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Author: Erica Cervini

  • EDUCATION

    Degrees of discontent

    • Erica Cervini
    • 14 November 2024

    At an ACU graduation event, students walked out in protest as Joe de Bruyn gave an address condemning abortion, single-parent IVF, and same-sex marriage. The event highlights tensions for Catholic institutions trying to balance traditional Catholic values while also embracing often opposing perspectives a diverse, pluralistic society.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    The normalisation of antisemitism

    • Erica Cervini
    • 03 October 2024

    From hostile rhetoric on campuses to targeted attacks against Jewish individuals and businesses, instances of antisemitic behaviour have spiked since last October. Understanding its implications is crucial for safeguarding communities.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    What does Tickle vs. Giggle mean for single-sex spaces?

    • Erica Cervini
    • 04 September 2024

    While women-only spaces have long been seen as essential, the verdict raises questions about inclusivity and the potential for compromise. Is it possible to balance gender equality with the need for safe, exclusive spaces?

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  • EDUCATION

    Poorer students priced out of $50,000 arts degrees

    • Erica Cervini
    • 14 August 2024

    University fee hikes have disproportionately affected humanities students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Despite promises of affordability, many arts degrees now cost more than $50,000, a significant barrier to access for many talented students.

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  • EDUCATION

    Universities struggle to keep pace with AI integrity challenges

    • Erica Cervini
    • 25 July 2024

    To counter threats to academic integrity posed by AI, universities need to continually update policies, alongside placing additional emphasis on examining what makes effective academic writing. 

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  • EDUCATION

    Are international students really to blame for soaring rents?

    • Erica Cervini
    • 11 June 2024

    The Labor government’s plans for managing overseas student numbers seem to be heavily influenced by the belief that these students are at least partly responsible for hikes in rents, housing shortages, and pressure on infrastructure.

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  • EDUCATION

    When does a protest become intimidation?

    • Erica Cervini
    • 08 May 2024

    Echoing their US counterparts, many Australian universities have also set up Gaza solidarity encampments with flags and signs like ‘From the River to The Sea Palestine Will Be Free’. Jewish students and staff have begun telling stories about feeling intimidated on campus.

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  • EDUCATION

    Degrees of separation: Closing gender gaps in higher ed

    • Erica Cervini
    • 02 May 2024

    In 1883, Bella Guerin became the first woman to earn a degree in Australia, a milestone for women in higher education. Today, women make up a majority of university students and staff, yet disparities in pay and representation persist. 

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  • EDUCATION

    Declining staff-to-student ratios reveal sorry state of higher ed

    • Erica Cervini
    • 06 March 2024
    2 Comments

    By 2012, when the federal government first started reporting on staff-to-student ratios in universities, there was one academic for every 20 students. The most recent data, from 2021, shows that figure had increased to 23. As Australian students return for the new academic year, it will surely come as no surprise to find that ratio has worsened.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Behind the curtain: Are same-sex rooms needed in public hospitals?

    • Erica Cervini
    • 30 January 2024
    6 Comments

    Public hospitals around the country introduced mixed gender rooms during the noughties to get patients to their rooms quicker after being in emergency. It has since become common practise, without significant debate or research. 

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  • EDUCATION

    The great divide: ATAR results offer a snapshot of inequality in Australian education

    • Erica Cervini
    • 13 December 2023
    3 Comments

    As Australian students receive their year-end academic results, a stark educational divide comes into focus, with high-fee-paying private and selective government schools leading the ranks. This trend highlights significant socio-economic disparities across the country, raising urgent questions about the accessibility and true cost of academic excellence in a nation grappling with inequality.

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    The weight of shared history

    • Erica Cervini
    • 26 October 2023
    11 Comments

    A large part of my feelings of connectedness to Jews in Israel and around the world can be explained by my link to Jewish history. There is the cultural and broader history and my own family history. So many of the Jewish festivals commemorate Jews escaping persecution.

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