Building an Inclusive Academic Environment: Challenges and Needs of Non-traditional Students and Potentials to Address Them

Abstract

Higher Education Institutions in Europe are experiencing a steady growth of an increasingly diverse student body and are attracting a large number of new student groups, the so-called non-traditional students (NTS). Especially the Professional Higher Education (PHE) Institutions, with their rather strong combination of academic and work-based learning have special study conditions that can come with challenges for NTS. In order to embrace this increasing diversity, higher education institutions need to adapt structurally and culturally to the needs of these students and to enable inclusion in all parts of the institutional experience. One way of doing this is in partnership with the existing student quality assurance and representation structures within the universities, the student organisations. But even here, non-traditional students are not sufficiently represented to put their needs on the agenda. Our research has identified barriers and needs of non-traditional students and potentials to address them.