Australia’s peak student equity ‘What Works’ research body has launched its new name – the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (ACSES) – at yesterday’s Universities Australia Plenary Meeting in Canberra.
Formerly the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE), the rebranded ACSES, hosted by Curtin University, marks a significant evolution in the Centre’s mission to lead Australian universities towards fairness, accessibility and success for every student.
As a What Works Centre, ACSES is at the forefront of offering evidence-based interventions, insightful data analysis and robust research to address the challenges faced by disadvantaged students, with a particular focus on First Nations Australians, students with disability, remote and regional students and low socioeconomic status students.
Curtin University Vice-Chancellor and ACSES Advisory Board Chair Professor Harlene Hayne said ACSES was committed to a vision for Australia to make higher education accessible to all.
“ACSES is an Australian first, a Centre dedicated to providing the higher education sector with tangible proof of what really works to improve student equity,” Professor Hayne said.
“Together, we can strive to give all students, irrespective of their background, an opportunity to participate in and succeed at university.”
Executive Director of the Centre Professor Shamit Saggar said the Centre’s diverse team of dedicated research, data, and trials and evaluations academics and professionals shared a commitment to innovation and collaboration against the backdrop of higher education reform via the Australian Universities Accord.
“This new name and identity reflect ACSES’s role as a national leader at the forefront of delivering real solutions to reshape student equity in Australia,” Professor Saggar said.
“Our core mission is to help the sector improve. Shifting our operational model to that of a What Works Centre allows us to lead the adoption by Australian universities of an evidence-based approach.
“It is an exciting opportunity for the Centre to steward positive change and greater collaboration in the Australian higher education landscape.”
ACSES is funded by the Commonwealth Government to support sustained improvement in outcomes for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. In July 2022, Minister for Education the Hon Jason Clare MP announced the Government would commit $20.5 million over four years to expand the Centre. Its work aligns with the Australian Universities Accord.
