Non University Higher Education

Today, a substantial portion of higher education is provided outside of the traditional universities in non-university institutions with a multitude of varied characteristics. In recent decades, higher education systems have been subjected to many changes and reforms throughout the world. One of the most important was undoubtedly the expansion of higher education in the second half of the last century from an elite system to one for the masses. While institutions of higher learning have been in existence for approximately 1,000 years, this exponential growth has been much more recent. This movement toward mass higher education has created substantial national impacts on the development of the systems of higher education. While common denominators of change and adaptation can be identified globally, there remain important differences from country to country. There are many factors challenging higher education today and in the foreseeable future. In one form or another, these issues and trends can be seen in higher education systems throughout the world. They include chronic underfunding, marketisation and competition, alternative providers, massification, internationalisation, governance, leadership, strategic management, accountability, accreditation, and social relevance. Another key factor for many countries, especially in Europe, and the focus of this book, is the current and future status of the higher education systems that differentiate the university and non-university sectors.

Even if in most countries non-university higher education institutions did not have originally a research mandate, it is well known that in most cases these institutions have progressively developed research activities and, at least in some countries, the State now has recognized the research role of these institutions and provided support and funding. Moreover, in many countries the role of research in polytechnics, ‘fachhochschulen’, ‘hogescholen’, university colleges, etc is on the political agenda. Despite the importance of the issue, there are very few in-depth studies of research in the non-university sector. These studies show that the development of research in these institutions leads to quite complex interactions with universities, both in the sense of convergence (academic drift) and/or of differentiation of a specific research mandate oriented towards the regional economy. Therefore, this book aims to fill this gap by first analysing a number of transversal issues related to the research mission of these institutions. In its second part it gives an overview of the state of the art in eight European countries.

What does 'local' mean when it describes a student or an institution of higher education? Holly Henderson explores this question by telling the story of students studying undergraduate degrees outside of the university, at colleges that offer degree courses but do not have university status. Because the students live at home while studying, and because the institutions themselves are seen to cater for a local rather than global student population, these are local students, studying local higher education. Importantly, the students are also studying in localities without a history of higher education provision, where the possibility of living in this place and studying for a degree is relatively new. The book takes an in-depth approach to exploring how relationships to these places affect educational experience, how decisions are made about whether to leave or to stay for degree study, and what it means to be an undergraduate student who does not attend a university. As well as working against the easy assumptions to be made about the lives and characteristics of a surprisingly diverse and complex group of students, the book offers insights into the ways that place and space are crucial and often overlooked factors for anyone thinking about systemic and structural inequality in higher education.

In recent decades, the Canadian post-secondary education system has evolved to become more inclusive, now welcoming groups historically excluded from its many opportunities. Inviting the reader to explore the consequences of a rapidly changing student population, Serving Diverse Students in Canadian Higher Education presents new thinking about how education in general, and student services in particular, should be designed and delivered. A follow-up to Donna Hardy Cox and C. Carney Strange’s Achieving Student Success (2010), this volume focuses on the best programs and practices in Canadian colleges and universities to improve the educational experiences of students who are Indigenous, people of colour, francophone, LGBTQQ, disabled, and adult learners, as well as international and first-generation students. Presenting findings obtained from both personal insight and relevant research, higher education practitioners and scholars from across the country detail the characteristics, concerns, and specific needs of each diverse group, to conclude that the success of these new students and the future of Canadian society depends on its post-secondary institutions’ capacities to acknowledge students’ differences, capitalize on their gifts, and accommodate them accordingly. Exploring the enriching breadth of university communities, Serving Diverse Students in Canadian Higher Education focuses on a new paradigm of individual differences and student success.

This report charts the recent development of the non-university sector of higher education in some OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries. It shows that during the 1980s this sector most often succeeded in enhancing its standing and recognition among students, employers, and the academic world alike. Its progress in the 1990s will depend on how it meets the challenge of greater competition from the universities on the one side, and the growing postsecondary "third" sector--market oriented and often private--on the other. The countries surveyed are: Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Part 1 of this volume reviews and discusses recent trends and developments in the non-university sector, its main current features and the reasons behind its success under prevailing socio-economic conditions. Part 2 gives a substantial summary of the findings and conclusions of the general report and draws their implications for policy. Contains a 45-item bibliography. (GLR)

This open access Springer Brief provides a systematic analysis of current trends and requirements in the areas of knowledge and competence in the context of the project “(A) Higher Education Digital (AHEAD)—International Horizon Scanning / Trend Analysis on Digital Higher Education.” It examines the latest developments in learning theory, didactics, and digital-education technology in connection with an increasingly digitized higher education landscape. In turn, this analysis forms the basis for envisioning higher education in 2030. Here, four learning pathways are developed to provide a glimpse of higher education in 2030: Tamagotchi, a closed ecosystem that is built around individual students who enter the university soon after secondary education; Jenga, in which universities offer a solid foundation of knowledge to build on in later phases; Lego, where the course of study is not a monolithic unit, but consists of individually combined modules of different sizes; and Transformer, where students have already acquired their own professional identities and life experiences, which they integrate into their studies. In addition, innovative practice cases are presented to illustrate each learning path.

Responding to the emerging needs of lifelong learners arguably represents one of the most fundamental challenges facing higher education systems of the countries of the developing world. At the start of the new century the concept of Lifelong Learning may indeed be counted as one of the the key organising concepts underlying public policy in many countries. The interpretation of the concept, however, remains highly contested. This timely book throws new light on the dramatic changes taking place in higher education through an exploration of the participation of "non-traditional" students in ten countries. Among others, the following areas are explored: * the complex reality behind the statistics on participation in higher education in five European countries (Austria, Germany, Ireland, Sweden and the United Kingdom), North America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand * contrasting perceptions of lifelong learning * changing patterns of participation by adults in higher education * national and institutional policies and innovations to accommodate non-traditional students and new forms of study * conclusions for policy, practice and research Higher Education for Lifelong Learners will be of interest to academics, researchers and students involved with higher education, lifelong learning, and comparative education as well as policy makers, educational managers and administrators. The contributions reveal a remarkable transformation in the student body and in the way learners pursue their studies, highlighting the international impact of increasing marketisation and differentiation on the nature of the higher education accessible to potential lifelong learners.