Peer Learning Activities and Resources to Underpin the Principles and Guidelines for Social Dimension across the European Higher Education Area
PAGs toolkit
The project partners developed a PAGs toolkit to support national authorities and higher education institutions in reviewing their current policies and practices on the social dimension and receiving advice with action points for improvement
Why develop a PAGs toolkit?
At the Rome 2020 Ministerial Conference, education ministers across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) endorsed the “Principles and Guidelines to Strengthen the Social Dimension of Higher Education in the EHEA”. As the PAGs had only recently been adopted at the time, national authorities and higher education institutions began considering and planning how to implement them within their systems.
The BFUG Working Group on Social Dimension developed a system of indicators to monitor the implementation of the PAGs at both national and European levels. The PAGs toolkit was aligned with these indicators and included information on the PAGs, relevant frameworks, and self-assessment tools. These resources enabled national authorities and higher education institutions to evaluate their existing practices against the indicators and receive guidance on potential areas for improvement.
Methodology
A mixed-methods approach was used to map European policies and to examine the needs of national authorities, higher education institutions, and students across the EHEA regarding the PAGs:
- Desk research
- Online survey research
- Peer-learning activities
Outcomes
Based on identified needs, project partners developed for the PAGs:
- A comprehensive action framework that proposes a comprehensive overview of objectives and action points which institutional stakeholders should consider –separately or in concert – to install the PAGs at the national or institutional level
- Self-assessment tools that support national authorities to check their current practices against the PAGs framework and receive advice on action points for improvement
- Guidelines that offer practical tips and advice for national authorities and higher education institutions on how to implement the specific PAGs in a sustainable way
