Focus group sessions in the context of the European project InclusiPHE
Focus group sessions in the context of the European project InclusiPHE
Focus group sessions in the context of the European project InclusiPHE
In this project, among others, research work is being developed on the participation of different students in the life of their institutions
In the context of the European InclusiPHE project, launched last February, research and other work is now being carried out into the involvement of different students in the life of their institutions, in order to design strategies aimed at promoting higher education organisations and more inclusive student organisations, and also to identify good practices and innovative ways for more inclusive involvement of the various student typologies.
To do this, a series of focus group sessions have been held by the various European partners of the project, with the participation of university students belonging to the "non-traditional" collective, such as adult students, students in ongoing educational activity, student parents/mothers, migrant students, students with disabilities, etc., as well as university managerial and services staff.
Some of the conclusions arising from the session held with the student body and working staff of Mondragon Mondragon University are as follows:
- There are many kinds of barriers that non-traditional students may encounter, and many of these barriers are difficult to detect, although this mainly refers to those concerning the accessibility of spaces and resources (both economical, pedagogical...). Both male and female students may impose some cultural barriers on themselves. But there is a need to standardise their situation and give them visibility.
- COVID-19 has hampered university relations at the university. Working online and from home does not facilitate integration or relationships... it could even be perceived as leading to exclusion, although some positive consequences arising from the pandemic have been noticed: studying from home can be a positive thing if you have a lot of time, or if you have difficulty getting around... But on a more general level, COVID-19, and more specifically telestudy, does not bring any advantages, especially in degrees in which team-working is very important. If there is no trust between people beforehand, team building becomes very difficult.
- At Mondragon University we have the required structures to bring about participation between male and female students, but what we need is to make this the focal point, so that there is effective participation. In our organisation, student participation is part of the university's DNA, given that the students are members of the association. But, because of lack of time or interest, not all the students wish to participate. We have to work on the cultural part. In this regard, working closely with the teaching staff, worried by the emotional side, may help to achieve compromise and the participation of the student body. We must be aware of the impact of teaching staff on the latter.
The legal form of a cooperative, its management model and organisation, as well as the philosophy applied to its modus operandi, all contribute towards Mondragon University students being able to be effectively and closely involved in the growth and life of the university itself. However, the student groups that make up the university are becoming increasingly diverse, with various characteristics and needs, and Mondragon University is well aware of this. This is why we understand that projects like this can help our own university and other institutions to implement strategies to promote a more active and inclusive participation of the student body.