Recentering Student Success: From Access to Achievement to Rightful Success

Professor Peter Anderson, PhD, SFHEA, MAIATSIS, FQA
Incoming Pro-Vice Chancellor Indigenous, University of New England

The Australian Universities Accord marks a transformative shift in higher education, moving beyond access to ensure rightful success for all students through the Higher Education Success Factor (HESF) framework. This keynote explores how HESF operationalizes the Accord’s vision by providing institutions with systematic approaches to implement and measure student success initiatives.

Central to this transformation is substantial government investment supporting integrating economic, social, and academic support systems. The HESF framework guides institutions in deploying these resources effectively through clear operational guidelines and measurable interventions. It enables universities to implement targeted initiatives, including enhanced HELP reforms, integrated student support networks, and comprehensive academic assistance programs.

The framework’s significance lies in transforming policy directives into actionable institutional practices while maintaining flexibility for contextual adaptation. Through the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC), Managed Growth Funding, and Needs-based Funding mechanisms, HESF creates pathways to achieve the ambitious target of 80% tertiary education attainment by 2050. This presentation examines how HESF’s systematic approach redefines student success as an achievable right rather than a privilege, establishing a new paradigm for Australian higher education.

Biography
Professor Anderson is the incoming Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous at the University of New England, a distinguished academic and leader with exceptional experience in Indigenous education and research. He joins UNE from his position as Professor and Director of the Indigenous Research Unit at Griffith University.

At UNE, he champions the university’s commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities while implementing strategies to increase Indigenous employment, enhance Indigenous student success, embed Indigenous knowledge in the curriculum, and advance community-responsive research.

Throughout his career, he has demonstrated unwavering dedication to advancing Indigenous knowledges and student success in higher education and developing successful education programs through meaningful community partnerships.