About the Editors

Mahsood Shah is an Associate Professor with the University of Newcastle, Australia. In this role Mahsood is responsible to strengthen research capacity with staff who are engaged in teaching open access courses to young and mature age students from various equity groups. Mahsood’s area of research strength include: quality in higher education, measurement and enhancement of student experience, student retention and attrition, student engagement in quality assurance, international higher education, and private higher education. Prior to joining the University of Newcastle, Mahsood led strategic planning and quality assurance in a number of Australian universities and private higher education providers.

Anna Bennett is Convenor of the University of Newcastle’s adult enabling program, which is open entry and enables people to qualify for entry into various degree programs across Australia. Dr. Bennett has a PhD in Sociology and applies sociological theory and concepts to better understand social and educational phenomena. She utilizes mixed-methods, works in multidisciplinary teams and is involved in a range of research projects about complex issues. In particular, Dr. Bennett draws on Foucauldian methodology.

Erica Southgate is a Senior Lecturer and researcher in the School of Education at the University of Newcastle. For over two decades she has conducted qualitative social research in the areas of education and health, with a focus on social disadvantage and marginalization. Erica is interested in applying feminist poststructural and Foucauldian social theory to complex social issues. Erica’s recent publications have focused on the role of emotion and sociality in qualitative research, deconstructing widening participation policy in Australian higher education, and social class, schooling, and educational aspiration and pathways.