Outreach & Social Inclusion

1. Outreach & Social Inclusion Ann Stewart National co-convenor EOPHEA Director, The Equity Office. The University of Queensland

2. Overview • Outreach in Australian universities • Low SES & social exclusion • Current challenges • Emerging model • Concluding statements

3. Development of outreach in Australian universities – a brief background 1950s – post war. Menzies govt. Extensive scholarships & means-tested financial support. Encourage returned servicemen to uni & boost national educational level – related to national productivity. • 1970s - Whitlam govt. Social justice agenda. Uni fees abolished & means tested education allowances.

4. 1980-90s – Hawke govt. A Fair Chance for All (Dawkins). • Designated equity (disadvantaged) groups • Under-representation related to proportion of population. • HEEP funding introduced - universities implemented schemes to increase participation. Reporting requirements. • HECS introduced • Equity Scholarships provided

5. 1996 -2007 Under Howard govt. • HECS substantially increased • HEESP (increased funding) • Re-introduction of Commonwealth scholarships • HECS - HELP, FEE-HELP 2008 + Under Rudd govt. • Increased number Commonwealth scholarships • ‘Sorry’ speech • Focus on social inclusion • National Centre for Student Equity, and??? Equity priorities remain essentially the same - emphasis on access for Indigenous Australians and Low SES

6. Why do outreach? • International competitiveness • National productivity • Skilled workforce • Social justice (values) • Social cohesion • Educated populace – citizenship • Harness intellectual capital • Reduction costs: welfare, criminal activity, health

8. Outreach & Low SES 1990 onwards Traditional model: focus on schools in designated disadvantaged areas. • Equity scholarships, bursaries, grants • Mentoring & ambassador programs • Alternative entry pathways • Role models • Information events • School visits • Campus visits • Linked transition support programs • And so on…..

9. What did all this do? • Some improvement in numbers of women in non-traditional areas and postgraduate studies (much of this improvement for high SES women), and • NESB groups (but significant analysis still required to ascertain differences between ethnic groupings, and intersection with gender). But… • Virtually NO change in other groupings

10. Access share by socio-economic group 1991-2002 (per cent) James et al 2004

11. Figure 1: Low SES Access 1997 – 2006 Australian National data [1]

12. Challenges • Students turned off by Year 10 • Subject choices not OP • Misconceptions about: • university study • value of university education • Parents disaffected with education (Parents most influence on post school choices) • Current Context • Attraction of TAFE or employment • cost University is nothing to do with people like us!

13. Something new is needed! Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result

14. New Message University is a realistic option for people like ‘us’ –some time in our lives! BUT HOW DO WE EFFECT THIS LONG TERM, CULTURE SHIFT?

17. A revisioned outreach RAISING ASPIRATION • National visionary leadership • Locally contextualised • Long term commitment • Sustainable reciprocal relationships with community groups • Collaboration between stakeholder groups • Many challenges to overcome • Exciting possibilities for innovation & reduction of duplication