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

The final report by NCSEHE 2017 Equity Fellow Louise Pollard has been released today (4 July), calling for a re-evaluation of the remote student demographic to improve academic outcomes.

A child born in remote Australia is one third as likely to go to university as a child born in a major city and, while remote students commonly exhibit talent and a determination to succeed, completion rates remain comparatively low.

This research identifies attributes and challenges particular to remote students, and provides recommendations for universities and government to provide more appropriate support measures.

Read the full report.

A new report published by the NCSEHE has called for urgent reform in the evaluation of Indigenous higher education policy and practice if student outcomes are to continue improving.

The research, led by Professor James Smith under a 2017 NCSEHE Equity Fellowship, recommends the development of a performance and evaluation strategy, supported by improved collaboration between Indigenous leaders, government and universities.

Read the full report.

A new NCSEHE resource launched in June provides open access to a diverse collection of research and projects funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training (DET) under the National Priorities Pool (a component of the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program).

Users will be able to identify and engage with a broad range of content, from research reports to widening participation programs, using advanced search and filtering capabilities as well as easy to navigate summaries and final reports in accessible format.

Access the NPP projects resource here. 

Professor Sally Kift (President, Australian Learning and Teaching Fellows) spent a week at the NCSEHE in May 2018, conducting collaborative project work with the research team, and presenting a seminar on Maintaining the momentum: Transition pedagogy to sustain widening participation and student success.

Sally took some time during her visit to share her personal and professional experiences as an equity student, and as a long-term advocate for widening participation in higher education.

Read the interview here.

Professor Sally Kift is among an expert panel to review Australia’s Qualifications Framework (AQF) within the context of the changing nature of work and education in Australia. 

Chaired by Professor Peter Noonan (Mitchell Institute), the Panel will also include Megan Lilly (Australian Industry Group) and Professor Elizabeth More AM (Australian Institute of Management), with two other panel members to be nominated.

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The final workshop in the Building Legacy and Capacity Series, co-facilitated by Matt Brett (NCSEHE and La Trobe University) and Nadine Zacharias (NCSEHE), with guest presenter Sally Kift (Australian Learning and Teaching Fellows), put a spotlight on the long-term strategic vision for student equity in higher education.

The outcomes of the discussion will be shared widely across the sector, including via a webinar (held on 28 June), an ‘Equity 2030 Discussion Paper’, and professional illustrations. All resources will be made available on the NCSEHE website.

Read more about the workshop here. 

A webinar on 28 June synthesised discussions from the Building Legacy and Capacity 'Equity 2030' workshop with an emphasis on what a new long-term vision for student equity might include; how this vision can be integrated in policy and practice; and the evidence required to enhance the quality of access, participation and learning outcomes.

Over 50 participants joined presenters Matt Brett, Daniel Edwards (Australian Council for Educational Research), Sally Kift and Nadine Zacharias for the presentation and discussion.

View the webinar recording. 

A 2018 NCSEHE Research Fellowship project by Associate Professor Maria Raciti (University of the Sunshine Coast) is addressing the relationship between perceived risk and university participation for disadvantaged students, in an era of increasing vocational uncertainty.

The project aims to seed new thinking and rethinking of widening participation praxis related to people from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds.

Maria reports on her progress and preliminary outcomes to date. 

The NCSEHE 2017 Research Grants Program projects are making good progress, scheduled to reach completion later in 2018. 

Widening Participation or Widening the Gap? Equity in Postgraduate Study, led by Dr Deanna Grant-Smith (Queensland University of Technology), is one of the 13 projects selected in the 2017 funding round. You can catch up on the project's progress, activities and preliminary outcomes in a special feature this month.

Read the project update here. 

myfuture, the National Career Information Service, has recently republished a selection of student case studies from the NCSEHE My Story: Student Voice series.

Through the Student Voice series, we have been able to share the stories of individuals who have achieved success despite disadvantage, as well as those who have supported them.

myfuture supports people to make career decisions, plan career pathways and manage education and work transitions. Features include occupation and course profiles and a career exploration tool that helps students identify potential occupations based on their vocational interests and motivation.

Visit the myfuture website.

The Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) has facilitated widening participation programs across Australia. Throughout this year, we are showcasing the 35 HEPPP funded programs featured in our 2017 publication Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program: Seven Years On. 

Strengthening Engagement and Achievement in Mathematics and Science (SEAMS) is designed to improve students’ achievement in, and engagement with, mathematics and science, and help them explore related study and career options. The aim is to deliver an academic and social program with long-term positive impacts.

Uni-Reach provides students from Years 6 to 12 with scaffolded activities to foster and develop aspirations, career interests, and pathways to university. For Uni-Reach participants and other equity students who enrol at Griffith University, Uni-Key provides a smooth transition and support for first year students with peer mentoring, academic workshops and social support.

The Higher Education Standards Panel’s Final report: Improving retention, completion and success in higher education was launched on 8 June.

The report's 18 recommendations have been well-received across the sector, and agreed by Minister for Education and Training, Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham. Universities Australia and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) will now work with the Australian Government Department for Education and Training to develop an implementation plan for the recommendations.

Final Report

The Australian Government's Response to recommendations

NCSEHE Senior Research Fellow Nadine Zacharias provided an invited address at the National Education Opportunities Network (NEON) Summit "Data and widening access to higher education" on Tuesday 5 June in London, offering an overview of the Australian experience in terms of "Data, Access and Success in Higher Education".

Nadine also contributed to the closing panel, alongside Professor Les Ebdon (Applied Inspiration; formerly OFFA), Dr Diana Beech (Higher Education Policy Institute) and Louis Coiffait (WonkHE), who discussed "How should widening access data inform policy?"

Read an overview of the Summit. 

The National Disability Coordination Officers (NDCO) program has launched a suite of resources to maximise students' success in university or vocational education and training.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Pre-planning Toolkit includes eight specific resources to help students identify appropriate supports; who can provide them; and how they can be accessed.

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