Reflections on ACSES’s Auckland trip | CoP and EPHEA

Dear colleagues

Last week, the ACSES team was at the beautiful University of Auckland to mark two significant milestones—ACSES Equity Hub: A Community of Practice (CoP) for Student Equity Evaluation and our active role at the Equity Practitioners in Higher Education Australasia’s (EPHEA) highly-anticipated 2024 Conference. 

On Monday, 18 November, ACSES hosted the engaging CoP wherein equity practitioners, researchers, and program managers explored ways to strengthen evaluative capacity, discussed lessons from 2024, and planned for 2025. Highlights included insights from our Trials and Evaluation team, a forward-looking credentialed training program, and a lively discussion on the challenges and opportunities for equity evaluation. Read more here.

From 19-21 November, the EPHEA 2024 Conference brought together practitioners and researchers from Australia, New Zealand, and beyond, under the theme "Equity is our Compass: Holding Course for Higher Education". Throughout the course of the Conference, ACSES Fellows and Scholars, as well as our grant recipients presented their impactful research on topics including as First Nations leadership, placement poverty, remote and regional study challenges, and financial inclusion.

One of the highlights of the event celebrated equity champions with the EPHEA-ACSES Early Career Practitioner Award and Lifetime Member Award. Read more here.

As a proud sponsor of this year’s conference, we extend our heartfelt thanks to EPHEA and the entire EPHEA community for hosting this vital gathering, which provides an invaluable platform for discussing how best to close the equity gap. Opportunities like these bring together diverse voices and expertise, driving real progress in the sector. 

Last chance!

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) this Friday, 29 November 2024.

Find out more and apply now.

ACSES Fellowship announcement

Congratulations to our 2025 First Nations Fellows! 

ACSES is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 First Nations Fellowships are Ms Lauren Tynan from Macquarie University and Dr John Doolah from the University of Melbourne.

The 2025 First Nation Fellowship program aims to strengthen the quality, capability, scale, and capacity of Australia’s First Nations researchers and practitioners. The new First Nations Fellows will lead projects that implement evidence-based best practices to improve access to and participation in Australian higher education.

Read more about our winners here.

Congratulations to our 2025 Equity Fellows!

ACSES is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Equity Fellowships: Ms Darlene McLennan from the University of Tasmania and Associate Professor Kelly Linden from Charles Sturt University.

The 2025 Equity Fellowship Program is part of ACSES’s efforts to promote student equity and broaden access for disadvantaged groups, with new Fellows leading projects to tackle key challenges in higher education.

Read more about our winners here.

We want your input!

ACSES is developing a Data Insights Research Plan to guide our future research and data analysis efforts. Our aim is to produce data reports, tools, and other data products that you may find useful. Your feedback will play a pivotal role in shaping our Data Program to better meet the needs of the higher education sector.

For this purpose, we have created a survey to collect your insights. Participation should take approximately 5 to 10 minutes, and all responses to the survey are anonymous and will remain confidential.

Please feel free to share the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/acsesdata

Welcome Novia!

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 | Communications Officer 

Join ACSES’s Regional University Study Hubs (RUSH) Network team to help improve higher education accessibility for disadvantaged students.  

Location: Curtin University, Bentley Campus  
Part-time: 0.2 FTE (Fixed term to 31 Dec 2025)  

Key responsibilities include managing digital platforms, creating marketing materials, and supporting events.  

Find out more here.

ACSES Visiting Scholars

Visiting Scholar Laurence Lasselle

On 11 November 2024, ACSES Visiting Scholar Laurence Lasselle from St Andrews University presented her research on widening participation in higher education, focusing on Scotland’s Fair Access Action Plan.

Laurence highlighted the significant gap in university access for young people from socio-economically disadvantaged areas and raised concerns about the plan’s neglect of rural deprivation, which creates even greater barriers for rural youth. During her time at ACSES, she will explore how Australia’s equity policies can inform Scotland’s approach and enhance global dialogue on social mobility and access to education.

Visiting Scholar Geoffrey Mitchell

ACSES Visiting Scholar Geoffrey Mitchell (QLD) presented key data insights to the team during his visit, highlighting several concerning trends. There has been a decline in undergraduate applications, offers, and enrolments, impacting both equity and non-equity student cohorts.

Geoffrey stressed the importance of ongoing data mapping, quality control, and cross-jurisdictional comparisons to inform policy and improve educational pathways, with further updates to come.

For more key takeaways from Geoffrey’s visit, visit our website.

Upcoming events 

Join ACSES tomorrow for Learners’ Location, School Socio-Economic Status, and School Performance – A Scottish Case Study. 

Don’t miss this engaging seminar with ACSES Visiting Scholar Dr Laurence Lasselle from the University of St Andrews, Scotland.

Dr Lasselle will explore how academic performance in remote Scottish schools compares to urban counterparts, particularly in the context of socio-economic challenges.

Date: 26 November 2024 
Location: Room 105.418, Level 4, TL Robertson Library, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia.

Find out more and register here.

Industry Think Tank for "Widening the doors in HE - Implications for engaging and teaching online students"

Join the upcoming Think Tanks on increasing online enrolments for underrepresented students in higher education. Led by experts, these sessions will explore the impact on teaching and engagement strategies, drawing from the Australian Universities Accord Final Report. 

Date: 26 November - 28 November 2024 
Location: Online

Find out more and register here.

Pathway Programs and Indigenous Student University Completion Symposium

The National Symposium will bring together university stakeholders to discuss strategies for improving pathway and enabling programs for Indigenous students, aiming to boost completion rates. Led by Prof. Bronwyn Fredericks (The University of Queensland), this ACSES-funded event will focus on identifying success factors, addressing gaps, and building evidence to enhance these programs and increase Indigenous student completions across Australia.

Date: 27 November 2024 | Time: 10.00 am (AEST)
Location: Online or at Sir James Foots Building (47a) Saint Lucia, QLD 4067

Find out more and register here.

"Pathways beyond ATAR"

Australian students are discovering there’s more than one way to university.

ACSES Deputy Director John Phillimore told Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Ruby Littler alternative pathways are crucial, especially for disadvantaged students.

“Australia is quite good at having second chances. So if you don't do well at school, it's not like 'that's it and your life's over’,” he said.

With options like bridging courses, UniReady programs, and TAFE certifications, students can find a path that works for them.

Read the full article here.

ACSES: Universities For All

We are dedicated to advancing equity in higher education. In the short video below, our directors share insights into how our work with universities across Australia will build a fairer future for students of all backgrounds. You can also access the video on our YouTube channel.