Organisers:

Rick Wolff
University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

Maurice Crul
University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

In most Western (European) cities the number of ethnic minority students in higher education is increasing, thus changing and diversifying student populations at this very moment. This workshop will examine if universities, colleges and other institutes of higher education are ready for this change and how well ethnic minority students perform.

Presentations:

Mary Tupan, European Access Network, Netherlands
The European Access Network: an NGO for ethnic minority students in higher education

This paper will focus on initiatives of the European Access Network, the only European-wide non-governmental organisation for widening participation in higher education, to promote effective policies and to negotiate resources for wider participation in higher education for ethnic minority students. Special attention will be on examples of good practice.

Liz Thomas, Staffordshire University, United Kingdom
Comparative analysis of higher education students from alternative countries of origin, language or ethnic groups to the majority

Drawing on a comparative research project examining access to, and success in, tertiary education by students from specific under-represented groups in ten countries this paper will examine the degree to which ethnic minority students are admitted to the academy and how they fare, and it will demonstrate the extent to which common or unique issues create barriers. The paper will conclude by identifying some potential critical success factors.

Rick Wolff, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Ethnic minority students in Dutch higher education: networking and safety nets

National data on Dutch higher education show that attrition rates of ethnic minority students are higher than attrition rates of students of Dutch origin. Recent qualitative research compared ethnic minority students who stayed in with those who dropped out. A model on dropout in higher education will illustrate the findings of this study.

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