Open-door academic policy

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An open-door academic policy, or open-door policy, is a policy whereby a university enrolls students without asking for evidence of previous education, experience, or references. Usually, payment of the academic fees (or financial support) is all that is required to enroll.

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Universities may not employ the open-door policy for all their courses, and those that have a universal open-door policy where all courses have no entry requirements are called open universities . The policy is sometimes characterized as a part of an educational revolution. [1] From the dictionary meaning of the open-door policy, which is the idea of granting access to all those who want access, [2] a similar idea can be drawn in terms of education. [3]

According to Deepa Rao, the open-door academic policy is one of the main ways in which adult learners become a part of university/college life. [4] The recognized demand for post-secondary education made many institutions commit strongly to the policy, but many concealed limitations in the policy can prevent some from securing a degree. [4]

History

In the early 20th century, higher education institutions opened at a rapid clip in western countries, and acceptance rates were generally low. This approach was strained as businesses increasingly demanded more employees who had earned advanced degrees. [5] The Civil Rights Movement and the Baby Boom also encouraged administrators to expand the open-door academic policy. [5]

As time went on, colleges and universities lowered their admission standards and increasingly offered financial support to attract more students. In some instances, this practice developed into an open-door policy, and institutions saw increased enrollment. [6]

Pros and cons

Open-door academic policies have been credited with increasing enrollment in underserved communities facing adverse social or economic factors. [5] The policy has also been credited with producing a skilled workforce and thereby economic benefits for greater society. [5]

Critics of such policies say that graduation rates of colleges are closely tied to their admissions policies. Six years after beginning a four-year program, an average of 60 percent of students nationwide will have graduated. However, that rate varies from 89 percent at colleges that accept less than one-quarter of applicants to 36 percent at those with an open admissions policy. [7] Others have argued that the reduced revenue associated with open-door policies can lead to disinvestment in other aspects of higher education such as employee salaries and technology costs. [5]

Demographics

Students at open-door universities tend to:

Limiting factors

Limiting factors restrict the student acceptance rate due to the following situations:

Notable institutions with open-door policies

The open-door academic policy's requirements can differ not only between different countries, but also between sub-national jurisdictions (states, provinces, regions). The following is a list of some universities and colleges around the world that have an open-door academic policy:

See also

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References

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