Open AccessEquity in Student Petitions
Author(s) -
John Alan Lee
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
canadian journal of higher education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2293-6602
pISSN - 0316-1218
DOI - 10.47678/cjhe.v7i2.182724
Subject(s) - rationality , compromise , equity (law) , ideology , politics , argument (complex analysis) , positive economics , petitioner , sociology , public relations , social psychology , psychology , political science , economics , social science , law , biochemistry , chemistry , supreme court
Despite an ideological framework of rationality and fairness, decisions of a college committee on student petitions are found to favour certain categories of petitioners, and certain types of argument. The patterns of decision-making are analysed within a theoretical framework. The greatest difficulties in making decisions occur when compromise must be achieved between conflicting values about education. The present study suggests that different notions of equity are involved. Tendencies to regularize equity in the name of rationality and fairness may actually reduce responsiveness of the petition process both to the student needs for which it was established, and the changing flux of political com- promise between different educational values in the college.