Now is an exciting time for equity data in Australian higher education.
We are pleased to share that we just released our two new Student Equity Data Guides – ‘Higher Education Institutions in Australia‘ and ‘Defining Equity Groups’, as well as updating our Interactive Data Tool with 2022 data.
In addition to the 2022 data, the Interactive Data Tool now also includes data on students who are First in Family. We have also introduced aggregated groupings ‘All Equity Students’ and ‘Non-Equity Students’, which encompass the five major groupings of Low SES Students, First Nations Australian Students, Students from Remote and Regional Australia, and Students with Disability. Please note that we are awaiting confirmation of the 2022 Low SES student data, therefore, these data are not yet shown (this also affects the equity and non-equity groupings).
Equity data is at the core of many of the Universities Accord Review’s recent recommendations, including needs-based funding, establishment of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission, and expansion of the Regional University Study Hub program. And central to this is that for data to be useful, it must be fit for purpose – consistent, reliable, accurate, and timely.
At ACSES, we are working on several initiatives to increase the availability and quality of higher education student equity data and reporting in Australia. You will be able to find the Student Equity Data Guides and other upcoming data-related resources in the Data Resources Hub on our website.
We hope that the updated Interactive Data Tool, these guides, and the next to follow (‘Equity Performance Measures’ and ‘Selecting and Using Equity Reference Values’) will help demystify equity data and provide clarity and practical guidance for stakeholders across the sector.
Your feedback matters
We want to ensure that what we produce and release is relevant to the higher education sector. Please let us know if there are any data-related products or reports that would be valuable to you. Additionally, if you would like to discuss the use of data, including opportunities and challenges, please feel free to reach out.
