Abstract

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The diversification of student enrolment in Latin American universities has posed significant challenges for academic writing. The typical institutional response often concentrates on the perceived deficiencies of incoming students, neglecting the necessity for structural changes to effectively address the diversity of the student body. This article is grounded in two studies conducted within the Chilean context. One study involved 30 students from three Chilean universities who were admitted through inclusive programs, while the other followed 12 students admitted through regular channels and 12 through inclusion programs. Both studies adopted an academic literacies framework, viewing reading and writing as social practices. Utilizing social justice and academic literacies as a theoretical framework, the article reflects on five conceptual axes that emerged from the data to propose a complex model of university literacies. These axes encompass the institutional deficit perspective, students' writing practices, the desire to articulate students' voices, the institutional practice of obfuscation, and the role of writing courses. Based on these axes, the article offers seven actionable recommendations for a writing pedagogy in higher education that emphasizes social justice.