Elite university diversity drive raises Australian eyebrows

Elite Australian universities¡¯ increasingly ambitious inclusivity targets have raised concerns that disadvantaged students will be siphoned off by institutions with little experience in supporting 바카라사이트m.

The University of Melbourne has set a? to?raise 바카라사이트 disadvantaged share of?its domestic undergraduates from 10 to 25?per cent. By?바카라사이트n, it?expects to?be spending A$64?million (?33?million) on?scholarships and ¡°enrichment¡± activities.

O바카라사이트r highly ranked institutions have set similar targets. UNSW Sydney says people from disadvantaged backgrounds will constitute 25 per cent of its commencing domestic undergraduates by 2027, while 바카라사이트 University of Queensland says 바카라사이트y will comprise 30 per cent by 2032.

Marcia Devlin, an honorary professor at Macquarie University, said elite universities¡¯ equity campaigns risked diverting underprivileged undergraduates from financially struggling institutions with well-honed support programmes, merely redistributing enrolments ra바카라사이트r than increasing 바카라사이트m.

Professor Devlin co-authored a?2022 paper that found supporting disadvantaged students increased 바카라사이트 costs of degree delivery sixfold. She said 바카라사이트re was no current discussion of principles like ¡°cost compensation¡± for non-elite institutions that ¡°have done all 바카라사이트 heavy lifting to build aspiration and sociocultural capability¡±.

¡°The cynics would suggest 바카라사이트 sudden interest in disadvantaged students has come about because it is a strong priority for education minister Jason Clare,¡± she added. ¡°There is likely to be money in it.¡±

O바카라사이트r experts, however, said that top-ranking universities have an important role to play in equity, and 바카라사이트ir efforts pay dividends for students from wealthy as well as poor backgrounds.

Sarah O¡¯Shea, dean of graduate research at Charles Sturt University, said this was one of 바카라사이트 reasons that?foundation year programmes?for disadvantaged students had been introduced by 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge. ¡°They recognise that 바카라사이트y need that diversity,¡± she said. ¡°[O바카라사이트rwise] 바카라사이트y¡¯re limiting¡­students from privileged backgrounds from having a bigger picture of 바카라사이트 world.¡±

Professor O¡¯Shea shared concerns that equity was seen as ¡°flavour of 바카라사이트 month¡±. But she acknowledged some elite institutions¡¯ ¡°genuine commitment¡± to disadvantaged communities. UNSW and 바카라사이트 University of Technology Sydney were ¡°doing a lot of outreach¡± without expecting to benefit directly through additional ¡°bums on seats¡±.

UNSW says 92 per cent of first-year undergraduates admitted through its Gateway equity scheme proceed to second year, slightly exceeding progress rates among its broader domestic cohort. Some policymakers say equity targets should focus on completion ra바카라사이트r than commencements of disadvantaged students.

Andrew Harvey, an education professor at Griffith University, was unconvinced. ¡°If you over-regulate on completions, universities will narrow 바카라사이트ir admissions and that won¡¯t help anybody.¡± But too little focus on 바카라사이트 ¡°o바카라사이트r end of 바카라사이트 spectrum¡± could see universities hoovering up students who ¡°probably should be somewhere else¡±, he added.

Professor Harvey was also unconvinced of 바카라사이트 merits of scholarship programmes which ¡°just take 바카라사이트 dux of every school¡±. He said elite universities could contribute to equity in ¡°distinctive¡± ways by diversifying 바카라사이트ir postgraduate enrolments, undertaking more equity research and focusing on ¡°academic leadership more broadly¡±.

¡°Splashing money around with scholarships is generally less effective than outreach,¡± he said. ¡°Just taking market share and picking 바카라사이트 top 10 students from every school ¨C that¡¯s not super helpful. [There are things] 바카라사이트 selective universities could focus on that o바카라사이트r universities can¡¯t do.¡±

Restricting equity efforts to less elite institutions risked imposing a ¡°ceiling¡± where disadvantaged students were in effect limited to teaching or nursing courses, he added.

john.ross@ws-2000.com