Globalization opportunities for low socio‐economic status and regional students

Abstract

Globalization is now central to the mission of most Australian universities. The nature of institutional commitment to globalization takes many forms, including the establishment of off-shore campuses and the development of tailored interdisciplinary courses and subjects. Central to many university strategies are also the provision of languages other than English and the promotion of outbound mobility programs, in which students travel for offshore study that is typically tied to their course, or for internships or other experiential learning opportunities that may or may not receive academic credit. Language study and outbound mobility thus form twin pillars of globalization strategies, and are reflected in Australian Government policies such as the New Colombo Plan, the establishment of a target for 40 per cent of Year 12 students to study a foreign language, and the restriction on universities closing any course seen to involve a strategic language (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2014). Questions of student equity arise as globalization becomes integral to the university experience. For example, to what extent are all Australian students being afforded opportunities to access outbound mobility and language learning experiences? In particular, what barriers do students from regional and low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds face, and how might these barriers be overcome? To address these questions of the relationship between student equity and globalization in universities, we conducted a mixed methods study that included: an analysis of relevant international and national literature; a national geo-demographic map of students enrolled in foreign languages and accessing outbound mobility experiences; a survey of university leaders; and a series of interviews with students across two universities.