NEW

ACSES Equity Fellowship report published

Dear colleagues,

The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (ACSES) is pleased to announce the release of a new Equity Fellowship report by Amani Bell (The University of Sydney) supported by student co-researchers Minahil Khan, Lachlan Sibir, Tara Soanes, and Tina Tran. Addressing placement inequities via participatory action research identifies how universities, industry, and government can help create a fairer, more inclusive experience for students required to undertake work placements as part of their studies. 

The project saw students and educators co-develop dozens of practical solutions to address the issues facing tertiary students in courses with mandatory industry placements, such as teaching and nursing. Associate Professor Bell noted that while the introduction of measures such as Commonwealth Prac Payments was welcome, the research highlights more can be done to support students on their placements. 

Key findings of the report include:

• Expand financial support: Direct funding from Federal and State governments, universities, and industry is the most effective way to address placement poverty. While the Commonwealth Prac Payments are positive, many degrees with compulsory placements are excluded and international students remain ineligible. 

• Increase flexibility: Students called for more flexible placements, including part-time options, to help them maintain paid work and balance caring and other responsibilities. 

• Foster inclusive environments: Universities and placement sites need to strengthen inclusive practices. A strengths-based approach should guide educators and staff to recognise and value students’ abilities and to create culturally safe, disability-accessible, neurodiverse-affirming and LGBTQIA+-friendly placement environments. 

Recommendations from the report include expanded financial support, greater flexibility, and a focus on inclusivity. 

Read the full report here.

Professor Ian Li SFHEA
Director of Research and Policy Program Director
Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success

Successful projects announced for Small Grants Research Program 2025 - Amendment 

Last week, ACSES announced the successful proposals selected for funding as part of ACSES's Small Grants Research Program.

We would like to make an amendment to the list that was shared as it was missing one of the 10 successful projects. ACSES would like to also extend it's congratulations to the following recipient: 

📰Co-designing equity: Neuroinclusive assessment and placement for allied health students
Lead institution: University of Newcastle 
Lead researcher: Dr Rebecca Collins

You can read more details about each project here.

World Access to Higher Education Day 2025

From policy to practice: Student equity at global, national and local levels 

World Access to Higher Education Day (WAHED) returns on Tuesday 28 October 2025 – a global day of action dedicated to raising awareness of inequalities in access to and success in higher education.  

EPHEA (Equity Practitioners in Higher Education Association), ACSES (Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success) and the UTS Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion are proud to host a compelling three-part online event. In this series of online panel sessions, speakers will explore student equity from global, national, and local perspectives, highlighting the shared challenges and innovations.  

Date: Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Time: 9am – 10:45am (AWST)
Where: Online via Zoom

We're hiring!

Communication Officer (Publishing)

At ACSES, we believe in the power of education to change lives, and we’re committed to making higher education fairer, more inclusive, and accessible for all.

Are you a proactive, detail-oriented communicator with strong editing and publishing skills? Do you have experience in editing, digital publishing, and communicating complex research in plain English? Then this could be the role for you.

Join our fantastic team at ACSES and help us produce high-quality publications that make a real impact in higher education equity.

This is a full-time, fixed term role. Apply via:

• Curtin External
• Seek
• LinkedIn

Applications close: Monday, 20 October 2025.

Impact Evaluation for Equity workshop

Join us on Thursday, 30 October at the Australian National University (ANU Acton Campus) for our in-person workshop: "Impact Evaluation for Equity".

In this hands-on event, we’ll dive into:

• How to assess whether your program is "evaluability" ready
• Different questions that the different impact evaluation approaches can (and cannot) answer
• Common beliefs (and misbeliefs) in relation to impact evaluations
• Real examples from equity/education settings

Facilitated by Dr Patricia Vermillion Peirce (ACSES Trials Lead), this workshop offers a chance to engage with peers, get feedback, and help you identify programs that may benefit from different types of impact evaluation approaches.

Date: Thursday, 30 October 2025
Time: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm (AEDT)
Where: ANU Acton Campus (in-person only)

Seats are limited. Register today to secure your place. A light lunch will be provided.

This event is kindly hosted by ANU's Inclusive and Respectful Communities team.