Social justice in the enterprise university: global perspectives on theory, policy, ethics and critical practice

The global rise of the enterprise university (Marginson & Considine, 2000) reflects the increasing dominance of neoliberal discourses within the field of education (Connell, 2013; Bennett et al., 2012). Although seemingly economic in focus, neoliberalism is a comprehensive socio-political paradigm that informs our sense of ethical responsibility and social justice. Neoliberal concepts of timeliness, accountability, individual entrepreneurship, efficiency, calculability, productivity and competitive achievement permeate universities and, some would argue, the subjectivities that higher education longs to produce (Clegg, 2010). For this special issue we sought perspectives that grapple with the philosophical, social, theoretical and practical aspects of social justice and equity work within the context of the enterprise university. Rather than focus on a lament of a (non-neoliberal) past and associated descriptions of the increasingly neoliberalised environment, we worked to garner explorations of the various forms of social justice and equity work that are conducted in this landscape and the opportunities and tensions that arise as a result. The papers gathered here represent some of the possibilities available. Taken together, the contributions provide a variety of analyses: from a broad overview of the international widening participation agenda; to an exploration of its discursive impact on teaching practice; through to more fine-grained analyses of individual and institutional practices in various settings. What several of the contributions highlight is the way in which the neoliberal university has responded to the widening participation agenda with a market expansion orientation. They illustrate the ways that equity has become a somewhat elastic concept in neoliberal times. They also contribute important details and insights about divergent and subversive alternative practices.