New ACSES data resources and starting important conversations. No images? Click here Let's improve higher education student equity data and reporting in AustraliaDear colleagues Now is an exciting time for equity data in Australian higher education. Equity data is at the core of many of the Universities Accord Review’s recent recommendations, including needs-based funding, establishment of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission, and expansion of the Regional University Study Hub program. And central to this is that for data to be useful, it must be fit for purpose - consistent, reliable, accurate, and timely. Last week, ACSES Equity Fellow Bret Stephenson wrote about the need for 'Better equity data through better (more equitable) data governance'. At ACSES, we are working on several initiatives to increase the availability and quality of higher education student equity data and reporting in Australia. Today I’m pleased to share some of our recent updates with you. Updated Interactive Data ToolWe have updated our Interactive Data Tool with 2022 data, now including data on students who are First in Family. We have also introduced aggregated groupings ‘All Equity Students’ and ‘Non-Equity Students’, which encompass the five major groupings of Low SES Students, First Nations Australian Students, Students from Remote and Regional Australia, and Students with Disability. Please note that we are awaiting confirmation of the 2022 Low SES student data, therefore, these data are not yet shown (this also affects the equity and non-equity groupings). Student Equity Data GuidesWe are also releasing two Student Equity Data Guides - ‘Higher Education Institutions in Australia' and ‘Defining Equity Groups’. We hope these guides, and the next to follow (‘Equity Performance Measures’ and ‘Selecting and Using Equity Reference Values’) will help demystify equity data and provide clarity and practical guidance for stakeholders across the sector. You will be able to find the Student Equity Data Guides and other upcoming data related resources in the Data Resources Hub on our website. Your Feedback MattersWe want to ensure that what we produce and release is relevant to the higher education sector. Please let us know if there are any data-related products or reports that would be valuable to you. Additionally, if you would like to discuss the use of data, including opportunities and challenges, please feel free to reach out. Kind regards Associate Professor Gemma Cadby In other news...Research Grants & Fellowships programs open for applicationsWe are currently accepting applications and Expressions of Interest for three of our Research Grants and Fellowship programs:
The 2025-26 Large Grants Research Program will fund proposals that address research topics of importance to contemporary developments and challenges in higher education equity policy, practice, and evaluation, across the following priorities:
Proposals are sought via a two-stage process, with this Expression of Interest (EOI) stage followed by a second stage where successful EOI applicants are invited to submit full detailed proposals for consideration. EOIs will be accepted until 4pm (AWST) on Friday, 6 September 2024. The 2025 rounds of our First Nations and Equity Fellowship programs will provide fully-funded annual fellowships for researchers and practitioners in higher education, to complete a project that will inform an area of Australian higher education practice and policy in relation to domestic students, via a combination of research, translation, best practice implementation, evaluation, and knowledge transfer. Applications are open until 4pm (AWST) on Friday, 27 September 2024. More information about each program – including application packs, guidelines, eligibility and selection criteria – is available on our Grants & Fellowships page. Equity Frontiers Program: Funding and support for your trialsIn response to feedback from the sector, our Equity Frontiers funding scheme has been redesigned to make it easier for equity practitioners to access support to run trials on their nominated equity programs or activities. Key changes are removing fixed deadlines so people can apply for funding at any time, and introducing an Expression of Interest stage to help applicants work through their approach and, if required, seek support in designing and running the trial. We are accepting Expressions of Interest now. You can find the Equity Frontiers Program Guidelines and an Expression of Interest template for download on the ACSES website. Just published 📚"Student’s reported satisfaction at University: the role of personal characteristics and secondary school background" - a study by Ian Li, Denise Jackson, and Paul Koshy, published in Higher Education. ACSES Visiting Scholar presents his current research workDr Sam Hoang, Research Officer at the Centre for International Research on Education Systems (CIRES) (Victoria University) and an ACSES Visiting Scholar, presented his insights on exploring Post-Doctoral Employment Patterns for Equity Doctoral Graduates in Australia to the ACSES team this week. Sam’s latest research examines the employment pathways of domestic doctoral graduates from equity backgrounds, in particular, students from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB). Sam’s study highlighted the significant challenges faced by NESB graduates in the labour market, focusing on the social and institutional affordances and constraints, as well as individual agencies influencing their career transitions. We thank Sam for sharing some insights into his research work with us and look forward to seeing the final results. If you are interested in his Sam’s research, you can find out more here. Upcoming eventsEngagement Australia ForumOur Director for Research and Policy, Professor Ian Li, is joining a fantastic line-up of speakers at the upcoming Engagement Australia Forum on Enhancing Equity Outcomes Through Structured Community Engagement. The event is designed specifically for higher education practitioners dedicated to community engagement and student equity. An opportunity to discover practical strategies, network with like-minded professionals, and gain insights to create impact for your institution. Date: 5 September 2024 | Time: 10:00 am – 4:00pm Future Solutions for Higher Education ConferenceWe are delighted to be able to support HEDx in their endeavour to create inspiring and innovative conferences for the higher education sector. Next up is the Future Solutions for Higher Education Conference, held at The University of Queensland, where ACSES Executive Director Shamit Saggar and Research and Policy Program Director Ian Li will join the impressive line-up of speakers. Date: 31 October 2024 | Time: 9:00 am – 4:30pm Find out more and register here ESA Webinar | Labour market outcomes of graduates in economicsHosted by the Economic Society of Australia (NSW), Professor Ian Li will discuss the labour market outcomes of graduates in economics in Australia. This online event will discuss key insights presented in the economic paper on the Labour Market Outcomes of Graduates in Economics in Australia. The webinar examines the strong employment prospects for graduates in economics after graduation, in terms of full-time employment and salaries. Date: 6 November 2024 | Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00pm AEDT Find out more and register here |