15 ] September 13-14, 2014 The Weekend Australian

(Continued from page 14)

“Women are still responsible for most of the unpaid caring roles in the community and this impacts on the time they have available for study,” explains ANU academic Dr Beth Beckmann.

The number of women finding difficulty with PhD programs was of such concern to Beckmann she decided to do something about it, initiating Resilience of Women Research Students (RoWRS), a program which offers women PhD students strategies to overcome isolation, manage setbacks and develop vital networks.

“Resilience is the catch cry of the 21st century for women, including those doing a PhD while also trying to juggle families, caring and part-time work.”

“Women are generally social learners. The program brings them together in a social group to discuss needs, motivations, desires and fears around finishing a PhD. By drawing on the experiences of successful female academics, it also aims to give women the confidence to pursue an academic career, should they wish.”

The RoWRS program is now being exported to other universities including the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) where it was run as a pilot firstly in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology and is now being expanded across the university.

Facilitator Dr Julia Connell hopes it will help to close the gap between the numbers of male and female students completing their PhDs and also provide women with crucial career and development support.

“Female students are more likely to complete a solo PhD project and more of them complete their PhD part time, yet if you miss out on networking and other opportunities through these factors, your career options can be limited,” Connell says.

Michelle Wood, researcher at Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM) says women who complete an MBA have an overwhelmingly positive experience.

Yet the number of female MBA degree enrolments in Australia only averages 30 per cent of the total, despite more women than men undertaking undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

POSTGRAD STUDY THAT FITS IN WITH YOUR LIFE

THAT’S HOW UNIVERSITY SHOULD BE

If you’re looking to progress your career or change professions, ECU has a wide range of postgrad courses. We can help you fi t uni around your life with choices including evening classes, part-time and online study options and you can study one or two units at a time. Our courses are designed in consultation with industry so you’ll graduate with the understanding and skills needed to thrive in this fast, dynamic world.

To find out more, come along to our:
Postgrad Information Evening, Tuesday, 16 September, 6pm at ECU Joondalup.
To register for this event visit reachyourpotential.com.au/postgraduate

Edith Cown University Western Australia

reachyourpotential.com.au/postgraduate

Tel: 134 ECU (134 328)
E: futurestudy@ecu.edu.au
★★★★★ TEACHING QUALITY
★★★★★ GRADUATE SATISFACTION
★★★★★ GRADUATE STARTING SALARY
The Good Universities Guide 2015