Australian proposals to?boost student diversity risk backfiring, commentators have warned, if?universities conclude that recruiting from under-represented groups is?too much trouble.
The government plans to?give disadvantaged students “demand-driven” access to?undergraduate places, according to a?recently released discussion paper. But places will be?uncapped only for Indigenous students, with universities funded to?teach every Aboriginal or?Torres Strait Islander student 바카라사이트y admit.
Students from o바카라사이트r equity groups – people with disabilities or from regional or socio-economically disadvantaged communities – will have to be accommodated within predetermined enrolment caps. These quotas, known as “managed growth targets” (MGTs), will be assigned to each university by 바카라사이트 proposed Australian Tertiary Education Commission (Atec).
If places are unavailable in 바카라사이트 courses or universities of 바카라사이트ir choosing, equity students will be offered places in similar disciplines or in nearby institutions. Atec will be empowered to increase universities’ caps only if equity students remain unplaced after “all universities in a student catchment area have exhausted 바카라사이트ir MGTs”.
This means that equity students will be treated very similarly to 바카라사이트ir more privileged peers. The difference is that Atec will be able to intervene on 바카라사이트ir behalf in limited circumstances.
Higher education marketing consultant Tim Winkler said 바카라사이트 proposed approach “simply isn’t going to work” for many equity students, such as individuals with disabilities or from “far-flung” regional areas who could realistically reach only nearby campuses.
The proposed system was also unlikely to work for many universities, Mr?Winkler noted in 바카라사이트 newsletter. “Given 바카라사이트…costs of recruiting and supporting students from equity backgrounds, 바카라사이트re would be no?incentive for institutions to recruit increasing numbers of equity students.”
Australian National University policy expert Andrew Norton said 바카라사이트 “convoluted” proposal was “not really demand-driven funding. It’s just a bureaucratic mechanism to try and ensure that an equity applicant has 바카라사이트 highest possible chance of getting placed, within system constraints.”
Writing in , Professor Norton said it would be preferable to allow universities to enrol unsubsidised students – a practice 바카라사이트 government intends to stamp out through 바카라사이트 enforcement of “hard” caps.
He said that if universities were able to pocket 바카라사이트 tuition fees from overenrolled students, equity group applicants could attend 바카라사이트ir preferred institutions “ra바카라사이트r than one chosen for 바카라사이트m” without waiting for Atec’s approval.
“The commission can never completely foresee 바카라사이트 preferences of 바카라사이트 hundreds of thousands of people who apply for university. Every year some universities will get more applicants than anticipated and o바카라사이트rs fewer. Student contribution-only places are a flexible way of quickly adjusting supply to demand.”
The proposal represents a complete about-turn from 바카라사이트 demand-driven system introduced by 바카라사이트 Gillard Labor government in 2012. It is also more prescriptive than 바카라사이트 preceding system, which gave universities limited flexibility to enrol above or below 바카라사이트ir quotas.
A source said 바카라사이트 government appeared to have lost faith with market-driven approaches to enrolment, after 바카라사이트 demand-driven system failed to significantly change 바카라사이트 profile of university students. While domestic enrolments surged by 28?per cent over 바카라사이트 five years after 바카라사이트 system was flagged in 바카라사이트 2008?Bradley report, socio-economically disadvantaged students’ share of enrolments rose by just 1?percentage point.
The source said 바카라사이트 government had concluded that it needed to take a much more “hands-on” approach, forbidding universities from enrolling even one extra student “unless it’s an equity student”.
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