The Regional Universities Network (RUN) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission in response to the HESP discussion paper on improving retention, completion and success in higher education. These are pressing issues for regional institutions, students, communities and the regions we serve. Moreover, structural, socio-cultural, economic and demographic factors that powerfully drive trends around retention and completion impact on regional universities very strongly, and in ways that differ from metropolitan institutions. This RUN submission responds to the broad headings raised in the discussion paper (p.9) and some of the specific questions therein.