| Northern Territory University Objectives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
education
The Northern Territory University aims to ensure
that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have access to further knowledge and
skills in accordance with their aspirations.
The University is committed to strengthening
relevant courses with significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content and
involving Aboriginal people in the decision-making processes of the University. The
University accepts a greater responsibility, given the special circumstances of its
demographic context, to increase the numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people participating in its courses and in employment at NTU. Aboriginal people make up
approximately 30% of the Northern Territory’s population and the University is in a
unique position to take a leading role in the provision of educational services to
Indigenous Australians.
The vision of the University is to have its
teaching and training profile reflect the professional, vocational, social, and
intellectual needs of Indigenous Australians and to have its research profile enhanced by
the University’s expertise in issues relating to Indigenous people.
In its broad approach, the University is committed
to striving for improved outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
through:
teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
students in both mainstream and specially constructed programs;
teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
skills and culture to all its staff and students; and
promoting the goals of reconciliation.
Strategies and Performance
Lin Martin indicators for Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander student equity performance are shown below:
| Year |
Access (%) |
Participation |
Retention |
Success |
| 1996 |
6.14 |
0.25 |
0.640 |
0.65 |
| 1997 |
5.97 |
0.16 |
0.665 |
0.70 |
| 1998 |
6.72 |
0.23 |
0.751 |
n/a |
Strategies for the triennium are aimed at
maintaining recent trends of improvement in equity indicators for Indigenous students with
a target of raising values for retention and success above national average values and
getting access and participation to more closely reflect the proportion of Indigenous
Australians in the population of the Northern Territory.
Tabulated below are goals and expected outcomes,
activities to achieve goals, and evaluation measures of the success of activities to be
implemented.
| Goal/Outcome |
Actions |
Performance Indicators |
| Promote access of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander students |
Provide basic literacy and numeracy
programs Provide enabling courses
Develop pathways linking secondary schools and vocational
education and training programs to encourage further tertiary study
Ensure continuation of special entry provisions for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander students
Provide course counselling for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander students |
Total Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander higher education enrolments Commencing Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander students as a percentage of all commencing students |
| Increase participation of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander students |
Provide appropriate accommodation for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students Facilitate
appropriate child care arrangements for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
Secure scholarships and grants to support Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander students
Facilitate access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
students to the University’s loan system
Introduce an intensive pre-law program |
Percentage of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander students compared with percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people in the Northern Territory |
| Ensure equitable and appropriate
educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students |
Extend counselling system to cover the
needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students Develop
the quality and relevance of teaching to meet needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander students
Ensure attainment of proficiency in English language, numeracy,
communications, and computing using flexible delivery
Widen the range of award courses specifically designed to meet
needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Provide opportunities for all students and staff to develop an
understanding and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional and
contemporary culture
Promote teaching of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies
within the University
Establish Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academic support
personnel in faculties
Facilitate career prospects and enhancement though counselling and
provision of grants, scholarships and internships |
Ratio of apparent retention rate (ARR)
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to the ARR of other students Ratio of student progress rate (SPR) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander students to the SPR for other students |
| Develop opportunities for relevant
research for and by Aboriginal people |
Target Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander student involvement in research-based activities and postgraduate studies Formalise pathway for student development of skills and education into
research activities
Identify areas of need for research
Develop and formalise opportunities for research to be supported
and encouraged |
Number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander students in postgraduate research programs Number
of Indigenous researchers |
| Involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people in educational decision-making |
Maintain, promote and finance Aboriginal
Advisory Committee Develop and implement Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander employment strategy
Ensure Aboriginal representation on all key committees
Provide professional development and appropriate support
mechanisms for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff
Develop and deliver cross-cultural training for non-Indigenous
staff
Encourage a commitment to appropriate protocol in relation to
Indigenous issues across the University |
Percentage membership of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander staff on key University committees Full-Time
Equivalent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff members |
Contact
Associate Professor Isaac Brown
Dean, Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
Telephone: 08 8946 6440
Facsimile: 08 8946 6345
Email: browni@darwin.ntu.edu.au |