EQUITY REPORT 2008
A. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2007
Briefly identify 2-3 key equity achievements for 2007, including good practice
examples that the institution would be willing to share with the sector.
1. In 2007, the University took steps to encourage diversity among its students by
trialling a new entry scheme, uniTEST, designed to support those who have been
disadvantaged during their schooling. The new entry pathway considers a number
of factors in the selection process, including the UAI rank, a tertiary study aptitude
test and an application advising of disadvantage. A total of 1112 registrations were
received, and through a process that confirmed disadvantage and eligibility, 323
participants sat the test. Following a rigorous selection process which included
identifying those that would obtain an offer on their own merits, an additional 26
offers were made.
2. Establishment of Specialist Disability Advisor (Hearing Impaired). This position
developed high expertise in supporting accessibility and promoting Macquarie
University as the university of choice for hearing impaired students. This initiative
aligns with strategic Macquarie University partnership with Cochlear Limited to
move its global headquarters and principal manufacturing facilities to the
University's North Ryde campus and in the process establish new research
collaboration initiative for implantable hearing solutions.
3. Improved physical access for students with Disabilities to Central Courtyard. This
project improved main entry access to an area used for Orientation week,
graduation ceremonies and performances through new wide stairs, a ramp and a
continuous surface treatment for major pedestrian pathways.
B. EQUITY GROUP FOCUS AND KEY EQUITY STRATEGIES
The ESP Guidelines provide for institutions to tailor equity initiatives
appropriate to the demographics of their student population and catchment
area.
What equity groups were targeted in 2007?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Low SES students (all ages)
Students with mental health conditions/disabilities
Students from NESB backgrounds
Students disadvantaged backgrounds
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What are the major issues faced by each equity group in your area?
1.
Low SES students (all ages) must undertake paid part time employment to
self-support the costs of daily living expenses, which inevitably affects time
available to engage in learning activities outside required face-to-face hours.
2.
Students with mental health conditions/disabilities face the stigma of
disclosure and isolation from peers and lack of campus based peer support
networks. The nature of their conditions causes episodic and fluctuating
impacts on completion of unit requirements.
3.
Students from NESB backgrounds lack confidence in spoken English and
conversational English skills.
4.
Students disadvantaged backgrounds require pathways of entry as alternatives
to the UAI.
Identify key strategies your institution plans to implement or is implementing to
improve equity performance in 2008.
1. Low SES students (all ages):
 Increase support for students in financial need through allocation of
scholarships, grants and loans.
2. Students with mental health conditions/disabilities:
 allocate mental health specialist welfare worker to support the
establishment of peer support network
 roll out face to face training for academic staff in responding to students
whose behaviour suggest they are distressed or disturbed.
3. Students from NESB backgrounds:
 Evaluate faculty based lunchtime English conversation groups with view
to university wide program
4. Students disadvantaged backgrounds that require alternate entry pathways:
 Macquarie University offers a range of alternate entry schemes to improve
access to the University for those who have experienced disadvantage. The
Lighthouse Scheme is the University’s Educational Access Scheme for
students who advised a disadvantage that affected their HSC results. The
Jubilee Scheme is for applicants over 21 years who have not undertaken
any tertiary education.
 In 2008 the University will offer another pathway , UniTEST, designed to
support those who have been disadvantaged during their schooling
Places offered under special entry schemes
Scheme
2005
2006
2007
Jubilee
Lighthouse
288
137
297
141
191
127
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C. EQUITY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT IN 2007
Identify key equity management strategies at your institution.
1. Equity and Diversity Committee chaired by DVC has participation of senior
managers, senior academic, professional staff and student representatives.
2. Establishment of Director Student Well-being position.
3. Establishment in Human Resource department of Manager, Equity and
Diversity
4. Review of equity and diversity policy, procedures and guidelines as they
pertain to staff and students from culturally and linguistically diverse
backgrounds.
How does your governance structure support equity strategies?
1. Equity is evidenced in each corporate policy and adopted by the University’s
Executive and Senate.
2. Macquarie University’s Teaching and Learning Plan has a student-centred
approach that emphasises the identification of, and response to, the needs of
students
3. Executive demonstrate through corporate planning a commitment to a whole
of University strategic response to Equity and Diversity. Actions to date are:
 Identification of funding to develop the Disability Action Plan (2008)
 The establishment of two senior manager positions to lead and be
accountable for equity and diversity outcomes for staff and students. Each
position reports to DVC to ensure influence at highest level of
organisational planning and reporting.
D. PERFORMANCE OF EQUITY GROUPS IN 2006
Do any of the published performance indicators show a major shift in 2006
relative to 2005 or previous years for your institution? How do you account for
these trends?
Review of trend data for 2005-2006 indicates a major increase in access for students
with disabilities and maintenance of previous good performance in retaining those
students. This outcome is attributed to the work of a project officer who implemented
a university wide attraction and retention strategy.
Group
Relevant
indicator
Key trend or
shift in the data
Explanation
Disability
Access
Improvement
MQ project officer who
implemented a university wide
attraction and retention strategy
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E. ESP FUNDED INITIATIVES
In 2007, what key initiatives did the institution undertake with ESP funds? For
each key initiative, please provide the following:
Key initiative
title
Literacy centre
The Learning
Centre for
Numeracy Skills
Brief description
Outcomes
Specialised
language support
for undergraduate
and postgraduate
students to assist
their progression
through higher
education
An estimated 1000 undergraduate and
postgraduate students attended seminars on
writing skills
in 2007.
Audio tapes of the sessions and seminar
notes were made available for those
students unable to attend.
Two five-week writing courses (Strategies
and Structures
and Grammar and Academic Expression)
were run each
semester, with close to 1400 students
enrolled overall.
An undergraduate unit, Communication for
Academic and Professional Purposes, was
available for
inclusion in many degree programs.
The Learning
Preparatory sessions for mathematics,
Centre for
statistics and science were run at the
Numeracy Skills
beginning of each semester, and weekly
provides support
workshops supporting first-year
services to students mathematics and statistics courses attracted
enrolled in courses large numbers of students, with over 3300
with a
student hours spent in workshops.
mathematical
5,500 student hours spent in Individual
component to
consultations available through the drop-in
overcome
centre.
numeracy
Approximately half students were 21 or
disadvantage and
older, two-thirds were female, a quarter
assist their
from a non-English speaking background
progression through and half had entered Macquarie University
higher education
via
alternate pathways.
The majority of the students were
enrolled in mainstream undergraduate
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Outreach
students from
disadvantaged
backgrounds
Outreach
programmes to
attract
disadvantaged
students to higher
education
programs.
Targeted high school outreach activities in
the areas of science, engineering and
technology that aim to improve the student
experience and get students in touch with
science, engineering and technology at
Macquarie University.
The “Macquarie Experience” Program has
been designed by the departments and
divisions of Macquarie University to
introduce high school students, teachers and
parents in the surrounding area to the
Macquarie University campus, degree
programs and a wide range of extracurricular initiatives that enhance the
student experience.
F. HIGHER EDUCATION DISABILITY SUPPORT PROGRAMME (DSP)
FUNDED INITIATIVES
In 2007, what key initiatives did the institution undertake with DSP Performance
Funds? For each key initiative, please provide the following:
Key initiative
title
Web hosted
note-taker
service
Description- objective and target
group
Target group- students eligible for
note-taker support
Objective- evaluate effectiveness
of note takers providing notes to
students through web posting
rather than handwritten copies
Mental health Target Group- students with
resources for mental health issues or mental
students and health conditions
disability
Objective- implement evidenced
advisors
based guidelines for supporting
learning needs for students with
high incidence major mental
illness
Outcomes
1. Improved access to timely
notes
2. Improved accessibility for
students using adaptive
technology
1. Students have 24 hour web
access links to authoritative
evidence based self help
strategies
2. Disability Advisors have
received training in the
likely impact on learning
needs of students with high
incidence major mental
illness
What examples demonstrate the importance or otherwise to institutions and
students of the Additional Support for Students with Disabilities component, and
where applicable, the Regional Disability Liaison Officer initiative.
On line accessibility to notes provided by the note- taker service and on line self help
resources for student with mental illness used DSP performance enhancement funds to
purchase web expertise for host site. Funds for purchase of web expertise to ensure
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security and ease of accessibility by students using adaptive technology were not
available from the operating budget of the host services.
G. COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIPS (CS)
Identify key issues or points for the institution concerning the CS Programme in
2007. For example, was your institution able to allocate all its CS in 2007? ; In
what ways, if any, have CS improved the participation of targeted equity groups
and Indigenous students?
We have allocated all our regular Commonwealth Education Costs (CECS) and
Commonwealth Accommodation Costs (CAS) scholarships. However, we did face
some difficulty in allocating our Indigenous Access Scholarships (IAS) as the
introduction late in the processing year presented a challenge to alert students to its
availability.
One general comment is the inherent inequity in the manner in which Centrelink
regards the Commonwealth Scholarships versus our own Institution Equity
Scholarships (IES). The Commonwealth Scholarships are not considered income for
Centrelink purposes according to the Social Security Act. However, when a student is
given an IES they are required to report this to Centrelink and in most cases this alters
the amount of support for which they are eligible.
H. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ESP FUNDING IN 2009
To be eligible to receive Higher Education Equity Support Programme funds in
2009, higher education providers must meet all the criteria set out at paragraph
1.45.1(a)-(d) of the programme Guidelines. Providers must: (a) run outreach
programmes to attract disadvantaged students to higher education; (b) offer
specialised support for disadvantaged students to assist their progression
through higher education; (c) administer application and selection processes for
the Commonwealth Learning Scholarships Programme; and (d) have established
an institutional equity scholarship programme to complement the
Commonwealth (Learning) Scholarships Programme.
Please provide evidence of eligibility under the following headings:
1. Outreach programs
Description: Outreach programs are designed to attract people from
educationally disadvantaged backgrounds to higher education.
The Macquarie University School Partnership program provides for students from
disadvantaged backgrounds:



preferred Admissions Scheme where a UAI bonus of 5 points is awarded
to a limited number of students from target schools
A scholarship program where students who demonstrate financial need are
eligible for a $2,000 voucher at Coop bookshop to assist with textbooks.
Access to the peer-tutoring program, which is provided at a target school
by volunteer university students one day per week for terms 2 and 3.
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

Presentations for Yr 10, 11 or 12 on University Courses, University Life,
Pathways, Motivation to reduce the cultural barriers to studying at
University
Talented mathematicians programme for female students to encourage
study in non-traditional areas
3. Support services
Support services can be defined as specialised services or programs to support
educationally disadvantaged students enrolled at the institution.
University wide services offering

Disability Support Services

Counselling Servcies by Registered Psychologist and Social Workers

Careers Development services

Welfare Service provides aassistance in finding accommodation, financial
advice, assistance with Centrelink and personal support with tenancy and
legal issues.

University Bulk billing Medical Practice

The Macquarie Transition Program- provides programs for undergraduate
and postgraduate students:
-
-
-
Undergraduate- transition provides a mentor training for second year (or
above) students who want to meet and pass on their knowledge of uni life
and study to new students. Mentors come from all departments and attend
Orientation Days to answer questions, take tours of campus.
Postgraduate Information and Skills Workshop each semester for
commencing postgraduate students. This is aimed at students returning to
study after a break or students who have not studied at Macquarie
University previously.
Academic Orientation
Macquarie University also offers faculty specific peer mentor programs. Well
established in the Division of Economic and Financial Studies is the Economics
Resource and Information Centre (ERIC). Run by experienced students who act as
Peer Advisers to give fellow students friendly, non-judgemental and confidential
assistance. Two successful programs are:


Peer Assisted Learning program, (PAL), is unit specific weekly workshops
led by trained students who have excelled in those particular units.
Conversation Groups are a fun and informal way for students to improve
their English and make new friends. Run by students, everyone is
encouraged to talk about a wide range of topics. These can vary from
experiences on campus to getting a job to Australian colloquialisms and
slang.
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3. Commonwealth Scholarships
• Institutions do not need to provide information for this criterion.
4. Institutional equity scholarships
List the institution’s equity scholarships, which complement the Commonwealth
Scholarships. Show the type of assistance available (including duration and
annual financial value), target group(s) and number of students assisted.
In 2007 Macquarie offered 16 new Institutional Equity Scholarships. The eligibility for these
awards is the same as for the Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship. Students needed
to be enrolled full-time in a Bachelor Degree program and be able to demonstrate financial
need. The payment length and schedule are the same as for CECS (4 year duration and
payment indexed each year).
In August 2007 Macquarie University reviewed its Scholarship Schemes and
announced that in 2008 it would commit an extra $700,000 for scholarships.
Scholarship applicants will be ranked on a range of criteria apart from academic
merit, including outstanding character, maturity, common sense, eagerness and
passion. They may also be awarded a scholarship based upon their capacity to triumph
over hardship.
UNIVERSITY CONTACT OFFICERS
Please provide the names, emails and phone numbers of people the Department
can contact in relation to the Higher Education Equity Support Programme, the
Higher Education Disability Support Programme and Commonwealth
Scholarships. This information will be used to update DEEWR’s contact officer
lists for the three programme areas.
Name & Title: Ruth Freeman, Director Student Well-being
Phone 0298597495
Email ruth.freeman@mq.edu.au
ESP Contact Officer Ruth Freeman
DSP Contact Officer: Ruth Freeman
CS Contact Officer:
Please submit electronic documents by email to: iaf@deewr.gov.au
DEEWR contact: Bruce Jennings (02) 6219 3561 bruce.jennings@deewr.gov.au
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