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vol. 61, no. 2, 2019 Published by NTEU ISSN 0818–8068 AUR Australian Universities’Review
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vol. 61, no. 2, 2019
Published by NTEU ISSN 0818–8068
Australian Universities’ Review
3 Letter from the editor OPINION
Ian R Dobson
57 ‘Continuous improvement’in higher education:
Response to ‘Neoliberalism and new public
ARTICLES
management in an Australian university: The
4 ‘My study is the purpose of continuing my life’: invisibility of our take-over’ by Margaret Sims
The experience of accessing university for (2019)
people seeking asylum in Australia Cat Mitchell
Lisa K. Hartley, Sally Baker, Caroline Fleay & Rachel Reacting to Margaret Sims’ paper from AUR v61(1): 22-30, in this
Burke letter, Cat Mitchell reports ‘…much in [Sims’] text speaking directly
Asylum seekers face significant barriers accessing higher education. to the higher education situation in Aotearoa/New Zealand’.
In this regard, the authors’ focus is on their ‘lived experience’ and
they found six major themes. Read on! 59 Three cheers for the Ramsay Centre
Martin Davies
14 W(h)ither the honours degree in Australian In 2018 Australia’s leading national university, the ANU, broke off
universities? consultation with the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation over a
Louise Horstmanshof & Bill Boyd generous bequest to fund a course in Western civilisation. In doing
Australian universities offer diverse approaches to bachelor’s so, the university ‘…turned its back on humanities funding’.
(honours) degrees. However, the Australian Learning and Teaching
Council review of Australian honours programs in 2009 has been 65 The Ramsay Centre and ‘Western Civilisation’: An
subjected to little research. attempt at historical perspective. A reaction to
Martin Davies’ paper (this issue)
21 Academic administration and service workloads Andrew G. Bonnell
in Australian universities In responding to Martin Davies’ piece, among other things, Bonnell
John Kenny & Andrew Fluck notes that ‘Western Civilisation’ has its own, comparatively recent,
This paper highlights the need in a modern, corporatised university history, and needs to be viewed in its own historical context and that
to consider the nature of academic work and optimal ways to the term ‘civilisation’ has relatively little utility as a unit of scholarly
develop workload allocation and performance management analysis.
processes.
72 The End of Endeavour: The short and tumultuous
31 Examiner feedback and Australian doctoral life of ‘Australia’s Fulbright’, the Endeavour
examination processes program.
Kerry Dally, Allyson Holbrook, Terence Lovat & Janene Joanne Barker
Budd The Australian Government’s well-regarded Endeavour Leadership
Receiving and responding to feedback during the doctoral process Program was ‘quietly scuttled’ in April 2019. Read all about it!
are integral parts of a formal learning process but little is known
about what happens after examiner reports are received by an REVIEWS
institution. This paper reveals all!
78 Knowledge: tomato is a fruit
42 Engagement and impact through ‘amplifier Wisdom: you don’t put it in fruit salad
platforms’ Knowledge and Global Power – Making New Sciences
Kim Osman & Stuart Cunningham in the South, by Fran Collyer, Raewyn Connell, João
The growth of digital and social media ‘amplifier platforms’ such Maia & Robert Morrell
as The Conversation are of burgeoning importance. The authors Reviewed by Neil Mudford
review ‘…the growth of amplifier platforms and the academic and
contextual reasons for their growth’. 81 Per aspera ad astra?
High Participation Systems of Higher Education
49 More work for less reward: Academic by Brendan Cantwell, Simon Marginson & Anna
perceptions of service teaching Smolentseva (Eds)
Delma Clifton & Steve McKillup Reviewed by Andrys Onsman
This paper reports on a survey of science academics involved in
84 An insider’s account of wages campaigns for
service and discipline teaching, and reports on their experiences
women
and perceptions. This is an area that has received little attention and
this paper suggests strategies for improvement. Winning for Women: A Personal Story by Iola Mathews
Reviewed by Kate White
A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W
85 Dumb and dumber 91 Back to basics
Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? The Good University: What Universities Actually Do and
(And how to fix it) by Thomas Chamorro-Premuzic Why It’s Time for Radical Change by Raewyn Connell
Reviewed by Kate White Reviewed by Natasha Abrahams
86 Working people into misery 93 STEM – Education for the global economy
Lab Rats – Why Modern Work Makes People Miserable Miseducating for the Global Economy: How Corporate
by Dan Lyons Power Damages Education and Subverts Students’
Reviewed by Thomas Klikauer Futures by Gerald Coles
Reviewed by Thomas Klikauer
2 vol. 61, no. 2, 2019
A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W
Letter from the editor
Ian R Dobson
Welcome to Round 2 for 2019! This issue comprises a platform. I have been reading The Conversation daily for
lively mix of scholarly refereed papers, tantalising opinion several years without realising that it was such a platform.
pieces and reviews of several books that might be worth The authors explain about the growth in digital and social
buying or borrowing. media and how alternative metrics (‘altmetrics’) generated
The papers in this issue start with one by Lisa K. by these platforms are becoming more important as
Hartley, Sally Baker, Caroline Fleay and Rachel Burke.They indicators of impact and engagement.
explain about the significant barriers to accessing higher Finally, Delma Clifton & Steve McKillup report on a
education faced by people seeking asylum in Australia. survey of science teachers, comparing discipline teaching
They found six major themes from an examination of with service teaching. They note that the experiences of
the ‘lived experience’ of their sample. They find that ‘the service teachers have received little attention but that the
priority should be on addressing the Australian Federal perceptions and experiences of service teachers could
Government policies that underpin the most significant help ‘…to suggest strategies for improvement’.
barriers facing people seeking asylum in accessing higher In this issue’s opinion pieces, we start with a letter
education…’. A bit of heart from those in power would from Cat Mitchell from Aotearoa/New Zealand’s Unitec
help! (Heart: that organ behind your shoulder holster). Institute of Technology. She comments on Margaret Sims’
Louise Horstmanshof & Bill Boyd of Southern Cross paper (AUR, 61(1)) concerning the impact of aspects of
University help to fill in the gaps in our knowledge about neoliberalism on Australian universities and suggests that
honours degrees at Australian universities. They explain the impact across the ‘dutch’ has been similar.
how the Bologna Declaration, tensions between the We have a paper from Martin Davies on the torrid
conventional role for honours as a PhD pathway or as history of the Ramsay Centre, which has been refused a
professional development, and the rigid funding model home by a few Australian universities. Davies sees this as
for honours have led to the current situation since the turning down a huge bequest to the humanities. However,
Australian Learning and Teaching Council’s 2009 review in his response to Davies, Andrew Bonnell does not agree.
of Australian honours programs. The Ramsay Centre eventually found its place at the
Complementing their earlier work, John Kenny and University of Wollongong, with the academic senate being
Andrew Fluck report on management of academic bypassed. Cultural wars or loss of academic freedom?
performance and workload. They explain ‘…the need in Read both pieces; see what you think!
a modern, corporatised university to consider the nature In the final opinion piece, Joanne Barker reports on
of academic work and optimal ways to develop workload the ‘quiet scuttling’ of the Australian Government’s well-
allocation and performance management processes’. regarded Endeavour Leadership Program (b. 2003) in
Kerry Dally and her colleagues from the University of April 2019. The official reason for the termination was
Newcastle explain how ‘…doctoral thesis examination is that the money would be more effectively used to fund
the litmus test for doctoral quality’. However, little is known a scholarship program for studies at regional Australian
about what occurs in response to examiner feedback. universities, but many Australian and international
They report on a review of policies and protocols. They scholars will be ‘losers’ in this policy reversal. Hmmm!
wonder whether ‘…current examination processes This issue finishes with several book reviews on recently-
allow adequate opportunities for candidates to actively published work. Book review regulars like Andrys Onsman,
engage with examiner feedback and take advantage of Neil Mudford, Kate White and Thomas Klikauer have
this final opportunity to demonstrate, or further develop, chipped in to help you see what you should be reading.
authoritative judgement and research autonomy’. Ian R Dobson is Editor of Australian Universities’ Review,
The paper by Kim Osman and Stuart Cunningham and an Adjunct member of the Professional Staff at Monash
introduced an expression that was new to me: amplifier University, Victoria, Australia.
vol. 61, no. 2, 2019 Letter from the editor Ian R Dobson 3
A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W ‘My study is the purpose of continuing my life’ The experience of accessing university for people seeking asylum in Australia Lisa Hartley Curtin University Sally Baker University of New South Wales Caroline Fleay Curtin University Rachel Burke University of Newcastle People seeking asylum in Australia face complex and significant barriers accessing higher education. Due to the temporary nature of their visa, their only pathway to university is being granted admission as an international student, which is financially prohibitive. This paper focuses on the lived experience of people seeking asylum with regard to accessing higher education, and identifies six major themes: the importance of accessing studies; the stress of struggling to meet living expenses while studying; mental health issues; support for people with disabilities, health challenges, and family responsibilities; the importance of language support and navigational brokers; and the role of higher education in the settlement of people seeking asylum. The research indicates that more university and community support is needed to foster access and participation, but the priority should be on addressing the Australian Federal Government policies that underpin the most significant barriers facing people seeking asylum in accessing higher education. This recommendation is most pressing in light of the re-election of the Coalition Government in May 2019, which has committed to continue these restrictive policies. Keywords: refugees, asylum seekers, international students, temporary visas The United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees yet been finalised – are denied opportunities to develop (UNHCR) estimated in 2017 that only one per cent of the capacities and knowledge to sustain their livelihoods refugees have access to higher education, compared with and to contribute to their communities and host societies. 36 per cent of the global population (UNHCR, 2017). The lack of access to higher education is particularly Without access to higher education, refugees and people complex in the Australian context where refugees and seeking asylum – those who have sought protection as a people seeking asylum are afforded different rights and refugee, but whose claim for refugee protection has not entitlements based on their mode of arrival to Australia. 4 ‘My study is the purpose of continuing my life’ Lisa Hartley et al. vol. 61, no. 2, 2019
A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W
For example, refugees and humanitarian entrants who are (McCarthy & Dauba, 2017), the financial expense of
resettled to Australia through the offshore component admission to higher education via the international
of Australia’s Refugee and Humanitarian Program have student program is prohibitive for most people seeking
access to services and entitlements that are denied to asylum. As such, while students from asylum-seeking
people seeking asylum who arrive to Australia without backgrounds may successfully complete secondary
a valid visa (the majority of whom have arrived in schooling in Australia and qualify for entry to university,
Australia by boat) (Hartley & Pedersen, 2015). One of the most are unable to continue their education due to the
significant differences in entitlements relates to access to cost of enrolling as an international student (Hirsch &
higher education. Maylea, 2017).This situation highlights a contrast in policy
For much of the past six years, approximately 30,000 where people seeking asylum are permitted to attend
people seeking asylum in Australia have resided in government schools yet, upon graduation, they are not
community detention, or lived in the community deemed to be local students for the purposes of receiving
on temporary Bridging Visas, while they await the financial assistance to attend university (White, 2017).
processing of their claim for refugee status. These are In addition to their ineligibility for student income
people who arrived in the country by boat either before support, further barriers to accessing higher education
13 August 2012 without having their protection visa for people seeking asylum include a lack of access to
application finalised as at 18 September 2013 or those alternative pathway courses and government-funded
who arrived on or after 13 August 2012 and were not sent English language courses (Fleay, Lumbus & Hartley,
to offshore detention on Nauru or Papua New Guinea’s 2016; Hartley & Fleay, 2014; Refugee Council of Australia,
Manus Island. If people seeking asylum are deemed 2015). These barriers raise important questions about the
eligible for protection in Australia, the Department of potential impact on people seeking asylum who attempt
Home Affairs issues them with one of two temporary to undertake education in Australia without the various
visas: a 3-year Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) or a support mechanisms available to other groups in the
5-year Safe Haven Enterprise Visa (SHEV). While more community.
than half of these people have now received a decision Thus, the significant obstacles facing people seeking
on their refugee claim, as at July 2018 there were still asylum who wish to participate in higher studies renders
12,290 people seeking asylum who continue to wait. education impossible for most people in this situation.
(Department of Home Affairs, 2018). In this paper, the Exclusion from tertiary education diminishes employment
term ‘people seeking asylum’ is used to refer to people potential and has been shown to undermine positive
who are either awaiting the outcomes of their refugee resettlement prospects and social inclusion significantly
application and living in the community on a Bridging (Fleay, Lumbus & Hartley, 2016; Hirsch, 2015).
Visa or in community detention, or those already found In response to the substantial barriers preventing
to be a refugee and granted a TPV or SHEV. people seeking asylum from participating in higher
People seeking asylum who hold Bridging Visas, TPVs, education, some universities have introduced full fee-
or SHEVs are ineligible for income support programs paying/fee-waiver scholarships, bursaries, stipends,
such as the Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance, or and part-time employment opportunities attached to
Austudy. While they may apply for Special Benefit – the scholarships as well as computers. Furthermore, state/
Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) payment territory governments in Victoria, New South Wales,
which at a maximum equates to 89 per cent of the South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory have
Centrelink NewStart – there are stipulations about offered various forms of support for people to access
the nature and length of study that may be undertaken higher education. There have also been local community
while receiving this income support. Further, they are responses seeking to facilitate access to education for
ineligible for Australian Federal Government programs people seeking asylum. These include the provision of
designed to assist students with financing higher study case management to link people seeking asylum with
and concession rates. Accordingly, people seeking asylum potential scholarship opportunities and liaising with
are generally required to pay international student fees in universities to highlight the urgent need for full fee-paying
order to attend tertiary education (comprising vocational scholarships/waivers and other support. A national
education and training (VET) and university) in Australia. network of academics, education practitioners, and
With the average undergraduate degree costing community sector organisations has also been established
over $30,000 per year without government subsidies by the Refugee Education Special Interest Group (https://
vol. 61, no. 2, 2019 ‘My study is the purpose of continuing my life’ Lisa Hartley et al. 5
A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W
www.refugeecouncil.org.au/educationsig/), which hosts also included some quotes from community organisation
quarterly national teleconferences to discuss developing representatives working with people seeking asylum to
challenges in this area. help contextualise the students’ contributions.
Consistent with our ethical stance, we sought to open
Overview of the current study a safe space for our research participants to share their
experiences and to amplify their voices rather than us
There is a relatively large body of work focusing on the as researchers recasting all of their stories in our words.
educational experiences of people with refugee status; Exploring the journey experiences of people seeking
however, most of this work relates to the school sector asylum (including through systems and institutions
(e.g., Naidoo, Wilkinson, Adoniou, & Langat, 2018). A like higher education) can help to ‘challenge the
central focus of the small amount of work undertaken competing voices that come from [those] more socially
within the higher education sector includes approaches powerful’ and allow for people’s experiences to be
to facilitating successful transitions to, and participation in, elevated (BenEzer & Zetter, 2014, p.304). The precarious
higher education for people with refugee backgrounds, as position of asylum-seeking students means that telling
well support mechanisms for assisting with the navigation their stories can be felt as a risk. We have tried to bring
of linguistic and sociocultural practices (Baker & Irwin, participants along with us throughout the process of
2019). Yet despite the growing recognition that people the current study – which extends to our advocacy and
seeking asylum represent a particularly disadvantaged practice beyond this project. However, even with the
group due to the uncertainty of their situation, the ongoing best intentions, participatory research can inadvertently
impact of trauma, and their limited access to government objectify and reduce people from a refugee background
services and support, there remains a dearth of research (Doná, 2007). We have sought to avoid this as much
examining the experiences of such people (see, however, as possible by seeking to learn from, and with, our
Hirsch & Maylea, 2017; White, 2017). participants throughout each part of the research
The findings presented here are part of a larger process (Block, Warr, Gibbs & Riggs, 2012).
research project involving analysis of Australian Federal
Government policy about people seeking asylum and National Symposium: People Seeking Asylum
their ability – or lack thereof – to access higher education and Higher Education
and creation of a nation-wide map of university and In November 2017, a public symposium was convened at
community responses to the issue. However, for the The University of Melbourne organised by the research
purposes of this paper, we focus on the findings regarding team (the authors of this article) in collaboration with
the lived experience of people seeking asylum in higher community sector organisations including the Refugee
education in Australia in the current restrictive socio- Council of Australia, the Multicultural Youth Advocacy
political climate. This is critical because, currently, there Network, and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, as well
are no clear indicators as to how people seeking asylum as colleagues from the Melbourne Social Equity Institute
manage to navigate the financial, linguistic, bureaucratic, at the University of Melbourne and Monash University
social, and cultural landscape of Australian higher (see Hartley, Fleay, Baker, Burke & Field, 2018 for the final
education institutions. symposium report). The symposium was organised with
the purpose of bringing key ‘stakeholders’ from across
Method Australia together for the first time to discuss the ways
people seeking asylum to access university study could
The data discussed in this paper have been drawn from be better supported and focused on identifying emerging
the aforementioned participatory research project, which challenges and future opportunities. The stakeholders
employed a mixed-methods design. The project design included 25 students with asylum-seeking backgrounds
pertaining to the lived experience of people seeking (both currently enrolled in higher education programs
asylum involved two main forms of data collection: a and prospective students) and 40 representatives from
public symposium on issues of access to higher education universities and community organisations.The symposium
for people seeking asylum (based on notes made privileged the students’ voices and stories, thus enabling
throughout the symposium), and a series of individual the broader community to listen to and learn from people
semi-structured interviews with higher education seeking asylum and their experiences and creating the
students with lived experience of seeking asylum.We have possibility for rich and honest conversations about
6 ‘My study is the purpose of continuing my life’ Lisa Hartley et al. vol. 61, no. 2, 2019
A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W
existing practices, challenges and setting an agenda for the myriad challenges experienced in trying to access
collective advocacy. higher education in Australia, including their treatment
as international students and the barriers created by
Semi-Structured Interviews complicated application processes. However, they also
As part of the broader research project, we also conducted discussed the importance of key allies, such as a trusted
a series of semi-structured interviews with asylum-seeker broker or friend, in enabling their participation, and
students, university representatives and representatives many demonstrated tenacity in the face of extraordinarily
from community organisations. In this paper, we draw on difficult circumstances.
the interviews conducted with people seeking asylum. Six major themes emanated from the data. The first
Participants were recruited via their engagement in either was the importance of accessing studies (scholarships;
the symposium or contacts known to the researchers. In loans; commitment; resilience). The second was the stress
total, we conducted 11 interviews with students with of struggling to meet living expenses while studying,
lived experience of seeking asylum and studying in higher and the third was the impact of all of this on the mental
education residing in Western Australia, New South Wales, health of students. The fourth theme involved support
and Victoria (ten men, one woman) and six community for people with disabilities, health challenges, and family
organisation representatives. responsibilities, and the fifth
The interviews were either ...currently, there are no clear indicators theme was the importance
conducted face-to-face of language support and
as to how people seeking asylum manage
or over the phone, and the need for brokers. The
to navigate the financial, linguistic,
the majority were audio sixth and final theme was
bureaucratic, social, and cultural landscape
recorded and transcribed by the importance of higher
a professional transcription
of Australian higher education institutions. education in the settlement
company. Some of the of people seeking asylum.
participants did not want to be recorded for reasons of
sensitivity or perceived risk, and in those cases extensive The importance of accessing studies
notes were made during the conversation. All the
transcriptions or notes of the recordings were sent back Scholarships
to the participants to ensure that they were happy with The critical importance of scholarships in enabling
the representation of their conversation, and participants access to higher education was highlighted by student
were offered the opportunity to edit or remove parts of participants at the National Symposium as well as students
the interview if desired. We received feedback from a taking part in the interviews. As Student Participant B
number of participants and incorporated their comments noted in their interview:
into our report. I just wanted to appreciate whoever gave us this
The interview data were coded using thematic analysis, opportunity [to obtain a scholarship] ... [it] is going to
as described by Braun and Clarke (2006). In the first phase, open a way for us, not just me for a lot of people. I
know a lot of young people just hoping to go to uni-
one of the research team coded the interview transcripts
versity to find a way to get out of this miserable life
into themes. In the second phase, we reviewed the initial that I don’t know that life brought for them. It’s not
codes and removed themes that overlapped or did not their decision actually they had to just move, they had
have enough data to support them. In the final stage, to, they had to escape from whatever life…
we crossed checked the themes, deliberated about any Student participants emphasised the value of education,
themes that were unclear or appeared counter-intuitive not simply as a means of acquiring the qualifications
then confirmed the theme names and definitions. necessary for employment, but as essential to living a
meaningful life. The opportunity to undertake study
Results was regarded as an important tool for self-actualisation
and for contributing to society, as articulated by Student
The findings represented in this section arise out of Participant C in their interview.
an integration of data collected from the National Each person, each person has to have a purpose or
Symposium and the interviews with students with goal you may say. My study is the purpose of con-
lived experience of seeking asylum. At the symposium tinuing my life. If that is taken away from me, I am
nothing.
and throughout the interviews, the students spoke of
vol. 61, no. 2, 2019 ‘My study is the purpose of continuing my life’ Lisa Hartley et al. 7
A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W
However, while the provision of fee-waiving scholarships literacy class who also wanted to go to university, but
is a welcome response from universities to the limitations he also reflected that he had ‘worked [his] arse off’. He
caused by Federal policy, this alone cannot support the said, ‘I would just say that I broke the norms and made it
successful participation of people seeking asylum in possible’.
their studies. As Engstrom and Tinto (2008) succinctly The degree of persistence demonstrated by some
described, ‘access without support is not opportunity’; people seeking asylum was also noted by community
therefore offering a ‘free’ place in a course is the first organisation and educational institutional participants.
of a series of types of support that universities need to For example, one Community Organisation Participant
offer in order to respond to the complex needs of people noted in their interview that:
seeking asylum, particularly in the context where welfare ...we do see some of the most unbelievably resil-
payments are cut as a direct result of studying at university. ient individuals going through all of these kinds of
setbacks to be able to then actually succeed…I think
Loans that despite what I’m describing in terms of quite a
bleak context, what we do see when people get [study
Many students expressed a preference for loans like other opportunities] is that they really thrive
Australian students, rather than scholarships to facilitate
access to studies. The desire to ‘earn’ their education, or Student Participant D also described how he was
to reimburse the institution for the opportunity to study, undertaking a heavier load of study in order to get through
is indicative of their willingness to contribute to the his degree as quickly as possible given the severe financial
resettlement context and play a role in ‘giving back’ to the constraints he faced. Despite his very heavy study load
community. over the past two years, he expressed his gratitude for the
opportunity and when asked how he was experiencing
Commitment his studies replied that he was ‘loving it’.
Despite the significant challenges associated with Research into the experiences of students with refugee
studying in a foreign language and unfamiliar institutional and humanitarian status also highlights how resilience
environment with limited financial resources, student and courage is shown by many (Eades, 2013; Earnest,
participants maintained a strong commitment to Joyce, DeMori, & Silvagni, 2010). However, while the
successfully completing their education in Australia. A determination of these students can be an important
desire to make family proud, and an appreciation for factor in their overall success in higher education, a sole
educational opportunities that were denied to parents focus on resilience can also obscure the systemic barriers
and other relatives was identified as a chief motivating to meaningful participation in education, including racism
factor. For example, Student Participant F stated in their and restrictive government policy, as identified in our
interview that their ‘parents never had an opportunity to research.
study... my parents said to me if you got the opportunity
just make our dream real. We want to see at least one of The stress of struggling to meet living expenses
us study at, get one degree you know’. Student Participant while studying
C also stated in their interview that it was: The policyscape outlined earlier in which people seeking
…so hard to study and the first semester but I tried asylum are treated as international students has an
my best to concentrate and move forward and stuff. extremely negative personal impact on students. Financial
You know like all my families when we were kids concerns are a primary cause of stress, given that the
like my father and my mum was telling us like you
limited government financial assistance for people on
have to study, you have to be a good person like for
community. a SHEV or TPV is not available for people undertaking
education for longer than 12 months, and the cessation
Persistence in the face of significant challenges of SRSS payments for increasing numbers of Bridging
Another clear theme that was present in discussions at Visa holders. Homelessness and a lack of food seriously
the symposium and in the interviews was the students’ detract from students’ capacity to focus on their studies.
tenacity, devotion, drive to study, and the use of coping Many student participants also identified the rapidity with
strategies to achieve good outcomes from participation in which policy changes were implemented, and a lack of
higher education. clear communication around the new policy stipulations
Student participant D believed that he ‘got lucky’ particularly regarding SRSS payments, as creating
reflecting on the many other people he had met in his considerable confusion and distress. These concerns,
8 ‘My study is the purpose of continuing my life’ Lisa Hartley et al. vol. 61, no. 2, 2019A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W
combined with ongoing trauma from past experiences that he was in danger of failing if he tried to work at the
and separation from family, weighed heavily on these same level he had been able to manage the previous year.
students. He described never having enough money especially
The cost of living is a significant barrier to people since his SRSS payments were stopped without prior
seeking asylum accessing higher education. One of the notification. Despite these additional pressures on his
student participants at the National Symposium described finances, however, he was adamant that nothing would
their daily life as a student as ‘eat, survive, study’. Student stop him from studying.
Participant H described in their interview how difficult Student Participant E described the following in their
it was to survive even with Centrelink support: ‘… interview:
sometimes the money even that Centrelink were giving… I know a lot of people are struggling with their study
‘cause I was living alone…that was money was exactly as well in my situation….I can say we are going
for food and just the rent’ (Student Participant: Individual through a lot of stressful life, it’s not an easy life like
others just coming to university and cheering up and
Interview).
just focussing on the study. We have a lot of other
Other students described the great degree of stress concerns as well. In my case I have to work and study
they endured when they were suddenly cut from the at the same time. And I have to find actually a full-
SRSS scheme. As Student Participant K described in their time job to cover my expenses so it’s going to be hard
for me to do my assignment and yeah get on with my
interview:
study load.
They just suddenly stopped everything. I didn’t have
food money and I had to study for an assignment and The difficult and very specific challenges that these
I was really stressed. I said I’m going to have to go and students face with regards to meeting living costs and
make some, find food or I have to do assignment. [I
consequent labour exploitation was also highlighted by a
was] really struggling and I was just, the problem was I
couldn’t concentrate. I forced myself to study... number of higher educational and community organisation
participants. As one Community Organisation Participant
Frequently, assistance from community organisations put it in their interview:
provided the only means by which students were able I just don’t know how they’re going to survive… It’s a
to survive while continuing their studies. For example, hard flog for them but then they look at their mates…
Student Participant D described going to the Red Cross and some of them have worked really crappy, have
been exploited in shitty jobs in Sydney where they’re
and telling them:
getting paid a pittance (Community Organisation Par-
I am homeless, I am an engineering student, they ticipant: Individual Interview).
couldn’t believe it. They said are you serious? I say yes
… and they gave me, I think they gave me two gift Unmistakably, students who are seeking asylum
cards for Coles… I say what will happen next week
are significantly disadvantaged as they cannot access
and this was on my brain (Student Participant: Indi-
vidual Interview). income support as other Australian students. While a
range of universities who offer full fee-paying/fee-waiver
The costs of living, and a lack of financial support from scholarships also offer income support for helping to
the government, means that students – even those with a contribute to living expenses, more needs to be done.
full fee-paying/fee-waiving scholarship – are required to Federal policy change which ensures all people seeking
work. Difficulties balancing work and study forces people asylum and refugees have access to income and student
seeking asylum into part-time study in order to have the support on par with other Australians would be the
ability to work enough to afford basic living expenses. ultimate solution, but in the interim, income support
However, at some universities, students receiving a and subsidised accommodation for students who receive
scholarship or stipend are required to maintain a full-time scholarships is a necessary first step.
study load, which exacerbates the difficulty of balancing
education with the hours of work necessary to pay for Impacts on mental health
food and accommodation. The third major theme involved the stresses of adjusting to
One student described supporting himself by new academic life while coping with financial difficulties
working 20 hours a week in a restaurant, which was a and living in an extremely precarious and uncertain
reduction from the nearly full-time job he had while he situation, which has a significant, negative impact on
was undertaking his Diploma course. The student had students’ mental health. The long-term uncertainty
to reduce his paid work because he had a ‘gut feeling’ around their future in Australia due to the lack of access
vol. 61, no. 2, 2019 ‘My study is the purpose of continuing my life’ Lisa Hartley et al. 9A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W
to permanent protection and the right to family reunion, accessing appropriate and affordable health care and
the mental health impacts of detention, and living in the support while undertaking studies. More information
community for years without the right to work, amplifies needs to be collected about the numbers of students
the trauma experienced in their country of origin and seeking asylum who struggle with ongoing health and
while fleeing. These significant pressures can act as disability issues and the official structures in place to
further barriers to higher education making it difficult support such students.
for people seeking asylum to focus on their studies. As People seeking asylum with children, particularly
Student Participant D described in their interview: women, who are not able to access affordable childcare
When I came here I started in my first semester, imag- also face further barriers to accessing higher education.
ine…knowing nobody and being in the shock with the For students with responsibilities to financially support
[new study environment], fulltime study, … English as family members either in Australia or elsewhere, there is
a second language and studying [a difficult subject]
the added barrier of needing to find employment given
and all that and you get a letter from the Department
[of Immigration], you may apply [for refugee status] the lack of access to student financial support.
and you have no money to get a lawyer to help you.
I did my application myself, and my statement, I had The importance of language support and the
a draft of the statement and I had to work on it and it need for navigational brokers
was the most depressing year of my life
Developing English language proficiency is a key barrier
People seeking asylum also have to endure not seeing to finding employment and accessing education and can
their families who remain in the country they fled and be a source of social isolation and marginalisation (for
not knowing when – or if – they will ever see them again. example, Ager & Strang, 2008; Fozdar & Hartley, 2013).
Some have endured separation from family members after Being essentially locked out of government-funded free
they arrived in Australia. As Student Participant F put it in English language classes due to the temporary nature of
their interview: ‘I got depressed because they separated their visa means that developing language proficiency
my brother and I at the first day coming out of detention.’ is much more challenging for people seeking asylum
Community organisation participants also noted the and places a significant burden on the individual to find
negative mental health impacts of living in extreme affordable ways of learning the host country’s language.
uncertainty. For example, one community organisation In our study, community organisations observed the need
representative lamented this sense of insecurity, for greater and more specialised English language support
indexing what van Kooy and Bowman (2019) refer to as as a chief priority and we note here that many offer free
‘manufactured precarity’: classes to people seeking asylum. People who were pre-
The stress of not knowing about what’s going to or semi-literate in their first language(s) were particularly
happen in your future. And that visa processing can affected.
take you know up to five years or sometimes longer. When it comes to accessing tertiary education, a
Depending on the situation and what’s decided, it
person’s language proficiency can provide significant
really does take a huge toll on people and their mental
health. And can cause things like depression and anx- barriers, not only to meeting the entry requirements of the
iety, which then again has an impact on peoples’ abil- institution but also in terms of their participation in their
ity to engage in education and employment. studies. For people seeking asylum, studying in English
Mental health pressures and pre-existing trauma are language adds an additional, but invisible, language load
exacerbated by the lack of time for self-care. High study on their studies. As Student Participant G articulated, ‘I
and employment workloads leave little time for people have to study a lot, especially as a second language you
seeking asylum to create a work/life balance. Greater have to make it double sort of’. For this student, like many
financial support was identified as one way in which others, this additional work (of translating, of reading
students could reduce their hours in the workplace and course materials several times, of practising writing
maintain a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle. and checking its accuracy) is on top of their paid work,
travelling, and caring responsibilities, and thus constitutes
Support for people with disability, health a significant burden on their time.
challenges, and family responsibilities In addition to establishing fluency in academic
As raised at the National Symposium, students with language and terminology of their discipline, students also
ongoing health concerns and disabilities are a particularly need to develop the academic literacies through which
vulnerable group of people, especially with regard to they can demonstrate successful learning, and which will
10 ‘My study is the purpose of continuing my life’ Lisa Hartley et al. vol. 61, no. 2, 2019A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W
help them to secure meaningful employment after they successful, successful settlement....what we want to see is
have completed their studies. There is therefore a need social inclusion and people being able to participate fully
to support the language and literacies development of in their new community’.
culturally and linguistically diverse students, especially for
people seeking asylum who are likely to have experienced Discussion
disruptions to their education, and who do not have easy
access to free English language tuition. Tertiary education This first Australian-wide research highlights that people
institutions need to ensure that sufficient and responsive seeking asylum face complex and specific challenges
support for academic language, literacies, and cultural and barriers to higher education access and enrolment.
navigation are available. These barriers function as a compound set of injustices.
A number of student participants highlighted the In addition to the financial implications of the barriers,
importance of key people, such as a trusted broker or they are also causing considerable distress and eroding
friend, to help at all stages of the process of accessing the hopeful possibilities that engaging in education can
higher education including locating courses, scholarships, offer. A major barrier is that the only current pathway
writing and submitting to accessing higher
course and scholarship Mental health pressures and pre-existing education is being granted
applications, and the trauma are exacerbated by the lack of time admission as an international
transition into university for self-care. High study and employment student, resulting from
life. One student who had the temporary nature of
workloads leave little time for people
a disability described that the visa they are issued
seeking asylum to create a work/life
successful transition to by the Australian Federal
university had only been
balance. Government. This means
possible through having a that they are ineligible for
mentor and friends. Another student who was present at Government programs designed to assist students with
the National Symposium spoke positively of the profound financing higher study including the Higher Education
impact that key people within community and university Loans Program, Commonwealth Supported Places, and
sectors have had in enabling access to higher education: concession rates. Therefore, for most, this entry-point is
‘I am an example of what the community can do… financially prohibitive.
when the community takes responsibility for others’. It is Another significant barrier that originates at the federal
therefore important that both educational and community policy level is the lack of access to student or other
institutions recognise and valorise the efforts of these forms of income support for people seeking asylum. Our
trusted people, so that their efforts do not go unseen. research highlights that this puts students from asylum-
seeking backgrounds at even greater risk of destitution
The role of higher education in the settlement and homelessness, and places substantial pressure
of people seeking asylum on them to try to balance work and study while living
Another common theme across all data sources was the with extreme uncertainty. Further barriers given their
importance of viewing higher education in the context temporary visa status include difficulties in accessing
of successful settlement in Australia. Some community enabling courses and a lack of access to affordable English
organisation and student participants articulated the language courses. In addition, people seeking asylum
need to provide career support and guidance, along with are forced to endure a policy landscape that is not only
scholarships and stipends, in order to ensure that the hostile but also highly changeable with very little or no
choice of degree would not only satisfy the interests of the warning, which creates considerable stress and confusion.
student but would provide them with a realistic pathway A range of Australian universities have responded to
to ongoing employment. This would help to address the these restrictive government policies by implementing
situation in which students undertake a course of study mechanisms to support access to higher education
because it is dictated by the terms of their scholarship, coupled with community sector advocacy and support.
or because it was a strategic choice in their country of Our broader research project highlights that these
origin, without any knowledge of the Australian job efforts have resulted in more than 204 people seeking
market and professional prospects. As one Community asylum studying in 23 universities across the country on
Organisation Participant said in their interview:‘It’s about scholarships that meet their full tuition fees, as of October
vol. 61, no. 2, 2019 ‘My study is the purpose of continuing my life’ Lisa Hartley et al. 11A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W
2018 (Hartley et al., 2018). Some of these universities also that people seeking asylum face in accessing higher
offer living allowances (ranging from one-off case-by-case education need to be addressed including the need for
payments to $7,500 per year), language support, and other permanent protection visas to be issued to all who have
measures. Other institutions offer partial-scholarships, been recognised as a refugee. This recommendation is
that is, they were still paying international fees, but partial most pressing in light of the re-election of the Coalition
scholarships were used to contribute to the cost of the Government in May 2019, which has committed to
degree. While data were not collected on this cohort of continue the restrictive policies. Collective and sustained
students, a number of universities disclosed that they efforts directed at realising this are clearly needed.
offered partial scholarships. Based on the numbers
provided of people seeking asylum who had been offered Ackowledgement
these scholarships, there were at least 15 people seeking
asylum studying in this situation. However, the numbers The research presented in this paper is from a project
in this cohort are likely to be higher as not all universities funded by the National Centre for Student Equity and
that offer partial scholarships disclosed these numbers or Higher Education, which can be accessed from: https://
had access to such data. www.ncsehe.edu.au/publications/people-seeking-asylum-
These measures are seen as critical and welcome in-australia-access-and-support-in-higher-education/.
responses by our participants. The advocacy of
community organisations for the establishment of Lisa Hartley is Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Human
such scholarships and income support, and the bridge Rights Education, Curtin University, Western Australia, where
they provide between people seeking asylum and she conducts research with people seeking asylum and her
the complex admissions and scholarship application interdisciplinary research is focused on questions of human
process, are also seen as critical. However, there are rights and social change.
many other people seeking asylum who remain unable Contact: lisa.hartley@curtin.edu.au
to access a scholarship and/or meet the university entry
Sally Baker is a Lecturer in equity, academic language and
requirements. There are also challenges related to the
literacies and higher education and is also a co-chair of the
effectiveness of scholarships and other measures as well
Australian Refugee Education Special Interest Group for/
as the retention, participation, success of, and support for with students from refugee backgrounds, supported by the
people seeking asylum in their studies. Refugee Council of Australia (http://www.refugeecouncil.org.
au/ourwork/educationsig/).
Conclusion
Caroline Fleay is an Associate Professor at the Centre for
Human Rights Education, Curtin University, where she
University scholarships for people seeking asylum that
conducts research with people seeking asylum and is
meet the full cost of tuition fees, coupled with a living
currently a Board Member of the Refugee Council of Australia.
allowance and other support, have enabled access to
higher education for more than 200 people across Rachel Burke is Senior Lecturer in the School of Education,
Australia. The determination and commitment of these at the University of Newcastle, NSW, whose work focuses on
students to their studies, while living in situations of linguistically and culturally diverse educational contexts,
extreme uncertainty and receiving minimal support the critical examination of policyscape, and praxis-driven
compared with most other students in Australia, is clear approaches to language and literacies education.
and needs to be lauded. The university and community
organisations responsible for the scholarships and other References
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However, further measures need to be provided by Framework. Journal of Refugee Studies, 21(2), 166–191.
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available to people seeking asylum across the country; it is how academic language and navigational confusion create ‘stuck places’
also essential that universities ensure that these students for refugee students’ transitions into higher education, Research Papers in
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BenEzer, G. & Zetter, R. (2014). Searching for directions: Conceptual and
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12 ‘My study is the purpose of continuing my life’ Lisa Hartley et al. vol. 61, no. 2, 2019You can also read
