Equity Objectives

Equity policy at RMIT University is influenced by the dual sector nature of the institution. On one hand, the higher education sector needs to meet statutory obligations to DEETYA, with its emphasis on moving the student profile to reflect more closely the wider population profile, particularly in terms of the six designated target groups. On the other hand, the vocational education and training sector has shifted to an emphasis on managing diversity. This shift away from equity groups emphasises a focus on identifying and meeting the needs of the individual client.

The University sees these two requirements as complementary and both are reflected in the ways in which equity issues are addressed throughout the organisation and in the 1998-2002 University Strategic Plan. Indeed, these requirements are consistent with two of RMIT University’s guiding values — "Fairness For All" and "Client Focus" — as set out in the University Strategic Plan 1998-2002. The task of the Equity Plan is to integrate both values into the University’s equity objectives, and, in so doing, goes significantly beyond statutory obligations. "Fairness to All" and "Client Focus" cascade from the University Strategic Plan into the University Teaching and Learning Strategy and to Faculty/Department/Group Teaching and Learning Strategies and Performance Plans.

University Wide Strategic Planning

RMIT University’s goal is to create and sustain a distinctive world-class university at the forefront of technical and professional education and real-world research, through continuous improvement and with all staff committed to quality management processes. Key institutional strategies which operationalise this goal in an equity context include:

• to be responsive to changing education and training client requirements for more tailored, more convenient and more cost effective education;
• to encourage successful participation by a diverse range of students from all social, cultural, and economic groups in society; and
• to improve responsiveness to client needs and timeframes.

Education and Training Strategic Planning

These University-wide strategies, which are translated into practice through the University’s Divisional structure, are further developed and implemented through the University Teaching and Learning Strategy. This Strategy provides a systematic framework for those activities directly related to the access and successful participation of a diverse range of students in the University. Among other concerns, it seeks to develop an approach to learning focused on meeting the needs of individual students whilst recognising that there are needs for particular equity groups. This is articulated in the Teaching and Learning Strategy, Philosophy and Principles Statement which includes the recognition that RMIT University has a commitment to "maximise opportunities for participation for those groups traditionally disadvantaged in their access to tertiary education".

This commitment forms the basis of establishing accountability for meeting objectives at the department and course level for access, participation, retention and success of students from the targeted equity groups. As part of the implementation of the Teaching and Learning Strategy, Faculties develop programs/strategies to address the range of issues contained in the Teaching and Learning Strategy, including the following:

• review characteristics of existing cohorts and develop targeted strategies to improve access and success of specified groups;
• review and clarification of student selection criteria;
• promotion of opportunities to prospective target groups;
• conduct key University projects with Australian Technology Network universities which link student support services to core course activities to improve learning; and
• report on their progress on equity issues in their annual Performance Plans, in regular course audits and annual reviews of their implementation of the Teaching and Learning Strategy.

Four mechanisms exist to monitor and assist in the implementation of the strategy:

• at a University-wide level, implementation of the Teaching and Learning Strategy is managed by a sub-committee of Academic Board;
• Faculty plans and strategies are formally reviewed each year using external reviewers. The reviews provide a forum within which the extent to which the high-level goals have been translated into action at the Faculty level is assessed, and the success of the strategies can be evaluated;
• as part of the annual Academic Profile process, performance of courses across a range of criteria, including Equity Indicators, is reviewed; and
• Faculties/Departments and courses receive detailed information about equity performance, including recommendations on strategies to address areas for improvement.

Equity Objectives 1999 -2001

Within the framework of the University’s Strategic Plan and the Teaching and Learning Strategy, the major equity objectives for 1999-2001 are to:

• meet and/or exceed the targets established by the University;
• identify discrete areas of concern at the Department and course level, where finely targeted strategies can be developed, implemented, and supported by a range of funding, including Higher Education Equity Program funding, while at the same time maintaining central level supports and coordination as necessary to empower Faculties to:

• make full use of the Martin definitions, performance indicators and reference values; and
• benchmark partner’s performance data in identifying specific problem areas within their sphere of influence;

• set specific objectives for themselves to address these issues; and
• develop, implement, and monitor finely-tuned, Faculty, Department and course level equity strategies.

Performance and Strategies

Below are set out the Performance Indicators by which these strategies are to be measured, and which inform the specific strategies also described below. Performance is not only measured against national reference values, but also against our own performance in previous years and against appropriate benchmarks. RMIT University benchmarks itself against those Universities with which it shares an historical similarity — namely the other capital city-based former Institutes of Technology — Queensland University of Technology, the University of Technology, Sydney, the University of South Australia and Curtin University (the Australian Technology Network Group, ATN).

In the following section the University compares its performance since 1995 with the relevant Martin Reference Values, the Victorian Universities, Australia and the Australian Technology Network Group. Access figures shown are in percentage terms, while the other indicators are expressed as ratios of the equity group to the relevant total student population. Thus for Participation, the expectation is that the ratio will be 1.0, signifying that the proportion in the population at RMIT University is the same as in the wider population, and for Success and Retention that the proportion Succeeding or Returning in the Equity group equals that of other students. Australian Technology Network Group comparisons are with averaged performance of the other Australian Technology Network Group universities. Victorian comparisons are with the averaged performance of the other Victorian universities.

Students from a Rural Background

RMIT University compares poorly in Access and Participation with the Reference Value and in comparison with other Victorian Universities. However, the University’s performance in Access, Participation, Success and Participation all rose in 1998. RMIT University compares favourably on Success and Retention against local, Australian and ATN benchmarks, suggesting that rural students are well cared for when they enrol.

Strategies: RMIT University has in the past argued that, as a central city technical and vocational trainer with no on-campus accommodation, it has neither appealed to Rural and Isolated students, nor seen this as a priority issue. However, the University now believes is that it should attempt to increase the Access and Participation of these students, but only to the extent that internal and external support systems are available to ensure that these students can successfully complete their courses of study. Strategies for 1999 and beyond include:

• Faculties are encouraged to identify ways of reaching out to Rural and Isolated students and to support them once they enrol. Of particular note are the initiatives in Engineering and Applied Science working with female students in rural secondary colleges;

• the University is actively seeking to address student accommodation at both the City and Bundoora campuses in collaboration with external providers. It is anticipated that significant increase in student accommodation will occur over the next two years; and

• a centrally administered grants scheme, generously supported by a benefactor, allows the University to provide some relief to the most needy of rural students, therefore assisting in their retention. The University is reviewing its total package of financial support for students, including Rural and Isolated students.

It is clear that the particular and costly needs of both Rural and Isolated students require some form of national response.

Students from an Isolated Rural Background

Although RMIT University performs poorly in comparison with the Reference Value and Victorian and Australian Averages in Access and Participation, it should be noted that fewer than half the eligible people from Isolated Rural areas participate in universities across Australia. Despite this, RMIT University’s Success and Retention by students from Isolated Rural areas compares well with Victorian and Australian benchmarks, and in Success with the Australian Technology Network Group. However, the University could learn from the Retention strategies in place at the Queensland University of Technology and the University of Technology, Sydney for this group of students.

Strategies: Strategies to address the needs of Isolated Rural students are the same as those being used to help Rural students.

Metropolitan Students from Low Socio Economic Status Backgrounds Aged Under 25 Years

RMIT University consistently exceeds the State and Metropolitan Reference values for Access. This emphasises RMIT University’s focus on, and attractiveness to, Metropolitan students in Victoria, and is significantly better performance than State, ATN, and Australia-wide comparisons on the other indicators.

Strategies: Strategies proposed to assist these students include:

• further development of the direct targeting of Low-SES and designated Disadvantaged Schools by Courses where the Participation rates of this group falls below the 40% threshold value; and
• active targeting of courses for support activities where there are a high proportion of Low SES students or where the data indicates that retention/success are an issue.

Metropolitan Students from Low Socio Economic Status Backgrounds Aged Over 25 years

This group of students has not been a high priority for RMIT University. Comments made above on Low SES under 25 are relevant, but note that RMIT University’s current student database system does not retain originally identified Permanent Home Address Post-code. This is likely to under-estimate retention figures for Low SES, Rural and Isolated students, but it does suggest that retention rates of older students who retain as their permanent home address a Low SES post-code area, are less likely to complete their course than similar students in other Victorian, ATN, and Australian Universities, and younger members of the same group.

Strategies: Strategies proposed to assist these students include:

• inclusion of capacity to retain information about multiple post-codes in the Student Management System currently being selected; and
• active targeting of courses for support activities where there are high proportion of Low SES students or where the data indicates that retention/success are an issue.

Students with a Disability

Steady improvement in Access over the three years to 1998 is beginning to show an improvement in Participation in 1998. Retention and Success measures for this group have only been available since 1997 but nevertheless show improvement over the two years for which data is available. It is clear that, despite significant improvement, the University has some way to go to meet three of the Reference Values. Retention has been exceeded for the first time in 1998. Previous results suggest that there is usually little variation of performance towards the Success reference value. Therefore the 1998 result, whilst an improvement on 1997, is of some concern and suggests a problem which will require detailed investigation and tailored interventions if it is found to be an accurate measure.

Strategies: Strategies for this group vary according to the disabilities, and range from the generic, such as:

• finalisation of an Access Audit on City Campus and development of a program to address problem areas;
• provision of information to Selection Officers about disability issues;
• development of a policy and training to assist staff in dealing with students with psychiatric disabilities;
• through to group support activities such as:
• the provision of a Disability Access Room which provides computer access in a non-threatening environment; and a retreat area where disabled people can congregate;
• to individual support activities such as:
• signing interpreters in classrooms for the profoundly deaf; and
• note-takers for the blind.

Of major concern is the increasing costs associated with the appropriate and required support of many students with disabilities. In the absence of a National Policy on this issue, including funding based on need, it will continue to be difficult to meet all requirements.

Access by Women in Non-Traditional Areas

In all these non-traditional subject areas, RMIT University performs either better than or as well as the Victorian and Australian figures.

Strategies: Strategies proposed to assist these students include:

• making available data regarding course performance to all Course Co-ordinators as the basis of identifying precisely where extra attention needs to be directed;
• from 1999 Physics will no longer be a prerequisite for Engineering. It is expected that this will make Engineering a more popular choice for young women; and
• Engineering and Applied Science’s Outreach program to young women, particularly those from rural areas, will continue and should lead to increased enrolments in these courses by 2000.

Students from a Non-English Speaking Background

RMIT University performs considerably better than the Reference Value and the ATN, Victorian and Australian comparisons, except in Success for 1997 and 1998.

Strategy: The University plans to identify ways in which it can better target disadvantaged students from a Non-English Speaking Background and meet their particular needs.

Selection Procedures and Outcomes for Merit-based Equity Scholarships

The 1997 process for 1998 scholarships differed from the 1996 process only in restricting eligibility to applicants from a Low SES background. The Low SES background restriction may have influenced the applicant profile, both in terms of the Tertiary Entrance Rank range and, at least for applicants to courses in some Faculties, in their commitment to RMIT University courses.

Only seven of the 33 Scholarships eventually taken up in 1998 are Low SES alone. Seventeen are also from Rural or Isolated backgrounds; four are also from a Non English Speaking background; one is also a Woman in a Non-traditional Course; and four also come from the Northern corridor of the Melbourne metropolitan area. Twelve are male and 21 are female.

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