Dimensiunea socială în universităţile româneşti – dezvoltări asimetrice [Social Dimension in Romanian Higher Education Institutions – Asimetric Developments]

Social dimension of higher education institutions (HEIs) has become a key-topic, of increased concern, reflections and actions undertaken in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the Member States. The arguments for putting the social dimension of HEIs as one of the priority of action relate to the need that the participation in HEIs should reflect the diversity of the population, ensuring that every student, irrespective her/his personal, social, economic background, has equal chances to access quality higher education. Such efforts are needed to ensure, for the competence society, with decreasing number of youth, the human capital able to cope with its challenges. The paper reflects the state of the art in Romanian Higher Education with regard to implementing the social dimension. The analysis of national educational policies and of the strategic plans of development for 2016-2020 of the universities show that the top-down policies are better represented. The HEIs, in spite of their autonomy, prove quite limited view and developments with regard of implementing the social dimension, irrespective they are big or smaller universities.

Keywords: social dimension, equity, higher education, underrepresented groups