Batchelor
College
Vision statement
Batchelor College will progressively develop as a
multi-purpose centre of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholarship recognised
nationally and internationally as an independent Indigenous university.
The scholarship of the institution will embrace a
broad profile of undergraduate higher education and vocational education and training
courses, programs of research, post-graduate studies, and community service, embedded in
and informed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities of Australia. The
programs will draw on both western academic traditions of knowledge and education and
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditions.
Particularly through its governance, scholarship
and teaching, the institution will be an integral part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander communities of Australia, and from this position will significantly influence
national development.
Statement of purpose
The purpose of Batchelor College as a Northern
Territory institution is to serve the interests of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander communities in education and training, through excellence in undergraduate and
graduate teaching and learning, vocational education and training, in scholarship,
research, creative expression and community service, and, in so doing, contribute to the
cultural, social and economic development of Australia.
Operating principles
In its operations, and as an
emerging university, Batchelor College will:
- be governed by a Council made up predominantly of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people reflective of the communities served;
- ensure efficient operation of the Council so that there is
effective control of the College by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people;
- be guided by the aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander communities, particularly those of rural and remote areas as principal
stakeholders;
- establish programs that will lead to enhanced employment
opportunities and economic status for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people;
- work through collaboration and negotiation with Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander communities, individuals, their representative organisations and
other institutions;
- respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander decision-making
processes;
- implement processes that incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander knowledge, experience and educational practices in the design, content and
implementation of its programs;
- maintain excellence in western academic traditions of tertiary
education, inquiry, research, vocational education, and training;
- continue to seek to enhance the quality of program outcomes;
- implement quality strategies designed to produce progressive and
ongoing improvement throughout the College;
- continuously and periodically review and assess the quality of its
operations and the fulfilment of its purpose;
- optimise participation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people on the staff of the institution at all levels;
- manage and administer its resources so as to achieve its goals
efficiently and cost effectively; and
- maintain open, timely and effective communication with its staff,
students, graduates, employers of graduates, professional bodies and community groups.
Strategies and performance
1. Graduate attributes: To offer education and training programs that reflect and address the
education and employment needs, the social and cultural contexts and the aspirations of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, of their communities and organisations, and
of industry (teaching and learning goal 1)
| Strategies |
Key
indicators |
Performance targets |
| 1.1 College Council with
majority Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander membership to accredit its own higher
education courses 1.2 Periodic community consultation, with
a major consultation round at least each five years
1.3 Procedures to ensure that courses
recognise and draw upon both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditions of knowledge
and education and western academic traditions
|
Proportion of Council
made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members
Reports to Council on community consultation
Proportion of Course Development Committees,
Course Assessment Committees and Course Monitoring Committees having Aboriginal &
Torres Strait Islander membership
Graduates in employment |
Currently at 85%
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
1995 major consultation with communities incorporated into
Strategic Plan.
1998 follow up consultation completed
Currently all Course Development, Course Assessment and Course
Monitoring Committees have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation
82.5% of all College graduates are in full time current employment
Only 0.2% of College graduates are unemployed |
Batchelor College graduates are expected to have
the knowledge and skills that will enable them to take up employment within their home
communities as well as the confidence and skills to seek and secure employment in the
community at large while remaining active participants in the culture of their home
community.
2. Quality of
staffing: To enhance the resources of knowledge, skills and
experience within the College staff in general, and through the employment and career
advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on the academic and general
staff of the College (TLG 2a)
| Strategies |
Key indicators |
Performance targets |
| 2.1 Implementation of
professional development programs, Individual Research and Scholarship Program and study
leave 2.2 Implementation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Employment and Career Pathway Policy
2.3 Recruitment of more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
staff
2.4 Establishment of a Curriculum and Research Unit (CARU) to
provide assistance to staff in key teaching and materials development areas |
Number of staff engaged
in professional development programs
Staff engaged in further studies under the Professional
Development Assistant Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff
The percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on
staff
Number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff with
personal Career Pathways Schemes in place
|
All academic staff to be
engaged in a program of research and scholarship each year 3
in 1998, 4 in 1999
Indigenous person to:
Assistant Director 1998
Director 1999
Increasing by 5-10% per year up to approx. 50% before review by
Council
12 in 1998
20 in 1999 |
3. Flexible
delivery: To make all courses available through modes of
delivery which allow students to effectively access the benefits of a tertiary education
regardless of their location, and which support family life, the community life, and
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures (TLG 6)
| Strategies |
Key indicators |
Performance targets |
| 3.1 Promotion of formal
agreements between communities and the College on the delivery of programs 3.2 Provision of community study centres for student use
3.3 Provision of student support services including counsellors,
Aboriginal Tutor Assistance Scheme (ATAS) tutors and Remote Area Librarian
3.4 Development of materials and processes in support of remote
area mixed-mode delivery of courses
3.5 Promote the deployment of lecturers in community bases |
Number of community
agreements in place
Number of community study centres in operation
Number of ATAS tutor hours contracted.
Number of student counsellors
Number remote area librarians
Number of courses having materials for student use between
workshops
Numbers of lecturers that are community-based |
35 at June 1998 40 by end 1999
37 at June 1998
45 by end 1999
7888 in 1995, 37467 in 1996, 80158 in 1997
3 are employed in 1998
1.8 remote area librarians
By the end of 1999 all courses will have developed materials for
support of students between workshops
10 in 1998
20 by 1999 |
During 1998 a working party has been established
to review the community-based operations of the College and will report by December 1998.
4. Quality
improvement: To implement processes and strategies, within an
institutional culture of quality improvement, to ensure that the teaching, training,
learning, and program outcomes are of the highest quality (TLG 2)
| Strategies |
Key indicators |
Performance targets |
| 4.1 Implementation of the
College Quality Assurance Plan incorporating regular self assessment and operational unit
performance reviews
4.2 All units work to annual operational plans that reflect the
College Strategic Plan
4.2 Implementation of enterprise bargaining agreement providing
for staff reporting on delivery of courses against semester activity plans
4.3 All new courses have Course Development and Course Assessment
Committees that include representatives of community, professions & industry
4.4 All courses have Course Monitoring Committees that evaluate
course delivery and recommend changes to improve quality |
Number of staff trained
in self assessment and performance review processes
Number of operational plans submitted
Number of individual activity plans satisfactorily reported
against each semester
New and reaccredited courses approved by the Academic Committee
based upon recommendations of Course Development and Course Assessment Committees
Reports to Academic Committee from Course Monitoring Committees
each year |
30% of staff have
undergone training in quality self assessment processes 60%
trained by end 1998
All staff trained by end 1999
All operational units have submitted operational plans in 1998
Staff reporting against activity plans for the first time in June
1998
All new and reaccredited courses by end 1998
By end of 1998 Course Monitoring Committees will report on all
courses to the Academic Committee at least once per year |
As a provider of vocational education and training
(VET) courses as well as higher education courses the College has to meet requirements
under the Northern Territory (NT) Quality Framework. This involves external validation of
College self-assessment processes for the award of QETO (Quality Endorsed Training
Organisation) which is needed to qualify for future VET funding. The College expects to
qualify for the QETO Award in December 1998.
5. A research
culture: To foster research and scholarship which are endorsed
by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and which enhance the teaching and
community service functions of the college (research and scholarship goal 1)
| Strategies |
Key indicators |
Performance targets |
| 5.1 Promotion of research
through the Individual Research and Scholarship Program
5.2 The establishment of College Research and Research Ethics
Committees
5.3 The award of College internal research grants
5.4 The publishing of the journal "Ngoonjook" on
Indigenous issues |
Number of academic staff
undertaking research and scholarship programs
Number of applications dealt with by the Research and Research
Ethics Committees
Value of internal research awards
"Ngoonjook" issues per year |
All academic staff are
engaged in individual research and scholarship programs each year from 1998
Newly operationalised in 1998
$6000 in 1997,
$10 000 in 1998
1 issue in 1997
2 issues in 1998 |
While the College is at present not funded for
ongoing research activity, there have been a number of significant projects over the years
funded out of programs such as the Higher Education Innovation Programme (HEIP) and the
Committee for University Teaching and Staff Development (CUTSD).
6. Institutional
development and phased change: The College to have a Council
with a majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with the institution
implementing a phased change from agency status through independence towards status as a
University
| Strategies |
Key indicators |
Performance targets |
| Phase 1: Agency Status As an agency the College is no longer within the NT Department of Education
but remains within the NT public sector with a status comparable to that of a government
department
The Council of the College has a significant majority of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
Phase 2: Independence
The College becomes independent from the NT public sector in
affiliation with another university or universities
Phase 3: University Status
The 1994 DETYA evaluation report recommended that after some time
as an independent institution the College should achieve ‘independent university
status’ |
From April 1995 the
College became an agency within the NT public sector
Changes in NT Education Act ensure a majority of Council members
are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
Target date for independence has been
revised to July 1999 or as soon as possible thereafter
Working parties are preparing materials for independence
legislation
In November 1996 the College Council decided not to set a target
date for university status. Date to be determined when the size of the institution and the
range and quality of its programs were appropriate |
Completed 1995
In place 1997. Induction of new Council members into their role
and responsibilities.
85% Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders on Council.
Better regional representation on Council by 1999
Legislation for independence to be passed by NT Government. Actual
date will depend upon legislative processes.
Representation from external institutions on all major committees
of the College
Continued development in the range, level and quality of programs.
Continued development of research and postgraduate studies
infrastructure and programs |
|