Widening participation
Uppsala University welcomes students from different backgrounds and actively works with widening participation based on the idea that the breadth of perspectives both enriches the programmes and increases the opportunities to meet future research and societal challenges. The work aims to ensure that everyone, regardless of background, sees studying at Uppsala University as an opportunity.
To continue to attract a diverse student body, it is important to systematically work on recruiting the most motivated students, regardless of background, and to give them the support and conditions they need to complete their studies. In 2024, the Vice-Chancellor decided how to conduct this work at Uppsala University.
Purpose and overall goals of widening participation
Following previous action plans, the overall and general objectives of the work are to increase the propensity of underrepresented groups to apply to higher education and to support students to take up the programme and thus improve throughput. The work covers first-cycle, second-cycle and third-cycle programmes.
The process
The responsibility for widening participation rests with the respective faculty/area management, which, with the support of a central support function, works in a three-year process with four stages:
1. Mapping and analysis
As a basis for the faculties' work with analysis and goal formulation, a survey of the student population is provided. This will be done by HERO – Uppsala University's Centre for Higher Education and Research as a study object. The mapping will form the basis for the work with analysis and goal formulation.
The factors that the survey provides a basis for working with and following up are social background, gender, Swedish/foreign background and geographical background.
2. Formulation of objectives
Every three years, each area board/faculty board identifies in which direction the student population needs to be broadened and formulates monitorable goals for this. The goals should endeavour to reduce unequal recruitment in terms of one or more of the factors social background, gender, Swedish/foreign background and geographical background.
The goals can be linked to a specific programme, for example increasing the proportion of men on a certain programme, or to a larger area, or increasing the proportion of students with a Swedish background on a faculty's undergraduate programmes.
It is up to each area/faculty board to decide which area is most important to broaden recruitment in. The effects are followed up through recurring student surveys and need to be formulated so that this is possible. To have the power to work sustainably with the goals, these should not be too many and a revision of the goals is made every three years. The Vice-Chancellor finally sets the targets.
3. Activities
Each area board/faculty board decides on the activities to be carried out to achieve the objectives, when they will take place and who is responsible for what. The work is integrated into the regular operational planning process. A plan for the work is communicated to the Vice-Chancellor, which enables an overall picture of Uppsala University's work and facilitates coordination and learning between the various parts of the University.
4. Follow-up
Each area board/faculty board is responsible for ensuring that the work is followed up annually. The Vice-Chancellor follows up the work within the framework of quality dialogues with the academic areas.
Every three years, the area board/faculty board submits a report on the activities carried out and an analysis of the results. Based on the reports, the University Administration compiles a university-wide report that is submitted to the Vice-Chancellor and disseminated internally for joint learning. Regular student surveys show the effects of the work.
Decisions and reports
- Mission for Uppsala University's work to promote widening participation (in Swedish) Pdf, 2 MB.
- Goals and activities for Uppsala University's work to promote widening participation 2025–2027 (in Swedish) Pdf, 965 kB.
- HERO report: Student reqruitment at Uppsala University (in Swedish) Pdf, 2 MB.
- Good examples – widening participation at Uppsala University (in Swedish)
- UKÄ's evaluation on widening participation
Contact
- The continued work on widening participation is carried out within the framework of regular activities at the local level. The Communications Division and the Student Affairs and Academic Registry Division are jointly responsible for providing support or acting as a sounding board during the process.
- Cecilia Edin, Student Affairs and Academic Registry Division
- Joachim Ekström, Communications Division
- breddadrekrytering@uu.se