Falling between the gaps: appraising the past and future of widening participation at Liverpool John Moores University

Of the many challenges facing Higher Education in the United Kingdom, widening participation is one of the most critical. Despite the support for enhancing access to Higher Education for excluded groups, such as ethnic minorities, forthcoming cuts in funding mean it will be harder for many institutions to meet their commitments to Widening Participation. This paper reviews the history of Widening Participation in higher education in the United Kingdom, focussing on the potential impact of current policy initiatives and the economic environment on Widening Participation at Liverpool John Moores University. The paper recognises the macro-level impact of increasing marketization of Higher Education on Widening Participation initiatives. It also explores micro-level issues, such a staff awareness and commitment to widening participation policy