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This paper presents findings from a campus climate survey conducted at an Australian university. Unprecedented compositional diversity now exists in higher education, with students enrolled from different religious, socio-economic, geographic, and cultural backgrounds. Despite this diversity, little research has been conducted into the ways that different student groups experience university, including marginalised and 'hidden' groups such as LGBTIQA+ students. The survey aimed to uncover the impact of diversity on student experiences, including the extent to which students associated with others from different backgrounds, the extent to which their own views and beliefs were challenged, and the extent to which they felt safe on campus. Findings suggest a need for more targeted research, particularly into the experiences of marginalised groups, and for reform of both institutional policy and curriculum. Further, we found that students are frequently thinking about identity, diversity, and bias, and their own voices need to be elevated within institutional strategies.

As the university student body becomes more diversified and students' lives less linear, student retention carries increased importance for universities, including the conversion of deferrers and the re-enrolment of leave-taking students. This paper is based on a broader research project which explored national patterns of deferral and leave of absence in Australia and the policies and strategies for re-engaging the students who defer or take leave. Through a mixed research design, the study explores the extent to which students are positioned at the centre of deferral and leave of absence policy, informed by relationship marketing concepts. This study suggests that many universities have moved towards greater consideration of student perspectives and individualised approaches to building a trustworthy and supportive relationship with deferral and leave-taking students, based on data analytics of individual students' information and circumstances. Despite such efforts, there remain both limitations and tensions within these approaches.

With ten percent of commencing students opting to defer their offer and only two-thirds of those deferrers subsequently converting their enrollment, deferral has become a significant factor affecting university enrollment and student equity. In this article, we examine the strategies that Australian universities have developed to manage deferrals and reengage students who defer based on qualitative research, including institutional surveys and in-depth interviews with senior university staff. Our research revealed broad awareness of equity issues and a range of recent, innovative practices both to minimize deferral rates and to encourage the return of deferrers through communications, engagement activities, and tailored initiatives. Nevertheless, several participants lamented a paucity of data, resources, and individualized approaches. Drawing on the findings, we argue that a better understanding of both national and institutional evidence could enable a more efficient allocation of resources and more effective and equitable university strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]