The ‘Increasingly diverse universities’ action plan created by the National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) is an overview of factors affecting the completion of studies and the development needs related to the support for learning and methods of support. The plan published today presents three action proposals for the concrete development of the study completion and support system to meet the needs of the increasingly diverse student spectrum in the coming years.
SYL has published an action plan called Increasingly diverse universities – Overview of support needs and presentation of development proposals to support the student spectrum. The plan describes the challenges faced by increasingly diverse students in successfully completing their studies and in starting their university studies. SYL is concerned about the decline in generic skills and calls for the requirements of the increasingly diverse students to be taken into account well in advance when planning support measures. In its plan, SYL proposes solutions for organising teaching support in an accessible and equal manner so that the level of education can be raised responsibly.
“It is crucial to think about new steps we can take to ensure that everyone pursuing a place in a higher education institution has a real chance to study and succeed in their studies. Involuntary exclusion from education can be a human tragedy that could be completely avoided with timely support and guidance,” SYL Board Member Heli Ylikoski emphasises.
In the action plan, SYL highlights the situation of diverse learners and the challenges of individual study arrangements, the students’ generic competences, and the position of students with an immigration background in education. According to the overview, systematic efforts are needed to develop working skills as part of courses and to identify the background factors affecting generic skills. The availability of individual support measures should be strengthened for the students most in need by defining the division of responsibilities and operating models. In addition, if the educational paths of diverse learners and students from different backgrounds are recognised already at the beginning of university studies, it can contribute to monitoring the progress of studies and finding solutions in cooperation between the teaching staff and the student.
“Increasing the level of education in an accessible way requires a rethink of the whole support system if we want every student to have a genuine opportunity to graduate. The conditions and practices for verifying the need for educational support should be clarified. A more uniform division of responsibilities would also further equip the teaching staff for meeting the needs of future generations of students,” SYL Board Member Samuli Leppämäki advises.
In the plan, SYL has put together three action proposals for making the higher education system more accessible:
- Set up a working group to prepare an evidence-based national support model for higher education
- Pilot a project of one year of preparatory education for a higher education degree for those who have completed upper secondary education
- Launch a pilot project on intensive guidance based on the number of academic credits accumulated at the end of the second year in university.
Mer information:
Samuli Leppämäki
Board Member
044 906 5001
samuli.leppamaki@syl.fi
Heli Ylikoski
Board Member
044 906 5002
heli.ylikoski@syl.fi
Nikolas Bursiewicz
Education Policy Adviser
041 515 2230
nikolas.bursiewicz@syl.fi
Heidi Rättyä
Education Policy Adviser
041 515 2231
heidi.rattya@syl.fi
Picture: Signe Brander / Helsinki City Museum
