2009 Annual Report - Faculty of Law - Monash University

7.3 Activities in 2009
Access for under-represented
student cohorts
The Review of Australian Higher
Education (Dec 2008) (the Bradley
Review) recommended a range of reforms
including the target for 2020 of 20%
of undergraduate enrolments in higher
education being from students from
low socio-economic backgrounds. The
target was adopted as part of the higher
education reforms in the federal budget
in May 2009, with funding to be linked to
achievement of equity targets.
Strategies for improving access for
students from low socio-economic and
other disadvantaged backgrounds, and
for supporting students once at University,
were therefore given attention in the
Faculty through 2009.
In addition to the strategies identified
above, Faculty Executive agreed to
carry out research on student pathways
into and through the law degree, with a
view to developing initiatives to support
the University response to the Bradley
Review.
The Law Mobility fund was restructured
to provide Law Mobility Equity Bursaries.
This extended eligibility to students
participating in a student mobility
program in the faculty including the Prato
and Malaysia programs and student
internships where students are from one
or more of Monash University’s defined
equity or personal disadvantage groups.
26 Faculty of Law
Equal Opportunity for women
in the workplace
The Faculty promoted University
information sessions specifically for
female academics seeking promotion,
and for early career researchers, together
with the Senior Leadership Course, and
the Women’s Leadership Shadowing
Program.
A presentation by and for faculty
professional staff took place mid 2009,
providing information about equal
opportunity and well-being services. Two
professional staff were accepted into
the University Mentoring Program for
Women; there was considerable demand
for places and two other applicants were
unable to take part on this occasion.
Deborah Cheetham, a high-profile
Indigenous Opera Singer, gave a
presentation organized by the Faculty
and held at the Religious Centre for
the University community. This was an
inspirational presentation addressing
the challenges and experiences of an
Indigenous woman making her career and
reputation in a demanding and exclusive
profession.
Disability and the provision of
supports for staff and students
The Faculty has a Disability Contact
Officer (Staff), as well as a Disability
Contact Officer (Students). The Faculty
provides an Adaptive Technology Room
for students with disabilities, offering such
supports as Voice recognition software.
The Student Disability Contact Officer
also facilitates student contact with the
University Disability Liaison Unit.
Other forms of awareness raising
• The Faculty’s online Gazette carries
regular notices, for example:
• Reminding staff of the importance of
checking dates of religious holidays
when setting assessment dates
• Promoting cultural and religious
awareness for staff, eg through
celebrations at staff morning teas
• Invitations to International Womens
Day Lunch and similar events
• Promoting Mental Health First Aid
Training
• Promoting staff completion of the
equity online training program
• Promoting inclusive teaching practices
to staff, eg provision of alternative
format materials, and scheduling of
breaks during longer lectures
• Promoting the resources of DLU
and of the Faculty and University’s
Counselling services for students.