Strategic goal
To be recognised as a global leader in university education.
Services goal
UWA delivers excellent courses that will engage, challenge and transform students through a rich variety of learning experiences.
Key performance indicators
Achievement of this goal will be measured by the following indicators:
1.1. Share of first preferences in TISC applications from school leavers with an ATAR ≥ 95 (effectiveness)
1.2. Student satisfaction (effectiveness)
1.3. Graduate outcomes (effectiveness)
1.4. Equity access rate (effectiveness)
The 2015 report included KPIs for student pass rates and students studying abroad. While these remain important internal metrics, the progress towards achieving strategic aspirations is best represented by the metrics currently presented.
1.1. Share of first preferences in TISC applications from school leavers with an ATAR ≥ 95
This effectiveness indicator measures the University's ability to attract the highest-performing school leavers. The quality of incoming students is an important driver of educational performance and a marker of the University's reputation for academic excellence and success.
The following table shows the proportion of school leavers with an ATAR ≥ 95 who have applied to study at UWA as a first preference in TISC applications. The figures indicate that in 2016, UWA remained the first choice university for WA's highest-performing school leavers. Nevertheless, there was a decline in first preference among school leavers from previous years and the result was five per cent below the target set for 2016.
The University is implementing a range of strategies designed to attract high-performing students.
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2016 target | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proportion of school leavers with an ATAR>95 | 78% | 75% | 74% | 75% | 70% | 75% |
Data source: Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC)
Notes: Population is limited to school leavers listing one of the four WA universities as their first preference. Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.
** This indicator has been modified since the 2015 report to represent applications rather than enrolments and limiting the reported segment to the highest-performing school leavers.
1.2. Student satisfaction
This effectiveness indicator provides an insight into students' perceptions of the overall student experience at UWA. It includes perspectives from domestic and international students in undergraduate and postgraduate coursework and research degrees.
Students' satisfaction with their courses is derived from the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) for coursework students and the Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire (PREQ) for Higher Degree by Research students. In each questionnaire, graduates are asked to respond to the statement "Overall, I was satisfied with the quality of this course" using a five-point scale, ranging from 1 ("strongly disagree") to 5 ("strongly agree"). Percentage agreement is the proportion of graduates who responded with 4 ("agree") or 5 ("strongly agree") divided by the total number of valid responses. These surveys are undertaken four months following the completion of a degree. The table below shows that in 2016 the percentage agreement among all students fell by two per cent from 2015. The University is working to understand the drivers of this decline, and initiatives and strategies are being implemented to improve student experience.
Percentage agreement on the Overall Satisfaction Item in the Course Experience Questionnaire and Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire, 2012-2016(a)
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2016 target | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEQ (b) | ||||||
| % agreement | 84% | 83% | 80% | 78% | 76% | 80% |
| WA average | 84% | 83% | 83% | 83% | 82% | |
| National average | 83% | 83% | 83% | 83% | 82% | |
| UWA response rate (c) | 52% | 50% | 50% | 37% | 35% | |
| PREQ (c) | ||||||
| % agreement | 90% | 84% | 86% | 87% | 85% | 87% |
| WA average | 91% | 88% | 89% | 87% | 84% | |
| National average | 86% | 86% | 87% | 87% | 85% | |
| UWA response rate (c) | 63% | 65% | 61% | 59% | 52% | |
Data source: Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) and Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire (PREQ)
Notes: (a) Year refers to the reference year of the survey e.g. 2016 represents 2015 graduates; (b) Responses of graduates of undergraduate and postgraduate coursework degrees; (c) Offshore students are excluded from the CEQ and PREQ figures; (d) Responses of graduates of postgraduate research degrees.
1.3. Graduate outcomes
To gain an indication of the quality of the University's students and courses, and how well these meet individual, global and industry needs, graduates are surveyed four months after they have finished their courses to determine their employment status.
The following table shows the trends in total employment rate, which is the proportion of graduates who are in either full-time or part-time employment, as a percentage of those who are available for work (working or seeking work, but not in full-time study). The total employment rate can also point to trends in the way new graduates are seeking to work, as well as changes in the local labour market conditions. Gaining a better understanding of the paths students take after graduation informs the development of the University's educational experience and the courses it offers.
The table below indicates that in 2016 the total employment rate for domestic and international students who had graduated from UWA was 84 per cent. This is a three per cent decline on the total employment rate from 2015 and below the target set for 2016. This pattern is consistent with the WA average, reflecting the nature of the current WA labour market.
Total employment rate of students(a) who completed undergraduate or postgraduate courses at UWA, 2012-2016(b)
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2016 target | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UWA | 90% | 90% | 87% | 87% | 84% | 88% |
| WA average | 92% | 91% | 89% | 89% | 87% | |
| UWA response rate | 48% | 47% | 46% | 35% | 32% |
Data source: Graduate Destination Survey (pre-2016), Graduate Outcomes Survey (2016)
Notes: (a) The respondents include domestic and international students who have completed either an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree or a Higher Degree by Research; (b) Year refers to the reference year of the survey e.g. 2016 represents 2015 graduates.
This indicator has been modified since 2015 to report only the total employment rate, and limiting this to the proportion of the graduate population who are available for work.
1.4. Equity access rate
UWA recognises the importance of achieving a more diverse student population and has developed a range of strategies to improve access by students from designated equity groups: low socioeconomic status (SES) students, students from a non- English speaking background (NESB), Indigenous students, students with disability and students from regional and remote locations.
Accessibility to a world-class education at UWA by the broader community is inherent in UWA’s values. Access rates from these equity groups provide an indicator of the University’s effectiveness towards achieving diversity and accessibility.
The table below presents access rates of domestic commencing students belonging to designated groups. In 2016, the University increased overall access rates for students from a regional location. Target access rates for students from a non-English speaking background and students with disability were not achieved.
Access rates(a) for equity groups commencing at UWA, 2012-2015
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2016 target | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low SES students(b) | 8.8% | 8.8% | 9.0% | 9.3% | 10.3% | 9.5% |
| Students from a NESB (c) | 5.0% | 5.2% | 5.6% | 5.8% | 5.3% | 6.0% |
| Indigenous students | 1.4% | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.7% |
| Students with a disability | 7.1% | 7.4% | 7.0% | 7.7% | 7.6% | 8.0% |
| Students from a regional location | 8.6% | 9.0% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 9.0% | 9.0% |
| Students from a remote location | 1.6% | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.0% | 1.9% | 2.0% |
Data source: Commonwealth Government Higher Education Student Data Collection Files, 2012-2016, Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas 2011.
Notes: (a) The access rate is the proportion of the domestic commencing students who are from each equity group; (b) SES is attributed based on postcode of the permanent home address; (c) NESB students comprise those who arrived in Australia in the previous 10 years and speak a language at home that is not English; (d) Variation from previously reported figures is due to the inclusion of full-year data in the figures currently presented; (e) Based on preliminary data prior to the March 2017 finalisation.