Indigenous Education Strategies in Higher Education 2001-2003

Australian Catholic University

Objectives
Consultative Mechanisms
Current and Continuing Activities
Planned New Activities
Performance and Review
Report on Expenditure
Contact

Objectives

The Mission of Australian Catholic University states:

In its endeavours, (the University) is guided by a fundamental concern for justice and equity, and for the dignity of all human beings.

The University gives specific expression to its Mission in its Statement of Commitment to Reconciliation (1999) which identifies these goals:

Each campus will endeavour to involve the Indigenous people of the region in the life of the University;
Each year the University through its campuses will recognise Indigenous culture with activities involving the University community;
The University through its policies and practices will encourage greater participation of Indigenous peoples in tertiary education;
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives will be integral to the curriculum of the University;
The University will join with other universities and institutions of higher education to achieve reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

These goals are reflected in the new Strategic Plan priorities:

ACU’s success in attracting and retaining Indigenous students reflects the excellent strategies developed over a period of years. Education of Indigenous students will remain a very high priority in ACU’s equity policy….. (Strategic Plan 1999-2008)

The following objectives address the University’s strategic directions for Indigenous Education over the triennium:

To provide appropriate programs specifically designed to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
To ensure maximum opportunities for access, participation and success of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in all courses offered by the University.
To incorporate Indigenous perspectives and awareness within all undergraduate courses.
To ensure that all undergraduate Teacher Education students undertake a core unit in Indigenous Studies and have the opportunity for additional elective studies in this area.
To provide opportunities for academic staff to gain a deeper appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and to incorporate these in their teaching-learning strategies.

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Consultative Mechanisms

There are three University Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Support Units providing for the needs of Indigenous students. Yalbalinga (Sydney), Weemala (Brisbane) and Jim-baa-yer (Victoria) co-operate across the campuses so as to ensure the implementation of University policies and to assist students and staff in this important area of the institution’s activities.

The University maintains three Indigenous Advisory Committees, one in each of NSW/ACT, Queensland and Victoria, with representation from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and associated bodies. Indigenous students are participants on each committee. Consultation is also facilitated through networks such as the AECG in New South Wales. The Director of Yalbalinga, the Co-ordinator of Weemala and the Liaison Officer (Jim-baa-yer) participate actively in boards and organisations within the ATSI community in each State and nationally.

The input from each committee and other sources is important in the ongoing implementation of courses in that State/Territory. Advice from the Advisory Committees provides the basis for co-ordinated planning each year through the work of the University Indigenous Co-ordination Committee, in which the Director of Yalbalinga acts as the Executive Officer and representatives from all three Indigenous Support Units (Yalbalinga, Weemala and Jim-bal-Yer) participate.

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Current and Continuing Activities

The University has followed a carefully developed approach based on consultation with ATSI communities and students which has proved to be effective over several years. The major elements are:

Specifically designed courses in selected academic areas, articulating from Diploma to Degree level to meet the geographical, educational and cultural circumstances of Indigenous community members.
Providing special academic and other support for Indigenous students who choose to enrol in the various other courses offered by ACU.
Ensuring that the academic approaches and socio-cultural environment on campuses are sympathetic and responsive to the special needs of Indigenous students, thus providing a strong supportive climate for such students.
Provision of specific Indigenous support systems for students which can meet the academic and other needs of individuals and communities.

Specifically Designed Courses for Indigenous Students

Currently ACU offers the following Indigenous courses specifically designed to meet cultural, social and academic needs:

Diploma of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education. This course is offered in Sydney and Brisbane to students from a wide range of regional areas throughout New South Wales and Queensland. Where appropriate, the course has been offered in regional centres such as Wilcannia in order to facilitate access to communities in these centres.
Diploma of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Administration. This course is in its third year of implementation at McAuley Campus, Brisbane and has attracted students from many parts of Queensland. It has recently been revised to provide for better articulation with the Bachelor of Business course.
Bachelor of Education Primary. Students who have completed the Diploma course in Education may undertake this course in either Sydney or Brisbane. Graduates of the Bachelor course are qualified to teach in the full range of primary school curriculum, in addition to their specialist competencies in Indigenous cultural studies.
Bachelor of Education (Secondary Indigenous). This course was specially designed on contract to the Department of Education (NSW). The four-year course has the aim of providing secondary school teachers from Indigenous background for Government schools. The graduates will have expertise in the teaching of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural studies within these schools. Two cohorts of 20 students have enrolled in this course thus far.

Enrolments in Other Courses

Increasing numbers of Indigenous persons are currently enrolled in a wide range of courses in the major fields of study offered by ACU. The majority of these are studying at undergraduate level, but a small number are now enrolled in postgraduate courses.

Indigenous Cultural Perspectives in University Courses

The University has always had a strong commitment to the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives in all undergraduate courses and this has been incorporated into the Statement of Commitment to Reconciliation adopted by the University Senate in 1999. Current activities in support of this goal include:

All undergraduate Teacher Education students undertake a core unit focussing on Indigenous cultural issues and perspectives. Student evaluation indicates that the unit has a significant educative impact on students, leading many to seek further elective studies in this area.
As part of the University’s Inclusive Curriculum Policy all courses offered by the Faculties are being reviewed with the aim of ensuring that perspectives which are inclusive of Indigenous peoples are incorporated into the learning experiences available to students.
The ACU Indigenous Week held annually on each campus provides opportunities for recognising Indigenous history and culture, and celebrating the place of Indigenous communities in the life of the University.

International Participation

In 1999, two Aboriginal staff members of ACU were invited to participate in an international conference on reconciliation and conflict resolution held in Northern Ireland. In August 2000, two papers one on Aboriginal Health issues, the second on Indigenous students’ perspectives will be presented by ACU personnel at an international conference of Catholic universities to be held in Sydney.

Planned Changes and Future Goals

All of the specific courses designed for Indigenous students are reviewed on a continuing basis in the light of evaluations from students, Advisory Committees and staff. With recent changes to the financial support provisions for such programs by Government, the University is refining the modes of offering, including the structure of away-from-home teaching periods, so as to maintain those elements of such courses which have proven to be most effective in terms of student retention and success.

In the year 2000, the first cohort of students in the new Diploma of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Administration course will complete their course. The articulation of this course with the Bachelor of Business course has been clarified to ensure that the emerging Diploma graduates can easily progress to the Bachelor phase of their studies.

The University has developed four units in ATSI studies which are being offered through the Open Learning Agency. These units are designed for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in the area of Indigenous cultural studies. These units will be reviewed on the basis of feedback from students and staff, with a view to the potential for continuing developments in online course provision.

Units of study have been developed by staff in the Faculty of Health Sciences for Health-Care personnel working with Indigenous clientele. The units are designed to enhance cultural awareness, knowledge and skills of staff and have been trialled in flexible mode using information technologies to enable personnel based in remote or rural areas to have access to the units.

During 2000, consideration will be given to the possibility of offering a specially designed strand in Indigenous Leadership Studies within the Master of Arts (Leadership) course at McAuley Campus.

Evaluation Procedures

The University considers that the collaborative approach involving Indigenous community representatives from all the regional areas served by the Universty is critically important to the continuing success of its efforts. University staff and students are very appreciative of the contributions of Indigenous communities in the life of the University across its six campuses.

Evaluation of the various Indigenous-related programs of the University is conducted on an ongoing basis through the work of the Advisory Committees, student evaluation data and staff input. Such collaboration encompasses course design, support structures and other aspects of Indigenous education as well as University policies and practices.

Academic, organisational and student support aspects of all such courses are evaluated regularly, including the Residential programs offered on campuses in Sydney and Brisbane. Mechanisms for evaluation include student forums, Diploma Student Action Sheets, Residential Evaluation Forms, planning meetings and Unit Evaluations.

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Planned New Activities

The following list summarises new activities under way or being planned in the next two-three years.

With the opening of the new St Patrick’s Campus in Melbourne, it is planned to encourage interaction with and involvement of local Aboriginal communities in the local areas near the campus.
Collaboration with other universities in the development of a comprehensive network using web-based communication to facilitate links among Indigenous staff in Australian tertiary institutions is under consideration.
Increased focus will be placed on enrolling Indigenous students in postgraduate courses at ACU, particularly at Masters and Doctoral levels.
Continuing activity will be undertaken at Signadou Campus (Canberra) with the involvement of all departments to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous professionals in the fields of Social Work, Education and Theology together.
An Individualised Support Scheme (ATSI Students) has been approved by Academic Board with the purpose of providing additional support to Indigenous students who gain admission to the University’s courses but who require assistance in making the transition to tertiary education.
The University will seek to employ additional Indigenous academic staff members as part of its employment equity policy.

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Performance and Review

The special courses offered to Indigenous students are regularly reviewed by the relevant Faculty Board. In the past year a review of the Diploma in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Administration has been completed.

Performance Data:

Student Load: Actual and Projected

Year

Actual

Planned Target

150

162

176

130

155

160

Graduates

	1998	1999	2000
Diplomas	13	10	24
Bachelors	11	11	8
Postgraduate	-	7	8
Total	24	28	40

Performance Indicators

	1999 Access	1999 Participation	1999 Retention	1998 Success
ACU	2.80%	1.60%	0.947%	0.95%
National	1.80%	0.78%	0.74%	0.767%

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Report on Expenditure

	1999	1999
	$	$
Grant Revenue		526,000

Expenditure

Salaries (incl. On-costs)	445,213
Non-salary / Operating	67,210
Equipment / Computing	10,042
		522,465
Total Expenditure

Operating Surplus / (Deficit)		3,535
Note: Although institution overheads were not allocated as a cost to this area in 1998, recognition of a 15% overhead cost acknowledges the support provided to this area by many service providers within the University structure.
Estimation of Net Institution Contribution 1999		78,900

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Contact

Professor Muredach Dynan
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Quality and Outreach)
Tel: (07) 3855 7110
Fax: (07) 3855 7149
Email: M.Dynan@acu.edu.au

For ongoing matters relating to Indigenous support and programs:

Mr Ken Ralph
Director Yalbalinga Unit
Tel: (02) 9739 2260
Fax: (02) 9739 2189
Email: K.Ralph@mary.acu.edu.au

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