<< Background >>Over the course of the past decades as noted in vast research literature, the role of HE has undergone through changes that increasingly led to its becoming much more viewed as industry or even commodity, with accentuated purpose to create human capital in possession of the right mix of skills aligned to specific labour market needs. The HEIs market rules led behavior in this sense significantly resembles the comportment of companies – strategizing and competing for its share on the market place and financial liability. At the same time, social role of the HE (introducing/delivering/promoting core democratic values of equity, equality, socio-economic integration, access to rights and services, etc. which make HEIs more inclusive and connected to respective societies) is noticeably undervalued. Due to specific social setting and historical development of south and east Europe in these regions as suggested in the ET 2020 targets larger rates of HE ESL are noticeably compared to the rest of Europe. Enhancing social dimension of HE is an important pillar of the Bologna Process, as reconfirmed in 2018 Paris Communiqué. Furthermore, the STATUS project takes up on the Council of Europe recommendations in the field, stipulating that higher education institutions, while exercising their autonomy, should be enabled to meet society’s multiple expectations and fulfil their various and equally important objectives to knowledge provision, which inter-alia include: preparation for life as active citizens in democratic societies and personal development for all. Even though inclusion in HE is a top priority in European countries, there are no national strategies and comprehensive approaches with long-term commitments on social inclusion in HE in the partnership countries as not much has been done in the field. In societies which suffer from continuous and severe brain drain issues subordinated to economic development and with high aspirations of creating competitive knowledge-based economies, the issue becomes ever more prominent for their educational systems since underrepresented students in HE are more likely to lack basic skills (literacy, numeracy and digital competence), experience of independent learning, and a clear idea of what HE entails. Also, citizens from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and those with migrant backgrounds remain far less likely to enter and complete higher education. Today around 10 and 12 million Roma live in Europe, comprising the continent's largest ethnic minority. However, only 1% participate in higher education. While measures to ensure educational support to migrants after in-flows from 2015 in the partner countries took place in pre-university level education, at HEIs these had been limited with lack of information on the exact data in this regard. Another vastly present vulnerable students (around 70% of HEIs dropouts) come from either poor families and/or have some mental health issues and motivational problems to be tackled. Previous schooling is highly correlated to dropout rates. Students with disabilities are particularly vulnerable group in every partner country. Even though their number in HEIs grow, the students face discrimination and hardship during their studies and more often than not leave tertiary education before completion. Collection of key data on the number of entrants and students, study progression, dropouts, of students, gender, ethnic background, social status, and other criteria are important in defining disadvantaged students and adapting decisions and interventions regarding widening access, retention and study success. Of migrants, returnees, Roma, ethnic minorities, socially deprived students, etc. and increase the overall population and diversity of students and graduates.<< Objectives >>STATUS projects reflects on a variety of causes underneath the small percentages of underreresented students enrollment in HE and their achievement in terciary education. The project addresses both sides of the equation - HEIs institutions inability to fully attend to their role with all the students and on the other side, the students’ not taking advantage of the opportunities that HEI is offering as a societal institution.Project specific objectives include:1.To increasing the access of Roma and other underrepresented students in European HEIsStudents who belong to disadvantaged social groups are similarly defined in the partner countries. Looking and both national contexts and institutional measures and policies with this regard, financial assistance is the most common way of assisting the education of (vulnerable) students – provided either in the form of loans or scholarships. Other specific support measures are not easily detected across the regional HEIs and will particularly be enabled in the scope of the STATUS project, e.g. academic guidance, relations between secondary and school and HEIs, psychological counselling, etc. 2.To increase academic achievement success rate and prevent ESL in HEIsSupportive services within HEIs, students and staff who work and employ specific mechanisms in delivery of asssistance, teaching, training, and peer support, in accordance with the local needs and specifics of target groups to better serve the needs of the most vulnerable students is created under this specific objective.<< Implementation >>The project results are attained through the implmnetation of the following core implmnetation over the course of project:Preparatory activitiesPartner kick-off virtual meetingDevelopment of European HEI e-repository of good practices related to socially inclusive learning culture and EWS (Where do we come from and where do we go from here?) TNM 1 – VršacDevelopment of HEI teaching and non-teaching staff training program TNM 2 – PalermoDevelopment of CS-HE cooperation toolkit on increasing access and supporting achievement of underrepresented students in HETraining of HEI teaching and non-teaching staff on increasing access and supporting achievement of underrepresented students in HETNM 3 – MadeiraVirtual training for CSOs and HEIs on CS-HE cooperation in increasing access and supporting achievement of underrepresented studentsDevelopment of Toolkit on peer support and active inclusion of underrepresented studentsSkills workshop for students on peer support and active inclusion of underrepresented studentsTNM 4 – Alba IuliaCreation of European policy brief/recommendations for improving social dimension of teaching and learning in European HEIsME 1 – 5 organized in Alba Iulia, Palermo, Madeira and BelgradeDistribution and promotion of policy brief through social networks<< Results >>In the scope of the project the following core results are developed:Result 1: European HEI e-repository of good practices related to socially inclusive learning culture and EWS (Where do we come from and where do we go from here?) Result 2: HEI teaching and non-teaching staff training manual and program Result 3: CS-HE cooperation toolkit on increasing access and supporting achievement of underrepresented students in HE Result 4: Toolkit on peer support and active inclusion of underrepresented students Result 5: European policy brief/recommendations for improving social dimension of teaching and learning in European HEIs