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Sustainable development
Monash University Sustainable Development Goals Progress Report
Monash Progress Report 2020
Monash Progress Report 2020 – Goal 4

Monash Progress Report 2020 – Goal 4

Monash University Progress Report 2020 on the Sustainable Development Goals

Ensure inclusive and equitable education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Research

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Centre for Learning Analytics at Monash (CoLAM) View

Unprecedented amounts of data are collected by technology in education. Learning analytics reveals hidden insights from this information to optimise learning and its environments.

Established in 2020, the Centre for Learning Analytics at Monash (CoLAM) is a world-leader in learning analytics – and a globally-renowned hub for educating students and professionals in this area. Gathering top expertise from around the world, the Centre is undertaking applied research that will directly inform public policy and its implications for education practice.

Education research at Monash View

Monash Education is ranked number 1 in Australia and has a reputation for research excellence, expertise in areas of education including arts and creativity, early childhood play, environment and sustainability, health and physical education, and digital education.

In 2020 it released a new research agenda that is focussed on working towards a society in which education enables full and equitable participation, with pillars on reimagining educational leadership, transforming teaching and learning, shaping digital futures, enhancing health and wellbeing, and educating for diversity and inclusion.

2020 Publications Performance View

Mean Field Weighted Citation Impact of Monash Outputs: 2.27

Number of Monash Research Outputs: 235

Education

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Master of Inclusive Education View

The Master of Inclusive Education is designed for qualified teachers who wish to develop specialist knowledge and skills in inclusive practices in classrooms and schools.

Students critically explore theory, current research, practical methods and regulatory contexts which inform effective strategies in supporting children, adolescents and adults with learning, social and behavioural challenges.

Monash Centre for Professional Development and Monash Online Education View

The Monash Centre for Professional Development and Monash Online Education supports the faculties and other areas in the University in the development and execution of formal life-long learning opportunities, including professional development, short courses, executive education and micro-credential courses.

SDG 4.7: Promoting education for Sustainable Development View

SDG target 4.7 calls for ensuring that, “by 2030, all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development”.

As one of the first signatories to the University Commitment to the SDGs, Monash has committed to provide educational opportunities for our students to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development. Monash is also a signatory to the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME), the Commitment to Green Chemistry, and the Global Engineering Dean’s Council Sustainability Commitment all of which commit to education for sustainable development.

In 2020, these commitments were being implemented through a wide range of programs and activities around sustainable development from across the University. Here are some of them:

We offered several major curricular programs, including the award-winning interdisciplinary Master of Environment and Sustainability, the ground-breaking Bachelor of Science Advanced – Global Challenges (Honours), the Master of International Development Practice and the Master of International Sustainable Tourism Management. We also worked on developing several new programs, including the Master of Green and Sustainable Technologies and the Graduate Certificate of Innovation for Sustainability. In addition we offered over 60 study units directly relating to sustainability and sustainable development across a wide range of study areas.

The Global Immersion Guarantee, while on hold during 2020 due to COVID-19, is a ground-breaking funded study opportunity to work with overseas communities on local solutions to some of the most pressing global challenges for all first year students in Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Global Studies, and several other degree programs.

Students from all disciplines had the opportunity to join a range of co-curricular programs on sustainability, leadership and entrepreneurship, including The Generator, Leave No One Behind, Green Steps, the Monash Minds Student Leadership Program, and the Vice-Chancellor's Ancora Imparo Leadership Program, as well as student led initiatives such as the Monash Association of Sustainability, the Monash Energy Club , the Monash International Affairs Society, and Precious Plastics Monash.

We have also been working to advance education for the SDGs within and beyond Monash, through Monash-led initiatives such as the Education, Environment and Sustainability research group, the Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub, and Teach Green, and our participation in initiatives such as the Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education (YEAH SDGs), Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate Change Education, and the Accelerating Education for SDGs in Universities Guide.

Unit statistics and highlights View

In 2020, 75 units directly related to SDG4 were offered across Monash University, with a total enrolment of 5,804 students. In total 453 units were offered by the Faculty of Education.

The units highlighted below are a small sample of the units at Monash relating to education:

EDF1069 Global and cross-cultural understandings of education
EDF1078 Beyond the classroom: Local and global learning
EDF3009 Schooling, education and equity: Local and global perspectives

Engagement

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Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership View

The Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership is dedicated to building better leaders. It offers a variety of leadership programs, covering different topics, sectors and levels of immersion. By sharpening critical reasoning and ethical thinking, it has been helping high-level decision-makers since 1993 to better see the bigger picture on any issue they face.

The Centre is Monash University, The Myer Foundation and Vincent Fairfax Ethics in Leadership Foundation working in partnership.

TeachSpace View

Created by Monash Education, TeachSpace is a place for teachers to continue to learn. It provides resources, case studies and handy tips for the classroom. From easily accessible articles and videos to deeper dives for educational leaders, all the materials are based on the latest research from specialist educators from Monash.

Operations

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Inclusive and equitable education View

We contribute to social mobility through our capacity to recognise, support and extend talented students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, low socio-economic status areas or for those experiencing financial hardship. We do this through programs such as the Special Entry Access Scheme, and Monash Guarantee.

There was an increase in students eligible for both schemes in 2020, which has resulted in a higher number of offers being made to students from low SES communities, and a subsequent increase in the number of enrolments of low-SES students. In 2020, 1,765 students were made an offer under the Monash Guarantee, an increase on the 1,570 students in 2019.

Graduate outcomes 2020 View

Despite limitations imposed by the COVID crisis, Monash University graduates have performed well in the graduate labour market in 2020, recording the highest full-time undergraduate employment rate among Victorian universities of 72.3%. Monash also saw a general improvement in full-time postgraduate employment, with the rate increasing from 81.1% in 2019 to 85.4% in 2020.

Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) View

Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) continued to be delivered by Monash in 2020. PASS is an academic mentoring program to support students in difficult units through weekly, guided study groups led by student leaders.

In 2020, 64 PASS leaders delivered 54 units across the year, with up to 127 sessions being facilitated per week. Delivered entirely online in 2020, PASS continued to attract strong participation, with average session attendance higher than in the 2019.

Student Evaluation of Teaching and Units (SETU) View

In 2020, the Student Evaluation of Teaching and Units (SETU), a single teaching/unit evaluation survey, was administered over semesters one, two, and summer across all Monash campuses and locations. There has been an increase in unit offerings ‘Exceeding’ – from 9.6% in semester one 2019, to 10.9% in semester one 2020, and an increase also in semester two between 2019 and 2020 – from 12.0% to 14.2%.

There has been a decrease in unit offerings in the ‘Needing Critical Attention’ response band between 2019 and 2020 for Semester 2 (from 3.6% in semester two, 2019 to 2.9% in semester two, 2020). A full summary of the 2020 results are provided in our Annual Report.

Student profile View

In 2020, Monash has 85,924 total student enrolments. This included 45,482 domestics students, 29,912 international students and 10,530 offshore. Over 60% of students were studying at the undergraduate level.

Scholarship support View

Monash has increased pathways to Law via Arts, Science or Commerce for Indigenous Australians through our Achieving Potential scholarships.

Monash Support Scholarships provide up to 300 scholarships worth $15,000 per year for Indigenous Australians or recent refugees. The Monash Humanitarian Scholarship for asylum seekers allocates 100% international student funding for Monash undergraduate degrees of choice, plus an allowance of up to $25,000.