UNE 2014 Indigenous Education Statement

Encouraging and increasing Indigenous representation within governing and decision-making bodies, such as the UNE Council, Academic Board and other University Committees, as well as in management positions, is a core focus for UNE. Organisational commitment to this is expressed in the Compact and operationalised through the UNE Regional Aboriginal Higher Education Strategy. A key achievement during 2014 is the addition of two Aboriginal members to the UNE Council, an Aboriginal undergraduate student and a ministerial appointment.

UNE recognises that effective education requires a cohesive approach that draws in the wider staff and student bodies, University structures and the community in a way that ensures cultural safety and allows greater opportunity for educational goals to be achieved. This includes the bringing of diverse
perspectives in such areas as decision-making, to reflect the needs and aspirations of UNE’s diverse communities.  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are involved in UNE decision-making in the following ways:   representation by the Director and staff of the Oorala
Aboriginal Centre, and UNE staff and representatives from Aboriginal communities.  Their number and nature of their involvement in 2014 is detailed in the following:

• UNE Council (2): The UNE Council has no explicit requirement for Indigenous representation, however membership now includes an Aboriginal student as the elected UNE Undergraduate Student Representative and an Aboriginal member as a ministerial appointee
• Infrastructure Committee of the UNE Council (1): The ministerial appointee was elected as a member during 2014
• Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) (4): HREC has 1 mandated position for an  Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander with a tertiary qualification and research experience and one mandated position for a Minister of Religion or person in the community with a similar role such as an Aboriginal
  Elder. In 2014 Aboriginal representatives included the Director of the Oorala Aboriginal Centre, an academic from the School of Humanities and the Vice-Chancellor’s Aboriginal Research Fellow,  with additional representation by an Aboriginal academic from the School of Health, (as an academic
  member with knowledge and current experience in professional care, counselling or treatment of people) [1]
• Academic Board Teaching and Learning Committee (1): Oorala Director
• School of Law Advisory Board (1): Oorala Director
• School of Law Teaching & Learning Committee (1): Oorala Director
• Social Work External Advisory Committee (1): Oorala Director
• Vice-Chancellor’s Committee (1): Oorala Director
• Vice-Chancellor’s Social Justice Committee (1): Oorala Director
• Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy Governance Committee (2): Oorala Director and UNE Aboriginal Employment Officer
• Enrolment Steering Committee (1): Oorala Student Services Manager
• Student Administration & Services Forums (1): Oorala Student Services Manager
• Occupational Health & Safety Committee (1): Oorala Administrative Assistant

In addition to the above, non-Indigenous Oorala staff represented the Centre as nominees to the following due to their professional roles:

• Library Advisory Committee, Dixson Library (1): Lecturer
• UNE Forums on Draft Disability Action Plan (1): Policy & Planning Officer
• UNE HR User Group and UNE Finance User Group (1): Resource & Compliance Officer

The School of Health consults and reviews with its External Advisory Committees on the development of Nursing and Counselling curricula; the relevant Nursing Committee includes Indigenous representation from UNE and the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses (CATSIN).

Footnotes

[1] HREC membership complies with the NHMRC National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.

In addition to the formal representation outlined above there are opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff to be members of other University committees, including the Academic Board. However as staff are not required to identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander the representation will not be identified as such.

The roles and responsibilities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders at UNE is to provide advice and input on matters related to UNE’s governance, strategies, policies and procedures as a higher educational institution.

• The two Aboriginal appointments to the UNE Council during 2014 are among the 17 members of the UNE Council who are responsible for the governance of the University and are involved in the decision-making and overseeing of UNE’s operations for the benefit of its students, staff, academic community and
  the wider community as a whole.
• The role of the Director of the Oorala Aboriginal Centre includes leadership at UNE through involvement in committees and high level liaison with Schools and Directorates on matters and issues that relate to academic support and outcomes in recruitment, access, participation, retention and completion
  for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in higher education, as well as providing strategic direction for the Centre’s role in the University’s community and student engagement, academic programs and cultural competency.
• From 2014, Oorala’s Student Relationship Officer undertook the role of ‘Elder in Residence’ to represent Oorala and UNE. Local Aboriginal community leaders, including Oorala’s Elder in Residence, are invited by areas across UNE to provide consultation and participation in protocols for official events,
  programs and projects, including Welcome to Country and incorporation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.
• The Vice-Chancellor’s Aboriginal Research Fellow appointed in 2013, who is an Aboriginal academic seconded from Oorala, continued through 2014 to advise on a number of UNE research projects.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff from Oorala and across the University are involved extensively in engaging with community groups in the region, providing valuable expertise to the University, gained through their academic and professional experience and community engagement. These staff
  provided input on UNE employment and student support matters.
• Aboriginal Employment Officer develops and maintains relationships with the community and represents UNE on government and community organisations and sits on the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy Governance Committee that oversees its implementation.
• In 2014 the Indigenous Student Association was reactivated at UNE, with a goal to advance
  Indigenous student representation on student and UNE committees.

The Director, Elder in Residence and other staff of Oorala, throughout 2014, maintained involvement in several groups engaging with the community and the higher education sector. The Director was also involved in consultation and decision-making at UNE through several University committees, boards and
working parties, as listed above ['Roles and responsibilities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders at UNE'].

In the broader higher education sector Oorala represented UNE on:

• the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Higher Education Consortium (NATSIHEC) (2): Oorala Director and Oorala Elder in Residence
• the National Indigenous Elders Think Tank (1): Oorala Elder in Residence

Across the local community Oorala’s participation by Aboriginal staff included:

• Gayinyaga Aboriginal Advisory Committee (1)
• Local Armidale lnteragency Committee (1)
• East Armidale Community Garden Project (2)
• Armidale Clontarf Academy Awards Night (2)

UNE identifies attracting and retaining Indigenous staff as a major priority in its Mission-based Compact and this is echoed in the UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015 which seeks to innovate in the recruitment and retention of regional, remote and ATSI students and staff, particularly within the New England region.

To operationalise this, the UNE Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy 2013 - 2018 was developed to provide a platform for increasing employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within UNE with a strong focus on recruitment, employment retention and career development
for current and future staff of UNE. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy also guides the development of strategies that target appropriate workplace culture and practices, employment opportunities, career development plans and academic career paths, for both staff and
students.

The strategy was authored by the Aboriginal Employment Officer in consultation with Human Resource Services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, local community representatives, the Director of Oorala Aboriginal Centre and UNE senior staff. The strategy is on the UNE webpage, at a link accessible to UNE and the public via ‘Information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community’.

The strategy identifies objectives and initiatives aimed at increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment across all UNE schools and directorates through:

• Community Partnerships – strengthening relationships between the community and UNE.
• Career Development – building meaningful career paths for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.
• Becoming a Good Employer – building understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and appropriate workforce management practices.
• Attracting and Retaining – increasing employment options for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Its key objectives are:

• Achieving ongoing representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at UNE.
• Identifying and introducing specific strategies to support the attraction of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander professional and academic staff.
• Establishing and promoting career development options for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees.

UNE’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy 2013-2018 is progressing well, with staff numbers ahead of projected targets. UNE is in a similar position to many universities across the country in that we are facing challenges in the recruitment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples into academic roles. In recognition of this the Strategy was refocused to concentrate on the attraction and retention of Aboriginal people into both Professional and Academic roles through “growing our own”. A successful example is the creation of an additional academic role (Pre-Doctoral Fellow in Law) in the UNE School of Law to be filled in June 2015.

Employment of suitable Indigenous candidates is seen as a necessity to increase Indigenous cultural safety within the University, and a number of schools and directorates sought to employ more Indigenous staff in various roles in 2014. Flexible approaches have been used to meet longer-term staffing requirements, especially where there is a limited pool of suitable candidates, e.g. for academic positions.

Several UNE schools have aimed to attract Indigenous people to academic positions and have committed to ‘grow our own’ through offering scholarships into Honours and HDR programs. UNE’s School of Arts, for example, sought to create an Indigenous fellowship in creative practices through a part-time professional doctorate or HDR with long-term potential for the candidate to supervise Indigenous study in an academic role. Another school offered an Aboriginal Honours Scholarship in 2014 with the intention of training candidates potentially suitable for employment at a later stage.

The directorate of Human Resource Services has undertaken a number of activities to facilitate more successful Indigenous employment by the University. This includes workshops for Aboriginal community members on UNE recruitment processes and application requirements. Internally, HRS has also created an Indigenous staff career development framework and is working towards using the ATSI work study program to provide an employment opportunity in an administrative role linked to the progression of a Human Resources qualification.

Table 1a – Permanent positions

Table 1b – Fixed term positions

Table 2 – Casual Positions

In 2014 UNE Life proposed plans for an ongoing Indigenous traineeship for Aboriginal people.

Of the total commencing ATSI students enrolled at UNE (including enabling programs), on campus enrolments grew from 67 in 2013 to 78 in 2014; off campus enrolments grew from 217 in 2013 to
221 in 2014.

The provision of alternative entry pathways is a significant component of UNE’s current and successful approach to ensuring Indigenous student access, which includes a flexible approach to entry requirements through Oorala’s ISP and TRACKS Programs or UNE’s enabling courses. UNE’s sub-degree undergraduate programs also play a valuable role, as qualifications requiring shorter duration of study, which also offer pathways into further study at the Bachelors level. This approach has resulted in consistently excellent outcomes, with UNE meeting enrolment targets in successive years. However, UNE has identified potential for expansion of Diploma level programs to include more content with Indigenous knowledge and perspectives.

The following table outlines the programs run by UNE to improve access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

The University's access programs include the UNE Pathways Enabling Course, the Teacher Education Enabling Course and programs offered specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through the Oorala Aboriginal Centre (see details under 'Oorala Aboriginal Centre's Role -Access Programs'). In 2014, approximately 11% of all UNE ATSI students were enrolled in these access programs through UNE or Oorala. In the 2013-2014 period, ATSI enrolments in UNE's Pathways Enabling Courses were:

During 2014 UNE was involved in a number of community projects that would assist in generating aspiration for higher education. These outreach programs are aimed at addressing specific areas of community need, with the potential for participants to see further possibilities after achieving success in higher education. The approaches are either a natural extension of UNE academic programs or research, or making use of current UNE facilities.

An example is the HEPP funded UNE Youth Leadership Project which was designed to provide capacity building activities that develop educational aspiration among young people from low SES backgrounds in the New England North West, in conjunction with educational assessment and identification of pathways to higher education. The project had the following objectives:

• Design and deliver a series of youth leadership workshops at UNE, its Access Centres and in local communities to support the determination of young people from low SES backgrounds within the context of educational opportunity. It also sought to:
  • Provide low SES communities with the necessary skills to develop and implement a community research strategy for the William Lindt Collection, while connecting young people with experienced community mentors, building educational aspirations and practical pathways to higher education.
  • In conjunction with the youth leadership programs, develop and distribute a series of popular role models, a media campaign and school/community resource kits to support capacity building in local communities during and beyond the life of the project.

Details of other outreach activities that were undertaken by UNE during 2014 are provided below.

In 2014 the Oorala Aboriginal Centre worked with approximately 26 schools and communities to enhance community engagement and access to educational opportunities and services through ongoing contact with the Centre. The Centre’s outreach is firmly linked with its retention initiatives and Oorala’s outreach
role also included:

• Involvement of Oorala’s Elder in Residence with Student Support staff and UNE’s School Liaison and Future Student teams on school visits to local schools to raise awareness of UNE, the UNE Open Day and the programs offered specifically for Aboriginal students, generating substantial follow-up inquiry.
• Parent information sessions to build relationships with Aboriginal students and their families through local schools.
• School visits to Oorala and UNE during 2014 included: Boggabilla Central School, Mungindi Central School, Collarenebri Central School, Armidale High Clontarf Group, Oxley High School, Tamworth High School & Farrer High School.
• Information sessions at Oorala with current Aboriginal Education Officers (AEOs) who are located in local schools (Walcha to Guyra) to address the future educational needs of the schools' students and AEOs.
• Working with the HEPP funded Stellar Project (running in the Clarence River), providing information on Oorala’s support services and alternative entry programs.
• Promotion of scholarship opportunities on Oorala’s webpage and regular information sessions included in Oorala’s student support, retention activities, community outreach and programs.
• Representation by Oorala staff at local Public School Annual Award Presentations and sponsorship of school awards.

New 2014 Indigenous Commonwealth Equity Scholarships

Continuing 2014 Indigenous Commonwealth Equity Scholarships

2014 UNE Scholarships - Undergraduate

UNE promotion of scholarship opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in 2014 included:

• UNE Undergraduate and Commonwealth Equity Scholarships are advertised on UNE’s Scholarships homepage
• All scholarships administered by Research Services are advertised on their website
• Promotion through Oorala as noted under Oorala’s role in ‘Outreach Activities’.

Scholarship take-up rates

2014 take-up rates were as follows for scholarships offered for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students:

• The take-up rate for Indigenous-specific UNE undergraduate scholarships improved in 2014 compared to 2013, however the take-up rate for other UNE undergraduate scholarships was low compared to previous years.
• The overall take-up for Commonwealth Equity Scholarships in 2014 was 44%, and this had declined compared to the 63% take-up rate in 2013.
• 100% take-up rate for postgraduate scholarships offered for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

The following factors may have affected 2014 take-up rates for Commonwealth Equity Scholarships and are being reviewed by UNE in 2015:

• Requirements of supporting documentation to be submitted by applicants.
• Since the introduction of trimesters at UNE in 2012, for CES applicants who do not demonstrate exceptional circumstances for part-time study, UNE has required students to be enrolled full-time in Trimesters 1 and 2 (3-4 units each trimester).

As take-up rates for Commonwealth Equity Scholarships (CES) were considerably lower in 2014 than in previous years, strategies to address these factors and increased promotion and support for applicants have resulted in greatly improved take-up rates in 2015.

Oorala's role in ensuring equitable access of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to higher education can be found above below the sections:

• Programs run by UNE to improve access by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and
• UNE's Outreach activities to include and attract Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their effectiveness.

The total number of ATSI enrolments at UNE exceeded the targets set in the Compact for all (530 in 2013 and 560 in 2014). In 2014, the largest number of ATSI students were undertaking programs in the School of Education (23.8%), the School of Health (12.7%) and the School of Law (9.2%).

As detailed in 1.3, participation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in higher education, is one of UNE’s strategic priorities stated in the Compact and other key documents. UNE’s Research Plan 2012-2015 emphasises pathways and academic support programs as strategies to address participation in higher degree programs. The Regional Aboriginal Higher Education Strategy (RAHES) also prioritises
Community Engagement principles as key to meeting strategic goals in participation and other educational outcomes. Specifically the RAHES expresses a commitment to building and maintaining relationships with regional Aboriginal communities and providing a culturally safe environment for Aboriginal students
and staff.

The services, facilities and engagement activities through Oorala Aboriginal Centre are pivotal in UNE’s participation strategies, as well as the academic programs through UNE Schools which consistently attract strong continuing enrolments from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Since 2010 there has been a 52.5% increase in continuing enrolments in UNE’s undergraduate and postgraduate awards.

In 2014, Oorala’s strategies to improve participation included:

• Oorala’s Student Relationship Officer/Elder in Residence and the Convenor of the TRACKS Program visited students and Education staff at Woodford Correctional Centre, South East Queensland. Oorala discussed with the students their progress in TRACKS, plans for further study at UNE and learning materials.
• Orientation activities including the Centre’s Pre-Orientation Program (‘POP’) for on and off campus TRACKS students and involvement in major UNE orientation events for commencing UNE students (‘Townies’ Welcome BBQ, Lifesaver Day, etc), to foster early engagement and participation by local and regional
  students.
• Oorala’s Student Retention Project increased the Centre’s capacity for student engagement with its support services and ITAS tutoring, including workshops, visits to prospective and enrolled students in regional communities and involvement of local Elders and community groups in on campus engagement activities.
• Involvement in ‘Youth Expo’ and ‘Well Fair Day’ at UNE, ‘A Day in the Dale’ organised by Armidale Dumaresq Council and other events with the UNE and local communities featuring Aboriginal services, organisations and local cultural activities.
• Oorala submitted and supported a number of proposals for HEPPP funded projects to increase Aboriginal people’s participation from target regions in higher education through community engagement. Oorala has been successful in most of its proposals which are commencing in 2015, including extension of funding for its Student Retention Project.
• A UNE team was organised by the Indigenous Student Association with support from UNE, Oorala and other sponsors to participate in the National Indigenous Tertiary Education Student Games held at the University of Western Australia.
• Items noted under Oorala’s role in Access, Outreach and Support are also relevant to participation.

The totals for ATSI completions at Bachelor level and above (48 in 2013, 62 in 2014) exceed the targets set for all ATSI student completions in the Compact (45 in 2013 and 47 in 2014). In addition to the completion data in the table above there were completions by ATSI students in undergraduate courses below Bachelor level (one in 2013, two in 2014).

The UNE Residential system is a large contributor to the on-campus student experience and in 2014 UNE considered new strategies for its residential system to better support Indigenous students, such as greater inclusion of cultural safety considerations, community relationships and representation to influence the college environment. Costs of study and accommodation, especially for on campus students, are also factors that impact upon support requirements and UNE reviewed the need for more intensive promotion of scholarship opportunities for Indigenous students, or potential for more Indigenous-specific scholarships to be offered.

Indigenous attrition has been identified as higher in those universities that have more flexible admission. In response UNE has flagged its engagement with Indigenous students as being critical to retention and success, especially in areas which have direct student contact. A broad approach has been recommended starting with staff training to develop competencies and awareness of the specific support needs of Indigenous students. Some outcomes include the provision of development for staff to scaffold a broader action plan (developed in conjunction with Oorala) aimed at increasing the enrolment, retention and graduation of Indigenous students.  Also plans for an ongoing Indigenous scholar position with the objective of increasing Indigenous enrolments and completions in Arts courses were developed to promote student access and social inclusion, and to enhance integration with Oorala.

Oorala’s initiatives in student support and involvement with UNE to improve graduation rates included:

• Oorala provides support for TRACKS and TAFE Pathways students, as well as for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in UNE courses. Key elements include Oorala’s orientation and project activities, ITAS tutoring, mentoring, community networks, online support hubs through myLearn and development
  of a multi-faceted approach collaborating with UNE’s services on engagement and retention.
• Collaboration with UNE Schools and First Year Advisors to increase the uptake rate of ITAS tutoring and the pool of suitably qualified ITAS tutors, especially where students needed more targeted support such as Health and Law disciplines, or off campus students in remote areas. Promotion of ITAS tutoring
  through on campus sessions and retention visits resulted in improved uptake rates and outcomes. In Trimester 1 of 2014 80% of students receiving ITAS tutoring obtained pass grades or higher.
• Ongoing advice and support on scholarship and Abstudy matters, intensive schools and clinical placements.
• Mentoring and socio-cultural support through the Elder in Residence/Student Relationship Officer assists student adjustment to university life. This staff member also joined UNE’s Special Needs Contact Network to provide specific support to special needs students and advise on UNE’s Disability Action
  Plan.
• ‘Yarn-up’ event for commencing, continuing and future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with participation from 21 organisations and UNE service providers, to foster ongoing support networks for student peer groups with services in accommodation, health, careers, financial assistance and
  academic support.
• Information sessions by ‘Career Trackers’ and motivational presentation by an Indigenous Educational Ambassador.
• Event hosted at Oorala linking local community health providers with Aboriginal students in UNE Health awards, to improve arrangements for clinical and work placements.
• Maintenance of Oorala’s focus on providing a culturally safe place for students, including study and learning facilities, equipment (computers, internet, printing, scanning, copying, etc) and social spaces.
• Seven retention and engagement visits to target areas which had shown high attrition rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (North Western NSW and North Coast of NSW). Visits included workshops and face-to-face group or individual support.
• Continued liaison and collaboration with UNE Schools and Student Administration Services to identify strategies for improved outcomes, and visits to Aboriginal Support Units at other universities to review ‘best practice’ in support. Work with UNE included a focus on admission and enrolment processes,
  course requirements, advice and advocacy on academic progress issues, liaison with unit coordinators and referrals to specialised support services (first year advisors, Academic Skills Office, counsellors, etc.)
• Following Oorala’s participation as a research partner in the project ‘The transition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students into higher education’, funded in 2011 by the Australian Government’s Office for Learning & Teaching (OLT), the ‘Student Voices’ website was launched in 2014 to
  help Aboriginal students entering university. The information in this website has been collected from 96 Aboriginal university students who told the research team of their experiences of studying in bridging programs, undergraduate degrees and postgraduate degrees.  Student participants came
  from Curtin University (Perth, WA); Charles Darwin University (Darwin, NT); The University of New England (Armidale, NSW); and Monash University (Melbourne, Vic).
• Oorala was a project partner with School of Education in the UNE MATSITI Exploratory Research Project. The Centre’s academics and student support staff provided consultation to the project’s research group to expand support strategies for ATSI teacher education students at UNE with the aim of increasing
  retention and completion. Surveys and discussion groups were developed and implemented in 2014, with data collection continuing in 2015 and activation of strategies planned to commence in 2016. Oorala’s involvement broadened the School’s awareness of culturally relevant and authentic ways in which to
  support Indigenous students.
• Oorala also provided input to School of Education on other support methods for education students, e.g. specific orientation initiatives, cultural awareness training for School staff and pathways for AEO’s into education degrees.

The UNE Graduate Attributes are the generic characteristics and personal qualities that define UNE graduates, together with the core knowledge, skills and capabilities specific to a student’s course of study and are therefore embedded in course learning outcomes. Course mapping is a means by which UNE ensures that graduate attributes are given an appropriate focus which may be discipline-nuanced, are aligned with course content and are achieved. The attribute of ethical conduct and social responsibility instils in UNE graduates the ability
to recognise, reflect on and respond appropriately to social, cultural and ethical issues.

In 2014 UNE identified that a whole-of-university approach requires Indigenous cultural content to be included in units and a more inclusive approach to pedagogy. This makes the content more accessible to Indigenous students, as well as increasing the cultural capital and competency of the University as a whole and of students in their learning and qualifications.  During 2014, the Oorala Director engaged pro-actively with UNE’s Schools including Arts, Education, Law, Health, Humanities and UNE Business School, to improve linkage and discussion on Indigenous knowledges in curriculum.

The School of Health continues to work in collaboration with Indigenous stakeholder groups such as the peak body CATSINaM (Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives) to ensure that the nursing curriculum at UNE reflects a strong Indigenous health component. The School also adheres to the Australian Nursing and Midwives Association Committee’s accreditation requirement that nursing curriculum include an Indigenous health focus.

Several clinical practice settings for students have been available including placement in an Indigenous community health setting, for example Coledale Community, Tamworth. An Indigenous focus is further incorporated into other core units in the pre-registration Nursing program.

Oorala linked with the School of Education’s Indigenous Research Network, which included discussion on Indigenous knowledges in curriculum and involvement in the School’s MATSITI project. Student Support staff also presented Aboriginal perspectives to 3^rd year tutorials in UNE’s Joint Medical Program and were involved in cultural competency training arrangements for remote community placements in Pharmacy. Cultural knowledge and perspectives were provided to UNE’s Indigenous Archaeology course and proposals for School of Arts to facilitate student seminars on this discipline. UNE Schools also worked with Oorala to generate a more ‘authentic expression’ within a number of courses and are actively seeking to embrace a more culturally sensitive approach to knowledge.

Oorala offers the units OORA100/300: Aboriginal Resilience and the Arts and OORA200/400: Working with Aboriginal People which are included in the TRACKS Program, undergraduate and postgraduate UNE courses as core or listed units as outlined below.

In 2014 Oorala’s ‘OORA’ units were offered within a number of UNE courses as core, listed or elective units.  These include Bachelor degrees in Nursing, Social Work, Social Science, Criminology, Criminology/Law, Theatre and Performance, Media and Communications and Education (Primary), with plans in place for inclusion in other courses in 2015. OORA200 is also a core unit in the Master of Nursing Practice.

Enrolments in OORA units in 2014 were as follows:

The units are offered on campus and online in Trimesters 1 and 2 and attract Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, other domestic students and a significant cohort of international students.

During 2014 there were an additional 21 units of study offered providing specific Indigenous content across UNE courses.  These include:

• Ten units through School of Humanities in the Bachelor of Arts Indigenous Studies major, which address the Australian context and comparisons with international examples, in subject areas such as contemporary issues, policy, health, business, archaeology and history. Eight of these units also form the major in Indigenous Organisation Management within the Diploma of Business offered by UNE Business School.
• The EDCX unit Aboriginal Education which is mandatory across all of the School of Education’s Teaching awards at Bachelor and Masters level. The unit is presented in conjunction with Indigenous Education Consultants from the Tamworth office of the NSW Department of Education & Training and at 300 and 500 level requires students to complete 20 days Professional Experience.
• EDCX 515 Indigenous Australian Education: Issues and Policies, which is a key unit in the Master of Education (coursework) and EDSS328/428 Secondary Education: Aboriginal Studies, offered in Teaching degrees for secondary teachers.
• Units through School of Health including HSNS231 Nursing Australian Indigenous People, an elective in Nursing degrees, and four units offered through Counselling degrees.
• LING366 Australia’s Indigenous Languages, offered through School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences
• Two law units, LS364 Indigenous Australians and Law, included in undergraduate Law degrees and the Indigenous Studies major in Bachelor of Arts, and the postgraduate unit LLM632 Indigenous Natural Resource Issues and the Law which has a focus on protection of Indigenous cultural knowledge.

There were also units offered with some Indigenous content:

• Indigenous content is embedded in a number of courses and units through UNE Business School, e.g. GSB722 ‘Managing Diversity’ which includes the main study topic ‘Employing Indigenous Australians’; also MM200 ‘Contemporary Management’ has a broad focus on cultural diversity and social inclusion is addressed.
  The UNE Business School’s Master of Economic and Regional Development includes a major in Indigenous Futures which seeks to prepare students for a career involved in community and regional development projects.
• Indigenous content in School of Law is incorporated into 12 or more undergraduate core or elective units at first year through to third year level. An example is the unit LS357 ‘Alternative Dispute Resolution’ which includes a topic examining dispute resolution processes of Australian Indigenous people, comparing and contrasting these with mainstream processes, and the implications of cross-cultural ADR process.
• All Bachelor of Nursing / Master of Nursing units in School of Health contain at least one theme of Indigenous Health focused learning, including understanding and respect for traditional and contemporary Indigenous culture. The elective unit HSNS527 Rural and Remote Contexts of Practice has a major component of Indigenous content.
• Through the School of Environmental & Rural Science, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander perspectives are presented in CANI310/510 ‘Wild Dog Ecology’ in relation to the role of dogs in Indigenous societies, and the influence of customs and culture on wild dog management and dingo conservation. The unit includes teaching materials produced by Aboriginal people and an opportunity for students to gain Aboriginal community experience through participating in a dog health program in the Tiwi Islands.

Cultural awareness training has been made available to all staff by UNE’s Human Resource Services directorate to improve staff competencies in engagement with students and staff from diverse cultural backgrounds.

A one day pilot cultural awareness program was offered and delivered to staff across the School of Environmental Rural Sciences. After this initial program it was decided that a more in-depth cultural immersion program would be more appropriate and would affect greater attitudinal change across the University. The immersion program will be run over two days, with one day on campus and the next visiting sites of cultural significance in the local area under the guidance of local Aboriginal Elders and National Parks. Human Resource Services are currently in the process of investigating, costing and implementing such an Aboriginal Cultural Immersion Program of which it is anticipated a pilot will be delivered in August 2015.

Cultural awareness training has application to the general UNE student body, especially for those students who may engage professionally with Indigenous people through practical placements or as early career graduates going into their field, and students who benefit from developing their overall professional skills. For example, Medical students who attended University Departments of Rural Health in Tamworth or Taree undertook cultural training.

Cultural competency for UNE students is largely through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content and perspectives in curriculum and involvement by Elders and community members in a range of professional networks, events, programs and projects. The increased involvement of Aboriginal representatives on UNE Council and the Human Research Ethics Committee also serves to enhance the level of cultural competency in high level consultation and decision-making on governance, teaching and research matters.

UNE’s new website launched in 2014 included the link ‘Information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community’, accessible on the UNE homepage by public, staff and students. This makes more prominent the online presence of UNE’s ‘Acknowledgement of Country’ statement, Reconciliation Statement,

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy, course and unit information and other relevant information.

Welcome to Country presented by Aboriginal community members or Acknowledgement of Country is a quality standard in UNE official proceedings including meetings of the UNE Council and its Committees, Graduation Ceremonies, Orientation and other major events through Schools and Directorates.

The annual Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture and NAIDOC Ceremony are two key UNE events in the University’s community engagement, coordinated by Oorala with UNE. Both events involve a high level of Aboriginal community protocol and participation in their official proceedings and associated activities. Established in 1986, the Archibald Lecture is Australia’s longest running university lecture in honour of an Aboriginal person and is dedicated to Mr Frank Archibald, a revered Aboriginal community member of the Armidale area, as well as his descendants and Aboriginal people of the New England region.

Several UNE research projects specifically relate to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander issues and culture, linking with UNE curriculum and extensive community involvement. One example is the ARC research project which had commenced in 2012 on 'Indigenous heritage: working ancient wetlands for social benefit and cultural understanding' which focuses on the local New England region, and its archaeology. This research is being carried out in partnership with a number of Local Aboriginal Land Councils and in 2014 involved field trips to sites of significance with participation from UNE’s Archaeology discipline, Aboriginal cultural advisors and young Aboriginal people engaging in training and education.

UNE’s Indigenous Education Research Network (IERN) lead by academics in the School of Education during 2014 worked in partnership with Oorala, an Aboriginal Advisory Group and researchers from other UNE Schools, to align SOE’s research with Aboriginal-determined priorities.
The IERN has worked towards addressing areas such as greater inclusion of Aboriginal perspectives in the Teacher Education curriculum, and how research, pedagogical and institutional practices engage with Indigenous knowledges. The Network also supports development of relevant research projects by SOE staff and HDR students, building research capacity that will contribute to addressing Indigenous disadvantage in education. Projects in 2014 included:

• Study of retention of Aboriginal teacher education students - MATSITI funded project involving quantitative and qualitative surveys of about student experiences
• Reconstructing the Lower Southern Aranda/Wangkangurru Identity: Post-colonial approaches to Indigenous knowledge and learning, in partnership with Aranda/Wangkangurru communities in South Australia/NT
• Aboriginal adult literacy campaign evaluation/longitudinal study – a partnership with the Literacy for Life Foundation and participating communities in western NSW
• “Have we met before?”: Historical Consciousness and education research in Aboriginal Communities, involving an Aboriginal researcher to collect oral histories of UNE’s involvement with Aboriginal community development and community education in the 1960s and 1970s

UNE has been awarded an Australian Government grant to manage a Collaborative Research Network (CRN) on Mental Health and Well-being in Rural and Regional Communities, in collaboration with four partner universities and Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD). The CRN involves Research Services with a number of UNE Schools with research interests related to mental health and well-being in building links with rural communities and health providers and a focus on three thematic areas. For example one of School of Health’s core research areas in the CRN is ‘Improving health and well-being of rural and regional communities, including Indigenous communities’.

• OORA units offered through Oorala have enhanced the opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students to study Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content within their degrees.
• Oorala includes Aboriginal guest presenters in lectures for OORA units and input from the Elder in Residence and other Aboriginal staff into cultural perspectives for the Centre’s TRACKS Program. Program activities included excursions to local sites of cultural significance with community presenters.
• Oorala Aboriginal Student Support staff provide input to UNE First Year Advisors on cultural awareness training.
• The Director co-authored a published paper examining cultural safety offered to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students within their university environments (Rochecouste, J., Oliver, R., Bennell, D., (2014) Is there Cultural Safety in Australian Universities?). The Oorala Director was invited to be a Cluster Leader in the 2014 OLT National Teaching Fellowship - Aboriginal knowledges in higher education in the 21st Century (in partnership with Fellowship Leader: A/Professor Karen Martin,  
  Griffith University). This project aims to advance the education issues regarding Aboriginal participation and outcomes in higher education and cultural competency in learning, teaching and leadership.
• The Director participated in the Australian Indigenous Psychology Education Project (AIPEP), funded by The Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) with a collaborative project team lead by the University of Western Australia to investigate Curricular approaches to increasing cultural competence and Indigenous participation in psychology education and training. Oorala’s Elder in Residence presents Welcome to Country at official UNE events and in Oorala’s student activities, also participating on several local community committees and boards and providing consultation to UNE projects such as the ‘Ancient Wetlands’ project.
• Oorala Director and Aboriginal staff supported the East Armidale Community Garden, a postdoctoral research project Nourishing Culture and Developing Social Capital in a Community Garden. The project leader collaborates with members of Armidale's Aboriginal community and local organisations as partners, to develop a garden in East Armidale on the border of Narwan Village, a former Aboriginal reserve, with a focus on positive engagement with place through caring for Country. Oorala endorsed and agreed to participate in the Southern Cross University research project ‘Successful options for the Indigenous Tutor Assistance Scheme Tertiary Tuition (ITAS-TT) in NSW regional universities’. The project investigates the views and experiences of students, tutors and personnel working in Indigenous support units in relation to the current operation of the ITAS-TT tutoring scheme.
• The 2014 NAIDOC event hosted by Oorala involved UNE, student and community representatives who spoke on the theme ‘Serving Country: Centenary and Beyond’ and the contribution of generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have served in Australia’s defence forces from the Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, through to contemporary military conflicts across the globe.
• The 2014 Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture was presented by Mr Romlie Mokak, Chief Executive Officer of the Lowitja Institute, on ‘Our People in Professions: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their representative bodies shaping the future for our people.’ One of the successes in Oorala’s 2014 community engagement was increased involvement by local Aboriginal Elders’ groups in the Centre’s events, programs and student support activities.

Oorala’s Director and key staff attended the following to maintain development of cultural competency within the Centre’s role at UNE:

• Australian Institute of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) National Indigenous Studies Conference (2): Oorala Director and Oorala Elder in Residence
• Queensland University of Technology (QUT) led National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Higher Education Strategy and Portal Projects (2): Oorala Director and Oorala staff member
• World Indigenous Peoples Conference of Education (WiPC:e2014 – Honolulu) (1): Oorala Director.

Organisation: University of New England

Postal Address: Armidale NSW

Contact Person: Lyndel Taylor

• Title: Senior Management Accountant
• Phone: 0267732993
• Fax: 0267733377
• Email: ltaylo45@une.edu.au

Financial Acquittal

This financial acquittal proforma is designed to acquit all ISP Funds provided in 2014, including all interest or royalties/income derived from ISP Funds during 2014.

Attachment

For each Attachment:

• Part A seeks information on the GST component of funding provided to you under that element, if applicable.
  • If GST is paid to you, the amount of GST funding which is included in each payment is set out in a Recipient Created Tax Invoice (RCTI) issued to you at the time of the payment.  You must state whether these amounts have been remitted to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) or committed for payment to the ATO.
  • If GST is not paid to you, do not complete Part A.
• Part B seeks information about the funding received and expenditure and commitments, exclusive of any GST.  Do not include the GST component of any expenditure in this part.

Complete this certification after you have completed the Financial Acquittal for any ISP funding which you have received in 2014 and after you have entered all relevant information in the Assets Register.

ISP FUNDING RECIPIENT'S CERTIFICATION

I, Prof Annabelle Duncan, Vice-Chancellor & CEO certify that:

1. the details shown in this financial acquittal form and the accompanying pages  - including the details of assets acquired and disposed of - represent a complete, true and correct summary of transactions that took place during the funding year under the Indigenous Education Program (ISP);
2. Funds were spent on activities and initiatives to achieve the outcomes/targets indicated in the Higher Education Support Act 2003;
3. any interest earned or royalties/income derived from these Funds was expended on activities to advance the objects of the Higher Education Support Act 2003; and

I understand that:

1. in the event that I have not remitted GST paid under the Agreement to the Australian Taxation Office, that it is my obligation to remit those amounts, as required under the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999; and
2. it is an offence under the Criminal Code Act 1995 to provide false or misleading information.

Signed by Prof Annabelle Duncan on  25.05.2015

Privacy Notice

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) collects your personal information (including your name, organisation and contact details) for the purposes of administering Indigenous Education Programmes. PM&C will not otherwise use or disclose your personal information without your consent unless required or authorised by or under law.

Provider Name: University of New England

For the 2014 funding year (1 January - 31 December 2014)

PART A – If applicable, Goods and Services Tax (GST) paid under the Agreement:

Amount remitted: $  N/A  

Date remitted:         /       /

PART B - Acquittal Summary Details (excluding GST):

[1]  The Department will only approve the rollover of unspent funds in exceptional circumstances.

Optional Information – Breakdown of Non-ISP expenditure to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.