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Indigenous Education Strategies in Higher Education 2001-2003

The University of Notre Dame Australia

• Introduction
• Objectives
• Strategies and Performance
• Reconciliation
• Contact

Introduction

One of the goals of The University of Notre Dame Australia states that "The University will make a special contribution through education……to the reconciliation of Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people of Australia." To support this mission, the University established a small campus in Broome in the Kimberly Region of Western Australia. Broome is the main population centre of this region, which supports a significant population of Aboriginal people. This campus is seen as a "Campus of Reconciliation.

The Broome Campus carries the responsibility of a College of the University for academic programs for and about Aboriginal people. In the establishment of the Broome Campus, the education of Aboriginal people was paramount. This campus commenced operation in 1995, offering both University and Vocational Education Training (VET) programs. The VET programs articulate into the degree programs. In 1995, nineteen students were enrolled in higher education programs on the campus and in 1998 this grew to eighty students. At the end of 1998, twelve students graduated from programs offered at the campus.

Extensive consultation in the establishment phase led to the Campus choosing Reconciliation as a key element. It is to be active, daily reconciliation that would enable Aboriginal people to receive the special support they require to succeed in higher education while, at the same time, to ensure they receive the opportunity to learn and share their own history and debate the issues of the day. Reconciliation as respect for each human person and the acceptance of differences as being okay, was a goal for the various Aboriginal people who would enter the Campus.

In turn, Reconciliation with non-Aboriginal people and vice versa was also a foundation element. This approach supports that many of the misunderstandings that plague our daily relationships are due to lack of appreciation of the history of Aboriginal people and their journey today.

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Objectives

1. To provide appropriate programs specifically designed to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
2. To ensure maximum opportunities for access, participation and success by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
3. To provide an environment for the promotion of policies and values which enhance social justice, racial harmony and participation in the region’s social institutions and economic life.
4. To provide an educational arena for non-Aboriginal people to be directly united with Aboriginal people and to learn about their law and culture.
5. To provide research and development facilities relevant to the needs of the community, through collaborative arrangements with industry, Government, universities and other education providers.
6. To ensure that the total University community is exposed to and provided with the opportunity to participate with Aboriginal people in the Reconciliation journey.

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Strategies and Performance

1. Educational programs to meet the needs of Indigenous people and increase awareness of Non-Indigenous people

• The Bachelor of Arts (Aboriginal Studies) combines a broad knowledge of Aboriginal cultural, social, economic and spiritual aspects with the opportunity to link into business, management, marketing or environmental studies. Both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people have undertaken this degree.
• The Bachelor of Arts (Education) is a three-year teacher education program design to prepare students to teach in primary schools.
• The articulation process from the Diploma in Education (ATSI) to the Bachelor of Arts (Education) degree was formalised to ensure a smoother transition for Aboriginal students.

• The Campus has developed the off-campus model of Bachelor of Arts (Education), which provides for Aboriginal students to remain in their towns and communities moving onto the Campus twice during each semester. This model continues the delivery mode of the Diploma in Education (ATSI).

• Regular visits to remote Aboriginal communities have been undertaken by a range of staff throughout the year. Participation by staff at large cultural events have also been successfully undertaken.
• Development work continues to search for and set up scholarships for Aboriginal students that will cover their fees while studying. This is especially supportive for mature age students with families and encourages their movement into higher education study.
• Continuance of the working relationship with the Catholic Education Office to support former Aboriginal Teaching Assistants as they move directly into the undergraduate degree or through the Diploma in Education (ATSI - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) pathway.
• The Campus Administration and individual staff actively seeks out scholarships for Aboriginal students that may cover part or all of their fees.
• The Campus employs a mature Student Support Officer with Aboriginal experience who is available on a full-time basis for a chat; counselling; and assistance with a range of matters including child care, budget assistance , emotional support in times of bereavement, families in trouble with the law, and breakdown of relationships.
• We have worked hard to ensure we have a physical environment in which Aboriginal people can feel comfortable. There has been an emphasis on outdoor seating, holding meetings under the trees and making sure we have a large number of clocks, as few Aboriginal students wear watches.
• We use the ATAS (Aboriginal Tutorial Assistance Scheme) program extensively and value the opportunity it can provide to help Aboriginal students with their study. Much time is put into the selection of ATAS tutors and there is continual monitoring to ensure that the student is happy and able to work with the Tutor.
• The Student Residential is a most supportive and encouraging environment where Aboriginal students are welcomed and supported. We have built ground floor bedrooms where Aboriginal mothers can stay with their babies and toddlers.
• We continually seek ways to expose Aboriginal students to opportunities that will build their confidence and belief in themselves.

• The Broome Campus Management Committee has a majority by one of Aboriginal members.
• Specific interest groups are formed for consultation with respect to specific campus matters, such as the addition of a new Aboriginal Studies unit.
• In seeking student representation for visits, talks, photos and the like, we are careful to ensure that both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people are included.
• We encourage remote Aboriginal schools to visit the campus. During the visit we provide refreshments and items of interest to the particular age group.
• Staff endeavour to visit remote communities and Kimberley and Pilbara towns as much as possible. We often attend a special event in a community.
• We are in continual consultation to monitor our courses so as to achieve a good academic and job outcome for the Aboriginal graduates.

• All Education students on the Broome Campus are required to study the foundation Aboriginal unit (AB100 Aboriginal People) as part of their degree structure. Students in other programs are encouraged to study this unit.
• Aboriginal units are offered to mixed classes of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students. This provides a unique basis for personal contact and sharing.
• Hosting groups of non-Aboriginal students from the Fremantle Campus make trips to remote Aboriginal communities for cultural visits.
• Major events are developed and offered with a cross-cultural perspective e.g. Graduation, Twilight Christmas and Sorry Day.
• We have developed a cross-cultural Graduation Ceremony to ensure the elders are offered the opportunity of inviting us to their land.

• Involvement continues throughout the year with the Centres at both Curtin University and the University of Western Australia. Notre Dame staff attend a number of meetings and support research undertaken by Curtin University.
• The Campus continues to give the highest priority to the employment of staff with previous positive exposure to Aboriginal people, while also ensuring that new staff attend cross-cultural training.
• Full-time staff members are not employed without either an Aboriginal person being on the interview panel or a separate interview being arranged. In this way, we try to ensure that the person being employed is someone acceptable to Aboriginal people as far as possible. We also involve other Aboriginal staff in prior consultation to ensure that the person is someone acceptable from a broader Aboriginal perspective.
• Ensuring that new staff have the opportunity to participate in cross-cultural workshops, have the opportunity to learn more about Aboriginal people and to spend time speaking with some of our older Board of Management members.

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Reconciliation

The Broome Campus works hard to express and practice Reconciliation. This forms the base of our strategy for Aboriginal education. Some practical applications of our Aboriginal Education Strategy are:

• The campus is very active and involved at such times as Sorry Day, workshops relating to the Constitution wording and Reconciliation, events that may be taking place at some of the major Aboriginal organisations in town, and so on. We work as a team of staff, being active in Aboriginal matters and mix with the Aboriginal community.
• It is a campus requirement that all undergraduate Education and Business students must take the foundation study unit of AB100 Aboriginal People. We are working towards having this extended to the Arts degrees, with a goal that every full-time student on the Broome Campus will study AB100 in their first semester. From this study and sharing together, bonds are formed and reconciliation becomes a natural way of campus life.
• Family bereavements are always respected and time is given to attend to family and ceremony. It is very common to have lecturers availing themselves to Aboriginal students who require "catch up" lecture time.
• Aboriginal Studies is a major discipline on the campus, with a range of units being available. Care is taken in the employment of sessional staff to deliver such units. The library has AB as its biggest collection, showing Aboriginal Studies due respect and professionalism.

Summary

The Broome Campus does not need to provide a separate Centre for the support of Aboriginal students, as the campus itself is a supportive environment. Daily Reconciliation will continue to be practiced.

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Contact

Sr Pat Rhatigan
Dean of the Broome Campus
Tel: (08) 9192 2032
Fax: (08) 9192 1247
email: pat@broome.nd.edu.au

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