Equity

Students do not participate equally in higher education. Statistics show that we need to increase the participation rates of students from disadvantaged groups in higher education, and to improve their experience once they are here at university. While universities and governments support efforts to redress the problems of inequity in their policies and procedures, it is also the responsibility of teachers in classrooms, fellow students, and students from disadvantaged groups themselves to work together to ensure the best possible higher education experience for all.

While celebrating cultural diversity on campus, as teachers we could not help noticing that students from certain groups were not always well supported, and sometimes did not know about support that was available to them. These students include those with a disability, those who come from a non-English speaking background or from regional, rural or remote areas, Indigenous students, and students on a low income.

Our research project, ‘Inclusive Equity’, aims at improving the learning community at the University of Sydney for all students, and especially for students from disadvantaged groups. In 2005-2006, we conducted both online and face-to-face interviews to hear the voices of these students and their teachers. We have established this website to showcase the experiences of both staff and students in dealing with and overcoming disadvantage. We hope that the findings of our research will contribute to equity issues being dealt with inclusively, to create a better learning environment at University of Sydney.

The University of Sydney acknowledges the traditional owners of Country upon whose land the various campuses of the University now sit: Gadigal peoples of the Eora Nation; Deerubbin peoples; Tharawal peoples; Ngunnawal peoples; Wiradjuri peoples; Gamilaroi peoples; Bundjulung peoples; Wiljali peoples and the Gureng Gureng peoples.