2019 Indigenous Student Success Program

1.3    Bridging and enabling courses

As mentioned above the provision of alternative entry pathways is a significant component of UNE’s long-term and successful approach to ensuring Indigenous student access, which includes a flexible approach to entry requirements through Oorala’s Direct Entry (ISP) and TRACKS Programmes. Additionally, UNE has an online Pathways Enabling Course that is also available to Indigenous students although it is not specifically tailored to support Indigenous transition to University. A total of 116 Indigenous students were enrolled in UNE Enabling Programmes in 2018 (Table 1).

Table 1: Summary of UNE Bridging and Enabling Courses.

1.3.1 Additional enabling strategies

UNE also provides other discipline specific access and enabling programs for our Indigenous students. Examples of alternate entry and access initiatives of the Faculty of Medicine and Health (M&H) and the Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law (SABL) are outlined, briefly, below.

Faculty of Medicine and Health (M&H)

Miroma Bunbilla: The School of Rural Medicine collaborates with the University of Newcastle (UoN) who host the Miroma BunbillaAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pre-Entry Program to the Joint Medical Program (JMP). This Program consists of a five-to-seven day On-Campus experience in which prospective medical students participate in a range of pre-admission activities including multiple skills assessment; personal qualities assessment; small group problem-based learning tutorials; anatomy sessions and basic science resource sessions. A confirmation of Aboriginality interview is also included, in which the University Elder-in-Residence and an Aboriginal community member meet with each prospective student. In December 2019 22 candidates participated in the Program at UoN. A Student Engagement Officer and the Acting Director of Oorala participated as UNE staff in the Program. The Engagement Officer was available to support students through the process, provide advice about the services offered at Oorala, and to answer any questions arising about studying medicine at UNE. Six student participants indicated a preference to study at UNE and these students visited UNE as part of the Program.

Equity Quota:  The Joint Medical Program at UNE has set a 10% quota for students of an Indigenous background – a target that the School is still to meet. In 2018, the Faculty of M&H had three Indigenous students commence Medicine.In 2020, one Aboriginal student received an offer and enrolled in the JMP at UNE. Two other applicants preferenced UNE but they did not meet the entry requirements.

Support for Nursing and Allied Health Workers: The School of Health provides Indigenous students with access to the UNE Bachelor of Nursing degree by providing information and opportunity for students to participate in:

• Cadetships with NSW Health (any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student entering an undergraduate nursing degree at UNE is eligible to apply for a NSW Government sponsored cadetship with NSW Health); and
• Direct Entry (Interview Pathway) – an alternative pathway for enrolment in a Bachelor of Nursing aimed at any nursing student.
• NSW Department of Education Aboriginal Health Worker Project – this project maps competencies from Certificate IV to the Bachelor of Community Services to ensure credit is granted to the maximum extent possible and aligns with UNE strategies for improved access, unit success rates and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Faculty of Science Agriculture, Business and Law (SABL)

With the Faculty of Science Agriculture, Business and Law (SABL) at UNE, a focus of the following two initiatives in 2019 was to boost the participation of students from low socio-economic backgrounds, including Indigenous students:

Boosting Science Pathways: UNE courses in the Schools of S&T and ERS currently have 23% enrolments from students with low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds (SES; 2018). HEPPP funding in 2019 supported the development of an online program of self-guided modules in scientific literacy to assist students with limited exposure to science educational experiences to transition into university science courses. Through collaboration with “UNE Boost” four lessons were designed as part of the Boosting Science Pathways that include an introduction to science and the scientific process, science and fake news, and science experimentation.

For 2019 and 2020, 72% of students entering a Science course were from School Recommended Early Entry. Students who enrolled in any STEM and Agriculture courses were directed to the Boosting Science Pathways course from the UNE101 online preparatory unit (Student Success team). From those who enrolled in the Boosting Science Pathways course; 16% were from Low SES background and 71% were from Mid SES background. The majority of the Mid SES students were from an SED of 4-5, at the lower end of this category. 42% of students were from inner regional and 32 % from outer regional locations across New South Wales and Queensland. It is estimated that ~6% of participating students identify as Indigenous.

This program will continue in 2020, with future access and participation opportunities under development to include:

• Partnering with rural and remote schools in the NSW north-west to deliver the modules to HSC students taking STEM and Agriculture subjects, and to encourage improved science participation. It is the intent of SABL to promote the Boosting Science Pathways to schools in our region with high Aboriginal enrolments.
• Stand-alone lessons designed for Boosting Science Pathways to support remedial development of foundational skills in first year science units. The aim is to improve pass rates in low-SES (inclusive of Aboriginal students) student cohorts.

Open Universities Australia: The Faculty of SABL has offered the Bachelor of Laws and Diploma of Science through Open Universities Australia (OUA) since 2019. By 2020, over 900 OUA students have undertaken SABL units with 66 students (over 6% of total enrolments) identifying as Australian Aboriginal or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Offering SABL units and courses through OUA has increased our rates of participation for Indigenous Australians. SABL is continuing to increase and diversity the courses and units with OUA with a view of continuing to increase rates of participation.

1.3.2 Sub-Degree programs

UNE’s sub-degree undergraduate programs, as qualifications requiring shorter duration of study, are increasingly valuable as alternate pathways into further study at the Bachelor level. There were 46 Indigenous students enrolled in sub-degree programs in 2019. UNE has also identified potential for expansion of Diploma level programs to include more content with Indigenous knowledge and perspectives. In this regard, the Oorala Aboriginal Centre continued in 2019 with its Strategic Initiative to scope a Diploma Level Course in Aboriginal Heritage Practice to be flexibly delivered Online, On-Country and On-Campus. In June a series of information sessions and workshops were held with local and Regional community groups, including the Joint Regional Forum of the NSW Aboriginal Land Councils (NSWALC), to seek community support and input into the development and design of the Course. Guest presenters from Learning and Teaching Transformation (LaTT) at UNE and the Office of Environment and Heritage supported Oorala to deliver the workshop.

In its most compact form the Diploma in Aboriginal Heritage Practice seeks to build upon the successful TRACKS Tertiary Preparation Program to provide one further step in an Indigenous heritage, practice-based progression into Degree Course study at UNE. With a focus on Aboriginal cultural heritage, and with a contextual framing that recognises the surplus knowledge of all Aboriginal students in such a course, the Course is well-placed to assist Aboriginal students negotiate the cultural interface between their Indigenous knowledge and the western knowledges at the foundation of University learning.  In the context of wider curriculum review and renewal foreshadowed in the UNE Indigenous Education Strategy the Course design allows for ‘Build Ons’ at each AQF Level between TRACKS and Bachelor Degree Courses that afford other Disciplines wider access to culturally responsive, practice-led pathways for Indigenous Academic Success.

1.4 Scholarships

1.4.1 Indigenous Commonwealth Equity Scholarships

ISSP grant monies fund a number of ongoing Indigenous Commonwealth Scholarships (as per Sections 19-22 of the Indigenous Student Assistance Grants Guidelines 2017 [herein ‘the Guidelines’]) including: scholarships that assist with education costs (Indigenous Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarships [ICECS]) and scholarships that assist with relocation costs, accommodation costs or relocation and accommodation costs (Indigenous Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarships [ICAS]). A breakdown of scholarship monies paid to Indigenous students at UNE in 2019 is shown in Table 2. At UNE, these Commonwealth scholarships are provided to Indigenous students on an ongoing basis for the full-time- equivalent duration of their course of study.

Table 2: ISSP supported scholarships (Breakdown of 2019 payments).

a. = Student Head Count since one student may receive more than one type of scholarship.  
Source Oorala Aboriginal Centre and UNE Scholarships Office

1.4.2 Targeted ISSP-funded undergraduate scholarship support

UNE is committed to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with scholarships to help achieve their academic goals. As part of this commitment, the Oorala Aboriginal Centre continued the Oorala Merit Prize and the Oorala Study Support Scholarships in 2019. Designed to recognise high performing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student success, the Oorala Merit Prize is aimed at undergraduate students and is awarded annually to three students from each UNE Faculty who have completed a minimum of 72 credit points of study. Additionally, one Indigenous student from the TRACKS Tertiary Preparation Program and one student from the Pathway Enabling Program, who have successfully completed their course and are currently enrolled in an undergraduate unit of study at UNE, will be considered for a Merit Prize. Merit Prizes are awarded to students with the highest course grade point average (GPA) at the time of selection, and it will be a one-off prize awarded once throughout a students’ period of study at UNE. In 2019, there were fourteen recipients of the Oorala Merit Prize (See Reward Column in Table 2).

Oorala Study Support Scholarships: This suite of scholarships offered by Oorala are specifically designed to kick start Indigenous student experience at UNE, enhance their on-line study experience and provide assistance throughout their university journey. There are three separate scholarship categories: Commencing Student Support Scholarships; Continuing Student Support Scholarships and Students with a Disability Support Scholarships. Priority for these scholarships is given to remote and regional students, and in recognition of the technological and information needs of our students the scholarships are focused on providing Laptops, Internet Access Vouchers and Book Vouchers to commencing and continuing students; as well as providing individualised study support for those students with a disability.

Table 3: Details of all Commonwealth Equity Scholarships Paid in 2019 (by Class).

Source: Oorala Aboriginal Centre and UNE Financial Services Directorate.

1.4.3 Non-ISSP funded undergraduate scholarship support

The Oorala Aboriginal Centre, and the broader UNE community, further supports Indigenous undergraduate students to participate and progress in their studies by:

• providing a range of additional non-ISSP funded scholarships;
• providing a number of discipline specific awards and prizes that recognise and support academic achievement and progression;
• actively facilitating the application of eligible students for external scholarship opportunities;
• providing a detailed webpage that identifies the many internal and external funding opportunities available to students; and,
• providing regular email, social media and online learning system hub updates about forthcoming scholarship opportunities.

Brief details, highlighting the range, availability, and use of such financial and associated supports by Indigenous students at UNE in 2019, are detailed below:

Donor Scholarships: The University has a number of undergraduate scholarships funded by various external donors (individuals and organisations, including UNE). A number of these scholarships are specifically available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students studying at UNE and 9 Indigenous applicants met the eligibility requirements and were scholarship recipients in 2019 (Table 4). A further two $3000 Max Schroder Sporting Scholarships though available in 2019 were not awarded either because there were no applicants, or applicants did not successfully meet the eligibility requirements.

In positive news for our students, Max Schroder donated a further $1.25m late in 2019 for the continuation of the Indigenous Scholarships Programs he established several years ago. Likewise, in 2019 the Estate of Betty Fyfe committed a minimum of $400,000p.a. for 5 years for medical student scholarships for students from rural and regional backgrounds.

Table 4: Donor Scholarships awarded to UNE Indigenous undergraduate students in 2019.

Source: UNE Scholarships Office.

Vice Chancellor Indigenous Scholarship for International Travel: In 2019, the incoming Vice Chancellor of UNE, Professor Brigid Heywood made available a $10,000 International Travel Scholarship to support Indigenous student, Ms Dawn Lewis, visit leading International Universities in England in order to learn about the intricacies of working with ancient DNA. Whilst in England Dawn visited the University of Huddersfield and Warwick, both of which have ancient DNA laboratories, to learn more about ancient DNA studies in a global context. She also spent two weeks at the University of Oxford where she networked and shadowed experts working in the world-class Palaeogenomics and Bio-Archaeology Research Network (Palaeo Barn).[1]

Inaugural Indigenous Undergraduate Medicine Scholarship: This scholarship is a joint initiative of the School of Rural Medicine and the Oorala Aboriginal Centre. The first scholarship was awarded in 2019. The purpose of the UNE Indigenous Medical Scholarship is to attract more Indigenous students to study medicine at UNE. This scholarship will assist Indigenous students to alleviate their financial burden whilst studying Medicine at UNE. It provides a total value of up to $30,000 for a maximum period of 5 years.

Discipline Specific Awards: There were several other awards provided exclusively to Indigenous students at UNE in 2019. These included annual undergraduate student nursing achievement awards, as well as a number of undergraduate prizes awarded to Indigenous students in the Joint Medical Program for successful progression through to the next year of their studies (Table 5). In addition to such awards, where applicable, students are provided with discipline specific advice on other externally funded scholarships to which they may be eligible. For example, in the School of Health Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who are continuing Bachelor degree studies at UNE are alerted to their eligibility for the following scholarships:

• Australian College of Nursing – The Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship Scheme (F/T) ($15,000);
• Australian College of Nursing – the Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship Scheme (P/T) ($7,500);
• Australian Rotary Health Indigenous Health Scholarship ($5,000); and the
• NSW Health Aboriginal Postgraduate Scholarship ($15,000)

Similarly, in the School of Psychology Indigenous students are encouraged to apply for the following Indigenous awards:

• ATSIPP Indigenous Student Conference Attendance Awards offered by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) to attend the annual APS conference. The award provides up to $1200 to attend the Annual APS Conference;
• Australian Psychological Society Bendi Lango Bursary for Indigenous postgraduate students; and
• The Muriel Mary Snow Indigenous Honours Prize for 4th year students commencing postgraduate study with a research component.

Table 5: Additional Awards/Prizes awarded to Indigenous undergraduate students at UNE in 2019.

Source: UNE Schools of Health and Rural Medicine.

The Aurora Indigenous Scholars International Study Tour: Indigenous students from UNE are encouraged to apply to participate in the Aurora Indigenous Scholars International Study Tour. Sponsored by the Aurora Education Foundation the five-week Aurora Study Tour develops postgraduate study opportunities for high-achieving Indigenous scholars overseas. It takes students and graduates to leading international universities such as Cambridge, London Business School, London School of Economics, and Oxford, in the United Kingdom, and Berkeley, Columbia, Harvard, New York University, and Stanford in the United States of America – six of which recently ranked in the top 10 universities in the world. Grace Gillard a final year student in the UNE Bachelor of Science made a successful application to the Aurora Education Foundation in 2019 and consequently took part in a five-week overseas study tour in the latter part of the year.[1]

UNE School of Education short-term study tour, Bhutan: The Oorala Aboriginal Centre and the School of Educationsupported Ms. Tahlia Arrowsmith, an Indigenous student in her 2^nd year of a Bachelor of Education Degree at UNE, to participate in a three-week study tour of Bhutan in October 2019. The study tour was funded through the Australian Government Colombo Plan with the rare opportunity made possible by over 30 years of close partnership between UNE and the Royal University of Bhutan and the Ministry of Education.

Oorala Scholarship Webpage: To engage the more than seventy percent of the Indigenous student cohort at UNE who study online, UNE provides a dedicated digital Indigenous cultural space by hosting the Oorala Aboriginal Centre website on its domain. This website includes an Oorala Study Support Scholarships portal that links to information about all the scholarship opportunities available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students studying at UNE. The website is available at: https://www.une.edu.au/info-for/indigenous-matters/oorala/student-experience/financial-assistance. Further, students are electronically notified of forthcoming scholarship opportunities via: email through the Student Management System, via curated posts to the Oorala Facebook page, and through notices posted to ‘the Hub’ the designated Indigenous student forum curated by Oorala on “Moodle,” the UNE Learning Management System (LMS).

1.5 Support for indigenous postgraduate scholarship at UNE

UNE Research Services has actively worked to support and progress Indigenous participation in the research enterprise of the University in accord with the UNE 2016-2020 Research Plan. In 2019, a number of actions were taken to provide increased financial support to Indigenous Research students at UNE. These actions included:

• Making available a new suite of Indigenous Higher Education Research (IHDR) Scholarships (Each valued at $35,900 p.a. for three years for a PhD; or two years for a Research Masters);
• Transitioning a number of Higher Degree Research students to Indigenous Early Career Fellowships; and
• Providing seed grant funds to support Indigenous community engagement in research.

A unique feature of the IHDR scholarships is that candidates are eligible to apply to Research Services for an additional $7,000.00 per year for cultural supervision and/or mentoring on top of their standard scholarship. Table 6 shows a summary breakdown of the funds allocated in 2019. UNE Research Services directly funded this financial support.

Table 6: Value of Scholarships and Stipends awarded to UNE Indigenous Higher Degree Research Students in 2019.

1.6 Community Engagement and Outreach activities

UNE recognises that a key part of its role as a member of the Rural Regional Universities Network (RUN) Network University is to contribute to, and enhance, the social and cultural capital of the region in which it is placed. Section 1.6.1 provides details of four UNE outreach activities focused on Indigenous student access and participation. Each of these activities were funded in 2019 through the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP). Section 1.6.2 provides brief details of the initiatives undertaken in 2019 by UNE partnerships (UNEP), the education and training company of the University of New England, to support Indigenous students and provide flexible higher education learning opportunities for ongoing career development. Following this, Table 10 details the comprehensive range of community outreach and engagement activities undertaken by the Oorala Aboriginal Centre in 2019. The breadth and diversity of the activities listed in this Table attests to the strong commitment the Oorala Aboriginal Centre has made to enhance the educational opportunities and outcomes for Indigenous Australians within the New England Region and beyond, and especially for those in the region it serves. Embracing the themes of ‘community’, ‘culture’ and ‘partnerships’ Oorala has developed a multi-faceted portfolio of community outreach and engagement activities that includes:

• Seminars and/or symposia on issues of historical and or contemporary importance to Aboriginal community members;
• Gatherings to honour and respect community Elders;
• Events celebrating key dates of national and/or local importance to Aboriginal people; and
• A number of Leadership Camps and Student Experience Days for Indigenous youth to support their High School journey and encourage/develop aspirations for University level studies.

Finally, Table 11 provides details of a further range of activities undertaken by other Schools and/or Directorates of the University to engage current and future Indigenous students and their associated communities. The activities listed in Table 12 demonstrate that the commitment to improving the access, participation and outcomes of Aboriginal people reaches out beyond Oorala and is, in fact part of the social fabric of the wider University.

1.6.1 Education Participation and Partnership Program (HEPPP)

The Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) aims to ensure that Australians from low socio- economic (SES) backgrounds who have the ability to study at university have the opportunity to do so. The funding provided by the Federal Government provides assistance to universities to undertake activities and implement strategies that improve access to undergraduate courses for people from low SES backgrounds, as well as improving the retention and completion rates of those students. UNE has been running HEPPP projects to assist students from low socio-economic backgrounds achieve since 2013. In 2019, the following four HEPPP funded projects were targeted specifically at improving the access and awareness of Indigenous students to higher education possibilities at UNE.

On Campus Experience Days: During 2019 the Oorala Aboriginal Centre hosted four one-day, discipline-specific, UNE Experience Days for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from local and neighbouring community High Schools. These were supported by $40,000 of HEPPP funding. The experience days were designed to increase student awareness of higher education pathways and increase overall awareness of the diverse opportunities and associated careers attainable through higher education. Likewise, the Experience Days were designed to increase student aspirations for and understandings of university life and to extend each students expectation of their ability to complete a university course. In 2019, a total of 78 students attended the four Experience Days (See Table 7).

Table 7: Summary of 2019 attendance numbers at Oorala Indigenous High School Experience Days

Youth Leadership Camps: During the year, Oorala ran its fourth series of youth leadership camps for Indigenous high school students, supported by $350,000 in HEPPP funding. Since they were piloted in 2016 the camps have experienced year on year growth (Table 8). In 2018 the camps attracted 122 Indigenous High School Students in total (a 51% increase on the numbers attending in 2017) and received on average 50% more applications than places were available. This trend continued into the first half of 2019 when the Senior Girls Leadership Camp held at Oorala in May 2019 attracted some 38 Year 11 and 12 students from 13 Schools across the New England - North West and Mid North Coast Regions of NSW. In a bid to manage the increasing number of applications and to ensure that students were selected on merit and aptitude for tertiary study, a cap (max. of 40 students/ camp) was introduced in the latter half of 2019. Hence, the total number of students that attended the Camps in 2019 was 132, a relatively modest 8 percent increase in numbers on the previous year (See Tables 8 and 9).

In July 2019, The Oorala Aboriginal Centre Youth Leadership Program was announced as one of four national finalists in the Community Engagement Category of the Australian Financial Review Higher Education Awards. This represents the 2^nd year in a row in which the Oorala Aboriginal Centre has received external recognition for the positive community engagement and impact of the Program on Indigenous students. In 2018 the Centre won the Cynthia Briggs – “Empowerment through Education Award” from the Australian College of Educators for its delivery of the Oorala Youth Leadership Camps.

Table 8: Student participation in the Oorala Youth Leadership Camps 2016-2019.

Table 9: Summary of 2019 attendance numbers at Oorala Indigenous High School Youth Development Camps.

Source: Oorala Aboriginal Centre, 2020.

KRUKI: The KRUKI program aims to increase the enrolment of Indigenous students to the School of Rural Medicine, contributing to UNE's Indigenous Engagement Strategy, and as a means to improve the health of Indigenous communities. In 2019, the School of Rural Medicine at UNE hosted the KRUKI Summer School for the fifth consecutive year.  Supported by $150,000 in HEPPP funding this Program is aimed at Indigenous High School students in Years 9 to 12 who are interested in studying medicine. During a five-day on-campus residential program the students engage in a number of activities and workshops designed to provide participants with the experience of “a week in the life of a year 1 medical student”, to build confidence, motivation and demystify the study of medicine for Aboriginal students. Indigenous and Non-Indigenous staff in the School of Rural Medicine facilitate the Program. One of the 2019 KRUKI participants (from Queensland) was successful in her application to the Joint Medical Program (JMP) and enrolled in the BMedSci and MD course at UNE (2020). Two participants from the 2018 KRUKI program also applied for entry to the JMP for the 2020 intake but were not successful. KRUKI also provided tutoring to JMP/UNE students throughout the year, provided progression prizes for JMP/UNE students, participated in outreach activities to high schools within a 300km radius and contributed to the Miroma Bunbila Program held at UoN for admissions into the Joint Medical Program.

Indigenous Scholar/TRACKS Peer Support Program: This HEPPP funded pilot program identified high achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students in a range of undergraduate programs at UNE. These students were invited to mentor students in the TRACKS Tertiary Preparation Program and build a community of practice around successful study at university. To assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at the beginning of their university journey, the knowledge and experience of tertiary education held by our selected Indigenous Scholars is harnessed as a powerful tool with positive outcomes for both the scholars and our beginning TRACKS students. The TRACKS students gain practical, ongoing support including strategies for successfully combining study and commitments, preparation and planning for study and social networking/communication with academic and support staff. So too, the Indigenous scholars are recognised for their academic achievements and are provided with professional development to build their leadership capacities and aid their mentoring of fellow students throughout the support program.

1.6.2 UNE Partnerships

UNE Partnerships has worked with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community organisations to enrol 124 students in qualifications ranging from AQF Level 3 to AQF Level 6 over the year to 31 Dec 2019. Most of these students have come through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services (ATSICCHS), reflecting the willingness of UNE Partnerships to collaborate with peak Indigenous bodies in the Health Sector and respond to the education needs of local Indigenous Communities. Two effective collaborations between UNE Partnerships and Indigenous peak bodies that are producing positive educational outcomes for Indigenous community members are:

1. Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC): Since 2008, UNE Partnerships has worked with the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council to assist them in their commitment to develop and support the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector in Queensland. In particular, UNE Partnerships customised the Certificate III in Business Administration (Medical) to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services in Queensland. Now in its 13^th year of delivery this customized course continues to empower Indigenous people who are entering the workforce to establish an identity in their community and a career in health. The program delivers a very high completion rate of 78%, with 75% of students who have completed the course still employed within the Queensland ATSICCHS Sector. Some 50% of graduates remaining in this sector have in fact progressed to other roles including: Chronic Disease Coordinator & Team Lead; Health Clinic/Practice Manager; Health Worker (Hearing Program); Medicare Clerk; Finance Administration Officer; Allied Health Services Coordinator; Child & Wellbeing Administration, Indigenous Outreach Worker and Senior Medical Receptionist. To further support the career progression of these individuals, UNE Partnerships and QAIHC are now working to develop a Diploma Level Course
2. Indigenous Remote Service Delivery Traineeship Program: During the last quarter of 2019 UNE Partnerships collaborated with 13 ATSICCHS organisations to apply for a grant under the Indigenous Remote Service Delivery Traineeship Program. UNE Partnerships approached organisations listed in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory to offer training services and help with grant applications. UNE Partnerships has commenced delivery of blended programs incorporating online study, workshops and coaching to some 40 students from four states in the following qualifications:
   • Certificate III in Business Administration (Medical);
   • Certificate IV in Leadership and Management;
   • Diploma of Leadership and Management; and
   • Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management

UNE Partnerships also offers two scholarships annually through alliances with the Australian Association of Practice Management and the Facilities Management Association of Australia. Both scholarships are designated for Indigenous applicants.

Table 10 Indigenous Student Support and Community Outreach Activities provided by the UNE Oorala Aboriginal Centre in 2019.B. Oorala Aboriginal Centre Activities Part Funded by ISSP in 2019

Table 11: Summary of additional Indigenous Community Engagement and Outreach activities of UNE in 2019.

1.7.1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Enrolments 2019

In 2019 there were 967 Indigenous students enrolled at UNE. This number is consistent with the sustained upward trend in Indigenous student enrolments experienced at UNE over the past six years (Figure 1). Hence, in 2019 64% more Indigenous students were enrolled at UNE than in 2014. Moreover, Indigenous students accounted for 3.74% of all student enrolments at UNE, and 4.15% of all domestic student enrolments in 2019. Notably, this latter figure represents a total student population at UNE above population parity (2.9%)[1] with respect to Indigenous Australians.

Figure 1: Total Indigenous Student Enrolment at UNE for the six-year period 2014-2019 inclusive.

Source: Student Profile Excel Worksheet dated 28/02/2020 prepared by UNE Business Intelligence Unit.

1.7.2 Total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Load 2019

In line with the strong upward trend in Indigenous student enrolments at UNE in recent years, the Indigenous share of total domestic student load has also trended strongly upwards (Figure 2). In 2014, the total EFTSL borne by Indigenous students at UNE was 319.7. By 2019, total Indigenous student EFTSL at UNE had risen to 493.2, a 54% increase in this six-year period.

Figure 2: Total Indigenous Student Load (EFTSL) at UNE for the six-year period 2014-2019 inclusive.

Source: Student Profile Excel Worksheet dated 28/02/2020 prepared by UNE Business Intelligence Unit.

1.7.3 Commencing and Continuing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Trends 2014-2019

In 2014, Indigenous students commencing at UNE accounted for 116.1 EFTSL whereas in 2019 commencing Indigenous students accounted for some 240.2 EFTSL, an overall 49% increase in EFTSL during this period. However, for commencing students this raw increase in EFTSL has not occurred in a linear or consistent fashion throughout the past six years. Significant fluctuations in commencing student study loads, as has occurred between 2017 and 2019, suggests the existence of stressors to which the prospective Indigenous student market remains sensitive. Importantly, given the also-noted tendency for positive year on year rebound in Indigenous commencing student EFTSL at UNE, it seems likely that these stressors are at least in part external to UNE. Furthermore, the above noted upward trend in the Indigenous share of total domestic student load at UNE, is maintained most strongly in that proportion of total Indigenous EFTSL attributable to the continuing student cohort (Figure 4). This suggests that the commitment of Oorala to improve the student experience and encourage Indigenous student is beginning to have measurable and practical effect (See: Sections 2.1 & 2.2).

Figure 3: Commencing and Continuing Indigenous Student Study Load as proportion of Total Indigenous EFTSL at UNE for period 2014-2019.

Source: Student Profile Excel Worksheet dated 28/02/2020prepared by UNE Business Intelligence Unit.

1.7.4 Internal and External Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Cohorts 2014-2019

The proportion of Indigenous students who choose to study units externally at UNE has increased by 5% during the past six years, from 65.2% of total Indigenous EFTSL in 2014 to 70.2% in 2019 (Figure 4). The positive overall increases in EFTSL and student numbers during this same period as outlined in sections 1.7.1 & 1.7.2 highlights the fact that Indigenous students are:

1. Increasingly attracted to the accessibility of UNE’s courses, [which is itself built on UNE’s long standing commitment to Distance Education]; and
2. Responsive to both UNE’s continuing innovation(s) in online teaching and learning; as well as to UNE’s commitment to enhanced flexibility in course delivery and design.

It further suggests that the increased communication and pastoral support measures developed as part of Oorala’s Integrated Student Engagement Plan (see Section 2.2 & 2.2) are well placed to support the current and future needs of the Indigenous student cohort at UNE.

Figure 4: Internal and External Indigenous Student Study Load as proportion of total Indigenous EFTSL, UNE 2014-2019.

Source: Student Profile Excel Worksheet dated 28/02/2020 prepared by UNE Business Intelligence Unit.