Introduction

Widening Participation in Higher Education: Casting the Net Wide? offers an authoritative up-to-date commentary on the challenges facing higher education today, through the perspectives of experts representing universities across the UK, Europe, Africa and the USA. Contributors draw on recent empirical research as well as analysis of historical developments and emerging policy to provide an understanding of these issues of widening participation to educational practitioners, policy makers and academics alike. Up-to-date insights chart the impact of global economic trends and recent policy developments for students, academics, providers and changing course provision. Contributions from emerging and established experts address a broad range of relevant issues, from the question of grade inflation through to the effectiveness of peer outreach programmes. The book provides insight into how the effects of trends including marketization and globalization will continue to impact pivotally on the extent to which higher education is able to act as a force for social equalization or exclusion of opportunities.