Retention, Attraction and CompletionOf Postgraduates students

The Council of Australian Postgraduate

Associations

Represents Australia's 340,000+ postgraduate students, with over

60,000 undertaking research degrees and over 280,000 pursuing

coursework or combined research programs. Founded in 1979.

Context

Think of higher education is a system, where a change

to one part is likely to effect others.

+ ? =

Participation and Engagement

We should be encouraging enrolment from as diverse a

group as possible, and supporting them throughout their

degree.

What does the 21st century

postgraduate look like?

Patterns of participation2013 Enrolments by level of course and age group

DET (2015) 2013 All students, Retrieved

from

https://docs.education.gov.au/node/35961

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

19 andunder

20 o 24 25 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 59 60 and over

Doctorate by Research

Doctorate by Coursework

Master's by Research

Master's by Coursework

Bachelor

Patterns of participation

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

19 andunder

20 o 24 25 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 59 60 andover

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

19 andunder

20 o 24 25 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 59 60 andover

Doctorate byResearchDoctorate byCourseworkMaster's byResearchMaster's byCoursework

20082013

Enrolments by level of course and age group

Patterns of participationA comparison of part and full time enrolments over time

DET (2015) 2013 All students, Retrieved from

https://docs.education.gov.au/node/35961

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Full-time Domestic Part-time Domestic Full-time Overseas Part-time Overseas

Characteristics

• Live much more independent lives

• Often have carer responsibilities

Issues

• Living expenses

• Social isolation

• Working environment

•Resources (minimum standards)

•Suppervision

Patterns of participation

Patterns of participation

Income Support

Access to and flexibility with income support is one of the most

critical factors in supporting participation. A lack of support erodes

a persons ability to participate in higher education and engage

with their studies.

A lack of access to income support is also associated with

patterns of part-time enrolment.

•How many postgraduates are in receipt of

a scholarship or award with a living

allowance?

•How many have access to write-up

scholarships?

?

Patterns of participationThe difference between the APA stipend and poverty line

-$200.00

-$150.00

-$100.00

-$50.00

$0.00

$50.00

2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005

Single Person Single Person +1

Melbourne Institute of Applied Economics and Social Research (2014) Poverty Lines: Australia,

EngagementPolicy and context

• The pressures of funding models and performance

measures

• Bologna and standardised masters degrees

• Student Services and Amenities Fees (SSAF)

Funding is tied to policy, funding drives the need for

completions and enrolments. It effects services and

resources which improve the student experience and in

turn attracts students.

EngagementSSAF Survey 2014

The survey ran from Oct 2013 – Nov 2014, final response rate

was N=733 postgraduates.

• how representative of postgraduate concerns the list of

student service and amenities encompassed by the

legislation was;

• the utilization of services and amenities by postgraduate

students;

• how important student representation and advocacy was

to postgraduates;

• the necessity of maintain independent student

representation for postgraduates, and of Universities

providing adequate SSAF funding for this purpose.

EngagementSSAF Survey 2014 Results

The majority of respondents said that they were seeing the

benefits of their SSAF dollars spent through Social events,

academic networking events, and student-run bas, cafes or food

services.

Significantly the top five most important student services

according to respondents (in no particular order) were:

• Libraries and reading rooms,

• Advocacy,

• Support services for overseas students,

• Legal services, and

• Health and Welfare services.

EngagementSSAF Survey 2014 Results Cont.

Close to 95% of respondents supported postgraduate

representative bodies engaging with political issues which affect

postgraduates.

Over 90% of respondents said that it was important to critical

that postgraduate issue were represented by an independent

postgraduate student body.

A significant majority, 80% of respondents said that they

engaged with the activities of their postgraduate association,

and over 50% did so regularly..

• Evaluate the impacts of policy and don’t just implement and

ignore

• Support postgraduates through income support and servies

that recognise their unique situation and status

• Collect data and share it with your postgraduates

• Engage postgraduates through their representatives and

treat them collegially

Engagement and participationConclusions and opportunities

•How many postgraduates are in receipt of a

scholarship or award with a living allowance?

•How many have access to write-up scholarships??