Diversity characteristics and comprehensive attention in higher education

Diversidad, sus características y atención integral en educación superior

Introduction: higher education institutions, which normally operate with the exclusive purpose of developing disciplinary knowledge, skills and competencies, are increasingly faced with diverse individuals with distinct characteristics and needs, usually handled in an indifferent, discriminatory, reactive or palliative manner, due to the lack of understanding on diversity itself. Objective: to describe diversity definitions, characteristics and comprehensive attention in higher education institutions, based on the literature published in the last 5 years. Methodology: different search equations, designed using standardized keywords and Boolean operators, were applied in the Google Scholar meta-search engine and in the Scielo, Dialnet, Redalyc and SCOPUS databases. Thirty documents in Spanish and English, from America and Europe, were analyzed. Results: different diversity definitions, main characteristics and various comprehensive approaches in higher education institutions, were found, ranging from the way diversity is assumed in those institutions, to permanent and adequate funding and dissemination of various programs, activities and services. Conclusions: it is expected that this information will help academic communities to rethink and reflect on the meanings given to diversity, on the way it is assumed and how to deal with its needs, for this information is the foundation for developing conceptual, political, instrumental and pragmatic transformations, showing higher education´s concern in demonstrating diversity´s social relevance.