1.    What is the research study about?
Australian universities have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic through a range of measures that have disrupted ‘business as usual’.  Campus closures have led to online learning and other modes of online service delivery, workplace re-arrangements and shifts in resourcing.

This study intends to address the effects of COVID-necessitated online learning for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Migrant and/or Refugee (CALDMR) students and the responses of universities. We define CALDMR students as domestic and international students enrolled in a program of study in an Australian university. Online learning encompasses any form of remote teaching and learning (a/synchronous) that is not delivered face-to-face.

The research study aims to:

1. To explore how CALDMR students in higher education have experienced the shift to online learning;
2. To explore university educators’ experiences of teaching online, and their understandings and awareness of the needs of CALDMR students;
3. To identify the support needs of CALDMR students through engagement with ‘frontline’ university support staff;
4. To explore the awareness and understandings of educational developers of the links between culture and intercultural pedagogy as universities move courses online;
5. To examine the policy landscape to see whether universities update their equity policies post-Covid 19; and
6. To produce a strengths-based, research-informed toolkit that outlines good practice teaching and learning strategies.

As a student-facing professional university staff, you have been invited to participate in this study.
 

2. Who is conducting this research?

The following researchers are carrying out this study:

• Dr Sally Baker (University of New South Wales)
• Dr Lisa Hartley (Curtin University)
• A/P Loshini Naidoo (Western Sydney University)
• Dr Rachel Burke (University of Newcastle)
• Dr Tebeje Molla (Deakin University)
• Dr Clemence Due (University of Adelaide)
• Dr Joel Anderson (Australian Catholic University)
• Dr Teresa De Fazio (Victoria University)
• Carolina Morison (Macquarie University)
• Dr William Mude (Central Queensland University)
• A/P Ravinder Sidhu (University of Queensland)

Research Funder: This research project has received funding from the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education.

3. Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria

Before you decide to participate in this research study, we need to ensure that it is ok for you to take part. The research study is looking to recruit people who meet the following criteria:

You must be currently employed by an Australian university as an equity practitioner, a student counsellor, a scholarships/ financial support adviser, a chaplain or ‘faith-based support staff, accommodation services adviser, or language and learning support staff adviser. Have at least 12 months’ experience working for a university in a student-facing role.

 

Exclusion criteria: academic staff (including first-year academic advisors), senior administrators, student union staff or representatives

 

4. Do I have to take part in this research study?
Participation in this research study is voluntary. If you do not want to take part, you do not have to.
If you decide you want to take part in the research study, you will be asked to:

• Read the information carefully (ask questions if necessary); and
• Complete the online questionnaire.

 5. What does participation in this research require, and are there any risks involved?
If you decide to take part in the research study, we will ask you to complete the survey. You may also be asked to signal interest in participating in a follow-up interview (via Zoom), which will ask you questions about your perceptions of the opportunities and challenges for CALDMR students and university, your experiences of providing support to CALDMR students, the extent to which CALDMR students’ needs have been considered in developing supports for students.
The survey should take approximately 30 minutes to complete and the interview should take approximately 45 minutes to complete. If you agree to participate in an interview, to ensure that we collect your responses accurately we will seek your permission to digitally record the interview using an audio recorder. If you would like to participate but do not wish to be recorded, you will need to discuss the options for your participation with the research team.

We don’t expect the questions to cause any harm or discomfort; however, if you experience feelings of distress as a result of participation in this study you can let the research team know and they will provide you with assistance. Participants can also access free support independent of UNSW through the following services:

• Beyond Blue, 1300 22 4636
• Lifeline Australia, 13 11 14
• NSW Mental Health Line, 1800 011 511

6. What are the possible benefits to participation?
We hope to use information from this research study to benefit CALDMR students, as well as university educators, equity practitioners and educational designers. Drawing on the experiences of students, university educators, equity practitioners and educational designers, we seek to develop a research-informed ‘good practice’ toolkit, and to make recommendations for policy and practice directed at the institutional, sector and federal levels, as well as broader academic and professional communities.   

7. What will happen to information about me?
By continuing through to the next stage of this survey and completing the survey, you consent to the research team collecting and using information about you for the research study. The research team will store the de-identified data collected from you for this research project for a minimum of 5 years after the publication of the research results. 

Your information will only be used to explore the variety of student support services accessed by and offered to CALDMR students by frontline university student service providers, during and following COVID-19.

We will also use the data collected for external dissemination via academic channels, such as planned publications, colloquia/seminars and/or conference presentations. Any reporting of data collected will ensure that no identifying information is conveyed.

The information you provide is personal information for the purposes of the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW). You have the right of access to personal information held about you by the University, the right to request correction and amendment of it, and the right to make a complaint about a breach of the Information Protection Principles as contained in the PPIP Act. Further information on how the University protects personal information is available in the UNSW Privacy Management Plan.

8. How and when will I find out what the results of the research study are?
The research team intend to publish and/ report the results of the research study in a variety of academic outputs including planned publications, colloquia/seminars and/or conference presentations. All information published will be produced in a way that will not identify you. If you wish to receive updates on the project and/or results of the research, please contact Dr Sally Baker. 

9. What if I want to withdraw from the research study?
As survey data is collected anonymously, withdrawing from the research after completing and submitting your survey response is not possible. If however, you opt to participate in a follow-up interview and later withdraw your consent for the research team to use your feedback, you can advise the research team that you no longer want to participate. Your decision not to participate or to withdraw from the study will not affect your relationship with UNSW Sydney.

10. What should I do if I have further questions about my involvement in the research study?
The person you may need to contact will depend on the nature of your query. If you require further information regarding this study or if you have any problems that may be related to your involvement in the study, you can contact the following member/s of the research team:

Research Team Contact Details
Sally Baker
Chief Investigator
sally.baker@unsw.edu.au

What if I have a complaint or any concerns about the research study?
If you have a complaint regarding any aspect of the study or the way it is being conducted, please contact the UNSW Human Ethics Coordinator:
UNSW Human Research Ethics Coordinator
+61 2 9385 6222
humanethics@unsw.edu.au
HC200694

By clicking ‘next’, you give consent for your responses to be included as part of the data collected for this project.