Shows
Higher Hopes PodcastEpisode 7: Part-time Student Experiences with Kelly LindenPart-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 expectationsPolicy barriers facing part-time students: extensions, scholarships, work-integrated learning and recognition of prior learningThe impact of caring responsibilities and work commitments on part-time study without inclusive policiesInconsistencies in how universities define and support part-time enrolmentPublic...
2026-02-0839 minHigher Hopes PodcastEpisode 6: The Neurodiversity Paradigm in Higher EducationIn this bonus episode, Ebe shares the recording of her November 2025 ADCET webinar on the neurodiversity paradigm, which drew over 500 registrations from across Australia.The session covers the foundations and principles of the neurodiversity paradigm as articulated by Dr Nick Walker and Sonny Jane Wise, contrasting it with the pathology paradigm that currently dominates university support systems. Ebe explains key concepts including neurodiversity, neurodivergent identity, neuronormativity, biocertification and biopower, and explores what these mean for how universities structure support, assessment and inclusion.The webinar addresses a growing issue in the sector: institutions adopting neurodiversity language...
2026-01-0456 minHigher Hopes PodcastEpisode 5: Placement Equity with Amani Bell and Lachlan SibirIn this episode, Ebe speaks with Associate Professor Amani Bell (University of Sydney) and Lachlan Sibir (classroom teacher and researcher) about placement equity and placement poverty in Australian higher education.The conversation explores what placement equity means and why it matters for students from equity-deserving backgrounds. We discuss the strengths and limitations of the Commonwealth Prac Payment, which currently supports students in education, nursing, and social work but excludes many other degree programmes that also require extensive unpaid placements.The episode examines the intersection of placement poverty with Indigenous student support...
2025-12-0739 minHigher Hopes PodcastEpisode 4: Keeping Disability Rights on the National Agenda with the DIIUIn this special episode recorded at UNSW's Diversity Fest, we examine the rising global threats to diversity and inclusion through a disability lens. Join Ebe Ganon in conversation with Professor Jackie Leach Scully (Director, Disability Innovation Institute UNSW), Professor Alistair McEwan (former Disability Royal Commissioner), and Dr Supriya Subramani (University of Sydney) as they unpack everything from Trump's harmful rhetoric to Australia's NDIS challenges, university diversity strategies, and what meaningful allyship actually looks like.Professor Jackie Leach Scully – Director, Disability Innovation Institute at UNSW. Expert in disability bioethics and the philosophy of embodiment....
2025-11-091h 27Higher Hopes PodcastEpisode 3: Indigenous Knowledge in Learning and Leadership with Tracy WoodroffeIn this conversation, Ebe sits down with Dr Tracy Woodroffe, a Warumungu Luritja senior lecturer at Charles Darwin University, to talk about what it really means to embed Indigenous knowledge in Australian universities - and why our current approaches keep falling short.Tracy shares her journey from childhood, to teacher, to academic, explaining why Indigenous perspectives can only be owned and delivered by Indigenous people, and what happens when non-Indigenous academics try to speak for communities they're not part of. They discuss the exhaustion of being tokenised as "the Indigenous expert", and the glass ceilings that persist...
2025-10-1950 minHigher Hopes PodcastEpisode 2: Universities and the Disability Discrimination ActThe Disability Discrimination Act review is happening right now - and it could fundamentally change how disability rights work in Australian universities. But only if the sector actually gets involved.In this episode, Ebe unpacks four game-changing reforms proposed in the DDA review and why every person in our sector needs to engage with this once-in-a-generation opportunity for change.What you'll learnHow universities have historically been absent from disability law reform conversationsFour key areas of DDA reform that could transform university experiences for staff and students with disabilityHow a positive duty...
2025-09-2840 minHigher Hopes PodcastEpisode 1: Student Advocacy and Disability Inclusion with Gemma Lucy SmartIn this inaugural episode, we dive into the power of student collectivism and what it actually takes to build genuine advocacy movements within universities. Host Ebe Ganon sits down with Gemma Lucy Smart, a PhD candidate and seasoned disability advocate who serves as both Disability Equity Officer and HDR Equity Officer for the Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association, plus represents postgraduate students with disability nationally through the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations.Gemma shares her experience as a student advocate at the university and national level: we explore how student advocacy works and what drives student advocates...
2025-08-2152 minHigher Hopes PodcastEpisode 0: Introducing Higher Hopes with Ebe GanonWelcome to Higher Hopes, the podcast raising the bar for Australian universities. In this trailer episode, host Ebe Ganon introduces a new kind of conversation about systemic change in higher education - one that genuinely centres student voices, lived experience, and solutions to move our sector forward.Tired of surface-level solutions and feel-good initiatives that don't actually shift the dial? Same. This podcast brings together students, advocates, academics, and progressive leaders for bold conversations about what's possible when universities actually live up to their potential.From student leadership and governance reform to universal design for...
2025-07-2707 min
Wake Up With Jim and SaabHow To Cope With Burnout With Ebe DancelOh, kay tagal din kitang minahal~
Ebe Dancel's on today's pod!! What we talked about:
Interesting fact about one of Sugarfree's most famous songs, "Prom"
His worst gig experience
A big move and how he found a new home for himself and his music
How he's coping with burnout as a musician during the pandemic
His obsession with Plants vs. Zombies (WOW MAY GANON PA PALA!!)
If he's still friends with his Sugarfree band mates
How a certain episode from Jim's podcast Finding Happy made Ebe emotional one peculiar morning
Share your thoughts on this...
2021-09-0542 min