Objectives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education

There are consolidated mechanisms institution-wide which already inform and direct the overall objectives relating to Indigenous education at Deakin University. Under Statute 2.9, Regulation 2.9(14), Deakin University’s Council has established Joint Management principles through the management structure of the Board of the Institute of Koorie Education. There is also the triennial Higher Education Agreement which binds the University into a collaborative partnership with the Victorian Koorie Communities in regard to policy development, program implementation and resource allocation. The Koorie Employment and Career Development Strategy targets Indigenous Australian employment across the University.

Deakin University through its five Faculties will continue to customise degree offerings using a community-based mode of delivery which respond to the diverse academic needs of Indigenous Australian communities. The University will continue to develop strategies which support Indigenous Australian student participation at all levels of undergraduate and postgraduate study and ensure that the current growth continues to produce successful graduate outcomes. In line with research currently being conducted University-wide, the Institute of Koorie Education will continue its practice of tracking graduate employment outcomes.

Deakin University will establish a collaborative research profile with Indigenous Australian communities, in line with The University Plan 1998–2000, Lifelong Professional Learning, which recognises research objectives promoting research activity, infrastructure, ethical standards, and resourcing. Deakin University will establish the framework of ethical and procedural agreements which respect the Indigenous Australian communities’ research needs and the role of Indigenous Australian researchers.

Strategies for the 1999–2001 Triennium

Historically the strategies incorporated into the triennial plans of the Aboriginal Education Strategy have achieved a spectacular growth rate in terms of access for Indigenous Australian students. This is demonstrated in the achievement of higher than target EFTSU figures for 1997 and 1998. The strategies already in place for joint management, resourcing Koorie education, Koorie employment, community liaison, recruitment, research, curriculum and pedagogical development, coordination and reporting mechanisms, awareness raising and staff development programs, publicising the University’s strategies for Koorie Education, and dissemination of other promotional and information materials, will continue to be the focus of the Institute of Koorie Education’s practice.

1 Customise course design, delivery modes, and teaching methodology

Maintain Koorie student participation across all the community-based courses through the continued development of specific teaching strategies and the employment of specialist teaching personnel, sensitive to the pedagogical and curriculum needs of the students. Off-campus curriculum resource formats are most readily adapted to this strategy.

Develop appropriate teaching styles, timetabling arrangements, and assessments, together with the incorporation of Koorie cultural knowledge and perspectives into the curriculum which can then be negotiated between the Institute of Koorie Education and Faculty academic staff.

Evaluation: a demonstrated number of curriculum shifts within units which embrace Koorie perspectives and an improved success performance indicator.

2 Maintain, review and extend community-based programs within Faculties

Maintain student enrolment in community-based undergraduate and postgraduate units offered across the Schools within all Faculties, including combined degree structures, where appropriate.

Maintain and extend the Koorie Education Prison Program, initiated in 1994 in response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. This has now been established Statewide in the Victorian prison system.

Continue to be involved in collaborative projects such as the Koorie Intern Teacher Education Program which respond to the defined needs of Indigenous Australian communities.

Evaluation: reflected in the number of new programs commenced in the triennium and the maintenance of student enrolments and improved retention rate.

3 Maintain support structures for Indigenous Australian students enrolled in off-campus, community-based studies

Conduct cycles of residential study-block intensives, from January to December, at the Geelong campus for all levels of undergraduate and postgraduate study. Build on the established support structures for off-campus students, through community tutorial assistance for selected units, assistance with information technology, student support officer assistance, and counselling and administrative support, including travel and accommodation.

Evaluation: increased retention and success of students in the community-based programs

4 Maintain support structures for Indigenous Australian students enrolled in on-campus studies

Even though the number of students in on-campus courses is small, the Institute of Koorie Education will continue to build on its established support structures across the Deakin campuses, through the extension of community tutorial assistance for selected units, assistance with information technology, student support officer assistance, counselling, and administrative support. However, the Ham Report: A Review of Support Funding for Indigenous Australian Students in Higher Education (1996), highlights the problematic nature of multi-campus student support. Therefore, Deakin University will continue to stay focussed on the community-based model where it has demonstrated success.

Evaluation: monitor the number of student registrations for the Aboriginal Tutorial Assistance Scheme and the number of successful responses to counselling and administrative requests which increased retention and success in on-campus unit enrolments.

5 Maintain administrative strategies in the context of the community-based program focus

Maintain staffing strategies by continuing to:

• appoint academic staff jointly through the Institute of Koorie Education and the Faculties to teach in all community-based programs in which Indigenous Australian students are enrolled;

• appoint administrative staff to service the Institute of Koorie Education’s programs;

• engage Indigenous Australian consultants and project research personnel;

and under the Koorie Employment and Career Development Strategy(KECDS),

• meet targets of placing Koories into positions elsewhere in the University as academic, administrative, clerical, skilled, semi-skilled, trainee, and apprentice staff.

Evaluation: maintain current Indigenous Australian staff ratios in the academic and administrative areas. Document the role and activity of consultant/research/project personnel in relevant reports and the number of publications in which they were involved. Match the number of Indigenous Australian people appointed to the targets set out in the KECDS.

6 Establish an Indigenous Australian research profile

Submit for grants and projects which will assist Deakin University to establish an Indigenous Australian research profile. Support postgraduate Indigenous Australian students in the conduct of their research.

Evaluation: monitor the number of grants received, publications, Indigenous Australian researchers appointed, and postgraduate student completions.

7 Maintain Joint Management strategies

The Institute of Koorie Education will continue to update the Higher Education Agreement between Deakin University and the Victorian Koorie Community and ensure that its objectives are achieved throughout the triennium.

Conduct the required quarterly meetings of the Board of the Institute of Koorie Education.

Community representation on all community-based program structures, including steering committees, curriculum initiatives, collaborative projects, and research activities.

The budget process will achieve maximum quality outcomes in terms of access, participation, retention, and success. The Joint Management structure guarantees effective financial accountability and transparency by monitoring the distribution of Aboriginal funds within the University.

Continue to formalise the representation on University committee structures and panels.

Monitor all the principles relating to the Joint Management processes.

Evaluation: quarterly and annual reports and minutes conducted in regard to policy, programs, financial activities, and reviews.

8 Publicise Deakin University’s Indigenous Australian education strategies, reports and disseminate other promotional and information materials

Disseminate publications across the University and through the Victorian Aboriginal Education Assoc. Inc. networks, Koorie Communities, and other relevant Indigenous Australian forums. Participate in conferences, forums, and other activities promoting Indigenous Australian education.

Evaluation: monitor reports published, conferences attended, and papers delivered.

Table 1 indicates historical trends with notes highlighting Deakin’s performance.

Table 1

NOTES

Deakin consistently provides access for Indigenous Australian students at more than twice the rate of State access and is marginally below the national rate.

Participation rates are significantly (more than 100%) higher than both State and national rates, in 1997.

Deakin’s indicator for success is slightly less in 1996 than the national figure but has improved by seven percentage points in 1997.

Deakin’s retention rate is higher than both State and national levels for 1997.

Data Analysis of Success and Retention

In the School of Visual, Performing and Media Arts and the two schools of the Faculty of Education, which have a high EFTSU load, the Koorie student progress rate is close to the overall student progress rate which represents a success ratio near the optimum.

In the School of Law, Koorie students also perform successfully with a ratio of 0.83.

Overall, units taken by Koorie students across the Schools of the Faculty of Science and Technology (in community based programs of the Bachelor of Applied Science (Health Promotion), Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma of Natural and Cultural Heritage Interpretation) are achieving high levels of success. For example, in the School of Aquatic Science and Resource Management the success ratio is 0.99.

Across the Schools of the Faculty of Arts the success ratio indicates less success for Koorie students particularly in the Psychology units. On the basis of these results, the Institute of Koorie Education together with the Faculty of Arts will focus on strategies to improve success in this area. The Faculty of Arts enrolments are a significant EFTSU load.

In some cases where one student or a small number of students have enrolled in one unit within a School, the data for success are not statistically significant in terms of Koorie EFTSU passed or failed.

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