Updates to our Equity Frontiers scheme and so much more...

Dear colleagues

It’s been a little over a month since I started as interim Program Director of the Trials and Evaluation Program here at ACSES. We already have several large- and small-scale trials up and running and are currently assessing several more for possible funding.

We fund trials primarily through the Equity Frontiers program and we’ve just changed the program to have a rolling deadline, meaning people can apply at any time.

If equity practitioners have a program or activity they would like to evaluate but need help, we’re here to help. Our Trials Project Lead, Dr Patricia Vermillion Peirce, can work with you in designing and running the trial - and throughout the whole trial, we check in with you regularly to make sure everything is on track.

Our new Manager, National Student Equity Evaluation, Dr Patrick Broman, will be joining us in mid-August and will be ramping up work on the Equity Hub, particularly the training modules. We're working on improvements to the Hub to deliver an even better digital experience and think you'll love what's coming. Stay tuned for developments. Likewise, we’ll be doing more work in supporting everyone through our Community of Practice and Equity Frontier Forums. 

All in all, you’ll be seeing a lot more of our team, both in person and online, over the next few months. But in the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or suggestions.

See you soon.
Tim

Dr Tim Pitman
Trials & Evaluation Program Director (interim)
Email | tim.pitman@curtin.edu.au 

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.

2024-25 Visiting Scholars announced

In the 2024-25 round of our Visiting Scholarship Program, funding has been awarded to two applicants. We would like to extend our congratulations to Dr Franziska Lessky from the University of Innsbruck (Austria) and Dr Seán Bracken from the University of Worcester (UK) - and we look forward to welcoming them to the ACSES offices next year.

Dr Franziska Lessky is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Intervention and Communications Studies at the University of Innsbruck. Her main area of focus is on educational pathways into, through, and out of university, as well as careers in the graduate labour market and academia.

Franziska’s project - Does combining work and study ‘pay off’? Critically investigating graduate outcomes of students from equity groups.- will include work examining the impact of equity students’ paid work experience on their graduate labour market outcomes, both in Australia and Austria. Further, she will work with Professor Mollie Dollinger at Curtin University to examine graduate outcomes surveys in Australia (GOS) and the UK (HESF) to assess and compare their methodological underpinnings, and Dr Nicole Crawford, to analyse existing qualitative interview data on equity students' transition from university.

Dr Seán Bracken is a Principal Lecturer and Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA). He has worked internationally as a primary and secondary teacher, a teacher educator, a lecturer and an educational project manager in a diversity of countries. Seán is passionate about enhancing learning opportunities and outcomes for all students. He is especially interested in the attainment of ‘non-traditional’ learners. His research interests are concerned with the nature of curriculum design and enactment and the potentials inherent in Universal Design for Learning to strengthen students’ outcomes in Higher Education.

Seán’s project - The development of a leadership framework for enabling systemic inclusion in higher education. - will apply Universal Design (UD) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a conceptual lens, with a focus on the development of a leadership framework for enabling systemic inclusion in Higher Education. The research initiative will explore how adoption of anticipatory inclusive design for all minoritised groups can be realised by engaging with senior HE leaders and by integrating stakeholder voice and agency. The framework will be developed as a research output resulting from mixed methods research undertaking that will incorporate a questionnaire to be issued to all HE senior leaders in Australia and the UK. Further, research methods will include semi-structured interviews with HE leaders in both jurisdictions regarding the barriers and enablers to bringing about systemic change for inclusion. In addition to seeking the views of senior leaders, the research focus will incorporate the views of relevant student representatives from constituent national and university-based groups, for example by liaising with the Disabled Students' Commission in the UK, and by meeting disabled students’ networks within a cross section of HE students’ unions in both jurisdictions.

We're recruiting: Exciting opportunity to lead our Trials and Evaluation Program

Are you excited about student equity and fairness in Australian universities? Are you keen to play a role in reshaping how Australian universities serve the nation and contribute to prosperity and social inclusion? The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (ACSES) is now accepting applications for the position of Trials and Evaluation Program Director.

As the Director of the Trials and Evaluation Program, you will be working closely with the ACSES Executive Director and will be primarily responsible for the robust design and execution of equity-focused trials and of the evaluation of existing and new student equity projects in accordance with the ACSES strategic plan. As a key ‘outward face’ of ACSES, you will implement cross-institutional partnerships to position the Centre at the forefront of equity implementation and translation of research into practice.

You can view the Position Description here. Applications close 8 August 2024.

More information about the position, including links to apply can be found on the Curtin website, Seek, and LinkedIn.

Kath Nelly reflects on ACSES Student Equity Symposium

Kathleen (Kath) Nelly, one of the student panellists at ACSES’s Student Equity Symposium and an ACSES Advisory Board member, last week shared some of her personal journey into higher education, key takeaways from the Symposium, and views on ways we can make higher education more accessible for people from underrepresented backgrounds with the Curtin University community.

Her passion for advocating for access to quality education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth shone through during Kath’s presentation. She highlighted the importance of delivering outreach programs that encouraged students to continue their education journey based on their individual needs, attracting people into university through a variety of entry ways, and enabling students to succeed at university with the right levels of support at the right times.

One of the areas of the Universities Accord recommendations Kath wished had been talked about more during the Symposium was the push for greater self-determination and more leadership and governance positions within universities filled by First Nations people.

Thank you, Kath, for sharing your story and thoughts with us!

Visited our new website yet?

acses.edu.au launched last month and offers a user-friendly experience with improved navigation, updated resources, and a modern design that reflects our mission and values.

The site gives you access to a comprehensive library of data, research, reports, and tools designed to support the pursuit of student equity and features an ​​​​​​intuitive layout and search functionality to make it easier to find the information you are looking for. It's a great place to stay informed with the latest news, events, and success stories from the field of student equity in Australian higher education. We look forward to your feedback and hope you enjoy the new experience.

Watch Symposium sessions on demand

Recordings from Access, Achievement, Accord 2024: The Australian Student Equity Symposium are available to watch on demand. The event featured panel discussions and keynote addresses from sector leaders on overcoming barriers to student achievement and practical strategies for promoting inclusivity and equity in education. Whether you missed the event or wish to revisit the sessions, you can now access all the valuable insights and discussions at your convenience on this complete Access, Achievement, Accord 2024 Symposium playlist. 

Take the Post-Symposium survey 

We value your insights to help us improve future events. Please take a moment to complete our Post-Symposium Survey. We hope to announce our 2025 Student Equity Symposium in the coming months, so any feedback will be much appreciated.

ACSES in the News

• How is ‘Gonski-style’ needs-based funding going to work for universities?, The Conversation
• Regional campuses win in needs-based funding plan, Future Campus