Abstract:
This presentation is based on the premise that access is not inclusion, and that whilst higher education institutions may have ‘widened access’, they have not yet created fully inclusive spaces for learning and research. In response, I explore strategies for creating a more equitable and inclusive university community, with the potential to reach and influence our broader communities. In particular, I will discuss four empirically founded principles of inclusivity (learner centredness, cohesive commitment to inclusivity, epistemological equity, and adopting a radical approach to inclusivity in universities) that underpin successful equity interventions and practice. Finally, we will consider how you might adopt/adapt strategy and intervention to your specific university cohort and context to enhance equality, inclusion and diversity.
About the speaker:
Dr Gail Crimmins is Deputy Head (Learning and Teaching), School of Business and Creative Industries, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. She is a feminist academic who employs arts-informed and narrative methodologies to uncover and re-present the voices and experience of often ‘yet to be voiced’ (Arnot & Reay, 2007) women. Gail’s research involves gender, inclusion, and diversity in higher education, and working with women in rural, regional, and remote locations in Australia to support and understand women’s leadership in these communities. She has published three books and over 30 academic papers. You can follow her on Twitter: @CrimminsGail
