News, information and research on student equity in higher education from the NCSEHE Director, Professor Sue Trinidad.

The latest report in the NCSEHE Focus series presents a synthesised review of 14 reports with implications for student equity, illustrating strategic challenges facing the higher education sector.

This publication complements the NCSEHE 'Student Equity 2030 project' — an ongoing process of discussing the future of equity in higher education.

The future of Australian higher education — A synthesis of recent research and policy reports with implications for student equity.

As part of the #StudentEquity2030 project, the NCSEHE has begun a series of Australia-wide roundtables exploring key concepts and challenges associated with achieving student equity in higher education.

These discussions include a broad spectrum of participants, including students; staff; practitioners; researchers; policymakers; and community groups, focusing on questions raised in the Student Equity 2030 discussion paper. 

To express your interest in attending a roundtable discussion, please contact ncsehe@curtin.edu.au. Please note: places are limited.

Written responses to the discussion paper close on Friday 12 October which, in combination with the roundtables, will shape a long-term vision for student equity. 

Associate Professor Maria Raciti (University of the Sunshine Coast) shares a progress report with us this month, outlining recent activities and outcomes from her NCSEHE Research Fellowship Project.

The project addresses the representation of people from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds in Australian higher education, focusing on the role of perceived risks in the decision to enrol (or not to enrol), and drawing attention to the contemporary career context where traditional ways of planning careers no longer work.

Research Fellowship project progress bulletin — October 2018

This month, we present the first in a series of international perspectives on student equity in higher education as part of the My Story — Student Voice series.

Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) student Róisín Ormond refused to let her hearing impairment stand in the way of higher education study.

Currently in her second year studying biomedical engineering, Róisín participated in the CIT Disability Access Route to Education scheme and has received tailored ongoing support through the Institute's Disability Support Service. 

Read Róisín's story.

Mark Rubin from the University of Newcastle outlines a National Priorities Pool (NPP) project investigating the relationships between university students’ socioeconomic status, their social integration at university, and their mental health/wellbeing.

Data collected through two online surveys informed policies and approaches to promote the social inclusion of low SES students and students with mental health problems and to reduce mental health problems among university students, increase their satisfaction at university, and reduce their attrition rates.

The full report is available on the NCSEHE NPP Projects database.

Continue reading the project summary.

A significant proportion of students belonging to equity groups do not disclose their status to tertiary institutions, and are therefore ineligible for the support to which they are entitled.

Research led by the University of New South Wales investigated self-disclosure of equity group membership among three groups: Indigenous, students with disabilities and non-English-speaking backgrounds. Mixed-methods research informed a set of guidelines to improve outcomes for equity students, and increase rates of self-disclosure.

The full report is available on the NCSEHE NPP Projects database.

Continue reading the project summary.

NCSEHE representatives Lyn Vernon and Nadine Zacharias presented to the National Association of Enabling Educators of Australia (NAEEA) Symposium, held during September at the University of Newcastle.

The theme for the national discussion forum was Enabling Voices: Policy—Practice—Research & Evaluation. Panel presenters provided powerful insights into the state of enabling in Australia and flagged the changes which could soon affect the sector.

The highlight of the symposium was the powerful narratives from the student panel, who voiced their transformative experiences while participating in enabling education. These accounts unified the group’s directive for enabling programs to remain cost-free and to remain flexible enough to fit the context of the participating students.

Following the student voices were three panel discussions; Policy — ‘What Matters for Future Enabling Policy’ led by Dr Anna Bennett; Practice — ‘Enabling Philosophies and Practices that Matter to Students and Educators’ led by Jennifer Stokes; and Research & Evaluation — ‘Why Research and Evaluation Matter to Enabling Education’ led by Professor Penny-Jane Burke. The team from the University of Newcastle supported the symposia which was very beneficial to networking and collaborating across the sector.

The Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) has supported universities Australia-wide in conducting successful widening participation activities.

In 2017, the NCSEHE showcased 35 university programs in our case studies publication Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program: Seven Years On. Sharing good practice across the sector is critical in moving toward student equity, and we continue to celebrate individual initiatives throughout 2018.

Access Monash Mentoring aims to provide intensive support to inform students’ decision-making and preparation for university and careers by matching them with highly engaged and successful Monash student mentors to work in a one-to-one mentoring relationship over the final two years of their schooling. The student-to-student connections help secondary students from low SES communities to bridge the gap from school to university and encourage them to view higher education as an obtainable goal.

ASPIRE provides age-appropriate educational activities within a scaffolded learning framework, both in school and at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), to facilitate learning about university and the benefits of a university education. Activities address barriers faced by students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds in accessing university education. Integral to the program is the involvement of UNSW students as ASPIRE Ambassadors, acting as role models for school students.

If you expressed an interest to attend World Access to Higher Education Day (WAHED) on 28 November 2018, you should have heard from a member of the NCSEHE team confirming your invitation.

Registration is still open for this free event, so we would love to hear from you if you would like to be a part of this exciting global initiative.

WAHED Australia will feature:

• Keynote speech by Professor Glenn Withers 
• Student panel chaired by Professor Sally Kift 
• My Story — Student Voice: personal stories of overcoming barriers to success.
• Maria Raciti — 2018 NCSEHE Research Fellowship project
• Matt Brett and Nadine Zacharias — A Vision for Student Equity 2030 report release
• Research report release — People seeking asylum in Australia: Access and support in higher education
• Live satellite cross to launch World Access to Higher Education Day UK
• And more...

More information and registrations here. 

Kind regards,
Professor Sue Trinidad
Director
National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education