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Indigenous Education Strategies in Higher Education 2001-2003

Southern Cross University

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

Southern Cross University has the following three broad objectives for Indigenous education which make up part of the institution’s strategic plan.

• To obtain advice and guidance from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on all relevant areas of operation at Southern Cross University.
• To ensure equitable access, participation and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in education and employment at the University.
• To raise the level of awareness through out the university and the wider public of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and culture.

College of Indigenous Australian Peoples

To achieve the overall objectives Southern Cross established and maintains the College of Indigenous Australian Peoples. The College has four sections the Gungil Jindibah Centre, the Academic Centre the Indigenous Research Centre and the Directorate. There are approximately 24 staff and the total budget is approximately $1,756,000.

Directorate

The Directorate has 3 staff and a budget of $320,000 provided by the university as special funding. It oversees the management of each section which includes allocating budgets, financial management, monitoring expenditure, staff recruitment and development, maintenance of consultative mechanisms and community outreach projects.

Gungil Jindibah Centre

The Gungil Jindibah Centre comprises 7 staff (2 academic and 5 general) and has a budget of $454,000 based on DETYA support funding. The Centre provides academic support to Indigenous students.

Academic Centre

The Academic Centre comprises 9.5 academic and 3 general staff and has a budget of $682,000 based on 169 EFTSU. The Centre provides a Bachelor of Indigenous Studies, an Associate Degree of Indigenous Studies and a Diploma of Indigenous Studies. The units of study are open to all students.

Indigenous Research Centre

The Indigenous Research Centre comprises 2 staff (1 academic, a researcher). This Centre is conducting research into Aboriginal resource rights, intellectual property and biodiversity related issues. Funding is being made available through a wide variety of sources including NHT and ATSIC.

Consultative Mechanisms

The University has maintained consultative mechanisms with the local community for the past 15 years, including the Aboriginal Advisory Committee and the recently established Indigenous Liaison Committee

Aboriginal Advisory Committee (AAC)

This Committee comprises elders, community representatives and Indigenous staff of the College. The Committee meets 4 times a year and provides advice to the College on a wide range of matters including cultural issues relating to course content, research and student services.

Indigenous Liaison Committee (ILC)

In 1999 the Southern Cross University Council established the Indigenous Liaison Committee to provide advice on policy for the whole the institution. Membership includes the Vice Chancellor, two Indigenous representatives from the Council, the Chair of the AAC, the Chair of the CHEC AAC, the Director of the College, two elders and the Executive Officer of the College.

Other Mechanisms

Other mechanisms include staff membership on external bodies including; the North Coast Aboriginal Inter-agency, NSW Aboriginal Higher Education Network and the National Indigenous Higher Education Association. Staff also attend meetings of the Bundjalung Elders Council.

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Gungil Jindibah provides academic, pastoral and cultural support to all Indigenous students of the university. Bundjalung Elders are employed on a casual basis to provide cultural support.

Objectives

• To strive to achieve the performance indicators for access, participation, success and retention as prescribed by the Aboriginal Education Strategy;
• To provide all Indigenous students with the highest quality of Indigenous student services;
• To work with the universities mainstream student services to ensure that Indigenous students have a range of support options;
• To raise awareness of staff in the mainstream student services to Indigenous culture and the special needs of Indigenous students.

Major achievements for 1999 and to date in 2000

• the enrolment of 216 Indigenous students in 36 programs spread across the university,
• the graduation of 19 Indigenous students, in the following awards:

• 65 Indigenous people attending the orientation and assessment program
• 4 graduates of the bridging course enrolled in undergraduate programs
• 138 Indigenous students received 4832 hours of tutorials under ATAS resulting in 13 high distinctions, 31 distinctions, 61 credits and 72 passes.
• cross cultural awareness training provided to 40 ATAS tutors,
• maintenance of a computer lab and the installation of a new projector.
• continued liaison with staff of the Student Administration
• increased administrative services from 3 to4 days at CHEC
• provision of support to students in the Grafton Correctional Centre
• provision of training to GJC staff on Information Services.

Planned changes

• establish a database to track students from application to graduation stage
• review links with schools to develop appropriate promotions material.
• continue to review the provision of the ATAS program

• maintain an data base on student progress and use of ATAS.
• meet with School course coordinators to review strategies for monitoring student progress.
• conduct reviews of each semester to adjust services delivery

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• develop additional units of study for the Certificate of Foundation Studies
• network with other AEU’s achieving higher performance indicators.
• develop workshops for high school students on university entry requirements and successful study method

• an external consultant will develop the two new units
• visiting other AEU’s and surveying the provision of services
• work with the regional Education Department to develop workshops.

Monitoring and evaluation

• Consultant to meet with GJC academics on a regular basis
• Staff visiting other AEU’s to provide a report ot the Director and the AAC.
• Staff to report to Director and AAC on the development of workshops

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Performance and Review

The 1999 performance indicators for Gungil Jindibah presented in the Table show that access and participation continue to hover around the previous levels while success and retention appear to have returned to the 1997 levels.

Analysis of Performance

A comparison with national and state averages presented in Table 2 indicates that Gungil Jindibah continues to do better then the national and NSW averages for access and participation, while matching the national averages for success and retention, but in comparison to NSW GJC is down by about 0.07%.

Table 2.

Some factors continuing to impact success and retention rates include the changes to Abstudy, difficulty with accommodation and university procedures, like penalties incurred for late payment of fees. Personal problems relating to mental health, learning disabilities and stress continue to compound these factors. GJC has however been working closely with a state pilot project that offers relationship counselling and we have found this to successful, for some students.

During the semester 77 external students were contacted to discuss progress and assist with any problems. The result of this was that;

• external students learnt of the strong support network at hand to help;
• staff could detect problems before it was too late to rectify them and
• strong relationships were established between staff and students.

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Contact

Indigenous Student Services
Lee-Ann Emzin
Coordinator
Gungil Jindibah Centre
Tel: (02) 6620 3459
Fax: (02) 6620 3438
Email: lemzin@scu.edu.au

College of Indigenous Australian Peoples
A/Prof Stephan Schnierer
Director
Tel: (02) 6620 3959
Fax: (02) 6620 3958
Email: sschnier@scu.edu.au

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