Transforming Selves and Building Communities: Defending Regional Humanities and Social Science Studies Through Student Stories of their Benefits

• Published in: Australian humanities review no. 73; pp. 150 - 168
• Main Authors: Kerruish, Erika, Hughes, Mandy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bundoora Association for the Study of Australian Literature (ASAL) 01.02.2025
• Subjects: College students; Colleges & universities; Community; Disability; Gender; Higher education; Humanities; Pandemics; Sample size; Social sciences; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomic status; University students; Australia
• ISSN: 1325-8338; 1325-8338
• DOI: 10.56449/14651318

The situation is even more dire in regional universities, with a system driven by school leavers' demand prompting decisions to reduce HASS offerings. [...]metropolitan universities' online offerings of HASS programs have persisted after the pandemic, enabling regional students to enrol in programs that provide them with greater choice. With this endangerment of HASS disciplines in regional Australia, we risk ceasing to teach vital skills and knowledgethat support equity, social justice, belonging, and truth-telling essential to regional communities and students. According to course data, students pursuing HASS studies at our university experience high rates of disadvantage. Multiplying disadvantage factors mean Australian university students from rural or remote areas tend to leave university early due to health or stress, workload difficulties, study/life balance, financial difficulties, or need to be in paid work (Edwards and McMillan).