The paper outlines the history of the different uses of 'quality' in higher education. Emphasis is given to the United Kingdom, but consideration is also given to a range of international contexts. Three different uses of 'academic quality' are identified (the state-driven, sector-derived, and the traditional academic uses) and their relationship…

The Russian invasion of Ukraine, on 24th February 2022, was met with widespread condemnation across Europe, with many universities and higher education-focussed national and regional organisations issuing their own public statements about the invasion and subsequent conflict and, in some cases, taking specific action in relation to one or both of…

This study explores the production, dissemination, and reception of the discourse of educational excellence and internationalisation in Japan's Designated National University Corporation System. The study frames the policy initiative within the longstanding goals of the Japanese government and demonstrates how the work of Michel Foucault helps…

Slogans in education have been the subject of critical analysis -- at least in the context of philosophy of education -- for more than half a century. Some of these slogans are no longer relevant or frequently used, while their analyses and explanations are still an appropriate theoretical basis for understanding new educational slogans. One of…

Human diversity in education, particularly in higher education, has several positive effects on students' intellectual and social experiences as well as it has quite a number of challenges. Globally, numerous empirical studies have been conducted on the opportunities and challenges of human diversity in higher education institutions (HEIs).…

This article explores the rationalities advanced by 18 higher education institutions, located across eight countries, for developing and delivering employability provision. The article uses Sultana's Habermasian-derived framework to categorise rationalities as either technocratic, humanistic or emancipatory. Based on a series of semi-structured…

This dissertation examines the purposes of annual giving fundraising programs at public higher education institutions, particularly whether this fundraising format supports the advancement of education as a public good versus a private benefit good. While research exists on large-gift philanthropy and major gift fundraising at colleges and…

Purpose: This study aims to examine and assess how sustainable development goal (SDG) Target 4.7 is incorporated in one leading higher education institution (HEI) in China (with a focus on teacher-education programmes) from students' perspectives. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses document analysis and a semi-structured interview to…

Although a large body of literature discusses the advancement of community engagement in higher education, a less substantial body of scholarship explores how engagement is promoted and institutionalized within universities. In this exploratory study, using a discourse analysis of official reports posted on the websites of three university cases,…

A cursory review of scholarly articles concerning community colleges will undoubtedly result in references to the ''cooling out'' function of academic advising. This theory remains among one of the most cited critiques of these institutions to date. Many scholars have debated the accuracy of the assertion, arguing that community college advisors…

Institution-wide curriculum change is a costly, time-intensive and politically fraught undertaking. It is a challenge identifying who has responsibility for the curriculum and who is empowered to change it. The unbundling of the traditional tri-partite academic role of teaching, research and service leaves a gap of who in those communities decides…

Micro-credentials are gaining traction as viable vehicles for rapid upskilling of the workforce in the twenty-first century and potential pathways for gaining employment for some students. The primary purpose of the current systematic review was to understand the current conceptions and discourses of micro-credentials in higher education and to…

The purpose of this Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was to examine how diversity is articulated via institutional diversity statements. Drawing on statements from 92 historically white institutions, the study examined both what institutions convey as significant via diversity statements and the subsequent consequences of such language. Guided by…

In the past decades, the development of higher education institutions (HEIs) in industrialized countries has become intertwined with innovation policy and the goal of national competitiveness. Focusing on the discourses on innovation by the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC), this article illustrates the transformation of Finnish higher…

This research explores the experiences of Beth, a university student in the UK, as she comes to be labelled as 'dyslexic', and as she has her diagnosis taken away. Through use of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and discourse analysis, the research seeks to understand how Beth made sense of these experiences, and to explore the…