Rome
Ministerial
Communiqué
A N N E X

IIPrinciples and Guidelines to Strengthen
the Social Dimension of Higher Educationin the EHEA
Prepared by the BFUG Advisory Group 1 on Social Dimension

Introduction
The 2018 Paris Communiqué recognized the need to guide member states on how to define and implement policy
for improving the social dimension of the EHEA. This document outlines core principles and guidelines, which we
believe are fundamental to the further development of the social dimension in higher education. This document
takes as its starting point the definition of the social dimension provided in the 2007 London Communiqué, namelythat the composition of the student body entering, participating in and completing higher education at all levels
should correspond to the heterogeneous social profile of society at large in the EHEA countries. The Advisory Groupfor Social Dimension also goes beyond the before mentioned definition and has enlarged the definition by stressingthat the social dimension encompasses creation of inclusive environment in higher education that fosters equity,
diversity, and is responsive to the needs of local communities.
The principles and guidelines within this document complement the EHEA 2020 strategy “Widening Participation
for Equity and Growth”1, which ministers adopted in Yerevan in 2015 as a means to further strengthen the social
dimension while concomitantly contributing to increasing quality in higher education. The social dimension shouldinterconnect the principles of accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion into all laws, policies and practices concerning
higher education in such a way that access, participation, progress and completion of higher education depend
primarily on students’ abilities, not on their personal characteristics or circumstances beyond their direct influence.
With this scope at heart, public authorities should support the implementation of these Principles and Guidelines byoffering a legal, financial, administrative and informative framework that can initiate processes of implementation at
the local level. This framework will promote inclusive strategies, which provide both specific support for vulnerable,
disadvantaged and underrepresented students2 as well as highlight broader measures and policies wherefrom thestudent population and staff employed at higher education institutions can mutually benefit.
Increased participation of vulnerable, disadvantaged and underrepresented groups in higher education produces
wider benefits with respect to decreased social welfare provision, improved health outcomes and increased
community involvement. Collectively, these wider benefits sustain cohesive, democratic societies where social
justice, public good, public responsibility and social mobility prevail. Graduate qualifications delivered to a wider poolof citizens means better employment prospects, higher earnings premiums and the passing on of an appreciation
for the benefits of higher education to the next generation and to their local communities. Beyond reaching thecommitments made by the EHEA, taking a holistic and proactive approach to improving the social dimension ofhigher education further serves to accelerate progress in attaining the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
These Principles and Guidelines set the course for the next decade of the EHEA for public authorities and higher
education institutions to integrate these principles into the core higher education missions: learning and teaching,research, innovation, knowledge exchange and outreach, institutional governance and management, as well as in
the policies for empowering present and future students and higher education staff. Improving the social dimension
by moving beyond widening accessibility clauses and instead focusing on the concept of ‘leaving no one behind’is a crucial step forward when looking to strengthen our societies and democracies. Supporting diverse learning

1
Accessible at http://www.ehea.info/media.ehea.info/file/2015_Yerevan/71/5/Widening_Participation_for_Equity_and_Growth_A_Strategy_for_the_Development_of_the_SD_and_LLL_in_the_EHEA_to_2020_613715.pdf
2
Glossary of Terms and Definitions related to the definitions for vulnerable, disadvantaged and underrepresented students
is at the end of this document.

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ROME MINISTERIAL COMMUNIQUÉ | Annex II

environments is a necessity and should be seen as an investment towards societies, and public authorities needto shoulder the responsibility of ensuring that the proposed principles and guidelines are consulted, adjusted tonational realities and implemented, in order to safeguard a better future for our higher education systems.
Principles in the text below should be understood as high-level statements that serve as a basis for the conceptualizationof different policies for social dimension enhancement. Guidelines are recommendations intended to advise policy
makers on how the principles should be implemented in practice. Therefore, the entirety of this document is not to be
seen as a checklist, but rather as the basis for continuous improvement of policies and their effective implementation
at national and institutional level.

Principles
1.

The social dimension should be central to higher education strategies at system and institutional level, as
well as at the EHEA and the EU level. Strengthening the social dimension of higher education and fostering
equity and inclusion to reflect the diversity of society is the responsibility of a higher education system as a wholeand should be regarded as a continuous commitment.
Guidelines:
Strategic commitment to the social dimension of higher education should be aligned with concrete targets
that can either be integrated within existing higher education policies or developed in parallel. These targets
should aim at widening access, supporting participation in and completion of studies for all current andfuture students.
In the process of creating strategies there should be a broad-based dialogue between public authorities, higher
education institutions, student and staff representatives and other key stakeholders, including social partners,
non-governmental organisations and people from vulnerable, disadvantaged and underrepresented groups.
This broad-based dialogue is to ensure the creation of inclusive higher education strategies that foster equity
and diversity, and are responsive to the needs of the wider community.

2. Legal regulations or policy documents should allow and enable higher education institutions to develop
their own strategies to fulfil their public responsibility towards widening access to, participation in andcompletion of higher education studies.
Guidelines:
Legal regulations and administrative rules should allow sufficient flexibility in the design, organisation anddelivery of study programmes to reflect the diversity of students’ needs. Higher education institutions should
be enabled to organise full-time and part-time studies, flexible study modes, blended and distance learning
as well as to recognise prior learning (RPL), in order to accommodate the needs of the diverse student
population.
Public authorities should promote recognition of prior non-formal and informal learning (RPL) in higher
education, because it has a positive impact on widening access, transition and completion, equity andinclusion, mobility and employability. RPL enables flexible modes of lifelong learning in the entire education
sector, including higher education. Implementing RPL will require effective cooperation amongst the higher
education system, employers and the wider community and to enable this national qualifications frameworks
should facilitate transparent recognition of learning outcomes and reliable quality assurance procedures.

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3. The inclusiveness of the entire education system should be improved by developing coherent policies fromearly childhood education, through schooling to higher education and throughout lifelong learning.
Guidelines:
It is important to create synergies with all education levels and related policy areas (such as finance,
employment, health and social welfare, housing, migration etc.) in order to develop policy measures thatcreate an inclusive environment throughout the entire education sector that fosters equity, diversity, andinclusion, and is responsive to the needs of the wider community.
The social dimension policies should not only support current students, but also potential students in their
preparation and transition into higher education. Participation in higher education has to be a lifelong option,
including for adults who decide to return to or enter higher education at later stages in their lives. An inclusive
approach needs to involve wider communities, higher education institutions and other stakeholder groups toco-create pathways to higher education.
Equity, diversity and inclusion should play a key role in the training of pre higher education teachers.

4. Reliable data is a necessary precondition for an evidence-based improvement of the social dimension ofhigher education. Higher education systems should define the purpose and goals of collecting certain typesof data, taking into account the particularities of the national legal frameworks. Adequate capacities to collect,process and use such data to inform and support the social dimension of higher education should be developed.
Guidelines:
In order to develop effective policies, continuous national data collection is necessary. Within the limits ofnational legal frameworks, such data collection should provide information on the composition of the student
body, access and participation, drop-out and completion of higher education, including the transition to thelabour market after completion of studies, and allow for the identification of vulnerable, disadvantaged andunderrepresented groups.
In order to make such data collection comparable internationally, work on categories for administrative
data collection that are relevant for the social dimension should be developed at the EHEA level throughEurostudent or similar surveys. With the aim to rationalize the process and avoid administrative burden on
public administration and higher education institutions, this development should take account of existing
national practices and relevant data collection processes.
Such national data collection exercises could, where relevant and necessary, be complemented by higher education
institutions undertaking additional surveys, research and analysis to better understand vulnerability, disadvantages,
and underrepresentation in education, as well as transitions of students across the education system.

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5. Public authorities should have policies that enable higher education institutions to ensure effective
counselling and guidance for potential and enrolled students in order to widen their access to, participationin and completion of higher education studies. These services should be coherent across the entire education
system, with special regard to transitions between different educational levels, educational institutions and into
the labour market.
Guidelines:
Public authorities should create conditions that enable collaboration between different public institutions
that provide counselling and guidance services together with higher education institutions in order to createsynergies and omit duplication of similar services. These services should uphold the principles of clarity anduser-friendliness, because end users must be capable of understanding them easily.
Within a diverse student body, special attention should be directed towards students with physical andpsychological health challenges. These students should have access to professional support to secure theirsuccess in accessing and completing higher education studies. Special focus should be placed on preventionof psychological challenges caused by the organisation of study and students’ living conditions.
Public authorities should also consider setting up ombudsperson-type institutions that will have the capacityand knowledge to mediate any conflicts, particularly related to equity issues that may arise during accessingor participating in higher education, or conflicts that hinder the completion of studies.

6. Public authorities should provide sufficient and sustainable funding and financial autonomy to higher
education institutions enabling them to build adequate capacity to embrace diversity and contribute toequity and inclusion in higher education.
Guidelines:
Higher education funding systems should facilitate the attainment of strategic objectives related to thesocial dimension of higher education. Higher education institutions should be supported and rewarded formeeting agreed targets in widening access, increasing participation in and completion of higher education
studies, in particular in relation to vulnerable, disadvantaged and underrepresented groups. Mechanisms forachieving these targets should not have negative financial consequences for higher education institutions’core funding.
Financial support systems should aim to be universally applicable to all students, however, when this is notpossible, the public student financial support systems should be primarily needs-based and should makehigher education affordable for all students, foster access to and provide opportunities for success in higher
education. They should mainly contribute to cover both the direct costs of study (fees and study materials)
and the indirect costs (e.g. accommodation, which is becoming increasingly problematic for students acrossthe EHEA due to the increased housing, living, and transportation costs, etc.).

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7. Public authorities should help higher education institutions to strengthen their capacity to respond to theneeds of a more diverse student and staff body and create inclusive learning environments and inclusive
institutional cultures.
Guidelines:
Public authorities should support and provide adequate means to higher education institutions to improve
initial and continuing professional training for academic and administrative staff to enable them to work
professionally and equitably with a diverse student body and staff.
Whenever possible, external quality assurance systems should address how the social dimension, diversity,
accessibility, equity and inclusion are reflected within the institutional missions of higher education
institutions, whilst respecting the principle of autonomy of higher education institutions.

8. International mobility programs in higher education should be structured and implemented in a way that
foster diversity, equity and inclusion and should particularly foster participation of students and staff fromvulnerable, disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds.
Guidelines:
International experiences through learning mobility improve the quality of learning outcomes in higher
education. Public authorities and higher education institutions should ensure equal access for all to thelearning opportunities offered by national and international learning and training mobility programmes andactively address obstacles to mobility for vulnerable, disadvantaged or underrepresented groups of students
and staff.
Besides further support to physical mobility, including full portability of grants and loans across the
EHEA, public authorities and higher education institutions should facilitate the use of information andcommunications technology (ICT) to support blended mobility and to foster internationalisation at home byembedding international online cooperation into courses. Blended mobility is the combination of a period ofphysical mobility and a period of online learning. Such online cooperation can be used to extend the learning
outcomes and enhance the impact of physical mobility, for example by bringing together a more diverse
group of participants, or to offer a broader range of mobility options.

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9. Higher education institutions should ensure that community engagement in higher education promotes
diversity, equity and inclusion.
Guidelines:
Community engagement should be considered as a process whereby higher education institutions engage
with external community stakeholders to undertake joint activities that can be mutually beneficial. Like social
dimension policies, community engagement should be embedded in core missions of higher education. Itshould engage with teaching and learning, research, service and knowledge exchange, students and staff
and management of higher education institutions. Such engagement provides a holistic basis on which
universities can address a broad range of societal needs, including those of vulnerable, disadvantaged andunderrepresented groups, while enriching their teaching, research and other core functions.
Community stakeholders (e.g. local authorities, cultural organisations, non-governmental organisations,businesses, citizens) should be able to meaningfully engage with higher education actors through open
dialogue. This will enable genuine university-community partnerships, which can effectively address socialand democratic challenges.

10. Public authorities should engage in a policy dialogue with higher education institutions and other relevant
stakeholders about how the above principles and guidelines can be translated and implemented both atnational system and institutional level.
Guidelines:
Such policy dialogue should allow to develop fit for purpose policy measures, which should respectinstitutional autonomy, avoid any unnecessary administrative burden, and thus enable concrete progress
towards diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education.
Within the scope of the above principles and guidelines, peer support and exchange of good practices are
crucial among EHEA countries in order to facilitate progress towards the inclusiveness of higher education
systems.

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Glossary of Terms and Definitions3This glossary defines the three central terms in this document, namely underrepresented, disadvantaged andvulnerable students. The definitions are not to be understood as legal definitions and therefore do not conflict withany existing legal regulations, rather they are intended as explanatory definitions used in relation to the contents of
the Principles and Guidelines.

Underrepresented students:
A group of learners is underrepresented in relation to certain characteristics (e.g. gender, age, nationality, geographic
origin, socio-economic background, ethnic minorities) if its share among the students is lower than the share of acomparable group in the total population. This can be documented at the time of admission, during the courseof studies or at graduation. Individuals usually have several underrepresented characteristics, which is why
combinations of underrepresented characteristics (“intersectionality”) should always be considered. Furthermore,
underrepresentation can also impact at different levels of higher education – study programme, faculty or department,
higher education institution, higher education system.
This definition is complementary to the London Communiqué, “that the student body entering, participating in andcompleting higher education at all levels should reflect the diversity of our populations”, but does not fully cover it.

Disadvantaged students:
Disadvantaged students often face specific challenges compared to their peers in higher education. This can takemany forms (e.g. disability, low family income, little or no family support, orphan, many school moves, mental health,pregnancy, having less time to study because one has to earn one’s living by working or having caring duties). The
disadvantage may be permanent, may occur from time to time or only for a limited period.
Disadvantaged students can be part of an underrepresented group, but do not have to be. Therefore, disadvantaged
and underrepresented are not synonymous.

Vulnerable students:
Vulnerable students may be at risk of disadvantage (see above) and in addition have special (protection) needs. For
example, because they suffer from an illness (including mental health) or have a disability, because they are minors,
because their residence permit depends on the success of their studies (and thus also on decisions made by individual
teachers), because they are at risk of being discriminated against. These learners are vulnerable in the sense that they
may not be able to ensure their personal well-being, or that they may not be able to protect themselves from harmor exploitation and need additional support or attention.

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This glossary is intended only for the purpose of these Principles and Guidelines.

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