The University’s commitment to equity is incorporated in its Strategic Plan 1995-2004. The Student Equity Plan is broadly stated in the Plan:

to enhance the quality and diversity of the University’s student intake by increasing the access and participation of educationally disadvantaged student groups to the full range of University courses.

The University has made a commitment in relation to Student Recruitment and Student Services in its Strategic Plan to:

1. implement methods of increasing applications from all educationally disadvantaged groups, in particular among those not already targeted by admission and recruitment schemes (eg. low socio-economic backgrounds (low SES));
2. promote awareness among the public and potential students of special access schemes for educationally disadvantaged students and modify and expand these schemes as required;
3. promote and assist in the fostering of a community which values diversity through;

• developing new and improved services for educationally disadvantaged students,
• giving maximum publicity to the achievements of groups of educationally disadvantaged students,
• ensuring all staff have appropriate knowledge of and training in the implementation of the University's EEO and equity policies.

The Performance indicators include:

• representation in the student community of all educationally disadvantaged groups in proportions equivalent to their representation in the general community;
• availability of a range of services for categories of students;
• student assessment of the University as a supportive environment;
• reduction in problems related to equity principles;
• maintenance of funding levels for equity in the general budget process;
• achievement of improved services for disadvantaged students;
• disadvantaged students performing as well as the student population generally.

The University’s goals for people with disabilities have been stated in the Disability Action Plan as:

1. to foster and encourage positive, informed and unprejudiced attitudes towards people with disabilities;
2. to make provision, insofar as resources may reasonably permit, for any service needed by or for people with impairments;
3. to encourage people to seek admission to or employment with the University regardless of impairment or disability.

B STRATEGIES AND PERFORMANCE

The University will continue to promote initiatives which provide social and financial support in recognition of the fact that high retention rates and academic success are as much dependent upon these factors as on adequate academic support.

The University’s equal opportunity policies are available on the ANU web site (http://online.anu.edu.au/). General measures which the University intends to pursue in order to maintain or improve its performance during the triennium include:

• increased funding of accommodation bursaries for equity groups through the University’s Endowment for Excellence.
• ongoing special orientation sessions for mature age students through the Counselling Centre;
• more specifically targeted recruitment activities for equity groups;
• inclusion of equity issues in academic and general staff induction courses;
• increasing the participation of equity target groups at graduate student level through the quality of the University’s academic and student support programs.

B1 Low SES

The University continues to have problems with the Martin methodology of defining the low SES indicator and awaits the report of the EIP project which it hopes will include a new measure of personal SES which would be more practical for higher education institutions in the ACT.

• increase funding in 1998 of accommodation bursaries through the University’s Endowment for Excellence. This scheme was described in the last triennial submission. In brief, it is funded from the University’s non recurrent sources. The common criteria for award of the four categories of bursaries are: financial need, and full-time enrolment. The bursary is set at half the weekly rent of Fenner Hall, that is a bursary of $41 per week for a maximum of 40 weeks for undergraduates and 48 weeks for graduates. A total of 48 bursaries were available for award in 1998 in the categories of new undergraduates, "emergency" for undergraduate, graduate and students with disabilities. The scheme has been of great assistance to students and the number of bursaries should continue to increase in each year of the triennium.
• the University is particularly interested in exploring practical means of identifying and assisting prospective students who might be encouraged to pursue higher education if they were given the assurance of a viable source of limited financial support in addition to the Youth Allowance. The University expects to introduce a new scheme based on the successful experience in the wider community.

Performance Indicators

Access rates recorded for this group, as Low SES (Australian), are 5.61 per cent (under 25) and 2.33 per cent (over 25) and for all ages 4.34 per cent. The participation ratio of this group to students with a high SES is 0.08 (aged under 25) and 0.04 (aged 25 or more) and for all ages 0.07. The success rate of low SES (Australian) is 0.87 (under 25), 0.80 for 25 and over and for all ages 0.86. The SPR ratio of SPR (low SES Australian) to SPR (other students) is 0.99. The retention rate of low SES (Australian) is 0.953 for under 25, 0.716 for 25 and over and for all ages 0.906. The ratio of ARR (low SES Australian) to ARR (other) for all ages is 1.040.

B2 Students from Non English Speaking Backgrounds (NESB)
The University will encourage greater participation by NESB students.

• provide targeted support through the Study Skills Centre. A full-time post was established in that Centre in 1998 for a second graduate adviser who has appropriate training to assist graduate coursework and undergraduate NESB students. The allocation of time is 50 per cent each to graduate coursework and undergraduate NESB students. This is proving valuable and will be maintained throughout the triennium;
• provide ongoing specialist second-language courses through the Study Skills Centre which complement the "English in Academic Context" unit which NESB students may include in their degree course;
• continue the monitoring of the academic progress of NESB students who are admitted under the Countrywide Access Scheme (see below) in order to be able to offer appropriate continuing support;
• conduct during 1998 a research project to identify the location, needs and experiences of NESB current undergraduates. After a database is established the project may well need to concentrate on students in Information Systems, Accounting and Political Science, enabling the involvement of academic staff across the relevant faculties using focus groups as well as quantitative data. It is expected that this project will intersect with an existing project with the Canberra Institute of Technology and a proposed First Year Experience project prepared by the University’s Centre for Educational Development and Academic Methods (CEDAM). This project is expected to clarify the background and particular needs of NESB undergraduates at this University so that appropriate support and variations in teaching and assessment practices can then be implemented later.

Performance Indicators

The access rate of NESB students is 2.37 per cent, slightly less than in 1997 and less than the target of 3.00 per cent. The participation rate for the group is .57 per cent (above the target of 0.400). The success rate (SPR) for this equity group in 1997 was 0.80, the SPR (equity) : SPR (other students ratio was 0.92. The retention ratio, ARR (NESB) to ARR (other) is 1.034 (compared with 0.985 in 1997).

B3 Students With Disabilities

The University continues to give a particular emphasis to students with disabilities as an equity group and has indicated in previous submissions its well developed strategies for this group. It strives to embed the policies for students with disabilities into all areas of the University so that desired services are provided as a matter of course.

Strategies

The University has continued in 1998 to focus intensively on the strategies identified in the Disability Action Plan which was approved by Council in June 1997. The strategies relating to students were listed in the 1998-2000 triennium submission and covered:

• Application and Admission
• Scholarship and Financial Assistance
• Study Skills Centre examinations and Assessment
• Disability Support Unit
• University libraries
• Information Technology
• Residential Accommodation
• Physical Access

A progress report on the implementation of these strategies has been provided to DEETYA as an attachment to this submission as has the Disability Advisory Group’s 1997 Annual Report.

• promote the web site for Careers for graduates with a disability which was completed in 1998 in conjunction with the University of Canberra and the Canberra Institute of Technology with funding from the Combined grant through DEETYA. (A copy of the consultant’s information plan will be submitted to DEETYA with the report on the co-operative funding grant);
• continue the practice of distributing flyers about services for students with disabilities at all local tertiary institutions, to all Year 12 schools in Australia and other organisations;
• institute from 1999 a policy and procedure for the funding costs for support services for International full fee paying students with disabilities in line with DEETYA recommendations on funding of such services;
• make available appropriate support services for students with disabilities when that support involves unusually high costs, drawing on the special funding identified for the purpose in the University’s Endowment for Excellence;
• increase the efficiency of special examination arrangements for students with disabilities by using the confidential section of the ANU Student Information System to which only the Disability Support Unit and Examinations Section have access;
• continually update the University’s physical facilities in accordance with the 10 year plan of Facilities and Services which has been adopted;
• continually update and promote the ANU ACCESS GUIDE;
• establish and promote a register of academic departments that have lecture notes on the Web;
• promote the availability of special funds allocated to the Graduate School ($5,000) each year for support of graduate students with disabilities;
• relocate the Disability Support Unit to a new purpose-built, accessible Student Services Building in a more central location at the end of 1998;
• actively promote as appropriate the suggestions from the 1997 student survey in all areas in which students sought improvements.

Performance Indicators

Commencing students with disabilities in 1998, that is 107 students, represented 4.22 per cent of the commencing student population. The participation rate is 0.96. The overall success rate for this equity group in 1997 expressed as the Student Progress Rate (SPR) was 0.86. The SPR (equity) : SPR (other) ratio is 0.94. The retention rate (ARR) of this group is 0.789 with the ratio ARR (equity group) : ARR (other students) of 0.905. However these figures do not give an accurate picture of the retention rate, considerably more students were registered with the Disability Adviser than were formally recorded in the 1997 statistics supplied to DEETYA. That problem has been rectified in 1998.

B4 Rural, Isolated and Educationally Disadvantaged

Consistent with its national charter, the University accords special priority to these groups, partly through the Countrywide Access Scheme. This is an access scheme for immediate and recent school-leavers with strong academic potential who have been disadvantaged during high school (for an extensive period). Conditions such as geographical isolation and lack of school facilities, low family income or emotional trauma can mean that these students fall below the required University Admission Index for their chosen course.

• maintain strong support for the Countrywide Access Scheme and provision of a Coordinator position.
• maintain financial support for prospective Countrywide students to visit the ANU from rural and isolated areas to obtain first hand information about the University;
• increase the number of accommodation bursaries through the Endowment for Excellence;
• maintain academic support through the Countrywide Study Skills Adviser;
• provide information about the Scheme to Interstate Careers Advisers at the University’s annual information weekend;
• introduce for 1999 admission a common application form for students applying under Educational Access Schemes to participating institutions through the University Admissions Centre (UAC);
• Actively encourage early consultations between Countrywide students and the Study Skills Centre. Consultation with the Centre has never been a requirement but it is demonstrably in the student’s best interest, and continuing analysis of performance of Countrywide students is revealing the importance of early consultation.

Performance Indicators

Rural

The access rate of 12.58 per cent in 1998 was less than that of 14.9 per cent in 1997. The percentage of rural students in the total student population is 14.25 per cent with the highest participation rate continuing to be in the field of Agriculture with 36.84 per cent at higher degree research level and 27.13 per cent at bachelor level. The success (SPR) rate of rural students is 0.86 and the SPR (rural) : SPR (other) ratio is 1.00. The apparent retention rate of rural students is 0.913 which is higher than other students. The ratio (ARR equity group) to ARR (other students) is 1.055.

Isolated

The access rate of these students is at 0.63 per cent in 1998. The figure for 1997 was 0.43 per cent. The participation rate is 0.49 per cent (compared with 0.47 per cent in 1997). The success rate (SPR) is 0.89 while this SPR (equity) : SPR (other students) ratio is 1.03. The retention rate for this equity group is 0.966 and the ARR ratio is 1.108 compared with 0.981 in 1997.

Educationally Disadvantaged (Countrywide)

Although the number of applications made through the Countrywide Access Scheme was lower in 1998 (128) than in 1997 (145), there was a 6 per cent increase in 1998 in the number of applicants who were offered places through the Scheme or on their own merit.

B5 Women in Non Traditional Fields of Study

The University is keen to encourage the participation of women in postgraduate education, especially in higher degree research courses.

Strategies

The University will continue to:

• provide scholarships for women re-entering graduate study which recognise the discontinuous participation of women in higher education through family responsibilities;
• maintain its already mainstreamed policy which gives sympathetic consideration of applications to allow women to suspend their study;
•  
• provide an academic coordinator for the Women in Engineering and Information Technology program in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology;
• give an even higher profile to mainstreaming knowledge of its sexual harassment policies both in the general teaching and learning environment and especially in relation to fieldwork. This derives from a re-examination of the University’s policies on gender equity in 1998.

Performance Indicators

The overall access rates of women entering the "non-traditional" areas for 1998 are 34.5 per cent in Agriculture, 15.48 per cent in Engineering, 38.4 per cent in Business and Economics and 45.8 per cent in Science. The numbers in areas other than Science are small and therefore few inferences can be made. The rates are still high but a little lower than in 1997. The participation rate is Agriculture is 35.3 per cent (an increase from 34.4 per cent in 1997), in Engineering the rate has increased to 17 per cent, in Business and Economics the rate is 40.73 per cent and Science at 44.34 per cent. The success rate for this equity group is consistently higher the that for other students across all AO4 groups. The SPR is 0.89 (0.86 for all students and the SPR ratio is 1.07). The retention rate (ARR) for this equity group is 0.874 (up from 0.862 in 1997) and the ARR (females : ARR (males) is 1.005 (1.018 in 1997).

C REPORT ON MERIT-BASED EQUITY SCHOLARSHIPS

The Government made available 14 HECS Equity and Merit Scholarships for 1997. A further 13 were made available in 1998.

Selection

The University Awards Committee selected from applicants who were new to higher education and either Australian citizens or holders of permanent residence status.

In 1997 the University chose to give preference to the following four equity groups.

• geographically isolated
• non-English speaking background
• students with disabilities
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin.

All students were required to be eligible for AUSTUDY (and therefore enrolled full-time). All scholars selected in 1997 have had their academic progress monitored by the University Awards Committee and have had their scholarships continued in 1998. Some of these scholars are now part-time students.

In 1998 the allocation of scholarships took close account of the applicants’ financial needs as claimed by students and supported by the detailed information and documentation required as part of the application including birth certificate, health care card, AUSTUDY/ABSTUDY validation, previous tax returns and assessment notices. As foreshadowed in the previous submission scholars this year were permitted to be enrolled either as full-time or part-time.

This extension of the criteria assisted the University in giving effect to its intention stated in the previous submission that greater priority would be given to improving its performance in the area of students from low socio-economic status.

Publicity of Scholarships

Since the Scholarships were to be awarded to persons who had already chosen to enrol at this University, the most effective way of targeting likely applicants was

• reference in 1998 publications in the Prospectus published in February 1997 and the Undergraduate Handbook published in October 1997
• flyers on noticeboards on campus
• extensive use of posters during the enrolment registration period.

Equity group membership of recipients

All recipients of the 1998 HECS Equity and Merit Scholarships were financially disadvantaged and classified by the University as of low socio-economic status (low SES).

D CONTACT OFFICER

Mrs Mary McCullagh
Deputy Director, Student Administration and Support Services
Ph: (02) 6249 2778 Fax: (02) 6279 8421
Email: DepDir.SASS@anu.edu.au

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