The University of Sydney

Objectives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education

The University of Sydney is committed to the empowerment and self determination of Indigenous Australian people through education. The overall objective of the University is to encourage and support the participation and success of Indigenous Australian people in the University by increasing opportunities for participation as students, educators, administrators, and researchers and by providing mechanisms which will ensure successful outcomes at all levels. The University will continue to develop appropriate and effective consultative mechanisms to ensure the involvement of Indigenous Australian communities in decision-making related to Indigenous education.

The University of Sydney has played a major role in Indigenous Australian education for more than two decades. It recognises that stringent entry requirements, lack of information about higher education programs, disadvantaged educational backgrounds, and the effects of past government policies including removal of Indigenous people from their families have been some of the major barriers to the participation and success of Indigenous Australian people at universities. The objectives and strategies that have been developed are aimed at addressing these issues.

Strategies and Performance

Strategy #1: To improve access and participation to all academic programs of the University of Sydney for Indigenous Australians.

How will we achieve this goal?	How will we evaluate this activity?
Promote the University, its courses, entry requirements, and cultural and academic support services in order to increase undergraduate and postgraduate enrolments.	Monitor course enquiries and access and participation rates.
Implement outreach programs which target educational institutions, Indigenous organisations, and communities.	Record participant evaluation & feedback & use for further program development.
Promote the Cadigal Access and Support Program within the University and externally.	Monitor number of Cadigal applications; regular reviews of program.
Develop additional enabling courses (Preparatory).	Monitor student outcomes.
Increase numbers of HECS-exempt places/scholarships for Indigenous applicants in undergraduate and postgraduate programs.	Monitor numbers of HECS-exempt places and scholarships awarded.

Strategy #2 To improve retention rates and successful outcomes for Indigenous Australian students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

How will we achieve this goal?	How will we evaluate this activity?
Provide a comprehensive system of academic, social and cultural support.	Closely monitor retention and success rates and discontinuations.
Improve the delivery of the Aboriginal Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ATAS) and provide training and cultural awareness for tutors.	Monitor student usage of ATAS and evaluate tutoring.
Provide ongoing orientation programs for new students.	Student feedback and formal evaluation.
Provide culturally appropriate counselling & pastoral care.	Monitor students accessing services and assess further needs.
Improve communication with employers of block-mode students.	Monitor number of reported conflicts between job demands and study patterns.
Establish appropriate off-campus support for students in block-mode programs.	Evaluate pilot rural centres and ‘roving tutor’ concept.
Investigate options to assist students in critical areas of need, particularly housing and financial support.	Number of student housing places provided and financial support allocated.

Strategy #3: To provide curricula and modes of course delivery that are informed by current research and the needs of Indigenous Australian communities.

How will we achieve this goal?	How will we evaluate this activity?
Continue to offer specialist block-mode programs in Indigenous health and education.	Student and course evaluations.
Develop new high quality undergraduate and postgraduate courses with an Indigenous perspective taught by Indigenous academics.	Monitor enrolments; number and level of courses offered.
Offer community education programs in response to identified needs.	Number and level of services provided; qualitative review of services.
Ensure that Indigenous elders and community members participate in teaching.	Extent of participation; staff and student feedback.
Provide opportunities for staff development in teaching for Indigenous academics.	Number of staff participating in staff development programs.
Promote the teaching of Indigenous Australian perspectives across the curricula of the University.	Number of requests from faculties; seek qualitative reports from faculties.
Ensure that teaching across the University is culturally sensitive by publishing appropriate guidelines.	Publication of guidelines.

Strategy #4: To recognise and promote understanding of and respect for Indigenous Australian peoples, their knowledge and cultures.

How will we achieve this goal?	How will we evaluate this activity?
Develop cultural awareness programs for staff and students.	Number of programs organised; evaluations at each session.
Promote cultural ceremonies and events.	Number and significance of events.
Involve Indigenous communities in the decision making processes of the University.	Levels of participation in committees across the University.
Enhance communication between Indigenous students, communities and academic staff through the provision of electronic networks and print media.	Quantitative analysis of IT networks; monitor student and community response to publications.
Foster collaboration and understanding between Indigenous Australians and the wider University community by facilitating forums involving academic and Indigenous communities.	Number and level of forums provided; qualitative review of forums; participant feedback.

Strategy #5: To develop research activities by Indigenous Australian staff and students, especially research which responds to the needs of Indigenous Australian communities.

How will we achieve this goal?	How will we evaluate this activity?
Recruit and retain Indigenous research students.	Number of research students & graduates.
Where appropriate, appoint Indigenous elders and community members as supervisors.	Number of Indigenous people appointed as supervisors.
Provide a constructive academic and cultural environment for Indigenous research students.	Student evaluation.
Promote and support research by Indigenous academics within the University.	Research activity and output by Indigenous staff.
Provide staff development in research and encourage academic staff to complete higher degrees.	Number of academic staff participating in staff development programs and postgraduate completions.
Undertake research in collaboration with Indigenous communities.	Monitor extent of research activity.

Historical Data

The number of Indigenous Australian students at the University of Sydney has grown steadily over the past few years, both in absolute terms and as a proportion of total students, the rate of growth in numbers being the second highest in the country. Recent DEETYA performance indicators show the following:

1995				1996			1997
Students		%		Students		%	Students		%
179	0.6		210		0.7			247		0.8

These figures are understated because they fail to include groups of around 25 students who enrol each year in a preparatory program commencing in June.

Two areas where the University’s achievement has been outstanding are in Indigenous Health and Education. Over the past years there have been a number of significant course developments in these areas. At the same time, however, participation of students across the whole University has continued to increase indicating that the University’s strategies, particularly the Cadigal Access and Support Program, have been highly successful.

The retention indicator for 1998 was 0.81, compared with a target of 0.88. The University also fell short of its success target of 0.90, achieving only 0.81. However, despite the lower success and retention rates, the University’s performance was still well above the national averages (0.78 for both indicators) for 1997.

Indications are that the main reason for the downturn in the success and retention indicators is student discontinuation rather than academic failure. Financial difficulties, lack of money for accommodation, inability to find part-time work, less workplace support, and family pressures have commonly been identified as reasons for discontinuation. However, interviews with students have revealed that uncertainties about ABSTUDY, the introduction of differential HECS coupled with the lower income threshold for repayments, and the cutbacks in funding to community and other organisations employing Indigenous people have been major factors influencing withdrawals in 1997–8. This is reflected in lower than expected enrolments and load in 1998 and a drop in the EFTSU:enrolment ratio from 0.79 to 0.72 in 1998.

It should be noted that the definition of ‘success’ used by DEETYA does not fully take into account a number of important factors influencing decisions made by Indigenous students about their university studies. For example, ‘discontinuation’ for Indigenous students does not, in the main, indicate failure. Some students may withdraw after partial completion but, having gained confidence in their own abilities, go on to find meaningful employment in their local communities. Others transfer to other courses better suited to their needs. Exit interviews reveal that students themselves often define their university experience as ‘successful’ even though they fail to complete. Another common occurrence is for students to enrol in a program, withdraw and then re-enter the course at a later stage, eventually graduating. This indicates the need for increased flexibility in course delivery in keeping with the preferred patterns of studies and other factors influencing Indigenous students.

Outcomes of Reviews and Evaluations

Student and course evaluations are an ongoing feature of quality assurance in teaching at the University of Sydney. The following course evaluations have occurred over the past 12 months:

a major review of course materials used for the off-campus part of health worker education programs (Community Based and Independent Learning Packages, Vol 1,2,3) was undertaken in 1997 leading to a second edition of the packages, used in Semester 1, 1998;

evaluation of Aboriginal Health worker rural and remote training program (for the Department of Rural Health, Faculty of Medicine, Broken Hill Campus) recommending continued development of the program; and

major review of the Diploma in Aboriginal Assistants Education resulting in major curriculum changes and the development of new course materials and mode of delivery to be implemented in 1999.

Scholarships

The University continues actively to seek scholarships for Indigenous students with the following outcomes:

establishment of an Indigenous Law Student Scholarship;
Indigenous student scholarship announced on National Sorry Day ($25,000) to provide the initial contribution to the establishment of a scholarship fund for the training of Indigenous archivists, genealogists, historical researchers and counsellors;
Faculty of Arts Indigenous Student Scholarship (HECS);
eight Equity and Merit Scholarships awarded to Indigenous students; and
HECS scholarships were awarded to Indigenous students for postgraduate coursework programs.

Negotiations are currently under way for an additional three Indigenous scholarships to be introduced in 1999.

Financial Assistance and Housing

Financial assistance remains an ongoing problem for Indigenous students and is a major factor in their retention and success. Ten additional up-front fee exemptions are now being negotiated for 1999 to address this problem but the University recognises the need for further urgent action in this area.

The University is currently examining options to provide affordable housing for Indigenous students including housing suitable for block-mode programs. Some resolution of the housing issue is expected by the end of 1998.

Research into Indigenous Education

Current research being undertaken into student learning and other aspects of Indigenous education by researchers at the University of Sydney is informing the ongoing teaching and support for Indigenous students. Recent output includes refereed journal articles and successful grant applications.

Contact Officers

Ms Janet Mooney Director Koori Centre Telephone: 02 9351 2046 Facsimile: 02 9351 6923	Dr Kathleen Clapham Head Yooroang Garang: The Centre for Indigenous Health Studies Telephone: 02 9351 9131 Facsimile: 02 9351 9400
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