Yes, policies and processes are in place to ensure students are provided equal access to placement programs, etc:
Inclusive practices feature in several policies and procedures as outlined below:
Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Procedures
University community members will uphold the equity and diversity principles of Right, Opportunity, Recognition and Inclusion in the creation of an environment that is free from unlawful discrimination and harassment.
Diversity and Equity Policy
The purpose of this Policy is to provide a statement of the University's equity and diversity principles which support values and signature behaviours, and promote best practice in education and employment, in accordance with legislative and regulatory obligations. These principles are founded on Curtin University's values and Signature Behaviours and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The University recognises that fostering diversity benefits the university community and results in a safe, innovative and prosperous environment.
Fieldwork Policy and Procedures
Outlines the adjustments the University is required to employ when catering to the needs of students with a disability or medical condition.
Disability and Inclusion Plan
The Disability and Inclusion Plan (DAIP) outlines strategies to provide an accessible and inclusive environment for students, staff and visitors with disabilities (See https://about.curtin.edu.au/policy-governance/disability-access-inclusion-plan/
Students with a Disability Policy
The purpose of this Policy is to ensure that all current and prospective students with disability and students who are carers of people with disability (students with disability) have inclusive access to Curtin University's (the University) buildings and facilities, services, information, events, academic programs, complaint process and public consultations.
Work-Integrated Guidelines
The WIL Guidelines specific that Curtin Adopts inclusive education principles and guidelines to ensure equitable access, participation and progression in WIL for diverse student cohorts.
Inclusion is important to Griffith:
The following principles outlined in the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan 2018-2019 underpin the development and delivery of employability initiatives:
From the perspective of employability, Griffith appreciates that some specific student subgroups, particularly students with disabilities and international students from some countries of origin may face issues in relation to accessing and making the most of some of the university's employability incentives and programs, such as WIL. For international students, these issues include language barriers, and actual or perceived limited knowledge of local cultural and workplace norms, with educational interventions required with both students and employers. Responsibility for developmental and support interventions for international student WIL at Griffith are shared by the International Office and Academic Groups. These are clustered at target programs where international student enrolments are common. Peer strategies such as Griffith Mates are also used.
In some instances, in programs where placements are not mandated by professional accreditation requirements, offering a range of WIL opportunities (e.g., projects or Griffith-partnered placements) for students who may not be ready to practice, can be a legitimate and enriching approach. WIL for students with disabilities, long term health issues or mental health conditions is also a complex area of practice. At Griffith, reasonable adjustments are made for students with disabilities per legislative requirements. The Health Group has developed a code of professional practice, including fitness to practice and a tiered approach to support and intervention; and other areas of the university have their own specific approaches to this.
Macquarie has several inclusive practices that address access and equity in the provision of employability support through major WIL and Careers initiatives that are supported by policy.
PACE: Access, equity and diversity
PACE affords all Macquarie undergraduate students equal opportunity to engage in WIL - regardless of discipline, family connections, academic grades, or other potential enablers/barriers to participation. That is, the universality of PACE is an important access and equity strategy in and of itself. That said, from the
start the program has recognised that not all students start from a level playing field: one of the guiding principles on which PACE is founded is equity of access to resources and opportunities (PACE strategic plan).
Ensuring that PACE is understanding of, responsive to, and inclusive of the needs of a diversity of students (in terms of cultural and linguistic diversity; age and gender; SES background; whether they are living with or without a disability; geographical location; networks and interpersonal capabilities) has thus been a central concern from program inception.
The reaction of industry and community partners to this access and equity imperative has been overwhelmingly positive, many of whom are already very well experienced in accommodating diversity in their existing workforce and/or are keen to increase their capability and experience in this area. For example, in research undertaken with actuarial employers to inform the development of Macquarie's new Co-operative Education program, most saw Co-op as a potential route to increasing the number of women working with them (a key workforce goal). Similarly, a number of globally-oriented partners have been particularly keen to host international student interns. Indeed, 98% of partners surveyed in a recent study indicated an interest in hosting interns from diverse backgrounds, specifically: students with disabilities; students from Non-English Speaking Backgrounds (NESB); international students; Indigenous and mature age students (Hutchison et al., 2018).
Anecdotal, qualitative and quantitative data indicate the positive impacts participation in a program like PACE can have on students' experience at University and employment outcomes on graduation. PACE has had benefits for groups of students who traditionally have poorer graduate outcomes, including those living with a disability, students from non-English-speaking backgrounds, and international students.
PACE: Strategies to Promote Access and Participation
A range of strategies have been developed, implemented and reviewed to improve student access and participation in PACE. As mentioned earlier, PACE offers a diversity of engagement modes both external to the University and on-campus, including internships, research and community development projects, partner panels with on-campus mentoring, and fieldwork. This flexibility in offerings means PACE activities can cater for diverse student needs and provide some level of choice.
For example, an anxious student might opt to undertake a supervised project on-campus, removing the stresses associated with being off-campus, and allowing Macquarie staff to more closely monitor their pastoral care. There is also a significant amount of support for students to locate and secure off-campus PACE activities. Most of these activities are sourced by University staff in close collaboration with industry/community partners. Where students are required to arrange their own activity or placement, usually as an explicit learning outcome of their PACE unit, they are supported in doing so by PACE staff and "how to" guides. These resources are particularly targeted at students experiencing barriers or challenges in this regard (e.g. shy students, international students without local networks, etc).
PACE: Disability Action Plan and Reasonable Adjustments Procedure
In collaboration with Macquarie's Campus Well-being unit, PACE have developed several support resources for students, partners and staff. Inclusive curriculum development (e.g. social inclusion modules; orientation resources) prepare all students for the experiential component of PACE. In addition, a suite of University-funded Travel and Equity Grants seek to ensure that student participation in remote, regional or international placements isn't reliant on a student's personal mobility or financial circumstances. Many strategies to support inclusive PACE rely on strong relationships with partners and include designing or modifying PACE activities to meet the specific needs of a student or adjusting work hours to accommodate students' paid work commitments or carer responsibilities (Mackaway et al., 2017).
Research and evaluation projects have focused on assessing and improving PACE inclusion strategies, including research on the role of partner organisations in influencing student access to placements.
Widening Participation
HEPPP funding distributed and managed by the University's Widening Participation unit services many student equity and engagement activities. Widening Participation Strategic Framework major objectives seek to improve graduate outcomes, employment and professional opportunities for students from equity groups. To enhance employability of students from equity groups, several targeted activities are funded, including:
Macquarie Media Mentors
Supported by both University and HEPPP funding, Macquarie's Media Mentorship Program, run in partnership with SBS, NITV and the Ethnic Community Council of NSW, provides hands-on learning opportunities for CALD, Indigenous and low SES students studying Media at the University, maximising their employability upon graduation so they might help diversify the Australian Media. Now in its seventh year, this extra-curricular program scaffolds students practice-based skill development in areas that complement their academic studies and enhance their employability in the media industry.
Academics for Refugees Mentoring Program
This program links students from refugee or asylum seeker backgrounds with an academic from their field of study. The program aims to build rapport between the student (mentee) and the academic (mentor), while supporting the student to develop the tacit knowledge required to succeed in their studies.
Create your Future
Career development workshops offered to low-SES students in second year studies, to promote their employability readiness.
Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE) PACE Internships
Offering low-SES students studying FBE the opportunity to participate in paid PACE internships.
Global Leadership Program
Enabling students from low-SES backgrounds to participate in the component of experiential opportunities offered as part of the University’s Global Leadership Program.
LEAP Through- Refugee Transition and Support
A transition program aimed at engaging commencing students from humanitarian visa backgrounds with academic and social support to build their sense of empowerment and belonging. The Support Officers act as a central point of contact for the students, by meeting with them regularly to ensure they receive guidance, support and appropriate referrals to other support services (internal or external to the University) where needed.
Macquarie University Research Internship Program (MURI)
Students are offered the opportunity to participate as research interns, within an academic field; guided and mentored by a research-active academic. Through the program, students develop research skills aimed at supporting their employability skills in the field of research.
Student Group Coaching
This program is a targeted intervention for students from backgrounds who are more likely to drop out or fail. These students are paired with a more experienced peer coach (post-graduate or final University year).
Through the Widening Participation Office, Macquarie University is in the process of signing a Memorandum of Understanding with CareerSeekers, a national non-profit organisation that works with refugee and asylum seeker University students and private sector companies to create career pathways through a structured internship program.
The objective of the Partnership is for CareerSeekers and Macquarie to work together to provide opportunities and improved outcomes for refugee and asylum seeker youth, including by:
1. aligning activities undertaken by CareerSeekers and Macquarie to ensure each party's responsibilities are clear and they both act in the best interests of refugee and asylum seeker youths;
2. fostering refugee and asylum seeker education and employment;
3. engaging with refugee and asylum seeker youth through extra-curricular activities to build self-esteem and improving their capacity to make positive life choices;
4. improving social skills in the refugee and asylum seeker population through communication and teamwork; and
5. establishing opportunities for talented refugee and asylum seeker individuals to pursue opportunities and progress down their chosen educational and employment pathway.
Indigenous Cadetship Program
The Macquarie University Indigenous Cadetship Program is designed to provide students with practical experience while they are studying so they can get a head start in terms of their employability. Positions are paid placements on campus as well with a variety of corporate, not for profit and community organisations. Cadets are provided with opportunities to access and participate in professional development workshops that further develop the essential skills needed to gain meaningful employment after graduation.
We are currently drafting a student success framework and Learning and Teaching Strategy that would address equity issues if implemented.
Massey University was awarded the Rainbow Tick in 2017 http://www.rainbowtick.co.nz/ and has ratified a strategy with the goal of becoming a Te Tiriti-led University
Massey University Strategy, 2018-2022
The University has an Equity and Social Inclusion department and a Student Disability Policy which states that the University will provide a supportive educational environment that, through the provision of appropriate supports and reasonable adjustments [Standards 3.4] will enable students with disabilities to be educated at Murdoch on the same basis [Standards 2.2] as students without disabilities.
Additionally, the WIL Policy states that Reasonable adjustment will be made for students with a disability or medical condition.
The Careers Service is explicitly mentioned in the University's Disability Action and Inclusion Plan 2016 2020, which reports to the Disability Services in the Department of Communities. The plan includes 3 actions for the Careers Service, including;
The Careers Service meets standards set out in the plan.
SAE's policy regarding Access and Equity is available via the SAE public website.
The AccessAbility service team assist in guiding the Swinburne commitment to providing equal educational opportunities for people living with a disability, mental illness or ongoing medical condition and people with primary carer responsibilities. The university has established the Swinburne AccessAbility Action Plan 2015-2020 which details six key pillars for action. The Student Support and Engagement pillar is to ensure that student engagement and support services are inclusive, and Swinburne provides a range of services to Swinburne students from enrolment through to career counselling and post-qualification transition support. Strategies to achieving this action include: -
The Student Equity and AccessAbility Services team under the Higher Education Participation and Partnership Program have developed the Student Engagement Employability Project which assists migrant students from CALD backgrounds and low SES students with limited access to employability networks. The university offered a day-long workshop the Migrant Student Employability Development Program and the university Future Work Skills Unit which focused on developing their employability skills.
An example of providing employment and opportunities for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students is through the Doors2Jobs program which provided employment training to 335 people. Actions identified within the RAP to assist in future employability includes: -
As detailed throughout the submission the Careers and Employability team offer a number of industry and student focused programs
UNSW Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP):
E2: Students to become competent self-advocates and workplace ready post-graduation
E2.2 Destinations of students with disability postgraduation are identified to inform program planning and career advice for students. Director SL (Student Hub) 2018
E2.3 Career development opportunities are made available and promoted to students with a disability
UNSW Finiancial Inclusion Action Plan (FIAP):
We aim not only to provide equitable support to all students while studying, but prepare them for life beyond University by building their capacity to gain employment and contribute meaningfully to their future communities. Enhancing financial capabilities will enable them to make informed decisions and increase the economic status of vulnerable groups in our society as well as increase their overall wellbeing.
UQ is currently redeveloping its student placement policy and associated guidelines. The revised policy will address equity of access to placements and interaction with employers.
In 2017 UQ commenced the development of a Diversity Hub to assist neurodiverse students to develop their employability and to connect with employers through networking events and internship opportunities. The hub provides a safe environment to support students to develop personally and professionally. The Diversity Hub is a collaboration between the UQ Careers team and the UQ Disability Services team with support from Workplace Diversity and Inclusion.
In 2019, the Diversity Hub will be expanded to encompass a range of student cohorts who experience additional barriers to employment and workplace experiences. This idea has been developed in partnership with students through a Student-Staff Partnership project. The implementation of this expansion will be informed in collaboration with, The University of Maryland, who run a diversity program that helps to remove barriers to the workplace for students with disabilities in partnership with employers. https://careers.umd.edu/event/student-meet-champions-disability-inclusion-employability-bootcamp-employers-2018
The Work Integrated Learning - Academic Policy Clause 8 ensures inclusive practice and makes reasonable adjustment: a specific measure put in place to enable equitable access or participation in employment or education to support all students:
8. WIL and students requiring reasonable adjustment
8.1 The University makes reasonable adjustments to assist students to have equitable access to WIL, in accordance with the Equity and Diversity - Governing Policy and relevant Anti-Discrimination legislation.
8.2 Where workplace and industry placement is an inherent academic requirement or significant feature of the program/course, the needs of students who may require reasonable adjustment should be considered as part of the program's curriculum design and accreditation.
Evidence:
3.7a Work Integrated Learning - Academic Policy (8 WIL and students requiring reasonable adjustment)
3.7b Workplace and Industry Placement - Procedures (5.4 Students requiring reasonable adjustment)
3.7c Equity and Diversity - Governing Policy (4.2.2)
3.7d Coursework Curriculum Design Procedures (4.10 Program Design and Inherent Academic Requirements)
3.7e Inherent Academic Requirements
3.7f Students with a Disability Managerial Policy (3.3. Inherent Academic Requirements, 3.5 Reasonable Adjustments, 3.6. Universal Design and 4 Principles, 4.1 Students with disability will have equitable access and practical support to participate fully in the life of the University.)
Access and equity are key principles in learning and teaching at USQ. There are a number of supporting policies including:
Equity in Education Policy and Procedure: https://policy.usq.edu.au/documents/13319PL
Students with a Disability Policy and Procedure: https://policy.usq.edu.au/documents/13447PL
Multicultural action plan, Equity and Diversity plans: https://www.usq.edu.au/about-usq/values-culture/diversity-inclusion/multiculturalism
USQ receives Higher Education Participation funding and has a culture of supporting widening participation in university: https://www.usq.edu.au/about-usq/values-culture/diversity-inclusion/participation-in-higher-education
Victoria University's Student Equity and Social Inclusion Policy states the university is committed to being fair, equitable and sensitive to the diverse needs of all its students in all its policies and practices. The following principles of equity and social justice will be integrated into all the University structures, policies and procedures:
a. fairness in the provision of University services and programs to students;
b. fair access to educational opportunities at the University;
c. fair opportunities for successful participation of students in University programs and services;
d. opportunities for genuine participation in decision-making for students;
e. promotion of a learning and work environment which is socially inclusive, values diversity and allows students to realise their full potential, where students are able to study and work effectively without fear of discrimination or harassment; and
f. protection of the human rights of students.
The University will develop and implement plans and programs to increase access and promote success in education for designated under-represented groups, including people from a low socio-economic background. The University is committed to providing policies and programs which facilitate social inclusion by recognising and addressing the character and needs of the people of the western region of Melbourne.
To promote equity and equal opportunity, Victoria University will:
a. provide a teaching, learning and working environment that values cultural and linguistic diversity, fosters
mutual respect and cultural competence and responds to diverse needs;
b. ensure that its structures, policies and practices are free from direct and indirect discrimination;
c. educate the University community on the goals and philosophy of equal opportunity, equity and social justice;
d. use non-discriminatory, inclusive language and practices; and
e. provide effective mechanisms to resolve equal opportunity-related complaints.
As stated in previous parts of this survey, the university offers a range of support services and programs to build and enhance student employability. Notable examples include:
- services provided by Learning Hubs
- participation in programs such as Talent Connect or Industry Mentoring
- being employed as Student as Staff
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Supporting Documents:
VU Student Equity and Social Inclusion Policy
Yes, support programs in place together with broader equity and access policies, but access and equity matters may need to be further articulated in the ICMS Employability Policy when drafted. WIL Placements (Industry Training) are accessed by all students as a core and compulsory component of their course (nine-month placement for UG and six-month placement for PG). The WIL Facilitators work directly with students to ensure suitable placements are provided to meet the needs of the student and the employer.
All UG students are first introduced to the Industry Training Program incl. workplace behaviour and law (i.e. discrimination and equity matters) via a compulsory non-award subject in their first term (ICMS 101). These matters are again reinforced in the compulsory preparation workshops conducted in term prior to the WIL Placement. Placement agreements with employers and workplace law further support students.
Ongoing contact with students is maintained during the placement period via the LMS, industry site visit, phone and email to provide support and address any workplace matters as they arise. Whilst on placement, students also have access to academic and personal assistance from the ICMS Student Success Centre and associated on-line resources.
There are individualised support programs for identified student groups (for example, Low SES, Disabilities, WiSE)
Jobs On Campus serves Low SES students.
WiSE provides direct opportunities for women in STEM courses.
Introduction of a campus based DES Provider to support students with a disability transition to work.
This will be significantly impacted by introducing an institutional Employability Strategy informed by a Graduate Capital framework, as it will recognise and validate existing experiences of our student cohort in the various walks of life for the purpose of success in employability
The development of a policy to ensure inclusive practice in student support programs in the employability area is a strong focus at ECU. Significant research is progressing this development through the work being undertaken by A/Professor Denise Jackson (mentioned in 1.4).
There is no specific policy in place, however, universities are bound by legislation to ensure inclusive practice (e.g. Learning Assessment Plans for WIL placements). In addition, the curriculum design and review policies are underpinned by, and make explicit reference to, inclusive and equitable practice.
In support of students from equity cohorts and in response to the relevant legislation, ECU has Student Equity Officers, Diversity and Disability Officers. Learning Assessment Plans are established to support students, with special needs, in the Practicums.
The Student Transitions and Employability team is working to increase the accessibility of their resources.
A focus of the Student Success Blueprint 2018 - 2021 is ensuring equivalent opportunities for developing employability are available to all students.
Inclusive practice are included in our policies, although it is not explicitly connected to key features of employability at an institution level.
See response to 3.5
No, but. While there is no policy at UWA that ensures this, one of the issues that we have is inequity in internship/placement opportunities, as well as students from equity groups having reduced opportunity to engage in co-curricular activities due to other demands on their time. Anecdotally, there is good practice at UWA where-by students are supported by scholarship in some programs to undertake work placement. Lack of clarity around the embedding of WIL in the classroom makes it difficult to comment on the equity of opportunity for students to access these opportunities to learn employability skills.