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Minorities encounter barriers to integrating in higher education. However, only a few studies have examined these barriers from the perspective of faculty members. The present study aimed to understand the barriers that Arab students in Israeli higher education face, from the perspective of deans and department heads. Using the naturalistic qualitative approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 deans and department heads in academic institutions where Arab students are enrolled. The analyses revealed four main themes, providing a holistic framework of barriers to higher education: 1) Socio-political barriers associated with a neglectful policy that produces a sense of victimhood among the minority, peripherality, lack of equal opportunities in the labour market and minority-majority relations in the nationalist context. 2) Institutional barriers related to the institutional policy and interpersonal relationships within the institution. 3) Social barriers related to characteristics of Arab society. 4) Personal barriers including language difficulties, lack of cooperation and passivity and immaturity of Arab students. Our findings show that the participants are not aware that these barriers are multitype and interrelated. Therefore, awareness of cultural competence should be raised in all academic institutions, among both academic and administrative staff, towards adapting teaching and services to minority students.

Older adults in nursing homes were particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 morbidity and mortality worldwide. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, visitations in nursing homes were restricted. The present study examined the perceptions and experiences of family caregivers of nursing home residents during the COVID-19 crisis in Israel and their coping strategies. Online focus group interviews were held with 16 family caregivers of nursing home residents. Three main categories were identified through Grounded Theory techniques: (a) Anger and decreased trust in nursing homes; (b) Perception of the residents as victims of the nursing home policy; (c) Coping strategies at different levels. The outbreak redefined family caregivers' understanding of their role. Practical implications include making the voice of the family caregivers heard, identifying effective coping strategies, and creating a dialogue between family caregivers, nursing home managements, and staff., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)