‘You going to uni?’ Explore how people from regional, rural & remote areas navigate higher education

‘YOU GOING TO UNI?’ EXPLORING HOW PEOPLE FROM REGIONAL, RURAL & REMOTE AREAS NAVIGATE INTO & THROUGH HIGHER EDUCATION 2020 NCSEHE Equity Fellow Janine Delahunty Make tomorrow better.

CONNECTING EQUITY POLICY, RESEARCH & PRACTICE

NCSEHE

The NCSEHE provides national leadership in student equity, connecting research, policy and practice to improve higher education participation and success for marginalised and disadvantaged people.

“Targeted Fellowships address fundamental issues for student equity.”

NCSEHE Equity Fellows conduct high-impact studies to advance student equity research, policy and practice.

2019/20 EQUITY FELLOWS with Dr Cathy Stone, Prof. Sarah O’Shea and Prof. Sue Trinidad

2020 “My Fellowship explored the NCSEHE challenges that people EQUITYfrom RRR areas faced in realising their FELLOW educational and

personal goals”

DR JANINE DELAHUNTY

Janine Delahunty is a lecturer in Academic Development and Recognition, and research project manager at the University of Wollongong.

Access the final report online:

ncsehe.edu.au/publications/regional-rural-remote-navigate-higher-education/

“My research fills in some of the ‘detail’ about the regional students behind the stats.”

DECISIONS ABOUT GOING TO UNI ARE COMPLEX. HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT RRR STUDENTS ARE GIVEN EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES AND SUPPORT TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS?

SNAPSHOTS OF 150 STUDENTS FROM REGIONAL AND REMOTE AREAS FROM 21 AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES AND REGIONAL CAMPUSES

73%

are over 21 years old

85%

are female

Students studying full-time

Students enrolled predominantly in online study

Students in first or second year of study

2/3

2/3

2/3

The broad discipline areas of the degrees were predominantly society and culture, health, education, management/commerce.

Students were from regional (inner, outer) and remote areas, across Australia.

Remote/Very Remote

Outer Regional

Inner Regional

22

80

44

15%

55%

30%

Inner Regional

40

Stayed Moved

3

Most students in Inner and Outer Regional areas stayed in their region, while a larger proportion of remote students moved away to study.

Outer Regional

63

Stayed

17

Moved Remote/Very Remote Stayed Moved

9 13

“

I’m pretty happy, but I miss the country and no one else can understand what I mean … I used to be outside working on the farm just about every day and now I’m stuck at a computer in a city.

“

Tim, 18-20, moved from outer regional area

“That’s just how fortunate I am that a regional campus exists near me. If it wasn’t for the regional campus, I would not be a student.”

Melinda, 41–50, mum of school-aged children, stayed in regional area

Why is it that students from RRR areas are more likely than metropolitan students to withdraw from their university studies?

REGIONAL ENROLMENTS HAVE INCREASED BY

50 PER CENT (BETWEEN 2008–17)

20% of people in regional areas and 17% of people in remote areas have a degree qualif ication

43% of people in major cities have a degree qualif ication (ABS, 2018)

Going to university for people from RRR areas is often much more complex than which degree pathway to take.

But how do we know what students are contending with unless we ask?

“

There’s all sorts of emotional ties you have to your home town … you’re also trying to move into a big world and be successful.

So, there are a lot of conflicting emotions and ideas.

“

Keiran

Complex equity-related circumstances add even more depth: as well as being regional, the majority identified one or more additional equity factors.

4 ABORIGINAL AND/OR TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER

76 WORKING 1 REFUGEE CLASS BACKGROUND

32 LOW SOCIOECONOMIC 80 REGIONAL STATUS

36 ISOLATED LOCATION

78 MATURE-AGE 71 FIRST-IN-FAMILY

150 STUDENTS

20 DISABILITY

1 INTERNATIONAL

RESPONSES FROM

5 NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING BACKGROUND

Institutions must recognise the complexities of regional students’ lived realities, or risk putting time and resources into developing support based on assumptions.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES RESPONSES FROM 136 STUDENTS

(Regular) Part-time work

Community commitments

Carer (children)

Full-time work

45%

29%

29%

21%

(Irregular) Casual work

Extra curricular

Carer (family/others)

Other

21%

21%

13%

5%

Regional people are often noted for being resilient and determined; but also juggling many things.

“

We know that to have this opportunity is very lucky. We don’t take it for granted so we want to give it a red hot crack.

“

#37

“

The lack of opportunities for work or study, almost everyone you grew up with moves away — it’s hard to leave without a skill or job prospects.

“

#74

GOALS FOR THE FUTURE — THEMES

92%

Making a difference (through helping others)

18%

Future selves to avoid

60%

Desire for satisfaction in life

“

I want to have an actual life … I see examples of things that I don’t want and that’s probably guiding my mindset of what I do want.

“

Shutting up to listen will help us respond to what regional people are telling us, and will help make university more equitable for regional students.

“

To be honest, it has been a bit difficult juggling the life of being a mum, income earner, my community work + running around after a teenager — but I make it work. I no longer have a social life — and that is fine.

In 2026 — I get my life back.

“

Judy, 41–50

Regional Student Futures website was developed from this Fellowship.

Go to http://www.regionalstudentfutures.org.au

To ensure that RRR students are given the opportunity to thrive, universities need to: Celebrate these students, recognise the multifaceted decision making they have undergone to be there.

Ensure university policy and practice reflect the complexities of their situations.

Go to the students; involve them in co-developing meaningful “solutions”.

Regional Student Futures website: www.regionalstudentfutures.org.au

NCSEHE DIRECTOR PROFESSOR SARAH O’SHEA

“During complex and changing times, the NCSEHE Equity Fellows have exceeded all expectations to produce impactful and quality research for the equity field.”

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