This paper explores how fairness was conceptualised by those responsible for admission to highly selective undergraduate courses at 17 universities in England. Fairness was conceptualised principally with reference to the traditional "meritocratic equality of opportunity" paradigm, which holds that university places should go to the most…

In recent decades, policymakers around the globe have adopted market mechanisms such as consumer-style choice, provider autonomy and competition. Such policies may improve educational equity since families can choose options outside of their assigned local school. Yet research from multiple countries is finding a link between greater use of such…

This paper examines the relative merits of early and delayed offer schemes in attracting under-represented students to university. Following the introduction of a demand-driven system and the establishment of national growth and equity targets, Australian universities have increased the number of offers made to students before the release of…

Equity in higher education is mostly related to the context in which it is discussed. Most commonly, equity is sought for enhancing access to higher education for under-represented groups such as minorities, low income groups, or any other type of disadvantaged group of people. The plethora of research in this area mostly focuses on different…

University entrance criteria can be a contentious topic, particularly in respect of equity. In this paper we discuss studies which demonstrate that revisions of entrance criteria which are designed with no explicit reference to equity issues can have a surprisingly positive impact on the fractions of disadvantaged subgroups admitted. We…

This article explores concerns about gender inequality in Zimbabwean state universities. The researcher's interest arose from the realisation of persistent gender inequalities despite initiatives to close gender gaps. Of particular concern is the conceptualization and operationalisation of gender equality in institutions. Focusing only on the…

Many countries are challenged by the need to build both capacity and quality simultaneously in order to meet the accelerating needs of their society. Should what already exists be renovated, or should new institutions be created? Innovate from within or from without? Or perhaps some combination of both? In the U.S., postsecondary…

An approach to open admissions has been tested for the past five years at the City University of New York (CUNY). The open admissions policy was adopted in July 1969 by the Board of Higher Education, acting under intense political pressure after a spring of unrest and confrontation. After five years at CUNY, the ideal and practice of open…

This paper describes a decision-theory-based procedure for compensatory education student selection that will increase the informational value of data available from program evaluation data collection and district information systems. The information produced by the decision theory approach bears directly on the basic question of who gets served.…

Recent legislation, notably Public Law 94-142 (Education for All Handicapped Children Act), has mandated mainstreaming of the handicapped in educational settings, including the college and university campus. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 also requires colleges and universities to accept qualified applicants regardless of handicap.…

The selective admissions issue in higher education is examined in this book from three perspectives. Part One on public policy and academic policy includes comments and recommendations by the Carnegie Council on Policy Studies in Higher Education. A report by Winton H. Manning in Part Two deals with fairness, including: the role of values in…

Limited English proficiency creates barriers to both education and employment for approximately 28 million people in the United States. They face societal, institutional, and personal barriers to equitable employment. The American job market and employer expectations may be confusing, and the concept of lifelong learning is foreign to them.…