The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success acknowledges Indigenous peoples across Australia as the Traditional Owners of the lands on which the nation’s campuses are situated. With a history spanning more than 60,000 years as the original educators, Indigenous peoples hold a unique place in our nation. We recognise the importance of their knowledge and culture, and reflect the principles of participation, equity, and cultural respect in our work. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and future, and consider it an honour to learn from our Indigenous colleagues, partners, and friends.

You are reading: High-impact research to target higher education equity students

The 2016 Equity Fellows will undertake strategic, high-impact, high‐profile leadership projects targeted, sector-wide, at improving the access, participation and success in higher education of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Fellows will spend a period of time working in and with the Australian Government Department of Education and Training facilitating mutually beneficial engagement between the Department and the sector.

Equity Fellows have direct influence and impact on equity in the higher education sector through the identification of equity issues that affect the Australian higher education system, leadership in promoting, enhancing and developing good practice in improving access, participation and success in higher education, and a collaborative arrangement for the ongoing exchange of knowledge between the sector and government.

The 2016 Equity Fellows and home institutions are:

  • Dr Nadine Zacharias, Deakin University
  • Dr Erica Southgate, The University of Newcastle Australia
  • Dr Cathy Stone, The University of Newcastle Australia

The Equity Fellows Programme is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training under the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Programme and managed by the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) at Curtin University.

Professor Sue Trinidad, Director, NCSEHE, congratulated the successful candidates.

“Higher education is key to people from disadvantaged backgrounds achieving their potential,” Professor Trinidad said.

“While progress has been made, there’s more to be done. I congratulate the commitment of the 2016 Equity Fellows to this important area of work and look forward to the contributions their research will make to better outcomes for equity students.”

Story by Carol Cowling