Description

Part-time students make up 31% of all Australian university students, yet university policies and systems remain designed for full-time school-leavers. Associate Professor Kelly Linden shares preliminary findings from her research with almost 1,000 part-time students about their experiences, needs and the policy barriers they face. Ebe and Kelly talk about:

• Research findings on what supports part-time student success, including access to engaging lecturers and clear expectations
• Policy barriers facing part-time students: extensions, scholarships, work-integrated learning and recognition of prior learning
• The impact of caring responsibilities and work commitments on part-time study without inclusive policies
• Inconsistencies in how universities define and support part-time enrolment
• Public transport and taxation policies that disadvantage part-time students
• Universal facility access: how universities could share resources to support distance and part-time learners
• Policy recommendations for better supporting part-time students
• The role of universal design for learning in improving equity

Guest

Associate Professor Kelly Linden is a 2025 Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (ACSES) Equity Fellow. Over nine years at Charles Sturt University, she's developed award-winning student retention programs and led research into supporting part-time students and students from equity backgrounds.

Links and resources

• Connect with Kelly
• Kelly's research on part-time students

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Full transcript: Available at higherhopespod.com

Produced on the traditional lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples.