University of Western Sydney
1.1 Objectives
The Equity Plan of the University of Western
Sydney articulates with the University Plan and addresses the following objectives:
- To integrate equity planning and implementation into the academic
and management systems of the University.
- To improve the representation of higher education in the community
with emphasis on the Greater Western Sydney Region.
- To provide and maximise a learning environment which encompasses
and encourages the acceptance of cultural and social diversity.
- To nurture and enable students to achieve their full academic and
personal potential.
- To enhance graduate outcomes in terms of opportunity for
employment, higher education and life-long learning.
The Equity Plan articulates these objectives as a
series of strategies. For each strategy a designated responsible group and regular
reporting of achievements/outcomes against performance indicators has been identified.
Associated with each strategy is a timeline for its implementation.
The Equity Plan is available on the web site at http://www.uws.edu.au/planningunit/unidocs.htm
1.2 Strategies and Performance
The strategies outlined here are a selection from
the Equity Plan highlighting the activities being undertaken by the University in relation
to student equity. The strategy number matches the one in the equity plan. In the future
the University may report on different strategies in accordance with University directions
and environmental and contextual factors. A summary of the objectives, key strategies and
performance is provided. In most cases, the performance is linked to cohort analysis data
provided in the following tables.
1.2.1 Objective 1 - Integration of Equity
Planning
|
To integrate
equity planning and implementation into the academic and management systems of the
University. |
Strategy 1 |
Implement the
strategies identified in the UWS Disability Policy and Action Plan. |
Performance
Indicators |
· Improved access,
participation, progression and completion rates for students with a disability.
· Development of campus facilities to accommodate
students with a disability. |
Achievements |
The Disability Action
Plan was approved by the University Policy and Planning Committee (UPPC) in 1998. A UWS
Disability Committee has been established to oversight the implementation of the Plan. |
1.2.1 Objective 1 - Integration of Equity
Planning
|
To integrate
equity planning and implementation into the academic and management systems of the
University |
Outcomes |
Several workshops
have been held to assist notetakers and some information workshops on learning disability
and attention deficit disorders have been provided. $200,000 has been provided for the
development of campus facilities. There is insufficient trend data available to estimate
the effect on attrition, progression and completion rates at this stage. |
1.2.2 Objective 2 - Representation of Higher
Education within the Community
|
To improve the
representation of higher education in the community with emphasis on the Greater Western
Sydney Region. |
Strategy 3 |
Target programs
for high school girls to raise awareness and knowledge of University courses and careers
in areas where women are under-represented. |
Performance
Indicators |
Access and
participation rates in identified programs. |
Achievements |
Active programs are
occurring where the University invites high school students to participate in various
informational/mentoring programs. |
Outcomes |
Six schools and some
320 female students have been involved. Female access and participation at around 58% and
56% respectively. In non-traditional areas, progression rates are good. Initial retention
rates, program completion rates and apparent retention rates are below the University
average, but improving. |
Strategy 5 |
Increase entry
pathways for groups under-represented within the University profile, in comparison to
their representation in the Greater Western Sydney region. |
Performance
Indicators |
· Number of students
granted credit transfer.
· Number of students entering through TAFE
articulation pathways and other pathways. |
Achievements |
Linkages with
isolated schools are being created. Special admission schemes of accelerated entry into
University from TAFE are already in place. Various regional entry schemes are in
operation. |
Outcomes |
Some 500 students are
involved in these programs. |
Strategy 6 |
Provide bridging,
enabling and academic support programs to assist in the retention and success of people
from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds from the Greater West. |
1.2.2 Objective 2 - Representation of Higher
Education within the Community
|
To improve the
representation of higher education in the community with emphasis on the Greater Western
Sydney Region. |
Performance
Indicators |
Access,
participation, progression and completion rates for equity cohorts.
Data on student progression from bridging/enabling
programs to university courses. |
Achievements |
Headway, MacStart,
UniStart, Maths bridging courses are all in operation. Peer mentoring is also provided in
Civil Engineering. |
Outcomes |
· 741 students are
involved in these programs. There is a mixture of equity cohorts in these groups. The
access, participation and completion rates for various equity groups are improving, as
evidenced by the data at the end of this section.
· The University is still to obtain data on the
progression rates from bridging/enabling programs to its university courses. |
1.2.3 Objective 3 - Learning Environment
|
To
provide and maximise a learning environment which encompasses and encourages the
acceptance of cultural and social diversity. |
Strategy 5 |
Undertake research
into areas relating to student equity and learning environments.
Conduct University-wide diversity forums for
Academic and General staff. |
Performance
Indicators |
· Number of
publications
· Number of Forums |
Achievements |
A
range of publications with an equity focus have been published. A series of research
projects are currently underway. Two key forums have been held, one to address the
integration of equity and one on cultural diversity. |
Outcomes |
33
papers and 4 research projects; 2 University forums. |
1.2.4 Objective 4 - Support for students
|
To nurture and
enable students to achieve their full academic and personal potential. |
Strategy 1 |
Promote academic,
social, cultural, personal and developmental services to support equity student cohorts. |
Performance
Indicators |
· Student
satisfaction and related survey data.
· Access, participation, progression and
completion rates. |
1.2.4 Objective 4 - Support for students
|
To nurture and
enable students to achieve their full academic and personal potential. |
Achievements |
Peer support groups
have been established. A large number of students utilise counselling and consultation and
the consultation resources offered by Student Services. Communication Competency programs,
Foreign Language Dictionary Services, peer tutoring/notetaking are examples of some of the
services provided. |
Outcomes |
A large number of
sessions (around 9,000) involving around 2,670 students were offered in 1997.
Approximately 87% of students are broadly satisfied with the courses. Each Member is
benchmarked against this figure. Access, participation, progression and completion rates
are showing an improving trend. |
Strategy 2 |
Target support to
particular student cohorts based on analysis of catchment area, and student profile data. |
Performance
Indicators |
Access,
participation, progression and completion rates. |
Achievements |
For students with
disabilities a mentoring program has been developed, individual integration plans are
provided and various services are offered. Programs for TAFE transition and ‘How to
Study’ programs are also provided. |
Outcomes |
A significant number
of students (around 750) have availed themselves of these services. For disabilities,
trend data is not available but for other equity groups the trend data shows an
improvement across all of these groups. |
1.2.5 Objective 5 - Enhancement of graduate
outcomes
|
To enhance
graduate outcomes in terms of opportunity for employment, higher education and life-long
learning. |
Strategy |
Target employment
programs for equity students. |
Performance
Indicators |
Outcomes of Graduate
Destination Surveys, with analysis of equity cohorts. |
Achievements |
Employment packages
for students with a disability have been established. |
Outcomes |
The development of
the employment package. Due to data limitations, it is not yet possible to track specific
equity groups in the Graduate Destination Survey, however it is anticipated that this will
be in place in the near future. |
1.3 Monitoring
As part of the quality process, retention,
completion and continuation rates are monitored throughout the University. This data is
presented as a time series from 1992 to 1997 on a Member basis, field of study basis and
equity group basis. This allows benchmarking to occur. The time series for full-time
Bachelor students from 1992 to 1997 are presented in the following table.
This analysis excludes overseas fee-paying
students, those students with advanced standing of less than 25% and part-time students.
Key features are:
- initial retention rates are lower for NESB, Low SES, Disability,
and Rural and Isolated students when compared with the University average;
- however the margins are beginning to narrow as the effect of the
equity planning begins to disseminate through the institution;
- annual completion rates are better for the equity groups when
compared to the University as a whole;
- program completion rates for NESB and Low SES are similar to that
for the University as a whole, however the rate for Rural and Isolated is lower; and
- apparent retention rate for low SES is better than that for the
University.
For women in non-traditional areas, the following
characteristics are evident:
- Business has a very high initial retention rate (0.836), however
initial retention rates are lower than the University average for Agriculture/Animal
Husbandry, Science and Engineering;
- once students get over the first year hurdle, they tend to progress
at a better than average rate. This is evidenced by the high annual completion rates in
all fields except Engineering;
- the program completion rate for Business Administration/Economics
exceeds that of the general University average. In other areas it is below the average;
and
- apparent retention for Business courses exceeds that of the
University as a whole.
This analysis provides the University with
excellent means of monitoring performance against its Equity Plan.
IRR |
Cohort Year |
(Initial
Retention Rate) |
1992/93 |
1993/94 |
1994/95 |
1995/96 |
1996/97 |
UWS-All |
0.795 |
0.767 |
0.719 |
0.756 |
0.783 |
NESB |
n/a |
0.777 |
0.751 |
0.739 |
0.772 |
Low
SES |
n/a |
0.782 |
0.712 |
0.715 |
0.772 |
Disabilities |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
0.744 |
Rural and
Isolated |
n/a |
0.718 |
0.716 |
0.784 |
0.721 |
ACR |
Cohort Year |
(Annual
Continuation Rate) |
1992/93 |
1993/94 |
1994/95 |
1995/96 |
1996/97 |
UWS-All |
0.859 |
0.855 |
0.802 |
0.857 |
0.874 |
NESB |
n/a |
0.819 |
0.761 |
0.884 |
0.882 |
Low
SES |
n/a |
0.843 |
0.778 |
0.823 |
0.882 |
Disabilities |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
Rural and
Isolated |
n/a |
0.785 |
0.785 |
0.862 |
0.900 |
PCR |
Cohort Year |
(Program
Completion Rate) |
1992/93 |
1993/94 |
1994/95 |
1995/96 |
1996/97 |
UWS-All |
0.683 |
0.656 |
0.576 |
0.647 |
0.684 |
NESB |
n/a |
0.637 |
0.571 |
0.653 |
0.681 |
Low
SES |
n/a |
0.659 |
0.554 |
0.589 |
0.681 |
Disabilities |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
Rural and
Isolated |
n/a |
0.564 |
0.562 |
0.676 |
0.649 |
AR |
Cohort Year |
(Apparent
Retention) |
1992/93 |
1993/94 |
1994/95 |
1995/96 |
1996/97 |
UWS-All |
0.826 |
0.814 |
0.762 |
0.802 |
0.826 |
NESB |
n/a |
0.797 |
0.755 |
0.801 |
0.822 |
Low
SES |
n/a |
0.815 |
0.747 |
0.786 |
0.836 |
Disabilities |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
Rural and
Isolated |
n/a |
0.753 |
0.751 |
0.820 |
0.820 |
1.4 Report on Merit-based Equity Scholarships
All the 1998 Merit-based Equity Scholarships were
offered on the basis of Low SES. The majority of the allocated scholarships were Low SES
and one or more other equity groups as shown in the following table:
Equity Group |
|
Low SES |
7.0 |
ATSI |
10.0* |
Disability |
12.0 |
NESB |
3.0 |
Enabling/Bridging |
3.0 |
Rural and
Isolated |
2.0 |
Women in
non-traditional areas |
5.0+ |
Total: |
62.0 |
* one applicant also holds an HSC scholarship
+ one applicant also classified as
Rural and Isolated
1.4.1 Selection Criteria
All scholarships were to students who demonstrated
eligibility according to the DEETYA criteria. All applicants were reviewed by a committee
before an offer was made.
1.4.2 Monitoring
Each student’s progress will be monitored
throughout the year.
1.4.3 Advertising
Both internal and external advertising was
undertaken to ensure that prospective students were aware of the scholarships.
1.5 Contact Officer
Professor Genevieve Gray
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Planning)
Ph:(02) 9678 7875 – Fax: (02) 9678 7880
g.gray@uws.edu.au
|