Conference proceeding
Student support, beyond empty signifiers: Insights and challenges from Enabling Educators
Student Success Conference: Proceedings, pp.1-83
Student Success Conference (Cairns, Australia, 30/06/2025–02/07/2025)
02/07/2025
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Abstract
Student support is a key focus within the widening participation agenda, as effective support enhances retention and success. However, student support is not well defined in higher education, which is problematic, as it is difficult to measure the success of support if stakeholders have different definitions. Without clear boundaries in student support, educators who work with marginalised students are at risk of ‘over-supporting’ students or possibly emulating a counselling role. This paper utilises autoethnography to draw on the lived experience of seven educators working in Enabling programs across four universities. The study explores how student support was defined and enacted in their Enabling programs and what factors or resources can facilitate or frustrate effective support. The findings highlight the complexity of student support, arguing that the multifaceted needs of marginalised students require more nuanced and tailored approaches. The educators in this study collectively emphasised the need for a consistent definition, alongside clear workload allocation and additional training in order to effectively support marginalised students and increase retention and success.
Details
- Title
- Student support, beyond empty signifiers: Insights and challenges from Enabling Educators
- Creators
- Ana Larsen - CQUniversity, AustraliaTrixie James (Author) - CQUniversity, AustraliaGemma Mann - CQUniversity, AustraliaKieran Balloo - Curtin UniversitySusan Hopkins - UniSCMarguerite Westacott - UniSCJuliette Subraminiam (Author) - Western Sydney University
- Publication Details
- Student Success Conference: Proceedings, pp.1-83
- Conference
- Student Success Conference (Cairns, Australia, 30/06/2025–02/07/2025)
- Identifiers
- 991013291351302368
- Academic Unit
- SCU College
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Conference proceeding
- Local Fields
- Original Research - SoLT