1. The social dimension of higher education
Bologna Promoters’ Presentation Material
(to be adapted as needed)

2. Content of the Presentation
The social dimension in ministerial policy statements
A working plan for the social dimension
The two aspects of social dimension
Mapping out progress
The social dimension in practice 2

3. The social dimension in ministerial policy statements
Included in the 2001 Prague ministerial communiqué:
“Ministers also reaffirmed the need, recalled by students, to take account of the social dimension in the Bologna process.”
Re-stated in the 2003 Berlin ministerial communiqué:
“The need to increase competitiveness must be balanced with the objective of improving the social characteristics of the European Higher Education Area, aiming at strengthening social cohesion and reducing social and gender inequalities both at national and at European level.” 3

4. The social dimension in ministerial policy statements
Emphasized in the 2005 Bergen ministerial communiqué:
“The social dimension of the Bologna Process is a constituent part of the EHEA and a necessary condition for the attractiveness and competitiveness of the EHEA. [...] The social dimension includes measures taken by governments to help students, especially from socially disadvantaged groups, in financial and economic aspects and to provide them with guidance and counselling services with a view to widening access.
London 2007: for the first time, Ministers have committed to the ambitious societal objective that:
“that the student body entering, participating in and completing higher education at all levels should reflect the diversity of our populations.” 4

5. A working plan for the social dimension
Defining the social dimension: progress towards a goal (cf: 2007 BFUG report on the social dimension & mobility)
 Achieving equality of educational opportunity
 Promoting the social, cultural & economic development of the countries, regions & communities of the EHEA
 Enhancing the quality, attractiveness and competitiveness of the EHEA 5

6. The two aspects of social dimension
Equality of opportunities in higher education
 In terms of: access and successful completion of studies , studying & living conditions, guidance & counselling, financial support, student participation in higher education governance
Equality of opportunities in mobility (staff & students)
 In terms of: portability of financial support, removing barriers, providing incentives 6

7. Mapping out progress
2007 BFUG report on the social dimension & mobility
2009 national reports on national strategies & policies for the social dimension, including action plans & measures to evaluate their effectiveness
2009 BFUG/Eurostat/Eurostudent report on how to develop more comparable & reliable data to measure progress towards the overall objective for the social dimension and student and staff mobility in all Bologna countries 7

8. The social dimension in practice
The Trends V report shows:
Overwhelming consensus among HEIs (97%) on the importance of widening access...
but low expectations of HEIs in their own capacity to improve access to disadvantaged groups
 Need to fight misperceptions that diversifying the student body is equated with lowering quality
 Need to change institutional behaviour to make it possible to reward excellent teaching in the same way as excellent research, also in relation with student access 8

9. Web resources Ministerial communiqués: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/bologna/
Trends V report: 9