Leadership is key to achieving HE equity goals – Expert

Australia’s new Universities Accord highlights the important role of visionary leaders committed to championing equity and inclusion throughout the student lifecycle, according to Professor Shamit Saggar, executive director of the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (ACSES).

In an exclusive interview with University World News, Saggar described the accord as a “once-in-a-generation” review of the higher education system to address the many neglected issues and opportunities, and meet the needs of an evolving nation.

Launched a week earlier, the final report of the Australian Universities Accord, which took the government a year to finalise, makes a series of recommendations, among which is that at least 80% of the workforce should have a university qualification by 2050. Currently, that figure stands at 60%.

“Raising tertiary education attainment to these levels will not be easy. It can only be achieved by making the higher education system far more equitable,” said the report.

Commenting on these goals, Saggar said visionary university leadership was “paramount” in the accord report's recommendations.

“Leaders must champion equity and inclusion throughout the student lifecycle. This includes expanding the Regional Study Hubs Program, which ACSES has been involved with, to tackle educational disadvantages in regions. ACSES supports this vision for a more inclusive, regionally focused tertiary sector, potentially including the creation of a national regional university to enhance opportunities in regional areas,” he said.

Persistent disadvantage

Formerly the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education, the rebranded ACSES, hosted by Curtin University, unveiled its new identity at a Universities Australia plenary meeting in Canberra earlier this week.

Responding to a question about the main challenges Australia faces in achieving equity and success, ACSES’ executive director said many Australians still face an uphill battle to break a pattern of persistent disadvantage.

“This disadvantage often follows people who are born into it through their entire lives and, more often than not, continues into the next generation and the one after that. Breaking that familial pattern is difficult as this is so structurally embedded.

“Education is one of the most powerful catalysts for equity, as it provides the tools and opportunities for all people to thrive regardless of their background. Our goal is to remove some of the obstacles and make it easier for students to access quality education and succeed,” he added.

Another important aspect of the Australian Universities Accord is the recommendation that government-supported students (most undergraduates in Australia) should still pay different amounts for different areas of study and the fees should reflect “projected potential lifetime earnings” for graduates.

In practical terms, this would return to a logic that helped set fee levels before the previous government’s higher education strategy. In this report, financial institutions are asked to view student loans differently from other debt when assessing whether or not to approve a bank loan.

The accord aims to set a target to more than double the number of government-funded students by 2050 – from the current 860,000 to 1.8 million. It also recommends a new “Solving Australia’s Challenges Fund” to reward universities that use their research expertise and capability to solve national problems. The size of this fund is unclear.

Inclusivity, accessibility and success

In this context, under its new name, ACSES has strategically refocused its efforts, consolidating achievements across three programmes: data, research and policy, and trials and evaluation, said Saggar. “These pillars, bolstered by the centre’s active participation in the Australian Universities Accord, set the stage for a paradigm shift in cultivating inclusivity, accessibility, and success in higher education for all Australians, while forging a path into the international conversation on equity,” he said.

He said that although ACSES’ focus may not include teaching and service delivery costs for students, it will play a crucial role in guiding institutions on how to collect and analyse data for programmes aimed at improving equity outcomes within the Needs-Based Funding system.

ACSES is funded by the Australian government to support sustained improvement in outcomes for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. In July 2022, Minister for Education Jason Clare announced the government would commit AU$20.5 million (US$13.6 million) over four years to expand the centre. Its work aligns with the Australian Universities Accord.

“It will help us build a better and fairer education system where no one is held back, and no one is left behind…This is a plan not for one budget, but a blueprint for the next decade and beyond,” the minister said while unveiling the accord last weekend.

What works?

Referring to leading innovations, trials and evaluations, Saggar said the ACSES’ pivot to become a “What Works Centre” rests on the essential work of three inextricably linked programmes: data, research and policy, and trials and evaluation.

“Trials and evaluation involves partnering with universities to turn research findings into practical solutions. Through rigorous randomised controlled trials, we aim to provide empirical evidence on the effectiveness of interventions for underrepresented students in higher education,” he said.

Saggar added that ACSES has embarked on several randomised controlled trials with university partners that focus on improving student participation and engagement, increasing assignment submission rates, and evaluating the impact of tailored pastoral care on students’ sense of support and confidence, particularly crucial for first-year and first-in-family students.

“Our trials and evaluation programme also addresses career support for disadvantaged students. These interventions aim to familiarise students with Australian workplace culture and hiring practices while building networks for employment. We emphasise culturally sensitive approaches, and integrating students' experiences to navigate employment pathways effectively,” he said.

Career education

About future plans, he said projects on micro-credential courses and placements in rural areas and offering learning and work opportunities are in the pipeline. “Additionally, we are developing accessible career education for parents and students from refugee backgrounds. These initiatives aim to confront the unique challenges this student cohort faces, respecting cultural values and instilling a sense of belonging in higher education,” he said.

A number of Australia’s wealthiest universities, known as the Group of Eight, have criticised the recommendations for a higher education fund which, if implemented, will see the government match contributions from universities until it reaches AU$10 billion.

Mark Scott, the vice-chancellor and president of the University of Sydney, told public broadcaster SBS the group believes the plan is essentially taxing the money being raised by them through international students and philanthropy.

“I think we would have trouble attracting the top international university students we have now if they knew they would be taxed on their funding. I also think philanthropists, those people who make donations to universities, would also be reluctant if they knew that their money was going to be taxed on giving it to the university of their choice.”

The Australian government said there will be an official response to the recommendations within months.