The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on institutional change processes and the collective capabilities of higher education and research institutions

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the public policies adopted to cope with the ensuing crisis had a significant impact on higher education and research institutions, and this captured the attention of numerous scholars. However, most of the analyses, especially those adopting a gender perspective, have focused on the impact of the pandemic on women as individuals (individual capabilities), while little attention has been paid to the impact on institutions and processes of structural change (collective capabilities). The capabilities approach (CA) is useful for analysing gender inequalities in higher education, and has also been used to examine the impact of the crisis on certain groups and situations. Based on the adaptation of this approach by Robeyns (2003) and Baser and Morgan (2008) to emphasise the importance of collective capabilities for individuals, institutions and society at large, this paper examines the institutional impact of the pandemic by drawing from the experiences of the six institutions in the GEARING-Roles project implementing gender equality plans (GEPs). To this end, we combine desk research of secondary sources with qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with representatives of the GEP implementers and observations of project meetings carried out between April 2020 and June 2022. Our findings indicate a considerable impact on the collective capabilities of the change agents in the participating institutions, which stem mainly from a lack of institutional commitment to the gender equality agenda, mobility restrictions and limited social relations. However, some positive elements also emerge, such as the teams’ exceptional capacity to adapt to adverse circumstances.

Policies, Projects, and Initiatives for Sustainable Higher Education with Gender Equity: Literature Review and Case Study—Universidad de La Frontera

“…This impact is mainly due to factors such as insufficient institutional commitment to the SDGs and gender issues and limitations on mobility and restricted social interactions. However, the findings are not lapidary and also highlight positive aspects, particularly the remarkable ability of teams to adapt to challenging future situations such as sustainability [35].…”

“…However, this strategy in higher education is limited, and gender equality policies are mainly directed at staff and the institution in general [28]. On the other hand, it can be recommended that the capability approach (CA) helps analyze gender inequalities in higher education, and it has also been used to examine the impact of the crisis on specific groups and situations [35]. 3.…”

“…The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on institutional change processes and the collective capabilities of higher education and research institutions [35] 160 Gender and higher education in African universities: A critical discourse analysis of key policy mandates in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda [38] 161 Gender gap in the perceived mastery of reasoning-for-complexity competency: An approach in Latin America [9] 162…”