Accessibility And Diversity In The 21st Century University

In higher education institutions across the world, rapid changes are occurring as the socio-economic composition of these universities is shifting. The participation of females, ethnic minority groups, and low-income students has increased exponentially, leading to major changes in student activities, curriculum, and overall campus culture. Significant research is a necessity for understanding the need of broader educational access and promoting a newly empowered diverse population of students in today’s universities. Accessibility and Diversity in the 21st Century University is a pivotal reference source that provides vital research on the provision of higher educational access to a more diverse population with a specific focus on the growing population of women in the university, key intersections with race and sexual preference, and the experiences of low-income students, mid-career and reentry students, and special needs populations. While highlighting topics such as adult learning, race-based achievement gaps, and women’s studies, this publication is ideally designed for educators, higher education faculty, deans, provosts, chancellors, policymakers, sociologists, anthropologists, researchers, scholars, and students seeking current research on modern advancements of diversity in higher education systems.

Accessibility and diversity in the 21st century university is a pivotal reference source that provides vital research on the provision of higher educational access to a more diverse population with a specific focus on the growing population of women in the university, key intersections with race and sexual preference, and the experiences of low-income students, mid-career and reentry students, and special needs populations.

As the educational landscape of America continues to evolve and diversify, college faculty and administrators must be cutting edge in their approaches to create a variety of educational experiences with a greater level of multicultural cognizance. Unlike in previous generations, higher education in the 21st Century is no longer a luxury reserved for the elite and wealthy, but is an increasing necessity for access to labor markets. Community colleges and universities are working hard to respond to the demands of the labor market, by attempting to provide skills for jobs that may not yet exist. Colleges and universities should aim to make all of their students feel welcome and a part of the campus being committed to celebrating differences. Additionally, filling faculty seats with varied races, cultures, perspectives and identities will aid in providing mentors and role models everyone can relate to. These are some of the vital steps toward building a campus community that helps students develop a sense of belonging that allows them to persist and thrive in college. The scholarship in this volume illustrates the state of multicultural education on college and university campuses. The authors bridge foundational knowledge with contemporary understandings; making the work both accessible for novices and beneficial for the authorities on multicultural education. This volume provides thoughtful discourse on issues ranging from the racial and ethnic diversity of the student and faculty bodies, and important topics like disability issues, to different educational contexts such as community colleges, HBCUs and HSI institutions.

Education is a necessary foundation for improving one’s livelihood in today’s society. However, traditional learning has often excluded or presented a challenge to students with visual, physical, or cognitive disabilities and can create learning gaps between students of various cultures. It is vital that learning opportunities are tailored to meet individual needs, regardless of individual disabilities, gender, race, or economic status in order to create more inclusive educational practices. Accessibility and Diversity in Education: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice examines emerging methods and trends for creating accessible and inclusive educational environments and examines the latest teaching strategies and methods for promoting learning for all students. It also addresses equal opportunity and diversity requirements in schools. Highlighting a range of topics such as open educational resources, student diversity, and inclusion barriers, this publication is an ideal reference source for educators, principals, administrators, provosts, deans, curriculum developers, instructional designers, school boards, higher education faculty, academicians, students, and researchers.

Stories offer opportunities for listeners to merge the storyteller’s experiences with their own, resulting in connections that can turn into life-changing experiences. As listeners and storytellers, it is imperative that we look more closely at the stories and narratives that shape our lives. Using Narratives and Storytelling to Promote Cultural Diversity on College Campuses is an essential research publication that offers a framework for identifying culture-based narratives. The book follows five college students through a vast array of divergent experiences and provides a comprehensive dialogue about diversity through personal narratives of college faculty, students, staff, and administrators. Highlighting a range of topics including microaggressions, ethnicity, and psychosocial development, this book is ideal for academicians, practitioners, psychologists, sociologists, education professionals, counselors, social work educators, researchers, and students.

In the late 20th century, a tidal wave of calls for reform and inclusion of special needs students swept over public special education. The current debates over implementing these themes today are authoritatively addressed by 19 distinguished scholars in this thorough volume. Organized into three cohesive sections, it begins with the issues of educational reform and the emerging discourses of disability and integration in the inclusion movement. Respective chapters appraise specific arguments for inclusion and the federal legislation and litigation surrounding and supporting special education. The second part features the thorny issue of assessment, the technological revolution in special education, and the disposition of teacher training. The third section scrutinizes the inclusion of various populations of students with exceptional needs, particularly how teachers can make an easy transition from ideology to educational practice. Special Education in the 21st Century sets the standard for extrapolating future directions by wisely weighing classroom practices for different groups and the technical problems of resources, management, social groupings, instructional design, and the supposition that teachers will automatically change to accommodate an even greater diversity of learners.

Community colleges are essential in preparing the 21st century workforce. Research has indicated that there is a shortage of individuals prepared for skilled workforce opportunities, such as plumbers, electricians, and many others. In fact, while college is essential in workforce development, it is not the only route that can lead to a successful livelihood. Developing a skill that transfers into an essential trade is a route less taken. Community colleges are ideally situated to respond to the shortage of a prepared workforce by providing an array of programs that reach a wide range of individuals with talents that may not include a college degree. Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation in the 21st Century: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a comprehensive reference source that covers the essential role of community colleges in developing a skilled workforce via varying educational opportunities that include degree completion, workforce development, and skill enhancement. Readers will benefit from the book’s ability to advocate for the need for individuals with skillful trade options, provide different areas to consider as trade options, discuss the role of community colleges in preparing a workforce, examine the challenges that can arise for individuals with a trade, and present a global outlook on the workforce of the 21st century. Covering topics that include career pathways and STEM programs, the book is especially valuable for academic institutions that are looking to provide options for talent expansion. Leadership and education scholars, leadership practitioners within community college and university settings, leaders within workforce development sectors, researchers, and students will also find this reference useful for developing a skilled and competent workforce.

What will universities look like in 30- or 40-years’ time? This book looks at that future, examining the potential impact of technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, smart buildings, drones, robots, and holograms in future universities. It is a story told in three acts. The first act takes the reader through a history of the modern university, highlighting major innovations that have transformed the academy since the founding of the University of Bologna in 1088. A second act builds on this history and transports the reader to the future, observing the application of these technologies in a future university from the point of view of professors, administrators, and students, as we tour the transformed campus with them. The third act examines how these technologies might be adopted most effectively through the combined effort of university leaders, administrators, faculty and students.