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Indigenous Education Strategies in Higher Education 2001-2003

Edith Cowan University

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

Introduction

Edith Cowan University’s Strategic Plan states that the University:

will continue to emphasise access for equity groups through …. the continued provision of enabling courses for Indigenous students….Students, staff and the community will recognise the Edith Cowan University environment as a gender and race inclusive one, free from harassment or discrimination.
(ECU Strategic Plan 1998-2002)

The mission of ECU’s Indigenous education centre, Kurongkurl Katitjin, School of Indigenous Studies, is to provide excellence in teaching and learning in a culturally inclusive environment which values the diversity of Indigenous Australian history and cultural heritage and offers Indigenous and non Indigenous students knowledge and skills to critically shape their life experiences. Through articulation with the Faculty and the University as a whole, this mission drives the efforts to provide quality education for Indigenous students.

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Objectives

The University has identified access, retention and success of Indigenous Australian Students as one of the major objectives in its Equity and Access Strategic Plan. Kurongkurl Katitjin’s objectives for Indigenous education ­ which are consistent with the overall strategic direction of Edith Cowan University - include the following:

Access and Equity

• Extend educational opportunities and delivery options to Indigenous Australian students from a range of social, cultural, educational and language backgrounds.
• Increase opportunities for Indigenous people to enter higher education.
• Provide a work and study environment free from harassment and discrimination in which staff and students can work and learn to the best of their ability.

• Enhance in Indigenous students the skills, knowledge and competencies required for success in higher education.
• Provide high quality teaching that meets students’ needs and expectations.
• Affirm students’ Indigenous identities and develop skills to function in diverse social and cultural settings.

• Ensure that all courses offered by Kurongkurl Katitjin are based on Indigenous Australian perspectives.
• Ensure that all Indigenous and non-Indigenous students have the opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding of the Indigenous history and culture of Australia.

• Indigenous Australian people are involved in, and have control over, research involving Indigenous people.
• Develop Indigenous research as a Centre of Excellence within the University.
• Provide Indigenous and non-Indigenous students with the opportunity to undertake post graduate studies in Kurongkurl Katitjin.

• Promote alliances with TAFE institutions and other Universities.
• Establish links with schools and colleges.
• Develop partnerships with organisations such as the Ministry of Justice and Family & Children's Services.

• Develop relationships with various Indigenous communities throughout the state.
• Establish centres for cultural studies and cultural activities for community members to access, eg. Artists in residence.
• Provide opportunities for cultural awareness training for University staff and community organisations.

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Consultative Mechanisms

The Aboriginal Consultative Committee (ACC) meets regularly to advise the University and Kurongkurl Katitjin on all issues related to Indigenous education: course design and development; budget proposals; support programs for Indigenous students; and new initiatives and developments. The ACC consists of 14 Indigenous members, 11 from the various regions of the state, an Executive Officer (Head of School) and representatives from staff and students. The chairperson is elected from the community membership and meetings are conducted in metropolitan and regional areas of the state. The ACC also acts as a source of information to the University on the educational needs of the various regions represented by the members of the Committee.

Indigenous staff also participate in the wider University decision-making forums, including:

• Faculty of Community Services, Education and Social Sciences Faculty Board
• Academic Board
• Indigenous Australian & Other Equity Groups Implementation Committee
• Curriculum, Teaching & Learning Committee
• Academic Services Committee
• Equity & Access Committee
• Committee for Student Equity

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Current and Continuing Activities

The number of Indigenous students enrolled in degree courses has continued to increase from 154 in 1999 to 209 in 2000. This is in response to DETYA’s request to reduce bridging enrolments and increase Indigenous students in degree courses. An additional 5 Indigenous students are enrolled in post-graduate studies.

Total ECU Indigenous enrolments declined from 927 in 1999 to 763 in 2000 resulting from the transfer of the AUOC Stage One course to West Coast College of TAFE in late 1999.

However, the majority are still enrolled in the Aboriginal University Orientation Course. This year 548 students are enrolled in the course, down from 773 in 1999.

The goals for future proportionate enrolments of Indigenous students are as follows and show ECU ahead of target:

Regional Centres

Kurongkurl Katitjin operates regional centres in Katanning, Geraldton and Broome. A fourth regional centre will be established in 2000. Satellite Centres have been established in Rockingham and Collie and a further three are planned for this year.

Kurongkurl Katitjin commenced its first degree course in semester one 2000. Offered only as a campus-based course at present, it has a number of exit points after each year of study ­ University Diploma, Associate Degree and Degree. The course has attracted 52 students in its first intake.

The Faculty of Business & Public Management currently allows Indigenous students to access courses through TAFE-Select, a dual university-TAFE pathway with ECU and West Coast College of TAFE, which complements the Faculty’s School Select program to provide alternate entry options for non-TEE students.

The Faculty of Business and Public Management also has received funds from the ECU Joint Initiative Fund to undertake a three-year study of Indigenous students’ access to and success in business studies courses.

the Faculty of Communications, Health and Science offers a Postgraduate Certificate and a Postgraduate Executive Certificate of Aboriginal Health, both one-year fee-paying courses.

These units are taught by Kurongkurl Katitjin as part of the joint major in the Bachelor of Arts in Aboriginal Studies, and are attracting increased number of students. The units include: Aboriginal Perspectives in Literature, Music & the Performing Arts (63); Aboriginal People & the Environment (54); Working with Aboriginal People (37); and Aborigines & Culture of the School (7 external enrolments).

The Faculty of Communications, Health & Science operates an ATSI Health Clearing House at www.cowan.edu.au/clearinghouse which provides easily accessible and high quality information on Indigenous health issues for policy makers, health practitioners and researchers.

The ECU library liaises with Kurongkurl Katitjin regarding collection development and special lending arrangements.

Indigenous students are eligible for a range of scholarships to reward quality and application to study. The Vice Chancellor’s Indigenous Scholarship of $5,000 was awarded for the first time in 2000. The Faculty of Business and Public Management is also introducing scholarships for Indigenous students.

The externalisation of the Bachelor of Social Science (Indigenous Services) course will commence in the latter half of 2000 and continue over the next two years, and include some curriculum development.

The external print-based materials and on line course development of the AUOC is expected to be completed by the end of 2000.

Kurongkurl Katitjin proposes to offer a major in Aboriginal Studies, also available in print-based form in 2001. Aboriginal Studies teachers in schools are a major target group for this course. The School currently offers a joint major in Aboriginal Studies with the School of International and Cultural Studies.

The development of Post Graduate units in Indigenous Studies and Aboriginal Cultural Studies is planned for 2000.

Kurongkurl Katitjin has restructured its student support operations by introducing SOLID ­ Student Ongoing Learning and Individual Development. Teams of staff members are responsible for providing academic and other student support to metropolitan and regional areas of Western Australia. Through the implementation of SOLID external students will receive similar levels of support and resources afforded to internal students.

Plans in this area include:

• Development of Indigenous research guidelines for ECU.
• Establishment of an Indigenous on-line research journal.
• Ensuring all ECU graduate students undertaking research on Aboriginal issues have an Aboriginal co-supervisor.
• Undertake action research for the development of resources to supplement the work in the teaching programs.
• Establish Kurongkurl Katitjin as a community resource to the Aboriginal community.
• Provide ongoing research skills training and mentoring for Aboriginal staff.
• Attract major grants for Indigenous research, both independently and in collaboration with other institutions.

A full-time Recruitment and Promotions Officer has been appointed to Kurongkurl Katitijin in 2000 to inform and recruit Indigenous students. A Marketing and Promotions Plan is currently being developed to increase an awareness of study opportunities and planned activities of the School. Contact staff in regional centres managed by Kurongkurl Katitijin are employed on a casual basis to help promote courses and liaise with the Recruitment Officer.

The University and Kurongkurl Katitjin will use the following strategies and indicators to facilitate monitoring and evaluation:

• Survey data on student satisfaction and unit evaluation.
• Increased ratio of Indigenous students to non Indigenous students enrolled in degree courses.
• Data from Yandi ­ the student data base tracking system ­ will be updated in 2000 for potential sales to other institutions.
• Evaluation/review of School Strategic Plan and quality assurance procedures will involve staff and student feedback.

During 2000 the University is developing an Indigenous Employment Strategy which will indirectly influence Indigenous student access and retention by providing successful Aboriginal role models and graduate pathways into University employment. Increasing the number of Indigenous Australian Staff is a major objective of the University’s Equity and Access Strategic Plan.

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Planned New Activities

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Performance and Review

* Enabling students are included in retention data

The 2000 figures show that ECU has exceeded the access and participation targets, and the planned mid-year intake will further support these figures.

Success**

For the first time, enabling students have been removed from the success calculations to more accurately reflect the fact that many students take two semesters to complete a unit. Consequently the success ratio is considerably higher than previous years and the target.

The transfer of Stage 1 of the AUOC to West Coast TAFE has resulted in a temporary decline in the Retention indicators this year, which will be rectified in 2001.

The AUOC review has been completed and a draft report circulated for comment to staff and the Aboriginal Consultative Council. It is hoped that new course details will be completed by 2001. The Aboriginal Tertiary Studies Course review is included as an appendix in the AUOC review.

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Report on Expenditure

Indigenous support funds are based on the total number of estimated Aboriginal equivalent full-time students (EFTSU). Support funds are generally earmarked for particular programs designed for student retention and to improve success rates. They are also used for the support of regional and satellite centres. In 1999, Kurongkurl Katitjin received $2,181 million in support funds from DETYA. This was supplemented with a $170,000 contribution from the University’s Operating grant, giving a total of $2,351 million. Expenditure of these funds was as follows:

1. Operating Costs

A significant portion of the DETYA Indigenous Support Funds was used for salaries. Expenditure on salaries reflected priorities of the School. Major expenditure was on staffing and provision of resources for external programs and, in particular regional centres in Katanning, Geraldton and Broome. Another area of expenditure was for student support centres, which included staffing the Student Centres on each of the metropolitan campuses: Mount Lawley, Churchlands and Joondalup.

• $80,000 Publications & Promotions
• $120,000 Funding Regional Centres
• $300,000 Strategies to increase retention & success
• $75,000 Development of external programs
• $80,000 Development of online units
• $70,000 Strategies to increase tertiary enrolments
• $50,000 Research
• $80,000 Computer purchase

All metropolitan institutional overheads for Kurongkurl Katitjin were met centrally by the University, not by the Aboriginal Support funds. In 1999, the University contributed $170,000 to the School, in addition to the DETYA Support funds.

Contact

Mr Graeme Gower
Head of School
Kurongkurl Katitjin,
School of Indigenous Australian Studies
Edith Cowan University
Ph: (08) 9370 6558
Fax: (08) 9370 6055
Email: g.gower@cowan.edu.au

Ms Linley Lord
Manager
Equity and Diversity
Edith Cowan University
Ph: (08) 9273 8731
Fax: (08) 9273 8661
Email: l.lord@ecu.edu.au

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