"We Agree It's Important; Why Don't We Do It?" Evaluation in University Social Inclusion Programs

• In Event: Research on Evaluation Capacity Building and Practice

Abstract

This study examines how staff involved in university social inclusion programs perceive the importance of evaluation to their practice and institution. Despite the importance of supporting student diversity in modern higher education, concerns have been raised that equity program evaluation is often cursory or an afterthought, and a gap exists in the literature concerning why this is the case. This study contributes to our understanding of this issue by using positioning theory to analyze data from semi-structured interviews of nine equity practitioners at a research-intensive university. Inconsistencies were found between the university’s social inclusion policy position and practitioners’ lived experiences of the institution’s priorities, which may contribute to this issue. Implications for university policy and practice are also discussed.

Author

• Ryan Naylor, The University of Melbourne