Towards a structural inequality framework for student retention and success

ABSTRACT

University campuses are increasingly diverse, reflecting substantial growth in student enrolments, but this has not translated to equitable outcomes for all students. While much attention has been focused on student retention and success, particularly for those from non-traditional backgrounds, dominant theoretical models rest on a limited notion of cultural capital that places undue responsibility on students themselves. We suggest that structural inequality, whereby some people receive unequal privileges and opportunities, offers a more productive, less problematic framework for use by academic staff, university leaders and policy makers to address these challenges. In this article, we identify three types of structural inequality – vertical, horizontal, and internal – and include a taxonomy of internal inequalities to prompt further research and policy outcomes. Put simply, rather than ask how students can build cultural capital to assimilate to their institutions, we should ask what institutions can do to include students, staff, and the wider community.

KEYWORDS:

• Social inclusion
• structural inequality
• retention
• attrition
• higher education

Acknowledgements

The work was supported by the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education’s Research Grants Scheme.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Ryan Naylor http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6880-6463

Nathan Mifsud http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7794-8041

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education’s Research Grants Scheme.