Rate My Professor Anna Bennett

Associate Professor Anna Bennett is Director of the Pathways and Academic Learning Support (PALS) Centre at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Possessing over 30 years of experience in higher education teaching, leadership, and research across diverse programs for domestic and international students, she earned a PhD in Sociology from the University of New South Wales, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Newcastle, and a Bachelor of Social Studies from the University of Sydney. She held an Australian Postgraduate Award Scholarship from 1995 to 1998. Her career trajectory includes serving as Senior Equity Research Fellow at the Centre of Excellence for Equity in Higher Education (CEEHE), Head of Research Engagement and Development within the English Language and Foundation Studies Centre (ELFSC), and membership on the University of Newcastle's Academic Senate and Admissions and Recruitment Steering Group. Bennett is also an Executive Committee Member of the National Association of Enabling Educators Australia (NAEEA), convening its Research Development and Collaboration Special Interest Group.

In the field of Education, with a primary focus on Sociology of Education, Bennett's research addresses inclusive pedagogy, transition pedagogy, access and equity programs, higher education evaluation and policies, discourses of capability, time and space in higher education, and student identities and subject positions. Her applied research has shaped national policies enhancing student access, equity, retention, and success, notably through the Critical Interventions Framework (2015; 2024), and has built partnerships with government and sector organizations. Select publications encompass 'Making futures: equity and social justice in higher education timescapes' (Teaching in Higher Education, 2020), 'Widening higher education participation: A global perspective' (2016), 'Re/conceptualising time and temporality: an exploration of time in higher education' (Discourse, 2018), 'Access and Equity in Australian Higher Education: The Equity Initiatives Framework Version 2.0' (Student Success, 2024), and 'THE CRITICAL INTERVENTIONS FRAMEWORK PART 3: PROGRAMS AND APPROACHES THAT ENABLE EQUITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION' (2024). She served as Editor-in-Chief of the International Studies in Widening Participation journal (2017-2021) and holds editorial board positions for Teaching in Higher Education and ACCESS journal. Under her leadership, the PALS Centre received the 2024 Australian Financial Review National Higher Education Award for Equity & Access.