A new report on the plight of part-time students has put evidence behind what many had assumed, but few had proven – part-time students juggle and struggle a multitude of commitments, which impacts their capacity to study.
Around 35% of domestic Australian HE students study part-time – and many are juggling work, caring and other commitments.
Analysis of survey responses from 965 part-time students from 35 universities, followed by interviews with 80 has provided insights into the breadth and scale of demands on the time, talents, finance and energies of part-time students, in a new Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success report by Charles Sturt University’s Kelly Linden.
Part-time students have lower rates of success and retention on average and are also more likely to belong to an under-represented group, the report said. The lower success rates were not for want of dedication, though.
While most students presented as very dedicated to their course, inflexibility of class times and assessments frequently presented significant hurdles.
“Australian universities are designed for students who no longer make up the majority.” Associate Professor Linden writes.
“Traditional university education was developed for young school leavers enrolled to study full-time.
“Most institutions are designed to support these students from the ground up, from recruitment to the availability of the support offered by student services, and to policies and procedures.
“However, there is a worldwide trend in which university students are diversifying. Many university students are studying part-time, are older, are employed, and have significant caring responsibilities, and they now serve as the “new majority”.”
In order to meet the vision of the Accord, substantial changes are required to adapt systems, processes and supports to the needs of learners.
The report includes 12 recommendations to improve education experiences for part-time students, ranging from reforming academic workload to enable academics to deliver more flexible assessment and support to making public transport discounts available to part-time students; “based on mode, not load.”