RESEARCH WEEK EVENT - Uncovering the Carers Gap for Staff in Higher Education

Caring roles are often seen as incompatible with career progression for both academic and professional staff across the higher education environment.

Various projects undertaken within Western Sydney University's Vice-Chancellor's Gender Equity Fund have helped to map career pressure points for staff who are parents of dependent children, and the University has made progress in providing relevant supports. However, this research is yet to focus on the specific needs of carers for persons with chronic illness, with disability, or who are elderly. Given the gendered division of care, addressing this carers research gap is critical for promoting gender equity, diversity and inclusion across the higher education sector.

Building an evidence-base to discern carer numbers, the issues they face, and supports they need is essential to informing a clear articulation of the differences between parental and carer responsibilities, for understanding how carers may be better supported in the higher education workplace, and for fostering a genuinely inclusive carer-friendly culture at Western Sydney University.

Led by the SAGE Parents and Carers SWAG, this session will review recent research on carer experiences in higher education and seeks to engage its audience in establishing foundational research questions for future projects aiming to address the carers research gap at Western Sydney University.