The Student Equity in Higher Education Evaluation Framework (SEHEEF) and its relevance in the context of the Australian Universities Accord

Improving equity in higher education has been a longstanding policy goal in Australia. The Australian Universities Accord emphasises that increasing participation and outcomes for underrepresented groups is crucial to achieving its objectives. Educational disadvantage, driven by economic, sociocultural, geographical, and institutional barriers, accumulates over time. Since 2010, the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP)has aimed to address these barriers, initially targeting low socio-economic students and later expanding to regional, remote, and Indigenous students. Despite substantial investment, evaluating HEPPP’s effectiveness remains challenging, with a 2017 evaluation unable to reach definitive conclusions due to inconsistent data. In response, the Student Equity in Higher Education Evaluation Framework (SEHEEF) was developed to provide a robust tool for measuring the impact of equity initiatives. This paper outlines SEHEEF’s key elements, its potential to build stronger evidence for equity programs at the university and national level, and its key implementation challenges.