing centre

Why do institutions invest in peer writing support for students but not for staff? Anne Brubaker makes the case for a more formalised approach to faculty writing support

Anne Brubaker

Wellesley College

Two female scientists consulting a document in a lab

Routes to equity for mothers in STEM research

How institutions can help fix the STEM ‘leaky pipeline’ by addressing maternity bias, improving progression opportunities and equipping mothers with financial literacy

Rachel James

The University of Edinburgh

Katerina Standish is this week's Campus Talks guest

Campus Talks: Why it takes more than a PhD to become a good doctoral supervisor

An advocate for professional development of graduate supervision skills shares advice for new and seasoned research supervisors as well as what institutions can do to foster community and excellence

Katerina Standish, Eliza Compton

University of Northern British Columbia

Developing more nuanced research on and for LGBTQ+ staff

Strengthening data collection on LGBTQ+ staff supports fairer, more responsive equality policies. Emma Jones and Simon Lock outline strategies

Emma Jones, Simon Lock

UCL

Young black woman looking at screen with help from older black woman, job shadow concept

Five steps to prepare neurodivergent students for the world of work

Students with neuro-cognitive conditions often face significant challenges when making the transition into the workplace. So, how can higher education institutions ensure these students are ready to launch their professional lives?

Sophie Hennekam, Barbara Haddou

Audencia

The power of the nudge to move EDI from strategy to practice

Nudges make the inclusive option easier for staff to take. Find five tips to embed them here

Teslim O. Bukoye

University of Bath

A female academic at her desk with her head in her hand

Start with men: universities must do more on menopause education

Universities have the research capacity, the educational mission and the moral obligation to lead on menopause education. It is time for men in academia to step up, drive the conversation and share the burden, writes Mark Butterick

Mark Butterick

Independent academic

Let’s build a higher education system that works for first-generation students

Higher education expects first-gen students to conform to a rigid structure that doesn’t suit their lives. Here’s how to offer flexibility instead

Jerid Counterman

Colorado State University Global

A mother on her laptop while her son plays next to her

Why flexibility is essential for accessible teaching

Rigid course structures can shut students out. Designing for flexibility helps ensure that those juggling work, care and study have a fair chance to succeed

Rocío Elizabeth Cortez Márquez

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Businessman doing online study at laptop while eating takeaway lunch

Why flexibility is now central to student success

Flexible and truly engaging online study are key for students with jobs or caring responsibilities. Pauline Bedford explains how institutions can go with the flow

Pauline Bedford

Walbrook Institute London

Black male student looking downcast in university corridor

Whose vulnerabilities get seen? Whose get missed?

When student circumstances fall outside standard support categories, their difficulties can deepen. This means hardship of groups such as caregivers or international students grows quietly, until it becomes much harder to address

Sorush Sepehr, David Waller, Ranjit Voola, Subhasis Ray

University of Technology Sydney, University of Sydney, XLRI Xavier School of Management

Male teacher working with multiracial primary school class

Four steps to embed anti-racism into teacher training

By exposing incoming educators to anti-racist principles early in training, universities better prepare them to promote fairness, critical thinking and social justice, writes Jordan Allers

Jordan Allers

Cardiff Metropolitan University

How universities can tackle misogyny in the age of the manosphere

From subtle undermining to overt hostility, misogyny is rearing its ugly head in higher education classrooms, fuelled by online manosphere content. Addressing it requires clearer boundaries, training and a willingness to confront harmful behaviour early

Joanna Lewis

The London School of Economics and Political Science

Older engineer working with an engineering apprentice

How to run effective industry-enriched project-based learning in STEM

The foundation of widening participation lies in a curriculum that is flexible enough to accommodate increasing student diversity while aligning with industry needs, writes James Williams

James Williams

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

A student slumps over a pile of paperwork

Do students need accommodations for their accommodations?

Students with disabilities need accommodations so they can focus on learning. But when accessing those accommodations requires skills they don’t have, is the system really working?

Riley Pizza, Sara Brownell

Arizona State University

Opening doors to greater diversity in STEM

Find out how to remove barriers to study and research in science, technology, engineering and maths in order to attract and retain a wider diversity of talented students and academics in STEM fields

Campus contributors, Laura Duckett

Campus

Black leadership programmes support wider efforts to close HE attainment

Alongside other institutional initiatives, targeted programmes co-created by Black heritage students can improve academic outcomes and the overall student experience, says Faylisha Scott

Faylisha Scott

Nottingham Trent University

Boosting gender diversity in male-dominated STEM disciplines

How to address gender disparity in STEM, when so many disciplines are overwhelmingly male-dominated? Here’s how to work towards equality

Rick Cooper

Birkbeck, University of London

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