Enhanced Programme Leadership for Diversity Management in Higher Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

Enhanced Programme Leadership for Diversity Management in Higher Education

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development); Inclusion – equity; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The EnhanceIDM project set out to raise awareness and increase diversity management competencies of programme leaders in higher education (as part of academic middle management). To fulfill these objectives, the project devised four intellectual outputs, (1) a re-analysis of programme leaders needs with regard to diversity management in the form of a survey, (2) the development of a blended-learning training composed of a face-to-face meeting and an extensive e-learning component. (3) A web-based toolbox comprised of tailor-made, concrete “tools” regarding inclusive practice and diversity management covering the entire student life-cycle and (4) an IDM self-assessment as an ongoing process gauging awareness, attitudes and approaches towards IDM.
All of the envisaged outputs were carried out successfully over the project run.

PROJECT BACKGROUND AND TARGET GROUP
While institutional strategies and inclusion and diversity management (IDM) policies and are often in place, these policies need to be implemented and come to life on the level of the study programme. Programme leaders occupy a central position regarding access and retention of non-traditional students or underrepresented groups in tertiary education: They supervise and regulate access to their programmes, they are responsible for the design and implementation of (inclusive, flexible) curricula, they retain personal contact with students and are aware of their problems in navigating the curriculum and in the classroom. Further, they act as supervisors to other teaching and administrative staff, dispose of formal and/or informal authority and are able to seek out and secure support for the implementation of diversity-sensitive practices at a faculty or institutional level. As a consequence, this group of academic middle managers has far-reaching potential to create more inclusive study environments.
EnhanceIDM explicitly targeted this group and devised tailor-made staff-trainings and a readily available toolbox as well as an ongoing self assessment process to support them even beyond the project duration.

PROJECT OUTPUTS – RESULTS AND IMPACT
The initial re-analysis of programme leaders needs regarding inclusion and diversity management was carried out in the form of a survey among 270 programme leaders at the four participating institutions in AT, DE, FIN and the UK (return rate: 33%). The results showed considerable differences in attitudes and approaches towards IDM in the various countries, and along the lines of gender and discipline. These findings informed and framed the other outputs of the project.

A blended-learning training consists of a face-to-face part and an extensive e-learning component: Again, especially during the face-to-face training in May 2019, considerable differences in approaches and attitudes emerged among participants. This, however, proved fruitful for the interactive discussion formats of the workshop. As a result, it can be said that the exchange among colleagues inspired the strongest learning curve and was valued most by participants. Also, more practical formats like devising personal action plans for specific areas in their study programmes were considered particularly useful by participants, rather than merely theoretical, one-directional input. The training was instrumental in raising awareness and contributed to putting IDM on the agenda at the various institutions. The training format was embedded in staff development offerings at the partner institutions.
Subsequent e-learning modules were set up on a Moodle platform and were structured along the student life-cycle: from access to teaching and learning, assessment and finally, ensuring student success. Also, theoretical foundations and institutional management as well as staff engagement issues were addressed. The e-learning followed the structure of the so-called HEAD-wheel devised by FHOOE.

The web-based toolbox follows the same structure as the e-learning, however, it provides practical guidelines and “HowTos” and approaches (“tools”) in dealing with ever more diverse students cohorts (www.idmtoolbox.eu).

With a view to measuring the impact of the measures carried out, a self assessment procedure was set up in the form of an anonymous online survey. Training participants were asked to complete it before as well as after the training to measure potential changes in awareness and approaches towards IDM. The self assessment is intended to serve as a useful vehicle to measure personal and institutional development of IDM. Submitted regularly, it measures changes in staff attitude with regard to diversity related tasks and can be used as a tool for the assessment of diversity awareness before, during and after IDM- related interventions in HE and to assess individual and collective progress over time.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 373136 Eur

Project Coordinator

FH OO STUDIENBETRIEBS GMBH & Country: AT

Project Partners

• BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY
• TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE KOLN
• LAUREA-AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OY
• FH OÖ Management GmbH