Cultural Diversity and its Recognition in Public Universities: Fairness, Utility and Inclusion

Universities today are increasingly being asked to adjust their institutions to accommodate the cultural practices of their students. Typically these sorts of claims are presented in terms of “fairness”. This article argues that fairness is not the most effective approach in framing or assessing these claims. The utility and social inclusion interests of a university also need to be considered. Together, the principles of fairness, utility and inclusion offer a more robust and mutually advantageous resolution of claims for cultural accommodation than does appealing to fairness alone. The article considers these issues in the light of various examples that have concerned Muslim students attending public universities in Australia.