Regional universities

Stress, disability, support and retention of students

Regional universities

Their characteristics & particular differences in student demographics

Dr Jonathan Munro

Regional Australia

• 36% of Australians live outside capital city statistical divisions and 31% live outside major cities.

• Despite common misconceptions, the population of regional Australia is rising. The Australian Bureau of Statistics projects that the population outside capital cities will grow by 26% between 2007 and 2026.

• Regional economies are based on a diversity of industry sectors, with the majority of employment concentrated in the services, health, education and infrastructure sectors.

Regional Australia

• Regional Australia is the major source of Australia’s export earnings, with the agricultural and resources sectors representing over 60% of the value of Australia’s exports in 2009-10.

• Regional Australia plays a critical role in the Australian tourism industry, which makes a direct contribution to Australia’s GDP of $34 billion. Regional areas account for around 55% of domestic visitor expenditure and almost 20% of international visitor expenditure.

Regional Higher Education

• There is a significant differential in higher education attainment between city and regional Australians, with the differential increasing with distance from a major city.

• In 2006, 27% of people aged 25-64 who lived in major cities held a Bachelor degree or above. This figure declined to 15% for Australians living in inner regional areas, to 13% for outer regional areas and down to only 10% for very remote areas.

Regional Higher Education

• Parents in less geographically accessible regions have relatively low expectations for their children’s future education levels, when compared to parents in major cities.

• Young people in regional Australia continue to be less likely to aspire to a higher education. While 63% of young people in metropolitan areas intend to enrol in higher education, only 39% in provincial areas and 32% in remote areas intend to do so.

Regional Students

• Regional universities represent the only choice for many regional students who do not have the mobility to study elsewhere.

• Many regional universities are major providers of distance education

• Students who study in regional areas tend to remain in regional areas after graduation and provide a ready supply of professionals to fill critical regional roles

• Students who leave regional areas to study in an urban institution are unlikely to return

Regional Universities Network (RUN)

• The Regional Universities Network (RUN) is a network of six universities with headquarters in regional Australia and a shared commitment to playing a transformative role in their regions.

• The Network was established in October 2011. The foundation members are CQ University, Southern Cross University, University of Ballarat, University of New England, University of Southern Queensland and University of the Sunshine Coast.

Regional Universities Network (RUN)

RUN study details universities’ massive regional impact

The Regional Universities Network (RUN) has released a regional impact study which showed the six RUN universities contribute a total of $3 billion ($2.1 billion in gross domestic product; $1.2 billion in household income) and provided more than 14,000 (FTE) jobs.

Regional Universities Network (RUN)

• The members of the RUN deliver educational programs across regional Australia, the nation and internationally to over 110,000 students each year, including over 45,000 students studying externally.

• RUN train over 2,200 higher degree by research candidates each year and conduct world standard research that matters to regional communities

Regional Universities Network (RUN)

Total Student Load 60,186 • Domestic 43,667

• Overseas 16,518

• Indigenous 1,247 Low SES (postcode measure) 16,129

• Low SES (census collection district measure) 14,865

• Regional & remote 30,537

Southern Cross University

• Over 15,000 students were enrolled in SCU courses taught through onshore and offshore campuses and external studies

• Over half of SCU students are aged under 25 years with the ratio of female to male students averaging 3:2

• The average number of hours worked in paid employment was 19 for full time students and 35 for part time students

• ATSI – 1.9%

• Disability – 3.1%

• Low SES – 25%

Research Dr Ann Mulder

Stress in SCU students: Implications of an Emotional and/or Behavioural disorder (EBD)

Attrition of SCU students: Implications of a disability

SCU Community (Students & Staff) Health and Wellbeing Study

Stress in SCU students:

Implications of an Emotional and/or Behavioural disorder

(EBD) Generalized anxiety, Depression, Bipolar disorder, Autism

(under review with the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry)

Stress in SCU students: Implications of an Emotional and/or Behavioural disorder (EBD)

Introduction • Governments encourage increased participation rates at university • BUT students have higher levels of stress than the general population

– A 2010 study Stallman found that university students had significantly higher levels of psychological distress than the general Australian population

Stress in SCU students: Implications of an EBD

Question

• In an environment of high stress:

• Do students with an EBD: – generalized anxiety

– Depression

– bipolar disorder

– autism

even when medicated,

exhibit higher levels of stress than students without an EBD ?

Stress in SCU students: Implications of an EBD

Methodology

• Kessler-10, Perceived Stress Scale, Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory, • Salivary cortisol, DHEA, alpha-amylase, secretory-IgA, C-reactive protein

and interleukin-1β. • Heart rate, and blood pressure

EBD group N=22

Control group N=22

Commencement Session 2

Mid Session 2

Completion Session 2

Stress in SCU students: Implications of an EBD

Results

• In the EBD group: – Increased psychological distress; Kessler-10, Perceived Stress

Scale, State and Trait Anxiety (all p< .001) – Definite increase in psychological stress in the EBD group

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Stress in SCU students: Implications of an EBD

Results • The level of psychological distress in the EBD students increased

from 7 x the general population (22%) to 15 x the population (44%)

Stress in SCU students: Implications of an EBD

Results

• In the EBD group: – significantly higher heart rate (p=.011) – trends towards higher levels of cortisol, cortisol:DHEA ratio,

blood pressure and BMI – lower levels of DHEA and sIgA secretion rate for the EBD group – Suggestive of increased physiological stress in the EBD group

• Therefore students with an EBD exhibit increased psychological distress and physiological stress compared to students without an EBD

• Is this reflected in attrition or completion rates ?

• Attrition rates of students with an EBD was unavailable.

• However attrition and completion rates of students with a disability was available.

Attrition of SCU students: Implications of a disability

Hearing, Vision, Physical, Mental Health, Autism, ADHD, Speech, Learning Disorder

Attrition of SCU students: Implications of a disability

• 1,240 SCU students (2009-2012) had a disability

– 440 received support from Student Health Services (disability or counselling)

– 800 of these did not ask for support

NO SUPPORT

65%

SUPPPORT 35%

SCU students with a disability

Attrition of SCU students: Implications of a disability

• Conclusion – Support from Student Health Services is essential for

decreasing attrition rate and increasing completion rate in students with disability

SCU Community (Students & Staff) Health and Wellbeing Study

SCU Community Health & Wellbeing Study

• Survey

– ActBelongCommit

– Wellness

– Mental Health

– Resilience

– Sleep

– Nutrition

– Physical Activity

– Demographics

• Physical measures

– Bioimpedence • Metabolic age

• Body fat

• Muscle mass

– Cardiovascular • Heart rate

• Blood pressure

– Anthropometric • BMI

• Waist:hip ratio

SCU Community Health & Wellbeing Study

Kessler-10 Psychological Distress

SCU Community Health & Wellbeing Study

Warwick-Edinburgh Wellness

SCU Community Health & Wellbeing Study

Audit Alcohol Consumption

Conclusions

• Universities are places of HIGH stress particularly for students but also staff

• If governments are going to encourage higher participation and broaden the access agenda more support and funding needs to be given to university Health Services

• Student access without well-resourced and targeted support may come at a great cost both to the individuals and country in terms of future burden of illness and productivity.

These projects have developed collaborations between:

• School of Health & Human Sciences

– Dr Ann Mulder

– Prof Andrew Cashin

– Dr Joanne Bradbury

– Prof Garry Egger

– Dr Michelle Donelly

• Student Health Services

– Dr Jonathan Munro – counselling

– Mr Geoff Kershaw – disability

– Ms Shelley Odewahn – disability

• Office of the Pro-VC Academic

– Prof Andrew McAuley

• Technology Services

– Ms Naomi Downs

• Student Services

– Ms Fiona Wright

– Ms Alison Graham

– Mr Paul Robinson