{"title":"Students as (More Than) Consumers? An Exploration of Undergraduates' Discourses and Practices in Marketised Higher Education","authors":"Carlos Azevedo","doi":"10.1111/hequ.70060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.70060","url":null,"abstract":"<p>‘Students as consumers’ has become the dominant discourse applied to English undergraduate students in the United Kingdom. This construction by policymakers is linked to the marketisation of higher education and the increased financial contribution of English students towards their studies. However, the construction of students as consumers, from their perspectives, has received little empirical attention. Drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews with English undergraduates in England and Scotland, this article argues that while policymakers construct students as consumers, students do not enact this uniformly. The degrees to which their discourses and practices present aspects of consumerism, instrumentality and passivity vary considerably and are enacted in different combinations according to the number of contact hours on a course, and socio-economic and education backgrounds. This article provides a comprehensive picture of students in a marketised system and shows how ‘students as consumers’ impacts students' discourses and practices, informing higher education management and policymakers about its potential consequences.</p>","PeriodicalId":51607,"journal":{"name":"HIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY","volume":"79 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/hequ.70060","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144923840","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring Barriers and Facilitators to Assessment Performance and Strategies for Change: Perspectives From Minority Ethnic Female Psychology Students","authors":"Leslie Morrison Gutman, Fatima Younas","doi":"10.1111/hequ.70058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.70058","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Across universities in the United Kingdom (UK), there is a long-standing gap in degree award outcomes for minority ethnic undergraduate students. While quantitative data demonstrate the pervasiveness of this gap, there is less qualitative research contextualising its intersectional influences, especially focused on students' experiences with module assessments. This qualitative study explored perceived barriers and enablers to students' preparation for and performance on module assessments through interviews with 14 minority ethnic female undergraduates attending a large, public research university in the UK. A focus group was conducted to generate and contextualise strategies for positive change. Themes were coded using an intersectional tool developed for the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), which were then mapped to behaviour change techniques (BCTs). Fourteen themes were identified; the majority focused on social and environmental influences on students' assessment performance. Strategies include creating spaces for more collaboration with peers, embedding diversity in readings and lectures, incorporating opportunities for formative feedback and enabling student agency.</p>","PeriodicalId":51607,"journal":{"name":"HIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY","volume":"79 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/hequ.70058","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144920553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An Examination of Tuition Revenue Dependence as a Predictor of Master's Programme and Degree Completion Growth in the United States","authors":"Joseph H. Paris, James R. Stefanelli","doi":"10.1111/hequ.70059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.70059","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Since the 1970s, master's degrees represent the fastest growing degree in the United States (US). Accordingly, there is a need for greater understanding of the factors that have contributed to this sustained, upward trend. Guided by resource dependence theory, we conducted hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses to examine whether more than 1000 non-profit US institutions' dependence on tuition revenue (i.e., tuition revenue as a percentage of core revenues) is a statistically significant predictor of the percentage change in the number of master's degree programmes offered and master's degree completions between 2005 and 2023. We found that tuition revenue does not make a statistically significant contribution to the prediction of master's programmes offered and master's programme completions. However, we found that Baccalaureate Colleges and institutions with higher student-to-faculty ratios (i.e., fewer faculty resources) were significantly more likely to experience increases in master's programme offerings and completions, demonstrating that institutional adaptation to financial pressures is complex and shaped by more than tuition revenue generation alone. We conclude by discussing the implications for institutional decision-making, the importance of aligning the supply and demand for master's degrees, and directions for future research.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51607,"journal":{"name":"HIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY","volume":"79 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144920554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nuria Brufau Alvira, Peter Bannister, Alexandra Santamaría Urbieta
{"title":"Validating the PANDORA GenAI Susceptibility Rubric for Higher Education Assessment: A Field Test of All Translation and Interpreting BA Assignments","authors":"Nuria Brufau Alvira, Peter Bannister, Alexandra Santamaría Urbieta","doi":"10.1111/hequ.70056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.70056","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study, conducted at a fully online Spanish higher education institution, documents the validation of a bespoke quality assessment tool designed to measure the susceptibility of formative assignments to AI academic misconduct. The research explored the impact of Generative AI (GenAI) technologies in the Humanities. The framework study consisted of four stages: the design of a rubric (Stages 1–3) and its large-scale validation (Stage 4) through a field test in the Translation and Interpreting Studies Bachelor's Degree. This paper presents stage 4 results where lecturers (<i>n</i> = 29), using a bottom-up approach, voluntarily applied the tool to their teaching contexts and analysed assignments (<i>n</i> = 151) using the rubric, revealing significant vulnerabilities in assessments easily converted by GenAI or lacking originality and collaboration. The findings guided AI-integrated assessment designs that encourage complexity, creativity, and ethical engagement. This study outlines effective GenAI practices in assessment design and emphasises innovative methods for academic integrity in higher education.</p>","PeriodicalId":51607,"journal":{"name":"HIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY","volume":"79 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/hequ.70056","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144881496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Delphi Study on Ethical Challenges and Ensuring Academic Integrity Regarding AI Research in Higher Education","authors":"Aysun Güneş, Ayşegül Liman Kaban","doi":"10.1111/hequ.70057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.70057","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into higher education has revolutionised academic research and teaching, offered transformative opportunities while raising significant ethical challenges. This Delphi study investigates the ethical dilemmas and institutional requirements for maintaining academic integrity in AI-driven research. Through a structured, iterative process involving 12 international experts from academia, AI regulatory bodies, and research ethics committees, the study identifies key concerns such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, transparency, and authorship in AI-assisted research. The findings reveal a pressing need for clear ethical guidelines, robust institutional oversight, and enhanced collaboration between academia and industry to ensure responsible AI use. Experts emphasise the importance of developing enforceable policies, integrating AI ethics into academic curricula, and fostering transparency in AI decision-making processes. The study concludes that while AI offers immense potential for innovation, its ethical implications demand proactive governance and continuous policy refinement. By addressing these challenges, higher education institutions can uphold academic integrity, mitigate risks of misconduct, and promote the responsible development and application of AI technologies. This research provides actionable recommendations for policymakers, educators, and researchers, contributing to the creation of a sustainable and ethically sound AI ecosystem in academia.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51607,"journal":{"name":"HIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY","volume":"79 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144869192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring the Effectiveness of Institutional Policies and Regulations for Generative AI Usage in Higher Education","authors":"Yingying Jiang, Lindai Xie, Xiaoyu Cao","doi":"10.1111/hequ.70054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.70054","url":null,"abstract":"<p>As generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) becomes more integrated into higher education, institutions struggle to communicate clear and effective policies. This multiple-methods study examines survey and interview data collected with 124 undergraduates and seven faculty members from two U.S. R1 universities regarding their perceptions of institutional AI policies, supportive resources and challenges. Students reported that while classroom-level policies are recognised, institutional guidelines remain unclear. Similarly, faculty highlighted the implementation challenges they face due to practical constraints and insufficient training. Additional findings show that students aware of AI policies are less likely to use AI for writing and research; disciplinary and gender differences in institutional resources and policy awareness. Faculty interviews revealed themes such as AI use in research and varied colleague attitudes. Although this study is limited by the number of institutions and sample size, it highlights the need for ongoing research to support policy refinement.</p>","PeriodicalId":51607,"journal":{"name":"HIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY","volume":"79 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/hequ.70054","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144843564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gustavo Adolfo Yepes-López, Flavio Pinheiro Martins, José Luis Camarena, Ingrid Carolina Arango-Gil, Julián Mauricio Cruz-Pulido, Gustavo Fructuozo Loiola
{"title":"How Are HEIs Coping With the PRME Indicator System of University Social Responsibility? Evidence From Colombia","authors":"Gustavo Adolfo Yepes-López, Flavio Pinheiro Martins, José Luis Camarena, Ingrid Carolina Arango-Gil, Julián Mauricio Cruz-Pulido, Gustavo Fructuozo Loiola","doi":"10.1111/hequ.70052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.70052","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This exploratory research documents the implementation of the PRME Indicator System for University Social Responsibility (PISUSR) in the process of preparing the SIP report of 11 Colombian higher education institutions between 2020 and 2021. The study's objectives are twofold: first, to validate the precision, balance, clarity, comparability, timeliness, usefulness, comprehensiveness, and reliability of the indicator system; second, to evaluate the relevance and experience perceived by the participants during its implementation. The study employed a mixed-methods approach that included the application of surveys, semi-structured interviews, semantic networks, and sentiment analysis. The findings highlight positive views on the timeliness and usefulness of the PISUSR. However, participants noted challenges related to the clarity and precision of the information. By illuminating the successes and challenges faced by business schools in the Global South, we contribute to ongoing efforts to improve the measurement of responsible management education and sustainability practices in HEIs globally.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51607,"journal":{"name":"HIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY","volume":"79 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144810941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Strategy as Practice—Multilevel Institutional Work to Induce Change in Higher Education","authors":"Sari Stenvall-Virtanen","doi":"10.1111/hequ.70047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.70047","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The characteristics of institutional work in higher education change is an understudied topic in research. This article describes an institutional change process in higher education by analysing multilevel institutional work. Drawing on the results, the paper presents a modified process model on the multilevel institutional work and the related micro–macro linkages. The model describes how micro-level strategy work connects with organisational strategy, the macro-level development and policy. Based on the results, the institutional change in higher education is characterised by the interplay between practice work and boundary work in a process, which has special characteristics at different stages. The empirical focus of the study is in the engineering and technology education in Finland. Using a theory-informed, mixed-methods single-case study design, this study explores the characteristics of multilevel institutional work and transformation mechanisms. The results generate theoretical knowledge on the micro–macro linkages of the institutional change process in higher education.</p>","PeriodicalId":51607,"journal":{"name":"HIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY","volume":"79 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/hequ.70047","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144782225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Service of Education. Reconceptualising Teaching Quality and Its Measurement in Higher Education","authors":"Angela Paladino","doi":"10.1111/hequ.70050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.70050","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In this paper, we argue for the need to define teaching quality more broadly and consider how research across disciplines can inform how we reconsider our measurement of teaching quality. To enable this, we proffer that a move towards a portfolio approach to teaching quality assessment (TQA) is required. Drawing from the teaching quality and service quality literature, we present an overview of the facets of teaching quality to inform the development of a holistic TQA Framework. The TQA is to be employed at the individual, academic level. We present a brief case study of a faculty moving towards the use of a portfolio of measures to assess teaching quality and its relationship to the TQA in Australia. We contend that a more considered approach to how we measure teaching quality will provide fairer outcomes for all and minimise unintended consequences that often result from poor measure use. We conclude with considerations for policy and further research.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51607,"journal":{"name":"HIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY","volume":"79 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144782226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Moral Diversity in Institutional Policies Governing the Student Usage of Generative AI: An International Comparison","authors":"Christos Orfanidis","doi":"10.1111/hequ.70051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.70051","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper explores from an ethical standpoint how higher education institutions in three different countries (Canada, UK, and USA) have framed their policies containing guidelines in regard to the student usage of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). An inductive thematic analysis of the online GenAI policy sources of 36 universities has revealed the existence of different national patterns with regard to two major moral aspects. Firstly, institutions follow different moral frames to justify their critical or accepting stance towards GenAI, specifically conceptualised in this paper as: (a) moral consistency and (b) responsible futureproofing. Secondly, institutions assign different levels of moral authority to faculty as ultimate decision-makers, identified in the paper as (a) absolute, (b) restrained, and (c) hybrid. Through an international comparative discussion of these findings, the paper wishes to inform current and future policy (re)formations on the topic, as institutional work in the area is currently rapidly unfolding.</p>","PeriodicalId":51607,"journal":{"name":"HIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY","volume":"79 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/hequ.70051","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144782228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}