Los sistemas de acceso, normativa, permanencia y estrategias de tutoría y retención de estudiantes en educación superior

Access to and retention in university remains a major challenge for university systems and the institutions that comprise them. It is often related to the quality of training, is used as an important indicator of institutional efficiency and is related to equity. Particularly, there is concern about the impact that certain ways of organizing and developing training may have on the real possibilities of students linked to vulnerable groups (indigenous people, women, disabled people, minorities, migrants, groups with a low HDI, students from rural and non-habitual areas, among others) completing their university studies. Promotion through training is still considered an important factor in social mobility and another instrument to improve the necessary social cohesion. This contribution includes the national reports that have been carried out on access and retention systems in higher education in Latin American countries, including also the achievements of some European countries. They are the synthesis of the most significant aspects of nearly 20 Reports and the result of the activity developed in the ACCEDES project (https://edo.uab.cat/accedes), whose purpose is “To improve the access, promotion and graduation of vulnerable groups in environments at risk of social exclusion in Latin America”. They complete a set of publications focused on university guidance and tutoring processes focused on vulnerable groups, which seek to disseminate existing knowledge while encouraging and supporting the intervention processes of university managers and teaching staff. We hope that its content serves the aforementioned purpose and contributes to improving the balance between quality and equity in university systems.