Abstract
Stemming from a review of higher education in Australia, there has been renewed emphasis on increasing the participation rates of people from low socioeconomic backgrounds (LSES) in tertiary study. While Student Services’ departments are designed to build the personal resources of students aiding in their retention and subsequent success in higher education, LSES students may have complex social, economic, and cultural factors that may affect the institution’s capacity to support them effectively. Selected findings will be shared from a grounded theory doctoral study that has generated a model for how to engage students from LSES in non-academic support services throughout their tertiary studies. The research showed that LSES students use principles of trust to navigate the tertiary environment and the students’ network is key to their success. Discussion focussed on how to apply these principles in practice and implications for service delivery.
Highlights
In the past few years, Australian higher education has been impacted by a widening participation strategy driven by the Federal Government’s social inclusion agenda
The International Association of Universities (IAU) (2012) has publicly stated that “access without a reasonable chance of success is an empty promise” (Nelson, Quinn, Marrington, & Clarke, 2012, p. 1) which highlights the need for universities to consider the support needs of low socioeconomic backgrounds (LSES) students, their entry into the system
The role Student Services play in supporting students is significant and complements the access and transition programs, as well as the learning and teaching initiatives that are currently being heavily explored (Devlin, Kift, Nelson, Smith, & McKay, 2012; Kift et al, 2010)
Summary
In the past few years, Australian higher education has been impacted by a widening participation strategy driven by the Federal Government’s social inclusion agenda. The increasing diversity of students in higher education is not unique to Australia, as research in the US, the UK and Europe has demonstrated the importance of a diverse student population (Crosier, Purser, & Smidt, 2007; El‐Khawas, 1996; Yorke & Thomas, 2003) These studies are each assessing the value and contribution of and by Student Services departments in relation to the participation and success of students from LSES backgrounds. An analysis of 159 organisational units in 34 higher education institutions was conducted to identify a performance evaluation framework for student support services in order to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness (Department of Employment, 1993) It identified that “few qualitative and quantitative indicators have been designed to enhance and promote quality service provision specific to the unique range of services available to Australian students” This study aimed to determine what theoretical model can be developed that will inform the development of student support services in Australia to effectively respond to the non‐academic needs of LSES students
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