Empowering Collaboration: Practical Approaches to Student Equity Program Evaluation

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63608/ssj.3792

Keywords:

student equity, evaluation, reflective practice, best practice

Abstract

Student equity program evaluation is an emerging field of practice in the Australian higher education sector. Driven by reporting requirements from the Department of Education, it is incentivised through targeted funding provided by the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (ACSES). Currently, the evaluation capability of equity practitioners is highly variable. Universities have responded to this challenge by employing evaluation experts to work with their student equity teams, or by commissioning expert consultants to build evaluation capability and/or undertake evaluations of student equity programs. This practice report focuses on a project that aimed to explore best practice in equity program evaluation, recognising that these are often collaborative endeavours. Through structured reflective activities, the diverse project team generated insights on factors that enable or challenge evaluation partnerships. The report concludes with a set of principles for implementing collaborative evaluation projects and outlines the key roles and responsibilities of an evaluation team.

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Author Biographies

Nadine Zacharias, Swinburne University of Technology

Dr Nadine Zacharias is the Founder and Managing Director of Equity by Design, a specialist consulting firm in student equity strategy, program evaluation, and inclusive service design. Based in Australia, Nadine leads transformative work in higher education to achieve a more equitable and high-performing sector which can support an increasingly diverse student cohort and leverage the potential of individuals for the common good. She has held senior management roles at Swinburne and Deakin Universities, led ground-breaking research projects and, in her consulting role, has facilitated the widespread adoption of the Student Equity in Higher Education Evaluation Framework (SEHEEF) by Australian universities.

Elisa McGowan, The University of Western Australia

Elisa McGowan (SFHEA, MTeach and BSc(Hons)) is the Associate Director, Student Equity and Success at the University of Western Australia. She has managed projects and taught in a variety of settings, including in regional and remote areas. Elisa recently published a book chapter on student equity policy and practice and has research interests in enhancing evaluation efforts in equity in higher education, supporting student success and the first year experience.

Catie Gressier, The University of Western Australia

Catie Gressier is a cultural anthropologist with research interests spanning student support, foodways and health and illness. She receives funding from the European Research Council through the Department of Anthropology at Uppsala University. She is a PhD candidate in Creative Writing at Curtin University and an Adjunct Research Fellow in the School of Agriculture and Environment at the University of Western Australia. She is the author of Saving Heritage Breeds: A Love Story (UWAP 2025); Illness, Identity and Taboo among Australian Paleo Dieters (Palgrave 2018); and At Home in the Okavango: White Batswana Narratives of Emplacement and Belonging (Berghahn 2015).

Riett Kriel, The University of Western Australia

Riett Kriel is the Acting Coordinator, Outreach and Participation, Student Equity at the University of Western Australia. Riett has experience in higher education program coordination, with a focus on supporting students from equity backgrounds. She has led initiatives to improve access, engagement, and transition into university, including the Broadway Connect program for first-year students. Riett has a background in English and Media Studies education and holds a Graduate Certificate in Education (Innovative Learning Design).

Katie Douglas, The University of Western Australia

Katie Douglas is a communications and events specialist with ten years’ experience in school outreach. She has been a professional staff member at The University of Western Australia (UWA) since 2018 and currently serves as Manager of the Student Equity team. Prior to this, Katie held positions in UWA’s Brand, Marketing and Recruitment team, at Edith Cowan University (ECU), and as a Teaching Associate at Monash University’s Business School. She holds a Master of Communications and Media Studies from Monash University (2017) and a Bachelor of Business (Marketing and Management) from ECU.

2025 Student Success Conference

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Published

2025-07-02

How to Cite

Zacharias, N., McGowan, E., Gressier, C., Kriel, R., & Douglas, K. (2025). Empowering Collaboration: Practical Approaches to Student Equity Program Evaluation. Student Success, 16(2), 61–70. https://doi.org/10.63608/ssj.3792

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Practice Reports

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Nadine Zacharias, Elisa McGowan, Catie Gressier, Riett Kriel, Katie Douglas

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution International Licence (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.