Objectives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education

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 of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in all courses offered by the University.
   
3. To increase the awareness and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures within courses offered to all students of the University.
   
4. To ensure that all teacher education students undertake a core unit in Indigenous Studies and have the opportunity for additional elective units in their courses.
   
5. To provide opportunities for academic staff to incorporate a deeper appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in their teaching.

Strategies and Performance

1. Maintain the University’s three Indigenous Advisory Committees (one in each of NSW/ACT, Queensland and Victoria) reporting to the University-wide Management Committee. State Committees to meet at least three times per year and have at least a 50% Indigenous membership.

Anticipated Outcomes

• Improved dialogue and collaboration.

• Clarification of needs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Evaluation

The Chairpersons of each committee will report on effectiveness of meetings. Local senior staff will comment on the impact on staff attitudes and involvement in Indigenous-related activities on each campus.

2. Continue to offer the Diploma of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education at Mt St Mary Campus, Sydney, and McAuley Campus, Brisbane, and the Bachelor of Teaching at Mt St Mary Campus. Review the offering of the Diploma of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education at Wilcannia and assess the feasibility of offering the course at Bourke or another rural centre in 2000. Implement in Mildura a special program leading to the award of BEd(Primary) for Aboriginal students.

Anticipated Outcomes

• Maintenance of new enrolments and increase in total enrolment numbers.

• Increased numbers of students progressing from Diploma to Bachelor course. This will be especially so in 2000 and 2001 as the larger cohorts in the current years 1 and 2 of the Diploma move on to the Bachelor course.

• Enrolment of some Wilcannia based students in the Bachelor course in Sydney following completion of the Diploma in 1998.

Evaluation

Student and staff evaluation of effectiveness of courses; continued demand for course in Indigenous communities; success rates in courses maintained at satisfactory levels.

3. Continue implementation at McAuley Campus of the new Diploma in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Business Administration into second year; enrol a second cohort of Indigenous students into the first year at McAuley Campus.

Anticipated Outcomes

• Increased enrolment numbers in Diploma in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Business Administration course.

• Increased involvement of academics in the area of Business and Administration in teaching the course.

Evaluation

Enrolment data; student and staff evaluation of effectiveness of course; success rates.

4. Implement the recently approved BEd (Secondary—Indigenous) course at Mt St Mary Campus in accordance with contract agreed with the NSW Dept of Education and Training (DET).

Anticipated Outcomes

• Initial enrolment of approximately twenty Aboriginal students in Second Semester 1998 with another cohort mid-year 1999.

• After four years, graduates with special expertise in teaching of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural studies within secondary schools in NSW.

Evaluation

Demand for course within the NSW DET; student and staff evaluation of units taught in first year; feedback from DET liaison personnel; success rate.

5. Develop and implement units of study designed to enhance skills and cultural awareness of health workers in their treatment and care of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Anticipated Outcomes

• Units of study available for dissemination to targeted groups of health care workers initially in New South Wales.

• Flexible delivery modes including some use of information technologies to be provided for some unit modules.

• Involvement of health care workers in the implementation of prepared units.

Evaluation

Completed units ready for dissemination; participation of trial groups of health care workers in the use of the learning modules/units; evaluation feedback from participating personnel and from the clients of the project.

6. Continue to pursue the inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives within all major undergraduate and postgraduate areas of teaching within the University.

Anticipated Outcomes

• Increased awareness of Indigenous cultural studies amongst staff.

• Increase in the number of units with relevant focus offered throughout faculties.

• Increased enrolments of non-Aboriginal students in units with a specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander focus.

Currently all students enrolled in undergraduate teacher education programs must do the core unit Indigenous Peoples: Past and Present.

Evaluation

Survey the increase of Indigenous units offered or being developed and identify the number of units incorporating an Indigenous perspective.

7. Maintain the Special Entry Provisions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to ensure access to the University’s mainstream courses and courses specially designed for Indigenous people.

Anticipated Outcomes

• Increased enrolment numbers

• Increased Equivalent Full Time Student Units (EFTSU).

Student Numbers

1996 149
1997 165
1998 210

Student numbers have continued to increase over the years. The University’s access indicators for 1996 (2.3) and 1997 (1.92) have been above the national reference value. ACU’s participation indicators for 1996 and 1997 at 1.7 and 1.75 are above the national reference values for each year.

Evaluation

Survey students as to appropriateness of programs.

Measure the extent of increased enrolments.

8. Continue to provide support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in each State through local support areas. Units are currently located at Ballarat, Brisbane and Sydney.

Anticipated Outcomes

• Further development of the new Aboriginal Support Unit (Jim-Baa-Yer) in Victoria for Melbourne and Ballarat campuses.

• Greater visibility of Aboriginal support on all campuses.

• Greater involvement of staff and students in ongoing activities in respect of Indigenous strategies.

• Improved retention and success rates.

The provision of support has had a significant effect on success rates reflected in the number of graduates.

Graduates

The retention indicators for 1996 (0.771) and 1997 (0.982) are equal to (1996) or above (1997) the national reference values. The retention rates for students in the past two years have been high.

There are seven staff employed in Support Units of whom six are Aboriginal.

Evaluation

Survey students as to satisfaction with level of support; measurement and evaluation of retention and success rates.

9. Develop an Indigenous student recruitment program.

Anticipated Outcomes

• Increased interest in university opportunities among Indigenous parents and school students.

• Increased demand for courses at the University.

• Maintenance of enrolments at current levels or above.

Evaluation

Increase in number of students enrolled.

Contact

Richard Doyle
University Secretary
Australian Catholic University
40 Edward Street, North Sydney NSW 2060
PO Box 968, North Sydney NSW 2059
Telephone: 02 9739 2912
Facsimile: 02 9739 2905
Internet: http://www.acu.edu.au/