Embedding sustainability in academia: Deans as change makers.:Final report for the DECODE project

This report, written as part of the EU-funded DECODE project, presents the challenges faced by deans in higher education institutions (HEIs) when pursuing sustainability initiatives in their department. Based on a literature review, the common policy levers, obstacles and facilitators are discussed. First, in interviews with 30 deans from different European HEIs. Then, in two surveys held among European deans and academics, we cover topics such as strategy making, monitoring, capacity building, and using incentives and authority for embedding sustainability in the HEIs’ education, research and community outreach activities

Embedding sustainability in academia: Deans as change makers. Survey of academics.

As part of the EU-supported DECODE project, this report presents the results of a survey held among academics working in European higher education institutions. It shows the opportunities and obstacles that academics face when embedding ‘sustainability’ in their academic work. It touches on the drivers and obstacles around integrating sustainability in education, research and community engagement activities

Latvian students’ perceptions of higher education access, quality and outcomes in Latvia and other EU countries

The purpose of this thesis was twofold. Initially I explored how Latvian high school students perceive higher education in Latvia and other EU countries, particularly HE Access, HE Quality and HE Outcomes. Afterwards, I examined to what extent student perceptions influence their intentions to study in other EU countries. It is important to note that when evaluating HE in other EU countries, students were asked to refer to 3 to 5 EU countries they would consider as their potential study destinations. To compare the student perception on HE Access, HE Quality and HE Outcomes, the three concepts were operationalized into eight variables. HE Access was split into information availability and financial assistance, HE Quality in learning outcomes, teaching methods, internationalizations and student life while the concept on HE Outcomes was further divided into labour market relevance and HE reputation. To compare these eight variables for Latvia and other EU countries, paired samples T-tests were used. The results suggested that final year high school students in Latvia perceive HQ Quality and HE Outcomes in other EU countries as significantly better than in Latvia on all six variables. Yet the results on HE access were mixed. Students perceived available information as better in Latvia while the outcomes for financial assistance did not show significant differences between Latvia and other EU countries. To examine how the eight operationalized variables for Latvia and other EU influence student intentions to study in other EU countries, I run the regression analysis. The results revealed that only 2 out of 16 independent variables had a significant, positive impact on the dependent variable. These were information availability in other EU countries and teaching methods in other EU countries

Embedding Sustainability in Academia: Deans as Change Makers:Survey of Deans

As part of the DECODE project, this report presents the outcomes of a survey that aims to identify the opportunities and obstacles that deans face when embedding ‘sustainability’ and 'sustainable development' into their academic units. More than 500 deans from Europe completed the survey, showing the drivers, obstacles and supporting mechanisms for embedding sustainability in their academic departments

Inclusive Higher Education Access for Underrepresented Groups: It Matters, But How Can Universities Measure It?

Measuring access to higher education for underrepresented groups is a relevant yet challenging task. The article shows that while social inclusion is recognised as a priority, policymakers, academics, and institutional leaders struggle to define, operationalise, and measure it. This makes answering the question of what constitutes a socially inclusive higher education institution quite difficult. While the answer to this question may be context‐specific, there is a clear need for a set of commonly defined indicators that allow higher education institutions to measure their progress throughout time and in relation to others. The article synthesises insights from policy, practise, and scientific research to identify which indicators are the most promising for assessing the access of under‐representative students to higher education. By discussing indicator relevance, validity and feasibility, the article contributes to the quest for internationally comparable social inclusion indicators of underrepresented student groups

Embedding sustainability in academia: Deans as change makers.:Literature Review for the DECODE project

The literature review, conducted as part of the EU-funded DECODE project, discusses the themes commonly faced by higher education institutions when pursuing sustainability initiatives in their education, research and community engagement portfolios. It covers topics such as strategy, monitoring, capacity building, incentives and authority

Towards a European framework for community engagement in higher education – a case study analysis of European universities

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the development and piloting of a novel European framework for community engagement (CE) in higher education, which has been purposefully designed to progress the CE agenda in a European context. Design/methodology/approach – The proposed framework was co-created through the European Union (EU)-funded project towards a European framework for community engagement in higher education (TEFCE). The TEFCE Toolbox is an institutional self-reflection framework that centres on seven thematic dimensions of CE. This paper follows the development of the TEFCE Toolbox through empirical case study analysis of four European universities and their local communities. Findings – The findings in this paper indicate that the TEFCE Toolbox facilitates context-specific applications in different types of universities and socioeconomic environments. Incorporating insights from engagement practitioners, students and community representatives the TEFCE Toolbox was successfully applied in universities with diverse profiles and missions. The process facilitated the recognition of CE achievements and the identification of potential areas for improvement. Originality/value – Despite a range of international initiatives, there remains an absence of initiatives within the European higher education area that focus on developing tools to comprehensively support CE. The TEFCE Toolbox and case-study analysis presented in this paper address this gap in knowledge. The broader societal contribution and social responsibility of higher education have become increasingly prominent on the European agenda. The TEFCE Toolbox represents an innovative, robust and holistic European framework with the potential to support universities in reflecting upon their pursuit of addressing grand societal challenges, whilst promoting CE

Education for Sustainable Development in Higher Education Rankings: Challenges and Opportunities for Developing Internationally Comparable Indicators

As more higher education institutions strive to embed sustainable development principles in their teaching, it becomes increasingly important to identify indicators that can measure institutional contribution in a meaningful and internationally comparable manner. This paper shows that existing sustainability rankings, such as the UI Green Metric and THE Impact ranking, have paid relatively little attention to indicators on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). In a quest to develop such indicators for U-Multirank—the multi-dimensional transparency and ranking tool—we reviewed the literature, consulted experts, and ran a survey amongst practitioners. This article summarises opportunities and challenges for developing internationally comparable ESD indicators in the higher education sector, discussing indicator relevance, validity, and feasibility. The results suggest that (i) ESD indicators are considered highly relevant by diverse stakeholders; (ii) the majority of HEIs surveyed are planning to collect ESD data within 3 years, signalling good prospects for data feasibility; (iii) the ESD indicators proposed so far still lack criteria that would allow one to sufficiently identify and compare these indicators across countries, inhibiting indicator validity. At least three potential definitions are used by HEIs. The results of this paper can contribute to the discussion on identifying appropriate criteria for the development of ESD indicators and their use in international rankings

Latvian students’ perceptions of higher education access, quality and outcomes in Latvia and other EU countries

The purpose of this thesis was twofold. Initially I explored how Latvian high school students perceive higher education in Latvia and other EU countries, particularly HE Access, HE Quality and HE Outcomes. Afterwards, I examined to what extent student perceptions influence their intentions to study in other EU countries. It is important to note that when evaluating HE in other EU countries, students were asked to refer to 3 to 5 EU countries they would consider as their potential study destinations. To compare the student perception on HE Access, HE Quality and HE Outcomes, the three concepts were operationalized into eight variables. HE Access was split into information availability and financial assistance, HE Quality in learning outcomes, teaching methods, internationalizations and student life while the concept on HE Outcomes was further divided into labour market relevance and HE reputation. To compare these eight variables for Latvia and other EU countries, paired samples T-tests were used. The results suggested that final year high school students in Latvia perceive HQ Quality and HE Outcomes in other EU countries as significantly better than in Latvia on all six variables. Yet the results on HE access were mixed. Students perceived available information as better in Latvia while the outcomes for financial assistance did not show significant differences between Latvia and other EU countries. To examine how the eight operationalized variables for Latvia and other EU influence student intentions to study in other EU countries, I run the regression analysis. The results revealed that only 2 out of 16 independent variables had a significant, positive impact on the dependent variable. These were information availability in other EU countries and teaching methods in other EU countries