In one of her first major addresses on equity since handing down the National Review of Higher Education, Professor Denise Bradley, AC, will launch the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education in Adelaide on February 25 at 10.30 am.
The launch will be held in the Bradley Forum, level 5 Hawke Building at UniSA's City West campus.
UniSA Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Lee says the launch of the centre will be a significant milestone for higher education in Australia.
"The development of a research hub that has a clear brief, not only to explore how to improve equality of access to higher education for all Australians, but to disseminate that knowledge to policy makers across the sector, is invaluable," Prof Lee said.
"There is a clear link between participation in higher education and the development and prosperity of societies and the long term investment in student equity in higher education that the Centre represents will continue to bring rewards."
Prof Lee said the Bradley Review recommendations set significant targets for higher education participation, including a target of 40 per cent of Australians aged between 25 and 34 having a higher degree by 2020.
Professor Bradley has also argued strongly for setting targets for equal participation for a range of equity groups in higher education. In her address she will discuss the issues she has raised in the National Review of Higher Education and the importance of targets in helping universities achieve equitable outcomes for their students.
In 2007 the Federal Government announced $630,000 funding to support the development of the National Centre to be based at the University of South Australia and a further $590,000 annually towards its operation.
It's Director, Professor Trevor Gale was appointed in mid 2008 and says the Centre is already providing advice and undertaking significant collaborative research Australia-wide.
"We're already midway through a national project researching how university engagement with schools, particularly in low income communities, can increase students' participation in higher education.
"We have also been funded by the Thyme Reid Foundation to conduct research in relation to the rural reconnect program to find out what works in helping regional and remote students to access higher education."
Prof Gale says the Centre has also been given a boost with further Commonwealth funding for the establishment of an online Student Equity Exchange which will provide a national repository of equity research and best practice policy and a forum for the discussion of equity research and equity issues.
The launch will also include a keynote address from Professor Bill Tierney, Wilbur-Kieffer Professor of Higher Education at the University of Southern California and Director of the Centre for Higher Education Policy Analysis.
Following the launch an expert panel will discuss and consider The future of student equity in higher education. Panelists include Professor Simon Marginson and Richard James from the University of Melbourne, and also Peter Noonan and Lin Martin who assisted Professor Bradley in writing her Review.
This session opens a one and a half day forum on equity in higher education including roundtable discussions and presentations from 70 of the nation's leading equity researchers and practitioners in higher education.
