| Monash University Objectives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education The following statement on education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people forms part of the equal opportunity policy statement adopted by the Council on the recommendation of the Equal Opportunity Committee. It was drawn up in consultation with the Monash Aboriginal community.
The Monash Plan ‘Leading the Way’, adopted in July 1997, includes a strong commitment to advancing the educational opportunities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It states:
The University’s equity plan, integral to its educational strategy, commits the University to increasing the number of its Indigenous staff. Review of Strategies Objectives and strategies will be pursued as specified below. 1 Maintain clear objectives and refine strategies for the attainment of those objectives. In 1997 Professor Colin Bourke and Associate Professor Eleanor Bourke of the University of South Australia were engaged as consultants to review Indigenous programs within the University and to provide advice which would enable the programs to achieve their full potential. In their report submitted in August 1997 the consultants recommended revision of curricula and amalgamation of existing programs into a Koorie Institute for Research, Development and Education under the leadership of a senior Indigenous academic. The University moved promptly on these recommendations. The position of Professor of Australian Indigenous Studies and Director of Monash Aboriginal Programs has been established by the Council of the University. The University is currently in the process of filling the position after obtaining exemption from the provisions of the Equal Opportunity Act 1995 to enable it to limit applications to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The first task of the appointee will be to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for Indigenous programs, consistent with the Monash Plan. It is envisaged that in addition to consolidation of teaching there will be significant initiatives announced in the course of 1999, including one or more graduate level programs. 2 Increase enrolments of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. 3 Improve retention, progression and graduation rates. 4 Promote enrolments in all fields of study, especially in business and science-based courses. Currently the University maintains two centres specifically directed to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education: the Centre for Koorie Studies (Gippsland Campus) and the Koorie Research Centre (Clayton campus). These centres are involved in outreach activities, the teaching of a bridging program, and undergraduate studies. The Centre for Koorie Studies offers a thirteen-week preparatory course for Indigenous students and a two year Diploma of Koorie Studies. A full-year bridging program was offered on the Clayton campus from 1984 to 1997. Currently the structure of the program is under review. The University is also working to increase Koorie access and participation through its:
These activities are undertaken in part to develop ties with Indigenous communities. The strengthening of links, it is expected, will lead in the short and medium term to increased access and participation. At the undergraduate level, to meet the objective of improved success and retention, the University
The resources committed to these initiatives signal the significant commitment by the University to creating an appropriate learning environment for Indigenous students, in part by the creation of awareness and respect for Koorie perspectives within the institution. Currently subjects in Indigenous studies may be taken as a major or minor sequence within the Bachelor of Arts at Gippsland (beginning in 1999) and Clayton (to honours level since 1998). As part of its teaching the KRC hosts a regular program of lectures by experts from the Indigenous community. The KRC maintains its own library, the Elizabeth Eggleston Resource Centre. In the Faculty of Medicine the annual Matthew Campbell lecture provides a forum for discussion on Indigenous health issues by leading members of the Koorie community. First and third year medical students are offered an elective on Indigenous culture and health. 5 Promote research into Aboriginal culture. Research activities are based in the Koorie Research Centre, which currently undertakes and publishes research in the following areas: Criminal Justice and Indigenous Victorians; Racism and Sport; Oral History. The KRC also manages, or participates in, a number of projects, and tenders for community and government contracts. 6 Increase the number of Indigenous employees. Currently the University has 13 Indigenous members of staff. The Monash Plan provides for this number to rise to 30 in 2002. A reference group is to be established in second semester, with representatives from the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc and Dandenong, Morwell, and Bairnsdale cooperatives, to recommend placement targets and workforce classifications across University campuses. Evaluation of Strategies University programs will continue to be evaluated by means of :
Access, Participation, Success, Retention, and Projected Performance Against Performance Indicators Trends in Equity Indicators Access: there has been a decline over the last four years in the access indicator, which in 1998 stood at 0.44%. This result in part reflects the suspension of the Monash Orientation Scheme for Aborigines in 1998 and the non-inclusion of the Gippsland bridging program, whose entry is in second semester. There is, however, some decline in Indigenous participation, a matter of concern to the University. Evidence gathered by staff of the Indigenous teaching units indicates that the decline may be influenced by the relatively greater attractiveness of the TAFE sector over recent years, changes to ABSTUDY, and the impact on potential students of current political debates. Participation: the representation of Indigenous people at Monash in 1998 matches their representation in the state. Success: Indigenous students at Monash are less successful than other Monash students, but the margin in the latest available figures is not so great as might have been expected, given the educational and social disadvantages experienced by these students. Apparent retention: The apparent retention figure for 1998 reflects a slight decline from the previous year and may reflect the issues noted above, including changes to ABSTUDY (and late payment of students). An improvement is aimed for. Table 1: Equity Performance Indicators For Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People 1994–1998
Projected Performance Analysis of Targets Targets for access, participation, success, and retention and for operating grant load are based on these major considerations:
Table 2: Equity Performance Indicator Projections for Target Equity Groups
Contact Officers Professor Eleanor A Bourke Ms Marlene Drysdale Dr Margaret James |
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