Engaging 'Diverse' Students: An Audit of Strategies to Foster Intercultural Engagement in Australian Public Universities. Project Report

Australian universities are places of great diversity and there is broad acceptance that promoting and learning through diversity can enhance all students' university experiences. However, there is little known about how this is done across the Australian higher education sector. As the composition of the student population continues to expand, it is important that universities are prepared to support positive, effective intercultural engagement. This report presents findings from an audit of Australian universities' public documents relating to diversity and inclusion. These comprised diversity strategies, inclusion policies, and public-facing websites. Documents from 39 Australian universities were analysed regarding how they discussed diversity and the ways the university supports diversity and inclusion. Findings indicated that diversity and inclusion are important goals for all Australian universities, but definitions of diversity remain vague and inconsistent. In addition to the desktop research, this project also included informal student roundtable conversations with 46 students from The University of Melbourne and The University of New South Wales. Responses suggest that students' conceptualizations of diversity are broader, wider, and more nuanced than previously presented--and more comprehensive than portrayed in universities' public documents. Findings also suggest that students believe that engaging with diversity and with diverse ideas is an important component of their learning experiences but that many barriers to inclusive engagement remain. Key conclusions from the project suggest that little progress toward diversity and inclusion seems to have been made beyond aspirational statements. A focus on recruiting students from diverse backgrounds is also prevalent, despite ample research that suggests that the presence of diverse student groups does not suffice in promoting positive, effective, comprehensive engagement with different people and ideas. More needs to be done to ensure that engagement with diverse people and ideas is facilitated effectively, comprehensively, and often on Australian university campuses.