by: Michelle Mosiere

The webinar, led by Michelle Mosiere, explored strategies for advancing equity and inclusion in higher education, featuring insights from Natalie Nelmes, Professor Paul Harpur, and Professor Thomas Roche. Key themes included:

1. Equitable Participation & Universal Design (Paul Harpur): 
   • The proportion of students with disabilities has increased from 3-4% to over 12%.
   • Current systems often retrofit support after students arrive, which is ineffective. 
   • Universal design in teaching, supported by increased disability funding, ensures accessibility from the start. 
2. Inclusive Curriculum & Institutional Change (Thomas Roche): 
   • Traditional systems expect students to adapt, but education should be redesigned to meet diverse needs. 
   • Solutions include flexible schedules, smaller course loads, and application-focused assessments. 
   • Academics must create culturally safe environments and simplify institutional processes. 
3. Community-Based Support (Natalie Nems): 
   • Regional University Study Hubs offer personalized, place-based support for regional, first-in-family, and low-SES students. 
   • Barriers like application fees and complex systems discourage access. 
   • Personalized outreach, like phone check-ins and chat groups, boosts student success. 
4. Building Academic Capability: 
   • Active, guided learning models, like Southern Cross University’s six-week “Focused Guided Active Learning” blocks, increased success rates by 20% and reduced non-submissions by 50%. 
   • Community connections, face-to-face tutorials, and personal outreach strengthen support networks. 
5. Data-Driven Interventions: 
   • Universities like Georgia State use student engagement data to identify struggling students early, providing timely, flexible support. 
6. Resourcing Challenges: 
   • While funding constraints exist, partnerships, fee-sharing models, and leveraging existing resources can enhance support cost-effectively. 
7. Cultural Shift: 
   • The panel emphasized shifting from a “compliance culture” to an “inclusive culture,” ensuring that underrepresented groups can access and succeed in higher education. 

The session concluded with a call for continued dialogue, emphasizing that inclusive education is not only beneficial for individuals but critical for national economic success. A future webinar on grassroots support for Indigenous students was also announced. 

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