The Hon. Jason Clare MP announced the Australian Universities Accord. Although there is a lot to accomplish and many areas still require further development and clarification, professionals in the student experience sector view the Accord’s aims and goals as an exciting opportunity.
As should be expected, much of the findings and recommendations are focused on getting more of the right people into tertiary education and ensuring a coordinated approach to service delivery across the nation. What is gratifying to SEN and its members is to see findings and recommendations that should lead to better funding for the delivery of student experience services and the development of co-curricular activities and learning that define a truly high-quality student experience.
Daniel Randell, Associate Director of Student Life at Flinders University, said, For student service providers, the accord provides a once-in-a-generation reform plan for educating and supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds. It is essential that all providers in the student experience ecosystem have a voice in this process and that we ensure that students are at the centre of the conversation.”.
The Accord report calls for a coordinated approach across the sector, led by an Australian Tertiary Education Commission, charged with “bringing all stakeholders together” for “ongoing collaborative engagement.” SEN looks forward to being involved in that engagement to better represent its members as they push to deliver safer student engagement on campus, delivering students into the workforce and society with a wide range of skills, knowledge, and experience, far beyond the skills imparted during a university degree programme.
The Accord talks extensively throughout about the need to improve the student experience and ensure student safety. Paul Clayton, SEN CEO, said, “Whether a university department, a controlled entity, or a student union, guild, or association, our members are key to the delivery of events, activities, and services that ensure a full and safe experience at university. Their delivery is often a major part of students’ success and retention, and the extra leadership experiences they get along the journey set them apart from the crowd for future employability.”.
The focus on improving equity access for First Nations students, rural, regional, and remote students, and lowest-quartile SES students will require increased investment in student experience provider funding, as these groups require higher levels of support per student to ensure their success in areas like academic advocacy, counselling, and representation. Recommendation 19 should begin a dialogue for a more equitable and formalised approach to ensuring the funding of these services, and while it specifically references the allocation of the Student Services and Amenities Fund, it should focus on sufficient funding levels, irrespective of where the funding comes from. Jess Brown, SEN Director and Chair, said, “The Accord is an opportunity to ensure a connected, whole-of-institutions and sector approach to the student experience. While this may be an enormous undertaking in terms of systems and solution alignment and breaking down siloes, this is an incredible opportunity for cross-collaboration and service improvement like never before. SEN welcomes the opportunity to contribute to this on behalf of its 50 Australian-based members.
We will have to wait to see how the government reacts and what it will commit to, but SEN and its members stand ready to engage in dialogue to create meaningful change.
The Student Experience Network serves as the primary representative organisation for student experience professionals in Australia and New Zealand.