Recording: Higher education at a crossroads – what’s at stake for equity?
As the federal election approaches, it’s crucial to explore the potential impact of political shifts on higher education, equity policy, and funding.
In this session, leading national and international experts in higher education discussed these issues to help equip equity practitioners, policymakers, and university leaders with insights and advocacy strategies ahead of the election.
You can find below the resources from the webinar including the recordings, slides and transcripts from each session.
Opening and welcome: Updates on Universities Accord implementation and the Australian Tertiary Education Commission
Session 1: Pre-election policy landscape – what’s on the table?
In this session, our speakers will discuss where the major Australian political parties stand on higher education reform and the future of needs-based funding, HEPPP, and student support programs. They will also discuss university responses to election uncertainties.
Session 2: Risks and opportunities – Equity in the post-Accord era
Will student equity remain a priority in the next government? What's next for student support, and what will happen if the government does not renew HEPPP funding? Our speakers will discuss the role of universities in sustaining student success beyond government funding.
Session 3: Global lessons for election-year equity policy
What can Australia learn from around the globe? Hear from international representatives about the impact of political shifts on diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education and government strategies for equitable university funding. Join this discussion and learn what Australia can do to sustain student equity beyond policy cycles.
This event was jointly hosted by the Equity Practitioners in Higher Education Association (EPHEA), the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (ACSES), the World Access to Higher Education Network (WAHEN), and the UTS Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion.
Speakers
Professor Andrew Norton is a Professor of Higher Education Policy at the Monash Business School at Monash University. Andrew is the author or co-author of many publications on higher education topics, including Mapping Australian Higher Education 2023, an overview of higher education policy and trends. In 2013-14, he was the co-author of a government-commissioned review of the demand-driven student funding system. Andrew was also on the ministerial reference group for the Universities Accord.
Professor Maria Raciti is a social marketer who uses marketing tools and techniques to bring about social justice and behaviour change. Maria is co-founder and co-director of the University of the Sunshine Coast Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre and is regularly engaged as an expert advisor. She has undertaken several large-scale research projects that have produced meaningful and impactful outcomes aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the National Closing the Gap targets.
Professor Shamit Saggar CBE is the Executive Director of the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success at Curtin University. He was previously the inaugural Director of the Public Policy Institute and Professor of Public Policy at the University of Western Australia. Shamit is a former Senior Advisor to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, has worked in senior roles in government, business, regulation and philanthropy, and has taken an active part in public leadership board roles.
Dr Kylie Austin is the Director of Student Life at Edith Cowen University. Kylie has over sixteen years of experience in leadership and student experience-focused roles in the higher education sector. She has experience leading large student-focused teams to increase outcomes and representation in higher education for underrepresented student groups. Kylie is also the current President of Equity Practitioners in Higher Education Australasia and is engaged in several national research projects and collaborative networks focused on the student experience.
Chris Ronan is the CEO of the Country Universities Centre – a network of 28 community-run Regional University Study Hubs across QLD, NSW, Victoria Tasmania and Australian Pacific Territories. He has worked in the higher education and not-for-profit sectors across the United States, New Zealand, and Australia, focusing on Regional, Rural and Remote higher education policy, student equity, widening participation and rural student transitions. Chris is also the National President of the Society for the Provision in Education in Rural Australia.
Dr Jamil Salmi is a Moroccan education economist and a global tertiary education expert. With 34 years of experience working in more than 105 countries worldwide, Jamil provides policy advice to governments, universities, professional associations, and development agencies. Previously, he was the World Bank’s tertiary education coordinator. Dr. Salmi is also an Emeritus Professor of higher education policy at Diego Portales University in Chile and a Research Fellow at Boston College’s Center for Higher Education.
Professor Graeme Atherton is the Founder and Director of the World Access to Higher Education Network, the first global network focused on addressing inequalities in higher education access and success. Graeme is an international leader and researcher and has led regional, national and international initiatives to increase higher education opportunities in the UK and internationally. He founded AccessHE and the National Education Opportunities Network in the UK and is now the Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of West London and Vice-Principal of Ruskin College, Oxford.
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Dr Nadine Zacharias is the Founder and Managing Director of Equity by Design, a specialist consulting firm in student equity strategy, program evaluation, and inclusive service design. Nadine leads transformative work in higher education to achieve a more equitable and high-performing sector. She has held senior management roles at Swinburne and Deakin Universities and has facilitated the widespread adoption of the Student Equity in Higher Education Evaluation Framework by Australian universities.