Strategies to Overcome Diversity Challenges between Urban/Rural Students in Universities

Abstract

The urban-rural imbalance between university students raises diversity challenges in many educational institutions. University leaders favor urban students’ admission because of the misconception that rural students have lower academic performance than their urban counterparts. Here, strategies to overcome diversity challenges between urban and rural students in universities have been proposed. A diversification workshop project was suggested to be delivered for the current and/or incoming students at KAU in Rabigh to improve students attitudes towards their peers (student-to-student) and faculty-to-student interactions. Project learning outcomes for an inclusive urban/rural campus were discussed to overcome differences between students and achieve campus inclusion. Reform actions highlight that students should understand others, be respectful, accept differences and avoid stereotyping and undermining others’ abilities. Two successful urban/rural models were introduced to address diversity-related problems. Leadership roles of all university parties have been explained with the suggested procedures and their frequencies according to university standards, regulation, potential budget, and funding for the proposed project to attain KAU campus homogeneity. Gender bias, racial bias, and unconscious bias are some of the difficulties that need to be recognized by university leaders. Several media/article resources were introduced to increase students/faculty awareness about rural/urban diversity.

Rural students’ transition in and through a semi-urban university: Experiences from the National University of Lesotho

“…Students who enter university from rural backgrounds have unique experiences compared to their counterparts from the urban parts of the country (Maddah, 2019). In the case of Lesotho, it becomes clear that rural students also face numerous challenges in their transition into higher education, mainly due to the rural-urban imbalances that characterise this country.…”

“…Their description turned out to be congruent with the conceptualisation of rurality adopted in this paper provided in the literature section. For instance, they indicated that rurality means, among others, a geographic area that is located away from the cities or towns, where only a few services are available (Leibowitz, 2017;Maddah, 2019). For some, rurality means a purely traditional area, with traditional ways of living and doing things.…”

“…Rurality is further defined in terms of impoverishment, isolation, and deficit discourses. It brings to mind thoughts of cornfields, slowness, quietude, lack of public transportation and other infrastructure, and limited resources (Corbett, 2014;Maddah, 2019).…”

“…Rural students are confronted with unfamiliar environments, with different social practices and a campus culture that leaves them feeling inferior (Timmis et al, 2019). Maddah (2019) adds that rural students are seen as slow, socially isolated and prone to lower academic performance than their urban peers.…”

“…There is a considerable disparity between urban and rural populations, in terms of educational facilities and other related services. Due to these disparities, students from deep rural backgrounds do not start their higher education on an equal footing with their urban counterparts (Moletsane, 2012;Azano & Steward, 2016;Timmis, 2018;Maddah, 2019;Timmis, Mgqwashu, Naidoo, Muhuro, Trahar, Lucas, Wisker & de Wet, 2019). While some rural students still manage to do well in their studies, their transition through higher education is, in most cases, not a smooth one (Masaiti, Banda, Kalinde & Bwalya, 2021).…”