Contents | Next | Previous

Indigenous Education Strategies in Higher Education 2001-2003

Curtin University of Technology

• Introduction
• Objectives
• Consultative Mechanisms
• Evaluation and Monitoring Mechanisms
• Current and Planned Future Activities to meet Objectives
• Performance and Review
• Report On Expenditure
• Contact

Introduction

Curtin University is committed to Indigenous higher education. It supports a range of organisational initiatives and programs catering specifically for Indigenous students and others, aimed at enhancing understanding of and respect for Aboriginal culture, history and aspirations. Curtin's Vision statement commits the University to:

Curtin’s commitment to Indigenous education is embedded in the University’s Strategic Plan 2000-2005 and forms an integral part of Curtin’s Teaching and Learning, and Research and Development goals and objectives. In 1998 Curtin became the first Australian university to endorse a Statement of Reconciliation, committing the University to:

This Aboriginal Education Strategy 2001-2003 outlines priorities and strategies to meet Curtin’s Aboriginal education and employment goals. Further information is available in the Centre for Aboriginal Studies (CAS) Strategic Plan 1998 - 2002.

top

Objectives

Curtin University is currently committed to the following objectives in teaching and learning, research and development, social justice and community service:

• increasing Indigenous student participation, retention and success in mainstream programs
• exposing all Curtin students to Aboriginal history and culture
• increasing Aboriginal cultural awareness among Curtin staff
• supporting the development of CAS’s research capacities and contribution to the Indigenous community
• supporting Indigenous staff development
• supporting Indigenous community involvement with the existing management and advisory mechanisms within the CAS
• implementing the University's Aboriginal Employment Strategy to employ Aboriginal people in at least 2.6% of University academic and general staff positions.

Implementation of the objectives is a corporate commitment that commits each teaching division to ensuring the above values are embedded in their operations.

top

Consultative Mechanisms

Curtin consults with and involves the Aboriginal community in broader institutional activities associated with Aboriginal people. ATSI consultative mechanisms include the following:

• Aboriginal Education Policy Implementation Committee (AEPIC) is a high-level committee chaired by the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor. It includes all Divisional and Branch executives
• Centre for Aboriginal Studies (CAS) operates under the leadership of an Indigenous Head, an Aboriginal Management Committee, and a community-based Aboriginal Advisory Committee
• Aboriginal Advisory Committee (AAC) is comprised of senior Aboriginal community representatives throughout Australia and is the principal policy and decision-making body in the Centre for Aboriginal Studies
• Indigenous Australian Higher Education Association (IAHEA) of which the Centre for Aboriginal Studies is an executive member
• Western Australian Council for Higher Education (WAACHE) of which the Centre for Aboriginal Studies is an executive member
• Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Students’ Corporation (CATSISC) whose representatives are members of the Centre's AAC and Board of Study and are involved in the selection of new staff.

top

Evaluation and Monitoring Mechanisms

Centre for Aboriginal Studies mechanisms

CAS has extensive formal and informal mechanisms appropriate to ongoing review and evaluation of its curricula, policies and processes. CAS completed a major program review in July 1997 which established strategic priorities in each of four main areas - teaching and learning, research, community service, quality and leadership. These strategic priorities informed the CAS's revised Strategic Plan (1998-2002) which in turn led to a comprehensive review of CAS operations. in 1998 and some significant changes to course management and student services. Another review was conducted by Curtin Indigenous Research Centre (CIRC) to examine student participation and retention issues (see Objective 1).

University mechanisms

Mechanisms are in place to evaluate the effectiveness of Curtin’s Indigenous education and employment strategies, including:

• reports to AEPIC and the Quality Office by CAS and Divisions on implementation issues, research findings and outcomes.
• liaison with, and reports from, the University Policy and Planning Office.
• research on the effectiveness of Aboriginal Studies, the Aboriginal Curriculum project, cross-cultural workshops, and other mainstream activities.
• development of destination surveys and potential cohort studies for Indigenous students in mainstream and CAS courses.
• plans to incorporate cultural aspects in SEEQ and CEQ instruments.

top

Current and Planned Future Activities to meet Objectives

Objective 1 - Increase Indigenous student participation, retention and success in mainstream programs

Current and continuing activities

• A new six-monthly Indigenous Tertiary Access Course has been offered since July 1998 to provide an additional pathway for Indigenous students to Humanities or Science courses.
• Divisional and Branch ATSI enrolment targets have been established and endorsed by AEPIC. Some strategies include:
• Curtin Business School introduced three under-graduate and two post-graduate scholarships and employed an Aboriginal Liaison Officer to promote CBS courses.
• School of Nursing introduced fast-tracking of Enrolled Nurses into the nursing degree and will target ATSI students next year.
• Muresk Institute of Agriculture liaises with the local TAFE college to feed ATSI students into Muresk courses.
• Curtin University Kalgoorlie Campus: introduced two scholarships for Science & Technology students to enrol in mining engineering courses, and an Aboriginal Training Mining Program involving about 70 students in the Eastern Goldfields region with plans to expand the program into South Australia; enrols about 20 Indigenous Education Workers training as Aboriginal teacher assistants; runs Adult Literacy programs for Aboriginal people (funded by the Department of Training); and conducts a program funded by the Health Department to train Aboriginal Environmental Health Workers.
• Introduction of the Indigenous Tertiary Access Course from 2001 in the Mandurah / Pinjarra area.
• The Yarrabah / James Cook University distance education project.

• A formal network of Divisional and Branch liaison officers was established to work with the CAS Student Services Office to co-ordinate efforts to recruit and retain Aboriginal students in mainstream programs.
• The CAS Student Services Office actively promotes Curtin courses through visits to Indigenous communities and schools around the State and attendance at career and education expos.
• Exit surveys are used by the CAS Student Services Office to help identify more appropriate strategies for retention and success (family reasons and financial strain have emerged as the main issues).
• A major CIRC study on factors influencing ATSI success in higher education, funded by DETYA’s Evaluation and Investigation Program (EIP), is soon to be published.

  Planned New Activities

• Further progress the planned Aboriginal Student Village comprising a culturally appropriate 25 bed fully-furnished facility with a mixture of single and family accommodation, will be progressed further in the next year. Curtin has committed land, site preparation and 20% of the capital works cost for this development.
• Negotiate the introduction of formal credits in relevant Curtin degrees for ATSI graduates of the CAS’s Associate Degree in Science & Technology.
• Extend the existing Associate Degree in Contemporary Indigenous Art to degree level with the introduction of a third year from 2001, and a new full-fee paying Indigenous Community Healing Arts one year course is being developed within the CAS Aboriginal Health Unit.

• The Aboriginalising the Curriculum project has been a key strategy since 1995 to expose all Curtin students to Aboriginal history and culture. The emphasis is on increasing the effectiveness of one-off lectures and encouraging schools to participate in the new Indigenous Studies Program (see next point).
• During 1999/2000 graduate certificate, graduate diploma and a minor course offering in Indigenous Australian Studies has been developed and commenced in first semester 2000. Majors, minors or individual units from this program can be incorporated into courses in other Schools or can be taken as electives. A Bachelor of Arts (Indigenous Australian Studies) will be available in the year 2002.

Objective 3 - Increase Aboriginal cultural awareness among Curtin staff

• The CAS’s Aboriginal Cultural Awareness training for Curtin staff (called Ways of Working) is one of three priority areas endorsed by AEPIC to increase Indigenous participation and success across the University. A new Manager and Project Officer were appointed in 2000 to expand and promote this program externally to government agencies and private sector companies.

• The University provides infrastructure and salary supplementation to the Curtin Indigenous Research Centre (CIRC) and the postgraduate program in Indigenous Research and Development.
• Healthway introduced research scholarships for Indigenous post-graduate students in the field of health promotion.
• During 1999, through its fledgling Gunada Press, CIRC published several major reports, monographs and discussion papers on issues relating to Indigenous education, identity and health.
• CIRC research staff won several large research grants, including an ARC small grant.
• CIRC will continue to develop collaborative partnerships with Curtin Schools and research centres, industry, community organisations and communities.
• Discussions are being undertaken with Newcastle, UTS and UWA to identify common research interests in Indigenous education and related areas.

  Planned New Activities

• With the initial establishment funds for CIRC expended by the end of 2000, CIRC’s major challenge is to secure ongoing funding beyond this year.
• Develop a marketing and distribution strategy for Gunada Press.
• Undertake research with Notre Dame to look at alternative assessment strategies for Indigenous students in higher education.

Objective 5 - Support Indigenous staff development

• CAS Indigenous Staff Development Plan for the period 1998-2002 includes the formulation of individual staff development plans and provides Indigenous staff with extended study leave to complete higher degrees and other professional qualifications.
• CIRC organises regular workshops to meet Indigenous staff development needs in research and publishing, teaching and other and CIRC staff play a major role in assisting other CAS staff to enhance their publication and academic profiles.
• The CAS staff development strategy to match every new staff member with an Aboriginal mentor and a work "buddy" is implemented depending on the needs of individual staff members.
• A plan to assist Aboriginal staff to undertake staff exchanges and fellowships with other universities has commenced with Jeannie Roberts (Director, CIRC) taking up a Fullbright Scholarship in the States later this year.

• The Mundjah Festival celebrating cultural identity and diversity and Australian Indigenous culture attracts strong community support. In 1999 a new Mundjah Indigenous Community Award was introduced.
• ATSI staff of the CAS are encouraged to develop close links with Aboriginal communities and most participate in community activities.
• The CAS Aboriginal Advisory Council comprises community representatives from around Australia and CAS programs regularly invite guest speakers from Aboriginal community groups and government agencies.

  Planned New Activities

• Developing a paradigm to position the CAS within Aboriginal modern lore, using art to underpin the CAS curriculum philosophy and with community involvement as a central focus.

• Curtin has a strategic plan for the employment of Aboriginal people embedded in its Equal Employment Opportunity Target Group Plan 1998-2002 and in which Aboriginal people represent 2.7% of all Curtin staff in 1999.
• The CAS has strong ‘Aboriginalisation’ employment policies and procedures and recently completed a Staff Plan which aims to increase Aboriginal staff at the Centre to 93% by 2003.

top

Performance and Review

Using preliminary University statistics, Indigenous enrolments appear to have declined by 30 EFTSU between 1999 and 2000, with these concentrated in CAS courses. Actual enrolments were below target by 49 EFTSU (-38 for CAS courses and -11 for mainstream). Factors which have influenced this decline are as follows:

top

As a result of budget constraints, the CAS was pressured to reduce staff numbers by 8% between 1998 and 2000. As a consequence, great stress was placed on remaining CAS staff struggling to maintain quality of teaching whilst implementing significant curriculum and operational changes.

top

During 1998/99 the CAS underwent a major operational review and restructure which caused some level of disruption. These changes included rationalisation of the off-campus block release courses; restructure of the Student Services Office (including the student recruitment function and implementation of the new Student One system); introduction of the Indigenous Studies Program; and an influx of new Aboriginal staff to replace more experienced staff undertaking study leave.

top

These changes have resulted in a reduction in entitlements for Indigenous students. Thus has had a negative effect on both recruitment and retention efforts by removing the previous study incentives.

top

DETYA cutbacks on travel funds for the off-campus block release programs has significantly restricted access for remote students.

To improve ATSI student recruitment, the CAS will implement the following strategies:

• Appointment of a Promotions /Community Liaison Officer in second semester 2000.

• Explore the potential to offer the Indigenous Tertiary Access Course (ITAC) in external mode through Open Learning Australia, particularly for students in the Mandurah region who are unable to travel to the Bentley campus.

• Restructure of the CAS Promotions and Recruitment Committee (CPRC) with an emphasis on promoting CAS courses and services, including revising CAS advertising and promotional material.

The following table summarises Curtin’s performance in Aboriginal education using the DETYA-supplied Lin Martin indicators of: access, participation, retention and success.

top

In 1999 Curtin was well above the WA success ratio, and slightly above the national ratio. Curtin’s retention ratio was again well above the State ratio and only slightly behind the national ratio.

While a range of student support strategies are being implemented to improve retention and success, it should be noted that recent government changes to Aboriginal student entitlements have dramatically affected student performance as follows:

The removal of on-campus ATAS tutors has reduced the study support available to Aboriginal students, which has particularly affected pre-tertiary and post-graduate students who previously relied on this on-campus tuition.

Both the transfer of Associate Degree and Bachelor courses in Aboriginal Health from Band One HECS to Band Two and the reduction in the HECS repayment threshold from $29,000 p.a. to approximately $20,000 has influenced students’ study choices.

Abstudy Changes (see above)

top

Report On Expenditure

Curtin received Indigenous Student Support funds of $1,498,000 for 1999, which was disbursed in total to the Centre for Aboriginal Studies.

The University also contributes significant funds towards supporting Indigenous students, through:

• the attendance of senior executive staff at regular AEPIC meetings.
• the appointment of Aboriginal student liaison officers in each of the four teaching Divisions and two Branches.
• the Curtin Business School, from their own funds, has employed a part-time Aboriginal Recruitment Officer and introduced a number of scholarships.

DETYA Indigenous support funds were expended as follows (estimates only):

1. Operating Costs (including salaries) for Indigenous Support Services

$800,000 was expended on salaries related to student support provided by the CAS

The CAS Student Services Office (SSO) supports four staff plus an ATAS Officer (funded separately) to co-ordinate recruitment strategies, provide support and advocacy for all Curtin Indigenous students, assistance with scholarships and entitlements, liaison with mainstream Curtin Schools, assistance with enrolments, assessment etc, and support for the Curtin Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Student Corporation and Alumni group.

Approximately 30% of the workload of academic staff at the Centre for Aboriginal Studies is related to student support activities, including assistance with enrolment, RPL, scholarships and entitlements, resourcing and supporting tutors and mentors, teaching study, writing and computer skills, assisting with accommodation and transport, and personal support on family and community matters.

The CAS funds the Aboriginal cultural awareness training for Curtin staff in order to foster a more supportive environment for Indigenous students.

No Indigenous Support funds are spent on institution overheads.

Support funds are also used for equipment, consumables, student and tutor resource materials, printing and postage of additional student/tutor information books, and staff travel costs for field support visits to off-campus students.

Finally, $10,000 is allocated each year for Aboriginal student conference attendance to assist networking with other Aboriginal students.

Contact

Joan Winch, AM, Hon. LLD (WA)
Head, Centre for Aboriginal Studies
Tel: (08) 9266 7091
Fax: (08) 9266 2888

Contents | Next | Previous

home  |  search  |  site map

Any comments or queries should be sent to: highered@dest.gov.au

This page was last updated on Tuesday, 04 December 2001
Department of Education, Science and Training
Copyright © Commonwealth of Australia
DEST Web Site Privacy Statement
Disclaimer