Access and equity: second chance education bring the policy directives into life

Abstract

This case study illustrates how, in a time of exclusion, some initiatives still attempt to embrace the traditional concerns of inclusion. The University of Waikato in 2000 decided to push the access and equity policy envelope and ran a programme that enabled the inclusion of students into the university campus who previously would have been excluded by their lack of entrance qualifications till they were over 20. Primarily comprised of 18-19 years olds, this group represents the generation who have developed throughout the era of stratification and diversity that the conference theme denotes. This identity of the group is juxtaposed with the impetus behind their inclusion into the university’s structure. The paper will explain in detail what the Certificate of University Preparation (CUP) initiative is, its relationship to the policy directive of access and equity and why the author feels that it embraces the values of inclusion rather than exclusion, albeit in today’s consumer society. This will be done from the perspective of someone who is involved in the delivery of the Certificate and presents an exploration of the ‘issues’ associated with the programme.