A news round-up from the ACSES offices

Welcome to the ACSES team, Patrick!

We are pleased to announce that Dr Patrick Broman is joining the ACSES team in the newly created position of Manager, National Student Equity Evaluation within the Trials and Evaluation team.

Patrick has most recently been HEPPP (Higher Education Participation and Partnership Program) Evaluation Manager at Swinburne University of Technology and was previously Lead Adviser, Network at the New Zealand Ministry of Education. He holds continuing appointments as Research Fellow at the Centre for Health and Social Practice, Waikato Institute of Technology (Hamilton, New Zealand) and the Centre for Just Places, Jesuit Social Services (Melbourne).

He is a demographer by training and applies strong quantitative and statistical modelling skills to his research and evaluation practice, much of which has involved regional disparities, especially in education; innovations in tertiary education and training; and the classification and counting of ethnic groups.

Patrick is looking forward to supporting universities in applying the evaluation framework from wherever they are situated. He will officially commence his role in August.

ACSES at the Student Equity Forum

Last week, ACSES Director of Research and Policy, Professor Ian Li, was part of a small team presenting at the ‘Student Equity Forum‘ – a capacity building activity offered alongside this year’s Student Success Conference, held in Melbourne.

In his session on “What is Student Equity?”, Professor Li covered some equity fundamentals, such as defining equity (and how it is different to equality), what equity means in the higher education context, some history and background to student equity in higher education, and its current role in the national higher education policy landscape.

The Forum was facilitated by EPHEA President Dr Kylie Austin (pictured above with Ian Li) and included presentations from Karen Seary (NAEEA), Darlene McLennan (ADCET), Chris Ronan (SPERA), Nadine Zacharias (Equity by Design), Sonal Singh (EPHEA), and Nicola Cull (EPHEA).

More information about the Forum including a full set of presentation slides can be found here.

Meet our "Earn While You Learn" students

The "Earn While You Learn" (EWYL) Program is a Curtin University initiative that provides students with the chance to secure paid work that fits around their classes and study load, while gaining relevant work experience and employability skills and enhancing their resumes. As part of the program, the ACSES team has been able to secure the talent of three students who are working on projects within the Data Program and Communications teams. We wanted to take a chance to introduce them:

Tori Bonhomme (Communications Officer)

Tori is a second-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Communications with a specialisation in Journalism and Public Relations. As a recipient of the Long Tan Bursary, she has a deep appreciation for the opportunities provided by equity programs and is passionate about helping others succeed. Tori previously worked as an Electorate Officer and speech writer in the Parliament of New South Wales, and as an Events Assistant at Curtin University and freelance social media content creator after moving to Perth. 

Daniel Doss (Data Analyst)

Daniel Doss is a second-year Bachelor of Science (Actuarial Science) student. In his role as Data Analyst, Daniel brings his programming experience in R and Python to conduct various studies about student equity areas. His role allows him to combine his passion for students and education, as well as gain valuable professional experience while contributing to ACSES’s mission of promoting student equity. 

Fardowsa Samatar (Communications Officer)

Fardowsa is a third-year Bachelor of Communications student with a background in communication and marketing, currently serving as a Communications Officer at ACSES. Fardowsa’s academic journey has equipped her with skills in content creation and social media management, and she has practical experience in campaign planning and data analytics. 

News from our Visiting Scholars 

Our Visiting Scholarship Program is well underway with two of the 2024 Visiting Scholars currently spending time in the ACSES offices at Curtin University in Perth (Boorloo).

Professor Sarah Jane Aiston has come all the way from Teesside University in the UK and is working on her project "Doctoral education, intersectionality and equality, diversity and inclusion in the higher education sector" during the month she is spending in the Southern Hemisphere.

Associate Professor Nadine Zacharias from Swinburne University of Technology (Australia) has returned for second shorter visit while working on her project "Demonstrating best practice in student equity research".

Another of our Visiting Scholars, Dr Sam Hoang from Victoria University (Australia), is currently looking for participants in a study he is conducting on the employment transitions of equity PhD graduates. You can find more information, including contact details to participate, here.

The ACSES Team introducing their Visiting Scholars Sarah Aiston and Nadine Zacharias (seated at the far end) to one of their favourite local lunch spots. 

ACSES visits Cooktown

At the end of June, two of our ACSES leadership team members, Professor Ian Li (Research and Policy Program Director) and Associate Professor Gemma Cadby (Data Program Director) were part of a group of senior university, government, and regional development leaders visiting the regional university study hub at Cooktown in Queensland, on invitation from the Country Universities Centre.

The visit gave the team the opportunity to experience a community-led, place based study hub model first hand and meet some of the local students and staff. The two-day trip featured a number of presentations, including one by Gemma Cadby on data insights for regional and remote students, and another by ACSES Equity Fellow Danielle Keenan on her current research work into the effectiveness of regional study hubs. 

‘Tell students they can do it’ - findings of an ACSES First Nations Fellow

Dr Tracy Woodroffe from Charles Darwin University shares some early findings from her research project on "Increasing the number of Aboriginal teachers in the Northern Territory: Planning for the future" in The Conversation this week.

Tracy's project focuses on understanding the aspirations of Aboriginal high school students to become teachers, and assist universities to increase First Nations enrolments in teacher education.

You can find the full article "‘Tell students they can do it’: how Aboriginal people can inspire each other to become teachers" here.

The First Nations Fellowship Program was initiated by ACSES to develop the research capability of First Nations people and provide opportunities for meaningful changes to public policy. ACSES will be opening a new round of the its Fellowship Programs for applications soon. More details to come.

Report now available at www.education.gov.au

Centring the Voices of Harder to Reach Under-Represented and Disadvantaged Cohorts, a report produced by our office (under the former name of the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education) in partnership with ORIMA Research as part of the Universities Accord Review process, is now available publicly on the Department of Education website. 

This report captures the voices and lived experience of educationally under-represented and disadvantaged cohorts who are less likely to engage in traditional consultation mechanisms, or require reasonable adjustments in order to engage.

It's NAIDOC Week...

...a time to celebrate and recognise the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This year's theme of ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud!’ encapsulates the unapologetic celebration of Indigenous identity, connection to Country, each other, and the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It celebrates the unyielding spirit of our First Nations communities and invites all to stand in solidarity, amplifying the voices that have long been silenced.

NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. Find out more including events happening near you here.

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

• Higher education for everyone in Australia — is it doable?, ABC Radio National (A broadcast of the “Access, Achievement, Accord: The Road to Reform" panel discussion)
• Ten steps to student equity and success now, featured on The Good Men Project, originally published in EduResearch Matters