The University of Queensland a) Objectives The University of Queensland defines its equity objectives for a five-year period, rather than a triennium, and these are stated in its Strategic Plan. The institution’s current internal Equity Plan, which covers the period from 1998 to 2002, supports these objectives with more detailed information about strategies. (Both of these documents are available on the University’s WWW site:- (http://www.uq.edu.au/media/download/EquityPlan98.pdf). The Strategic Plan is a succinct document which focuses on the University’s major activities. The Strategic Objective for Teaching and Learning makes clear the University’s commitment to "provide enhanced opportunities for minority and disadvantaged groups". While not stated explicitly in the Strategic Plan, the broad objective of achieving a student population which reflects more closely that of society in general, permeates the University’s Equity Plan. The format of the University’s Equity Plan is sufficiently broad that it allows the inclusion of initiatives appropriate for all six of the DEETYA identified equity groups. However, continuing patterns of low participation rates for students from socio-economically disadvantaged (low SES) backgrounds, students with disabilities, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have resulted in the retention of these groups as the highest priority areas in the University’s equity activities. (For Educational Profile reporting, the Indigenous Education Strategy expands on strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people, and this Equity Plan reports developments for the remaining groups.) b) Strategies and Performance The importance of providing adequate support services, in combination with innovative targeted programs for equity groups (eg the UQ-Link program for low SES students and the Disability Program), has been a long-standing feature of the University’s Equity Plans. Wherever possible, mainstream services are used to assist equity students and this has the effect of ensuring that the needs of equity groups are incorporated as part of the University’s usual planning and budgetary processes. It also means that all students are able to benefit from the best practice models which have been developed to address specific equity target group needs. An example of this is the mainstreaming of the highly successful Peer Assisted Study Sessions which were introduced originally through the UQ-Link Program. A review of the University’s overall equity performance highlights strong outcomes, particularly in relation to retention and success indicators, and this supports the University’s continued belief in the effectiveness of the mainstream approach. Students with Disabilities:
An apparent dramatic increase in both access and participation rates for students with disabilities has been recorded in 1998. While this change is very pleasing, much of the increase is likely to relate to better self-identification by students, rather than a major change in actual participation rates for this group. It was evident in 1996 and 1997 that many students with a disability choose not to disclose their condition on the enrolment form and gross under-reporting resulted. In 1998 this problem appears to have been minimised by including the three DEETYA defined disability questions in a prominent position on the enrolment form as well as placing a carefully worded explanation in the Enrolment Guide. The 1998 data is largely consistent with the University’s actual service provision for students with disabilities and is therefore expected to be more reliable than previous years’ data. Only two years of retention and success data are currently available for students with disability and caution therefore needs to be exercised with its interpretation. While bearing this limitation in mind, it is still pleasing to note that improvements have been made for both retention and success in 1998. Retention has increased from 0.945 in 1997 to 0.993 in 1998 and success has improved from 0.92 in 1996 to 0.95 in 1997. These index values are slightly below those expected for the wider student population but the continued provision of appropriate services for students with disabilities is expected to result in further positive outcomes for the group during the triennium. The University’s Equity Plan identifies the following strategies for students with disabilities.
Completion and successful implementation of the Disability Action Plan will gauge the success of this strategy.
An increase in the success and retention rates for students with a disability, to equal that of the wider population, will provide the overall measure of success for this strategy. Continued progress towards this goal is expected over the coming triennium.
Staff from the Disability Program will monitor the effectiveness of support activities through an annual survey of users. Good employment outcomes and high levels of student satisfaction with the services and educational experience provided by the University, as gauged through the Graduate Destination Survey and Course Experience Questionnaire, will also be used as performance indicators. Students from Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Backgrounds: The University of Queensland uses state reference values for this group to coincide with its catchment area. Low SES Students (State)
It was disappointing, but not surprising, to see a decline for the second year in succession for access for low SES students. Changes in the external higher education environment, including the imposition of increased HECS charges and the tightening of AUSTUDY eligibility criteria in 1997, are likely to have contributed to this decline. Participation rates remained relatively stable in 1998 but it is expected that the effect of two years of decreased access will be more evident in future years. While it is acknowledged that these access and participation rates are below the desired level, the University is limited in its capacity to reduce the substantial financial barriers which many potential and current students experience in undertaking higher education studies. On a positive note, the comparatively favourable retention and success outcomes for low SES students appear to indicate that, once students are enrolled, they have very good prospects for completing their courses. In addition to the provision of mainstream student support services which are designed with the needs of low SES students in mind, the University operates a special entry program for socio-economically disadvantaged school leavers called UQ-Link. The primary aim of UQ-Link is to increase the participation and success rates for this group at the University. The following strategies pertaining to UQ-Link are included in the Equity Plan.
The performance indicator for these measures will be the maintenance of high retention and completion rates for UQ-Link students. Rural and Isolated Students: Rural Students
Isolated Students
One of the strengths of the University’s equity performance is the high retention and success outcomes recorded for each of the target groups including rural and isolated students. Students from rural areas perform better than the wider student population in both of these indicators. While students from isolated areas do not perform quite as well, their retention and success rates are only marginally below the wider student population. Taking into account the extensive overlap between rural and isolated students and those from low SES backgrounds, this result is even more positive. The 1998 participation rates for students from rural and isolated areas, while remaining relatively stable since 1997, have declined overall since the national equity indicators were introduced in 1995. This situation, coupled with the low values for the respective participation indicators, has prompted the University to prioritise these groups for greater attention over the coming triennium. The following strategy has therefore been adopted.
One such strategy for addressing the under-representation of rural/isolated students may be to expand the nomination criteria for the UQ-Link Special Entry Program to include all year 12 school leavers who have undertaken their secondary schooling in rural or remote areas, not just those from low SES backgrounds. Women in Postgraduate and Non-Traditional Areas of Study:
The overall performance of female students, in terms of access, success, retention and participation continues to improve. Women currently make up more than half of the total student population at the University of Queensland and this is true for higher degree coursework enrolments as well as for the undergraduate population. While steady improvements have been made in participation rates in postgraduate research programs in each of the last four years under-representation of female students is still evident. Current strategies will need to be maintained to ensure gains are not eroded. Engineering remains the only broad field of study in which female participation rates (16.92% in 1998) below 40% persist. In light of this good result, the University has defined only one major strategy for female students.
A new program to be implemented in 1998 aims to address the under-representation of women in Engineering. The Engineering Diversity Project, a $90,000 cooperative venture to be funded jointly by the University’s Faculty of Engineering, Physical Sciences and Architecture and the Queensland Department of Main Roads, seeks to change staff awareness, perceptions and behaviours in relation to social and gender issues. The long-term goal of the project is to increase the recruitment and retention of female staff and students in the Faculty and to the Department of Main Roads.
The large increase in the participation rate indicator for this group, from 0.80 in 1997 to 1.99 in 1998, is a reflection of changed State reference values derived from 1996 census data rather than a major change in the actual enrolment patterns of students. Using the most recent information available, this group appears to be over-represented in the University’s population and success and retention rates are also very favourable. While it is recognised that some sub-groups of non-English speaking students may not enjoy the positive outcomes described above, the group as a whole does not appear to be disadvantaged in terms of access, participation, success or retention at the University of Queensland. Therefore, no specific ‘equity’ strategies are proposed for the coming triennium. However, it should be noted that the provision of support services for all students, including those from non-English speaking backgrounds, is viewed as a mainstream University responsibility and no reduction in current service provision is planned. c) Report on Merit-based Equity Scholarships (MBES) The University of Queensland advised all students offered an undergraduate quota place in 1998 of the availability of Merit-based Equity Scholarships. As in 1997, this was achieved through the inclusion of an information sheet in each student’s offer/enrolment package. The MBES information sheet detailed both the selection criteria for the award of scholarships and the application process. Scholarship application forms were also sent directly to all UQ-Link students made offers in 1998 as these students had been identified, by virtue of their acceptance into this program, as low SES students eligible to nominate for the scholarships. Scholarship selection criteria, established in late 1996 by the Vice-Chancellor's Equity Committee for the 1997 awards, were modified only slightly to accommodate the revised 1998 DEETYA guidelines. The main change introduced for 1998 was the inclusion of the Director of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Unit on the MBES Selection Committee. The Selection Committee met to consider applications on the basis of the recommended guidelines and members were also involved in the refinement of the terms and conditions applied to scholarship holders. The MBES selection methodology required all applicants to demonstrate low income status as an initial qualifying criterion. Qualification in additional equity categories was taken into account also. Applications were divided into groups based upon the number of categories of disadvantage claimed. For example, a low-income student from a rural area who also had a hearing impairment would be placed in Group 3. Applicants who demonstrated membership in the greatest number of equity groups (three was the maximum in 1998) were given the highest priority for scholarships. All Group 3 applicants (13 students), regardless of their OP/Rank score, were recommended by the Working Party to receive scholarships. Academic merit, as determined by OP/Rank score, was used to allocate the remaining scholarships to the large number of Group 2 (2 equity groups) and Group 1 (low SES only) students. Group 2 and 1 students with the equivalent of OP1 or OP2 were all recommended for scholarships. A further four students from Group 2, each with OP3, were offered scholarships also. The percentage of scholarship recipients from each of the equity groups is as follows (students may be included in more than one group):
A total of 46 commencing students were awarded scholarships in 1998. In addition, 43 students awarded scholarships in 1997 successfully completed their first year of study and were eligible to retain their scholarships for 1998. (d) Contact Officers
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