This article evaluates the design of the official language policy of the Norwegian government in the field of higher education, which was set out in two white papers in 2008 and 2020. The language policy aims to avoid domain loss of the Norwegian language and thus keep it 'complete' and able to function as a unifying factor in society. In the two…

Policy and research engagement is a timely topic for researchers, decision-makers, and higher education institutions that aim to promote engagement and impact. Examination of the complex research-policy relationship in the higher education sector has been largely overlooked. This paper addresses this issue by presenting findings from in-depth…

Background/purpose: Gender inequality in higher education remains a persistent issue that hinders the equitable access and participation of both women and men in the academic field. This study aims to analyze global research trends in gender inequality in higher education from 1993 to 2024, focusing on how these trends are reflected in…

Research on higher education policy in the United States often seeks to understand commonalities across state contexts to understand broader concepts influencing decision-making. However, this minimises the importance of abstract and distinct factors impacting policy processes within a state. While researchers in other fields attribute these…

The literature shows that the question of how to integrate quality assurance into higher education institutions is associated with several obstacles including non-support from university actors. This study explored the university actors' response to the recently implemented external quality assurance and accreditation regime for higher education…

In response to uncertain times, liberal democracies aspire to develop anticipatory practices that usher in changes in policies and governance. These practices include creating visions and implementing roadmaps, which seek to address, and ultimately preempt, future challenges (Anderson, 2010). While such practices are increasingly implemented today…

Hybrid teaching & learning (T&L) environments in higher education are on the rise. This study adopts a qualitative exploratory approach to draw on data from interviews with 15 academics to examine their perspectives of hybrid T&L in a higher education, post COVID-19 context. In a unique application of both the Reset, Restore, Reframe…

This article analyses how the future has been discussed in Swedish higher education and research policy, providing an overview of public inquiries during the period 1970-2020. Expanding on the conceptual framework of German historian Reinhart Koselleck, the article approaches discourses on the future through the analytical lens of sociology of…

Global scholarly narratives have identified a strong influence of anti-racist, anti-discrimination, and gender equality movements and discourses on affirmative actions in higher education in different national contexts. While empirically valid for various cases, this portrait overlooks affirmative actions' problematic entanglements with other…

Discussions about the role of universities have long been framed in terms of questions of what is good for the public, as well as how and whether higher education serves that good. Today, the language of 'societal impact' has become an accepted way for policymakers to frame the matter, but just who is included in the underlying definition of…

The rise of mental health challenges in higher education is increasingly impacting students, faculty, and staff, affecting academic success, job satisfaction, and the overall campus climate. Mental health supports are essential for fostering a thriving educational environment in higher education, benefiting students, faculty, and staff alike. As…

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the effects of standardization, accreditation process on academic freedom and quality learning in higher education institutes (HEIs). In addition, this study explores the mediating effects of academic freedom between standardization, accreditation and learning. Design/methodology/approach: To attain the…

This paper examines the impact of process mapping on the management of change in an academic library in a UK higher education institution. Book ordering has been highlighted by a group of subject librarians as being time-consuming and inefficient, detracting from their ability to respond to new challenges and opportunities. An action research…

There is a deficiency in scholarly research on higher education service animal policy that has created definitive gaps in how disability services office (DSO) directors approach policy development and how higher education institutions (HEIs) ensure access for service animal handlers. This qualitative research study aims to narrow these gaps by…

The rise of generative artificial intelligence systems is impacting teaching and learning at every level of education. In particular, colleges and universities are working hard to understand and adapt to advanced computer tools that pose challenges to some of the foundational structures of education. The immensity of this disruption is captured in…