Latest Interactive Data Tool updates are now live

Dear colleagues

We are pleased to let you know that our Interactive Data Tool has now been updated with 2023 data.

Another recent update to the tool has resulted in it now also including data on students who are First in Family, and we have introduced aggregated groupings "All Equity Students" and "Non-Equity Students", which encompass the four major groupings of Low SES Students, First Nations Australian Students, Students from Remote and Regional Australia, and Students with Disability. 

In other equity data related news, we have released two more Student Equity Data Guides. These are in addition to the two guides that were already available. All four guides are now available in the Data Resources Hub on our website:

• "Higher Education Institutions in Australia" 
• "Defining Equity Groups"
• "Equity Performance Measures"
• "Selecting and Using Equity Reference Values"

We hope that these guides can help demystify equity data and provide clarity and practical guidance for stakeholders across the sector. If there are any other equity data related topics that you would like clarification or detail on, please feel free to contact me directly.

Sincerely

Associate Professor Gemma Cadby 
ACSES Data Program Director

"How do our universities get their social licence back?"

In his latest contribution to the Australian Financial Review, ACSES Executive Director, Professor Shamit Saggar, prompts us to consider the issues that universities need to address to revive their troubled reputations in Australian society. Read the full article here.

ACSES Staff news

Associate Professor Tim Pitman appointed as Trials and Evaluations Program Director

We are pleased to announce that respected higher education expert Associate Professor Tim Pitman has been appointed as ACSES's Trials and Evaluation Program Director.

Tim has been working in this role since June 2024 and we are delighted that he will be continuing with us in a more permanent capacity.

Tim is a distinguished researcher in higher education policy, with a passion for widening access and participation for under-represented groups. His relationship with ACSES spans more than a decade, working in a variety of roles. The Trials and Evaluation portfolio presents him with a new challenge.

“Those involved in improving outcomes for under-served students are passionate about the work that they do, and want to know what works best and what can be improved," Tim said.

"The challenge in this role is for us to enhance the evaluative capacity of the higher education sector, to help provide the necessary evidence to improve support.”

Congratulations on your appointment and welcome once again to the ACSES team, Tim.

Novia Minaee joins ACSES 

We are pleased to announce that Novia Minaee has joined the ACSES Research and Policy team in the role of Research Officer.

Novia holds a Master’s in Biostatistics from the University of Sydney and is currently completing her PhD, focusing on the comparative metabolic mapping of obesogenesis and metabolic disease across different populations. With a diverse background as a biostatistician, she has worked in areas such as paediatric, maternal, and infant health, as well as physiotherapy and exercise science.

Novia is enthusiastic about applying her research experience to contribute to higher education.

Welcome to the ACSES Team, Novia!

We're hiring! Join our Trials and Evaluation team

We have an exciting opportunity for an Equity Evaluator to join our Trials and Evaluation team.

In this role, you will primarily support the development and implementation of evaluations designed to examine what works in student equity in higher education, manage equity evaluations commissioned by ACSES throughout their project life cycle, and support the development and dissemination of resources to enhance evaluation capabilities in the Australian higher education sector.

A proven understanding of quality evaluation practice principles (such as randomised control trials and quasi-experimental design) within the context of the higher education and equity sectors coupled with demonstrated program management and critical analysis skills will make you the perfect candidate for this role.

Applications close on Friday 25 October 2024, 10am (AWST).

View the full position description here and visit the Curtin University website to apply.

A webinar with Dr Rong Zhu

Join Dr Rong Zhu for a webinar to discuss the findings of his research project "Socioeconomic disadvantages, choice of disciplines, and post-university labour market performance". Rong is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Flinders University and a Research Fellow at the IZA - Institute of Labor Economics, Germany. His research interests include education economics, labour economics, and health economics. He is a recipient of an ACSES Small Research Grant to support his latest project, and we are excited to hear about his findings.

Date: 13 November, 2024 | Time: 11.00-11.45am AWST

Find out more and register here. 

Other upcoming events 

Equity within the Academy: Rethinking the 'why' of higher education 

Tune in for a thought-provoking talk by Distinguished Professor and Dean at Charles Sturt University Sarah O'Shea, who will explore the complex challenges of embedding equity in Australian higher education, as highlighted by the recent Accord report, and question the very purpose of universities in light of the current ambitious equity policy agenda.

Date: 23 October 2024 | Time: 6.00 pm – 7.00pm (AEDT)
Location: Online and Charles Sturt University, Dubbo campus

Find out more and register here.

5th National Indigenous Education Summit

ACSES First Nations Fellow, Dr Tracy Woodroffe, will be speaking at the National Indigenous Education Summit - an event aiming to shape the future of First Nations students by providing practical tools and strategies to nurture strong, resilient, and culturally confident students through improved educational methods and inclusive frameworks.

Date: 29 October - 1 November 2024
Location: Pan Pacific, Whadjuk Noongar Country, Perth

Find out more and register here.

Future Solutions for Higher Education Conference

We 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
Location: The University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus

Find out more and register here.

ESA Webinar | Labour market outcomes of graduates in economics 

Hosted 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
Location: Online

Find out more and register here.

ACSES Equity Hub: A Community of Practice for Student Equity Evaluation

The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (ACSES) invites you to the Equity Hub Community of Practice (CoP), which will be held in-person and online on 18 November at Waipapa Taumata Rau (The University of Auckland, New Zealand). 

Equity Hub CoP aims to bring HEPPP-funded program managers and staff together to strengthen cross-institutional student equity practitioner networks; and provide an opportunity for practitioners to share their lessons learned and best practices on evaluation in the context of SEHEEF. 

Date: 18 November 2024 | Time: 2.00 pm – 5.00pm NZDT
Location: The University of Auckland, New Zealand

Find out more here. If you would like to register for the event, please contact us at acses@curtin.edu.au. 

Apply now for our Visiting Scholars Program 2025

Applications are now open for the Visiting Scholars Program 2025. Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers at all career stages are encouraged to apply. The ACSES Visiting Scholars Program aims to support the establishment of linkages and collaborative research projects between higher education equity researchers and ACSES.

Applications for the ACSES Visiting Scholars Program 2025 close at 4pm (AWST) on Friday, 29 November 2024, and outcomes will be announced in late January 2025.

For more information on the ACSES Visiting Scholars Program, including details on how to apply, visit our website.

Equity Frontiers Program: Funding and support for your trials

In 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.