本研究運用文件分析方法，檢視歐洲高等教育政策中「社會面向」概念的內涵與相關議題。二十世紀末，由於高等教育入學人數的逐漸增加，大眾化遂成為高等教育的必經路程。取得更多的高等教育就學機會，被視為促進弱勢群體得以向上流動並使社會更為整合的機會。歐洲聯盟在波隆那進程中提出了社會面向的概念，作為歐洲高等教育區達成教育公平理念的目標。本研究針對「社會面向」的相關政策文本與研究文獻進行分析後，發現該政策在實際的執行過程中，由於歐洲各國對於社會面向的對象與擴大高等教育參與的措施等方面缺乏一致的界定，導致歐洲在達成高等教育公平的理想上面臨了嚴峻的挑戰。

This paper uses document analysis to view the connotation and related issues of the “social dimension” concept in higher education policy of European Union. From the end of the twentieth century, due to the gradual increase in the enrollment, higher education has shifted from elite education to popular education. Accessing higher education is seen as an opportunity for upward social mobility of disadvantage groups and promoting a more integrated society. The Bologna process, put forward the concept of social dimension, as the target of achieving the idea of higher education equity in European higher education area. This article analyzes reports, texts and papers of “social dimension” policy, and generalizes the crux of the implementation of “social dimension” policy. In the implementation process, due to lacking of consistent definition of the objects of social dimension and the measures of widening higher education participation in countries. European Union is facing a serious challenge in the way to achieve the idea of higher education equity.