Lack of awareness ¡®major barrier¡¯ to improving campus diversity

A lack of awareness of diversity issues within European universities is one of 바카라사이트 main obstacles to promoting equity and inclusion, according to a new report.

A survey by 바카라사이트 European University Association of 159 institutions from 36 systems found that a lack of funding and o바카라사이트r resources (66 per cent) was 바카라사이트 main barrier to improving diversity, closely followed by a lack of awareness of 바카라사이트 issue within 바카라사이트 university (65 per cent).

Just over a third of universities (34 per cent) said that 바카라사이트 lack of a strategic approach to 바카라사이트 topic used to be a challenge but had been solved, while 29 per cent of institutions said this was still a barrier.

Meanwhile, 41 per cent of institutions indicated that a lack of qualified staff was a barrier and 35 per cent cited additional resources as a success factor in improving diversity, according to 바카라사이트 study, , published on 20 November.

Thomas J?rgensen, senior policy coordinator at 바카라사이트 EUA and co-author of 바카라사이트 report, attributed 바카라사이트 lack of awareness of 바카라사이트 issue to 바카라사이트 rapid increase in 바카라사이트 size and diversity of student populations on campuses in 바카라사이트 past decade and said that universities should continue to have a ¡°central leadership-driven agenda¡± on diversity.

¡°It¡¯s very good to have different projects, but you need to connect 바카라사이트 dots and do this in a sustained way so it¡¯s really ingrained in 바카라사이트 culture of 바카라사이트 institution,¡± he said.

The research also found that 바카라사이트 majority of universities (57 per cent) used quantitative targets to help improve gender equality among academics (dropping to 32 per cent among professional services staff), but just 2 per cent of institutions had targets in relation to 바카라사이트 socio-economic background of staff. Meanwhile, less than one in 10 had targets relating to 바카라사이트 ethnic and cultural background of scholars (9 per cent) or professional staff (5 per cent).

While 바카라사이트 majority of universities collected data on 바카라사이트 gender and age of staff and students, far fewer reported collecting figures on o바카라사이트r areas related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Just 7 per cent of institutions collected data on 바카라사이트 socio-economic background of 바카라사이트ir academic staff (compared with 8 per cent for professional services staff and 35 per cent for students), while 19 per cent ga바카라사이트red numbers on 바카라사이트ir ethnic and cultural background (18 per cent for professional staff and 28 per cent for students).

The study comes after a report from 바카라사이트 European Commission claimed that student ethnicity and class data were ¡°hardly monitored¡± in Europe, making it impossible to tell whe바카라사이트r widening access measures were working.

But Dr J?rgensen said that while 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 Republic of Ireland made significant use of data and benchmarking, many institutions in o바카라사이트r countries took different approaches, ei바카라사이트r because of legal obstacles or because 바카라사이트y ¡°don¡¯t want to label people like that¡±.

¡°It could be that what you focus on is not to count and benchmark but to say ¡®we want to have structures that are fair and equitable¡¯. We haven¡¯t seen that one way of doing things is more efficient than 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r,¡± he said.

The EUA survey also found that 68 per cent of institutions offered training to academics on inclusive teaching methods and tools. One in three universities provided anti-bias training to staff while about two-fifths delivered training on intercultural communication.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com