Non-University Higher Education - (Understanding Student Experiences of Higher Education) by Holly Henderson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

What does 'local' mean when it describes a student or an institution of higher education? Holly Henderson explores this question by telling the story of students studying undergraduate degrees outside of the university, at colleges that offer degree courses but do not have university status. Because the students live at home while studying, and because the institutions themselves are seen to cater for a local rather than global student population, these are local students, studying local higher education. Importantly, the students are also studying in localities without a history of higher education provision, where the possibility of living in this place and studying for a degree is relatively new.

The book takes an in-depth approach to exploring how relationships to these places affect educational experience, how decisions are made about whether to leave or to stay for degree study, and what it means to be an undergraduate student who does not attend a university. As well as working against the easy assumptions to be made about the lives and characteristics of a surprisingly diverse and complex group of students, the book offers insights into the ways that place and space are crucial and often overlooked factors for anyone thinking about systemic and structural inequality in higher education.

Review Quotes

"That Non-University Higher Education crosses several boundaries - theoretical, sectoral, and disciplinary - means that contributions can be discerned in each of them. Its greatest value is perhaps in what its conceptual framework achieves, simultaneously connecting national setting, locality, and personal identity." --Higher Education

"Holly Henderson's book is a breath of fresh air. Based on a study of higher education students in further education colleges, her exciting reconsideration of the concept of 'local' reveals how injustices arise from mis-recognising connections between where and when students are located and how they might live their lives." --Monica McLean, Professor of Higher Education, University of Nottingham, UK

"This text offers a vital insight into, and critical analysis of, the experiences of students taking higher education courses at 'local' further education institutions. Richly empirical and convincingly argued, it questions and complicates assumptions about place and scale in the geographies of (higher) education." --Peter Kraftl, Professor of Human Geography, University of Birmingham, UK

"Holly Henderson's stunning book uses place, space, mobilities and imagined selves to provide insights into the lives of higher education students at local colleges. It breaks ground theoretically and provides rich insights into the lives of 'non-traditional' HE students." --Leesa Wheelahan, Professor and William G. Davis Chair in Community College Leadership, University of Toronto, Canada

About the Author