Policy Framing in Higher Education in Canada

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Higher education is a policy field crossed by multiple issues that often have a global resonance but are framed based upon local idiosyncrasies. This chapter examines how policies give sense and address the four following issues: (1) access, success and social mobility; (2) skills and employment; (3) research, innovation and economic development; and (4) regional integration and internationalization. A review of 65 policy documents, 75 articles from the Canadian Journal of Higher Education and 64 scholarly productions from other sources suggests that, since the 1980s, most issues relied upon frames emphasizing the economic utility of higher education. The chapter ends with an analysis of two Canadian realities: the place of Indigenous and Francophone communities in higher education systems. Our analysis then suggests that a new frame, i.e. “inclusion,” permeates the issues of access, research, employment and even internationalization.

This content has been updated on 17 May 2023 at 12 h 20 min.