March 9, 2009
WA’s Murdoch University already close to new
2020 Federal target on uni participation rates
Murdoch University already has a 17.6 per cent access rate for students from low socioeconomic
status backgrounds – close to the new 20 per cent participation target by 2020 set by Federal
Environment Minister Hon. Julia Gillard.
Murdoch University Vice Chancellor Professor John Yovich said Murdoch was proud to be of
service to students in this category and had well above the state mean access rate of 11.3 per
cent and national rate of 15.9 per cent.
“For more than 30 years Murdoch University has been committed to making university
education more accessible to all to improve the moral as well as economic fabric of Australia.
“The importance of this is now being recognised by the Federal Government,” Professor Yovich
said.
“Many of our students are the first in their family ever to attend university and have been
educationally disadvantaged.
“So we have developed programs such as OnTrack to help prepare them for university life, and
created pathways into careers in nursing for Indigenous students, and transition into university
and work for African refugees.
“Our OnTrack program has a 95 per cent success rate, and helps people in regional areas such
as Rockingham and Peel to be able to successfully undertake university studies to improve their
long term career prospects.”
Media contact:
Tanyia Maxted
Media & Communications Manager
Murdoch University
Tel: 08 9360 2491 Mob: 0438 645839
Email: t.maxted@murdoch.edu.au
NEWS 
