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

Swinburne University of Technology’s commitment to Indigenous education continues to be informed by the Swinburne University Act (1992) and the Strategic Directions Statement 1999-2001, which provide the framework and guiding values for Indigenous Programs at the University. Indigenous Programs at Swinburne University of Technology forms an essential part of the University’s broader education agenda which values:

• diversity, inclusivity of cultures, and a plurality of viewpoints;
• delivering what the customer wants;
• first-rate teaching, sensitive to the learning styles of diverse students; and
• tailored packages of learning experiences, combining flexible delivery with academic and social interaction.

These values underpin Swinburne University of Technology’s Indigenous education activities. Within this context the provision of quality targeted support services to Indigenous Australian students is guided by the Indigenous Programs Vision Statement which is committed to an Indigenous Programs area that is:

• community driven and values, promotes and respects the diversity of Indigenous Australians;
• aims to empower students in community in a learning environment which values pride in Indigenous identity, tradition, knowledge and practice; and
• seeks best practice in the development and delivery of Indigenous education.

The Indigenous Education Strategy constitutes an important component of Swinburne University of Technology’s overall strategic planning and reporting process through the University’s Foresight and Planning area.

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Consultative Mechanisms

As a multi-sector, multi-campus institution Swinburne University of Technology operates a number of consultative forums to encourage local Indigenous community groups to participate in decision making processes that involve Indigenous education issues. Following a Review of Indigenous Issues in 1999, the Swinburne Indigenous Consultative Assembly (SICA) was established in early 2000 to provide a institutional wide consultative forum. The SICA committee which reports to the Vice-Chancellor is designed to monitor, review and progress Indigenous education issues across both higher education and TAFE programs. The SICA committee includes representation from the traditional custodians of the Melbourne area, the Wurundjeri people, the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI), Indigenous staff and students and senior management of the University. The SICA committee compliments established Indigenous consultative forums which operate at divisional, campus or course levels. These include the Australian Indigenous Consultative Assembly (Lilydale), the Oonah Advisor Group (TAFE) and the Indigenous Performing Arts Industry Group (TAFE, Prahran) Consistent with the principle of Aboriginal self determination, each of the Indigenous consultative forums is chaired by an Indigenous community representative, and have adopted membership arrangements designed to facilitate an Indigenous majority.

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Current and Continuing Activities

Action: The Indigenous Programs area has adopted a strategic Recruitment Plan to facilitate improved linkages between Swinburne University of Technology, schools with significant Indigenous student enrolments and Indigenous community organisations. The Recruitment Plan formalises the schools and community liaison activities of Indigenous Programs by establishing an annual recruitment round of visits and information mailouts. The Recruitment Plan also commits Indigenous Programs to the development of innovative education project designed to encourage community interest in post compulsory education in general. In January 1999, the Summer Getaway 2000 was held which introduced 56 Indigenous secondary students from around Victoria to a range of Indigenous role models and the opportunities accessible through participation in higher education and TAFE. Indigenous Programs is currently developing a number of innovative education awareness projects which use the medium of sports to encourage Indigenous youth to consider the important contribution education can make to their personal development and well being. A Football Clinic developed in conjunction with the Hawthorn Football Club primarily for male students in years 8 and 9 will be held in July, 2000. These programs attempt to address the unacceptably low retention rates of male Indigenous students. In conjunction with the National School of Design, Indigenous Programs is offering 10 places to Indigenous students to participate in the School’s introductory design course which provides secondary students with advice regarding careers in design fields. To ensure recruitment and education awareness activities are effective Indigenous Programs adopted its own sub-brand for use in communications between the University and Indigenous communities.

Outcome/Evaluation: Assess recruitment strategies with reference to indicators of Indigenous access and participation within Higher Education and TAFE courses and benchmarks established internally. Assess educational awareness strategies with reference improved and ongoing engagement with Indigenous secondary students and community organisations.

Action: Indigenous Programs continues to improve the efficiency of support service delivery to Indigenous Australian students at Swinburne University of Technology. A comprehensive Indigenous Program web site has been developed to enhance communication with students who have limited opportunity to directly access Indigenous Program support services. This site enables Indigenous students to download ATAS forms, the Indigenous Australian handbook, information of current Indigenous Program activities. In addition the web site enables students to contact Indigenous Program staff via email. The development of web based information is especially important to enhancing the accessibility of support services to off campus and distance education students. Indigenous Programs continues to provide students with access to computing facilities. An extensive round of cross cultural awareness seminars were held throughout 1999 to ensure academic teaching and research staff are aware of study issues specific to Indigenous people. Cross cultural awareness programs will continue to be offered by Indigenous Programs on an ongoing basis. Indigenous Programs will support the establishment of an Indigenous Learning Centre at the University’s Lilydale campus on an ongoing basis.

Outcome/Evaluation: Assess the effectiveness of support programs with reference to indicators of Indigenous retention and success, usage of the ATAS program, computing facilities and Lilydale campus Learning Centre facilities .

Action: Indigenous Programs in conjunction with the University’s Human Resources area has successfully developed and implemented a statement of Indigenous employment. This statement is designed to encourage academic and administrative departments to consider the employment of Indigenous people to vacant or newly created positions. The statement emphasises the need for greater Indigenous involvement in academic areas. Swinburne University of Technology, Lilydale will be appointing an Indigenous member to academic staff by July 2000. The possibility of other academic appointments in teaching areas identified as being significant to the needs of Indigenous communities will be investigated. TAFE is currently investigating the possibility of 5 Indigenous staff traineeships in Information Technology and administrative areas of the Division.

Outcome/Evaluation: SICA and Indigenous Programs to assess progress toward increased Indigenous employment by reference to Indigenous staff numbers at the University.

Action: As an outcome of the Review of Indigenous Issues the accreditation and re-accreditation for higher education subjects has been amended to include questions concerning Indigenous issues. Every subject is now required to report whether it addresses Indigenous issues in its curricula. This information now forms a component of the University’s central planning and reporting processes and allows Indigenous Programs to evaluate process in curricula initiatives across all higher education subjects.

Outcome/Evaluation: Conduct course curricula audits on an annual basis to assess the performance of course and discipline areas in regard to the inclusion of Indigenous issues in the curricula.

Action: As an outcome of the Review of Indigenous Issues the University’s Code of Conduct for Research has been amended to include guidelines concerning research involving Indigenous people and communities. The amended Code requires research proposals involving Indigenous people and communities to be assessed by the Manager, Indigenous Programs and/or other Indigenous members of the University before gaining final approval of the Ethics Committee. Swinburne University of Technology, Lilydale was successful in securing an ARC Indigenous Research Development Grant. The grant will enable an Indigenous researcher to investigate the development of a virtual ‘Indigenous community’ on the world wide web.

Outcome/Evaluation: Monitor research projects involving Indigenous issues. Continue to encourage Indigenous researchers to develop research projects beneficial to Indigenous Australian communities.

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Planned New Activities

Planned Activities: Indigenous Programs in consultation with teaching schools and departments to investigate the possibility of targeted Indigenous scholarships and/or cadetships being developed with the support of external business and industry groups. Environmental Health, Psychology and Business have been identified as priority discipline areas in which the development of scholarships/cadetships are to be investigated.

Outcome/Evaluation: SICA with the support of Indigenous Programs to commence dialogue with business and industry groups with the view of establishing a minimum of 5 scholarships/cadetships targeted for Indigenous Australian students.

Planned Activities: Indigenous Programs in conjunction with relevant Indigenous consultative assemblies to support and encourage targeted higher education courses to address Indigenous issues more effectively by increasing the Indigenous content of course curricula; or through the development of stand alone Indigenous studies subjects. Indigenous Programs to commence ongoing discussions with Environmental Heath, Housing, Psychology and Design to devise ways in which Indigenous issues can be effectively addressed in the curricula of these courses. Indigenous Programs in conjunction with Swinburne University of Technology, Lilydale to investigate the development of a stand alone Indigenous studies subject as the first step in developing an Indigenous study sequence within the Division.

Outcome/Evaluation: SICA and other relevant Indigenous consultative committees to monitor curricula initiatives on a continuing basis. An audit of higher education subjects inclusive of Indigenous issues to occur through the University’s central planning and review processes.

Planned Activities: Indigenous Programs in cooperation with the Manager, Regional Learning Networks, TAFE, to review the effectiveness of internal study pathways between TAFE and higher education courses for Indigenous Australian students. Explore the development of a customised Indigenous VCE program as a means to facilitate greater Indigenous access to TAFE. Examine options to improve TAFE retention and success rates via the development of an integrated learning centre at Swinburne’s Prahran campus. Facilitate greater Indigenous community awareness of the increasing number of dual sector qualifications available at Swinburne University of Technology.

Outcome/Evaluation: Indigenous Programs and TAFE to monitor Indigenous Australian student progression to higher education studies on an ongoing basis.

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Performance and Review

Indigenous Programs in conjunction with SICA will continue to monitor the performance of Indigenous education activities with reference to DETYA, Equity Performance Indicators. Performance against plan will be assessed internally with reference to the recommendations of the Review of Indigenous Issues in the University and externally with reference to the objectives specified by the Indigenous Education Strategy 2001-2003. In addition the performance of Indigenous Programs in effectively meeting objectives will be monitored in reference to the Indigenous Programs Action Plan which formalises performance monitoring and review processes.

Indicators of success and apparent retention are encouraging and indicate that Indigenous students at Swinburne continue to perform relatively well once enrolled in study programs. Access and participation remain below expectation and suggest that Indigenous Programs must do more to enable and promote Indigenous access and participation in higher education courses offered by the University. In response, planned activities of the Indigenous Education Strategy focus on improving Indigenous access and participation in the University.

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Report on Expenditure

Note (1) Total grant provided for Summer Getaway 2000 project. Balance of this grant expended in 2000.

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