2022 Indigenous Education Statement

Indigenous Pathways Guide

In 2022, the Oorala Aboriginal Centre created the Indigenous Pathways Guide in collaboration with UNE Marketing. The guide aims to support and improve access to the university for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It achieves this by providing a single resource designed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The guide includes targeted information about the university, the Oorala Aboriginal Centre, and our student experiences. The guide has been distributed with our outreach activities in schools, the community and careers markets.

The Academy

Oorala secured funding from the NSW Department of Education and Training through the Innovation and Collaboration Fund for the two-year ‘Pathways Academy’. Through collaboration with six regional schools, The Academy supports a regional education cluster through face-to-face, mentoring and virtual experiences with educational and community leaders. Experts in First Nations pedagogies, culture, innovation, and entrepreneurship development aim to deliver a solution-focused strategy to raise students' aspirations for tertiary study and secure pathways to UNE.

Experience Days and Camps

Oorala continues its successful Experience Days program. One hundred eighty-nine students from eight regional schools participated in seven experience days and three overnight camps offering course tasters in TRACKS, Science, Nursing and Sports Science, Criminology, Early Childhood Education, Law and Nursing and STEM.

National Indigenous Science Education Program (NISEP)

UNE partnered with Macquarie University and Armidale Secondary College to deliver the National Indigenous Science Education Program (NISEP). The program engaged 81 high school students in various science activities from years 7-12.

Recurrent Strategies,Activities and Programs

Personal Retention and Engagement (PREP)

The Personal Retention and Engagement Program (PREP) supports commencing students in their first trimester of study. The culturally competent Student Engagement Officers from Oorala assist new students across a broad range of areas to support their transition and progression. In 2022 the PREP program delivered support to 507 commencing Indigenous students.

Orientation

Oorala actively participates in the UNE Orientation program. The program offers online and on- campus activities. Orientation at Oorala also includes PREP and the distribution of welcome packs for all commencing students. In 2022, Oorala offered two online orientation sessions each trimester.

• The Student Experience at Oorala
• TRACKS Academic Session

Oorala also contributed to the on-campus program, including a welcome breakfast, Life-Saver Day showcasing clubs, societies and services and the Tool Kit sessions (intro to all services at UNE).

In 2022, Oorala implemented a number of new strategies to augment student outcomes (detailed throughout the report).

Elder-in-Residence Network

In 2022, UNE strengthened the Elder-in-Residence program by advertising for additional interest to create a diverse network. The Elder in Residence at the Oorala Aboriginal Centre provides Indigenous leadership, cultural advice and pastoral support to the entire University Community. Expressions of interest have been received and actioned.

Indigenous Orientation Guide

The Oorala Aboriginal Centre and the UNE Marketing team collaborated to create the Indigenous Orientation Guide. This resource was created as a part of the Multi-Media project funded by rollover from the 2021 ISSP funding. The guide was designed to create a student reference document in print and electronic, supporting their orientation to UNE and transition to higher education. This allowed the Student Experience team to reduce the volume of information provided during onboarding activities such as PREP and Orientation, instead focussing on targeted advice and information for that time of their student journey.

Oorala Community Engagement at UNE Colleges

From the start of 2022, a range of activities were conducted within the College precinct, including student well-being, celebrations and events. PVC-Indigenous Strategy and Oorala staff were active participants in events to support students and raise the profile of Indigenous Staff and Students.

UNE Community

In the UNE community, Oorala organised or supported a broad range of activities to raise the visibility of Indigenous students and create a safe and inclusive campus. Some activities included art exhibitions, such as the reconciliation week exhibition of local artists, the grinding stones archaeology photographic display, and the Student photography competition (Your Place Our Country). Students and staff participated in the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education. Oorala held the inaugural Indigenous Staff and Students Awards Night. Indigenous students and staff participated in the UNE Tamworth Aboriginal Working Group. This cross-community group addresses issues relevant to Indigenous participation in higher education in the LGA. The Moree Strategy includes a First Nations objective offering courses and initiatives explicitly designed to support First Nations students and research. These activities are a strategy to connect students to the institution and the wider community and enhance progression through extra-curricular activities.

Academic Support Review

In 2022, the Oorala Aboriginal Centre completed a full review of academic support offered to Indigenous students at UNE. The review aimed to improve student and tutor experiences, make tuition services more accessible, and improve programme administration to tutor communication. Specifically, we undertook the following improvements:

1. Implementation of online induction for tutoring staff
2. Review of Tutoring Online Portal and Enhancements
3. Review and update of TTA Program Guidelines in preparation for 2023
4. Review and update online content
5. Environmental scan of tutorial programs at other institutions
6. Reviewed tutor recruitment to improve tutors’ quality and increase tutor availability.

During Trimester Three of 2022, Oorala added the Oorala Study Skills and LANTITE Preparation online study sessions to its suite of academic supports. The LANTITE sessions were designed to help prepare education students for the LANTITE Literacy test by revising some of the essential language and literacy skills from the upper primary and early secondary curriculum and the LANTITE Numeracy test. This includes revising explicit instruction of the required mathematical concepts from the upper primary and early secondary curriculum.

There were nine Oorala Study Skills online sessions held across Trimester Three. These were designed to assist students with the broad academic skills needed for tertiary education. These sessions covered skills such as research and referencing, academic writing, revision, and exam preparation.

Oorala Study Skills Videos

In 2022, staff developed three new videos to assist students in developing study skills independently. The suite is embedded in the TRACKS unit TRAXOO5, Academic Literacy Skills. The videos can be found on YouTube and www.une.eduau/info-for/Indigenous-matters/oorala

Faculty Indigenous Liaison Officers

Four Indigenous liaison officers were engaged in enhancing the outcomes of Indigenous students against their non-Indigenous peers by providing targeted and culturally competent mentoring and advice. This student-focused role helps academics in each Faculty better support Indigenous students, particularly in units and courses with low success rates, by developing and tracking enrolment and progression plans to optimise success. The role is designed to allow Indigenous students to participate in an academic dialogue that values their experiences as Indigenous Australians, which they may not be able to access in their family or community. This creates Communities of Practice where all students can participate, giving Indigenous students a sense of belonging and improving retention. It improves faculty-student communication.

Social and Wellness Activities

The Oorala experience team introduced social sports sessions with staff and students to encourage well-being, fitness and friendships and build rapport between students and support staff. This activity also supported students in preparing for the National Indigenous Games and acting as a tool for wellness. Participants valued the activities and the activities will continue.

Atrium Project

Atrium offers an evidenced-based approach for enhancing a student’s learning journey and improving outcomes by creating close student-teacher relationships, improving student progression and the overall student experience. The project also aims to improve retention and engagement by streamlining and supporting the outreach by UNE Academics. Atrium helps academics identify students, understand their context, offer support and document interactions.

Research Support

Staff established meetings with the UNE Research services team to discuss current HDR student needs. The Head of the Graduate School also has a standing appointment with the PVC-Indigenous Strategy. The actions are the first steps in developing a dialogue to support Indigenous Higher Degree Research students.

Success Rates

Indigenous student success rates have improved slightly since 2021 (see Table 5). The revision of the Indigenous Education Strategy will place a renewed focus on this outcome.

The People and Culture Aboriginal Employment Consultant, facilitates all face-to-face training over a one-day program and monitors all enrolments online for staff and students.

Cultural Competency Induction for New Staff

New staff are required to undertake the full-day Cultural Connections Program, which is currently only offered face-to-face. UNE is exploring an online offering for remote employees. Please see page 10 of the Aboriginal Employment Strategy,  https://www.une.edu.au/info-for/indigenous- matters/oorala/media/documents/aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-employment-strategy-2019- 2023.pdf

Indigenising Curricula

The Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law is supporting actions to improve outcomes for Indigenous students by raising the visibility of Indigenous peoples and issues of diversity in the faculty. Additional efforts include improving understanding of Indigenous values, which feeds into research- informed teaching (RiT). Incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge in teaching, including an approved major in Indigenous Organization Management in the Diploma of Business, and a dedicated Indigenous knowledge unit in environmental science, ENSC220 - Australian Aboriginal Sustainability Systems. The Business School also workshopped courses, including mapping Indigenous outcomes in curricula. A proposal has been developed to include an Indigenous Oorala unit in the Bachelor of Science core curriculum. The Faculty has considered membership in a national Community of Practice on incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into computer science curricula. And the School of Law embedded Indigenous cultural content into several units across the curriculum.

The Faculty of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education (HASSE) has improved communication with stakeholders to improve opportunities for Indigenous students and their representation in the school. It has included direct online contact with Indigenous students. The Faculty also advertised Identified senior positions in education to assist in academic leadership.

Activities have improved collaboration and communication between lecturers in the different UNE campuses, improved orientation procedures, and enhanced conversations with HDR students regarding ethics and Indigenous higher education research. In addition, there have been professional sharing opportunities on Indigenous pedagogy, such as 8-ways of learning. Finally, in collaboration with Indigenous faculty advisors, HASSE has developed community sessions where lecturers and students come together to discuss issues surrounding studying to improve unit success rates and retention for Indigenous students.

A range of work is underway to embed Indigenous Knowledge within the curricula, and curriculum development across Criminology and Sociology Units, including revising assessment tasks in line with the eight-way pedagogy of Indigenous Learning and embedding of Indigenous Knowledges within subjects to provide an alternative perspective to some heavily Westernised units. In addition, the HASSE team is developing a set of 'Best Practice Guidelines' for embedding Indigenous Knowledges into units at UNE. HASSE is also prioritising changes to policy and practice guidelines to ensure a more inclusive model of delivery that prioritises Indigenous Knowledges and fair participation of Indigenous students.

A cross-university collaboration created inclusive and culturally relevant teaching methods to improve student mental health in 2020. The priority continues, and in 2022 colleagues from across UNE continued to work on an inclusive pedagogy for student well-being. This hallmark pedagogy uses Universal Design for Learning, Culturally Responsive, and Trauma-Informed pedagogy. These principles help lecturers design, implement, and enact UNE's trademark pedagogy for diverse students. In addition, it improves undergraduate course access for remote, low-SES, and Indigenous students.

The Faculty of Medicine and Health advertised a senior identified position and conducted a leadership workshop that included Indigenous staff in planning to manage Indigenous outcomes in the faculty. The Faculty also uses the Indigenous staff to better support policy and procedures by reviewing advice for academic issues confronting students.

Oorala Outdoor Learning Precinct

Envisaged as an Outdoor Learning Precinct, the environmental and cultural space at Oorala will include a yarning circle, a smoking pit for ceremonial practices and shaded indoor /outdoor learning spaces. The precinct will lead to developing a community of practice that identifies with place, Oorala, and Country, building better support networks and a sense of belonging for everyone who uses the space. In addition, this space will contribute positively to student and staff experiences at UNE.

Data Source

New strategies

The efforts to embed Indigenous support in the Faculties have been popular, and we hope to see an increase in completions due to this support. As the project started in 2022, it is too early to tell what impact the activities will have. However, the anecdotal feedback has been positive. The Academic Portfolio Executive Committee has also discussed exit points to ensure students receive acknowledgement of efforts at all stages of study.

Student Ambassadors

In 2022, Oorala recruited student ambassadors to improve completion for Indigenous students at UNE. The seven student ambassadors included two commencing students, three students in their final year and two doctoral candidates. Five of the seven students were linked with residential colleges and connected Oorala with on-campus students often not seen after orientation. Student ambassadors played critical completion-focused roles in several standing activities, including orientation, graduation and student recruitment. The Student Ambassadors also play an important role in bringing student voices to the fore and supporting the students’ transition back onto campus. The program aims to provide an opportunity for professional development while a student studies and the ability to support their academic endeavours financially. We see these ambassadors as critical to developing the Indigenous Student Association.

It is too early to tell the impact of changes implemented in 2022. However, we do track data on student success. Included in those graduation numbers. Three Oorala student ambassadors completed their undergraduate studies in 2022. Two have decided to pursue postgraduate studies, and the third ambassador is fulfilling the professional terms of her scholarship.

The Indigenous Education Strategy 2019-2021 is the primary strategy deployed across UNE to address the participation of Indigenous peoples in UNE programs. The new strategy is under review and close to approval and implementation. UNE continues to operate under the direction of the previous strategy while the redevelopment is undertaken. The Education strategy meets the requirements under Section 13 of the ISSP Guidelines.

The Link to the current Indigenous Education Strategy is

https://www.une.edu.au/     data/assets/pdf_file/0004/470038/UNE-Indigenous-Education-Strategy- 2019.pdf

5.1 Indigenous Education Strategy

The three key areas addressed in the Education Strategy include Indigenous Knowledges, Participation, and Indigenous Students. The achievements in each of these areas are presented in the following headings.

Indigenous knowledges in curricula

The University has held an Indigenous Knowledges forum open to all staff at the UNE, and a project is underway to survey the level of Indigenous knowledges in curricula in the Faculty of Humanities Arts, Social Sciences and Education (HASSE). The Division of Education Futures has developed a Course

Indigenous Staff Career Development

UNE uses Sections 50(d) and 51 of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 for identified positions in advertising to increase academic employment. Even so, attracting academic staff to this region has been difficult. The renewed employment strategy will continue to focus on increasing Indigenous staff explicitly. The proposal being discussed preferences a ‘grow your own’ strategy.

The University employs Professor Joe Fraser as the PVC-Indigenous Strategy and senior Indigenous member of the Institution. In addition, the Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Strategy is a member of the University’s Senior Leadership Team. The Faculties are in the process of advertising additional Indigenous Professorial positions to UNE.

The Employment Strategy is still current but is being redeveloped for implementation before it expires. The new strategy will be completed in 2023. This responsibility falls to People and Culture and is managed by the Indigenous Employment Coordinator with a working group.

UNE’s Indigenous Workforce Strategy can be found at this site:

https://www.une.edu.au/info-for/indigenous-matters/oorala/media/documents/aboriginal-torres- strait-islander-employment-strategy-2019-2023.pdf

5.1 Indigenous Governance Mechanism

UNE utilises section 11 a(i) of the ISSP guidelines for Indigenous Governance. The two Indigenous persons responsible for the Indigenous Governance Mechanism include Professor Joe Fraser (PVC- Indigenous Strategy) and Ms Samantha Fowler as the Indigenous Engagement Manager (Now Acting Director Oorala).

Both Staff members worked closely through 2022 with the Indigenous Team Leader, Oorala, and the Acting Director of Oorala. The Indigenous Engagement Manager met every two weeks with the Indigenous Engagement Team and collaborated weekly with the PVC-IS to discuss ISSP activities. The supervision of ISSP at UNE lies with the PVC-Indigenous Strategy and is managed by the Director of Oorala in conjunction with the Indigenous Engagement Manager. It is a respectful and collaborative system driven by Indigenous staff at the University.

Indigenous representation is included in the following committees of the University: Academic Board; Executive Team Committee; DVC Team Committee; University Collections Committee; University Research Committee; University Teaching and Learning Committee; STEMQ Committee; Senior Leadership Committee; Convocation; Place Plus Advisory Committee; Moree Steering Committee; Land and Sea Hub; Indigenous Employment Governance Committee; Graduation Steering Committee;