Introduction

Higher education, like any complex educational or social system, encounters problems that need solutions. Policy is one vehicle through which colleges, universities, and systems of higher education work to sustain and improve as they strive to enact their missions, goals, and objectives. Policy researchers and analysts are frequently called upon for expertise in assessing the effectiveness of extant policy and making recommendations for improvement. Yet, despite the implementation and refinements of policy, some problems – such as those associated with access, equity, and diversity – continue to plague postsecondary/ individual campuses and higher education systems. Moreover, the very language through which policy (and power relations within systems) is created continues to be both value-laden and contentious.