Review
of
Indigenous Pathway and Transition Programs
Report
6 September 2010
Professor Jeannie Herbert
Foundation Professor of Indigenous Studies
Centre for Indigenous Studies
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements: ........................................................................................................ i
Prelude: ....................................................................................................................... 1
Executive Summary: ...................................................................................................... 3
Recommendations: ..................................................................................................... 6
Review Overview: ......................................................................................................... 17
Review Methodology: ................................................................................................... 19
Limitations of the Review: ........................................................................................20
Introduction: ................................................................................................................ 21
Review Findings: .......................................................................................................... 23
Term of Reference 1: .................................................................................................... 23
Issues: 24
TOR 1 Recommendations: ........................................................................................ 31
Term of Reference 2: .................................................................................................... 34
Issues: 35
TOR 2 Recommendations:........................................................................................40
Term of Reference 3: .................................................................................................... 42
Issues: 45
TOR 3 Recommendations:........................................................................................ 46
Term of Reference 4: .................................................................................................... 47
Issues: 48
TOR 4 Recommendations:........................................................................................ 54
Term of Reference 5: .................................................................................................... 57
Issues 58
TOR 5 Recommendations: ........................................................................................ 61
Term of Reference 6: .................................................................................................... 62
Issues: 64
TOR 6 Recommendations:........................................................................................ 67
Term of Reference 7: .................................................................................................... 69
Issues: 69
TOR 7 Recommendations: ........................................................................................ 76
References: ............................................................................................................... 80
Appendices: ............................................................................................................... 81
Acknowledgements:
The Review Team would like to begin by acknowledging a number of Indigenous
community groups , staff and students of Charles Sturt University:
1. The Indigenous students who enrol and participate in undergraduate
programs at Charles Sturt University (CSU). We appreciate that many of you
choose to study at this university despite the fact that you may live in a
diversity of urban, regional and remote locations across the nation. Thank
you for your interest and commitment and for your input to this review –
your willingness to share information will, ultimately, enable the university
to improve the quality of its service delivery to Indigenous students.
2. The Wiradjuri Nation on whose traditional lands the major campuses of this
university are located. Thank you for your generosity of spirit in making
people from other country feel welcome here and for your willingness to
engage and share your knowledge and understanding with staff and
students in a wide range of learning and support activities.
3. Those other Indigenous nations throughout New South Wales who also host
staff and students of this university in a range of operational activities, such as
the many teaching and research activities that happen in the most remote
places as well as in locations in Canberra, Sydney, Goulburn and Port
Macquarie. Thank you for your on-going support and for making our staff
and students feel welcome in your country. We appreciate your willingness
to engage with us and your valuable contribution to this review.
4. All of those staff, students and other stakeholders who participated in this
review. Your willingness to participate in the review and the enthusiastic way
in which so many of you engaged with us really made us feel this was a job
worth doing! Thank you every one of you – this has been a very interesting
and informative learning experience.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page i
Prelude:
While the purpose of a Review is usually associated with looking back and critically
examining things that have been done or materials that have been produced, this
particular project, doubtless due to the Terms of Reference, also included an element
of looking to the future. In fact, the Review team adopted an approach focused on
exploring the effectiveness of existing programs and identifying ways they might be
improved while also working with those who participated to identify options for the
future. Hence, there was a different feel about this Review. The Review team and
those who contributed to the information gathering process were not simply looking
back and reflecting upon the effectiveness or otherwise of what had or had not been
done, but were using the process of collaborative reflection as a scaffold for creating a
sense of a new beginning by:
taking a step into the future (the unknown for many) and in many instances
imagining what that might look like or what might be some possibilities;
focusing on the needs of Indigenous students and how CSU might encourage and
enable them to enrol in their courses; and,
facilitating students‟ engagement with the knowledge and the learning process
that would not only ensure retention but also culminate in their successful
completion.
In its planning, the Review team gave considerable thought as to how we might
effectively engage with stakeholders. In choosing an outcomes-based approach to
the data-gathering, we were seeking to encourage people to willingly engage in the
process by talking about things they had heard, observed, knew about or had
contributed. In inviting participants to think about the current reality of CSU in
terms of Indigenous access and participation, we were encouraging people to identify
the things they were doing that were working, to reflect upon why they were working,
and finally, to imagine how they might improve those things that were working and
consider why they might wish to improve them, within the context of achieving
quality Indigenous outcomes within the university.
We also gave considerable thought to ways in which we might most effectively engage
the diversity of stakeholders. In guaranteeing confidentiality and a sense of cultural
and academic safety, stakeholders were invited to respond to questions and issues
raised, in terms both of the position they occupy within the university as well as from
their personal viewpoint. The style of questioning was consultative, designed to
encourage people to engage with the process and the team. In effect, the process
provided both participants and reviewers with an opportunity to explore the
information that emerged out of „looking back‟ ; to discover the synergies; and to
derive mutual benefit, that was readily identifiable, from the engagement.
The Review team came out of the process feeling they had been fortunate in being
participants in a very special moment in time. It was a time when all of those
involved appeared to really engage, not only with the process but also with the intent.
It was a time for genuine sharing, not only recalling things that had happened but
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 1
also thoughts, ideas and even dreams. This was a real coming together of minds and
a glimpse into the potential promise that this university holds for Indigenous
students.
The Review process was apparently considered beneficial because:
many participants commented upon the Review as an opportune occasion to
reflect upon the progress of the CSU Indigenous Education Strategy (IES) in what
was perceived to be a safe environment, and to consider what aspects of the IES
provided the catalyst for this Review to be undertaken as part of the broader CSU
Transitions Project;
there was a good response to the interviews and online surveys indicating that
many staff and students were obviously interested in making the most of the
opportunity to have some time and a process in which to engage in reflection and
critical thinking; and
it enabled participants to consider CSU within the context of the post-Bradley
higher education landscape and to identify ways in which university compacts
and the IES have become drivers for the way in which this university will
continue to support Indigenous education and students and their achievements
into the future.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 2
Executive Summary:
The following summary details the review rationale, terms of reference, identified
key issues, and a summary of the recommendations. The Review of Indigenous
Pathway and Transition Programs involved the Review team analysing a range of
documents relevant to the way in which Indigenous peoples access CSU courses;
conducting three weeks of face to face interviews and/or focus group meetings with
with key stakeholders across the university and the Indigenous community; and
issuing an open invitation to all CSU staff and all enrolled Indigenous students to
participate in separate online surveys. From this, all data were then examined and
analysed by the team. This process enabled the Review team to identify key issues
and develop a number of recommendations designed to improve future access and
outcomes for Indigenous students coming in to CSU.
Rationale:
In February 2010, Professor Ross Chambers, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic),
requested a Review of Indigenous Pathways and Transitions Programs („the Review‟)
be undertaken to address the following terms of reference as part of the CSU
Transitions Project:
Terms of Reference:
1. The performance of current CSU pathway programs in relation to their
effectiveness for Australian Indigenous (hereinafter referred to as Indigenous)
students and opportunities to improve these programs.
2. The potential for development of new pathway programs for Indigenous students.
3. The effectiveness of TAFE pathways for Indigenous students and opportunities to
improve these.
4. The creation of more effective programs for Indigenous school students to
support Indigenous pathways and transition through enhanced links with high
schools.
5. The enhancement of pathways and transition for Indigenous students from rural
and isolated communities (including the use of mobile study centres).
6. The need for Indigenous foundation or enabling certificate or diploma within
CSU.
7. The performance of current transition arrangements for Indigenous students,
especially in their first year of enrolment; opportunities to improve these; and the
potential for alternative transition arrangements.
Given that CSU services a vast area of inland New South Wales drawing from a
catchment area that encompasses a diversity of geographic locations, it is important
to establish the milieu in which this particular review occurred. While the
university‟s major campuses are all located on the traditional country of the
Wiradjuri nations, Indigenous students come to this university from a huge range of
geographic locations, from major cities located along the populous coastal strips, to
the tiniest, most remote communities scattered across desert interiors, not only
within New South Wales but from across the nation. The Indigenous student cohort,
includes school leavers through to older people including many who have suffered
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 3
seriously high levels of previous educational disadvantage. Regardless of differences
in age or gender or place of origin, however, many will have a shared background of
poverty. For many, the chance to get a university education is the only hope they
may have of overcoming past oppression and changing their „lot in life‟.
If this university is serious about effecting such change, then it needs to begin by
acknowledging that, despite the positive progress that has been made in Indigenous
education since the 1967 referendum, the stark reality is that for the majority of
today‟s Indigenous Australians, the education that their mothers and their
grandmothers thought would save them from destruction has, on the whole, failed to
live up to its promise. In seeking to understand this reality, it may be useful to
consider Professor Mark Rose‟s concept of the “knowledge apartheid” (2007) that
takes place in the nation‟s schools and other educational institutions – the long-term,
lingering outcome of colonization. A critical key issue that emerged from this review
was the high levels of Indigenous student attrition at CSU. Within this context, there
is an obvious and urgent need for CSU to understand the continuing impact of
“knowledge apartheid” as the underlying cause of education failing to deliver on its
promise for Indigenous Australians. The review team consider, given the quality of
the engagement that occurred with many of the respondents participating in this
review, that there is a genuine commitment to improving Indigenous educational
outcomes in this university. Critically, however, there is also a degree of confusion
and a certain ignorance, around how individuals, in their own disciplinary areas,
might meaningfully contribute – what, where, how questions. In taking up the
challenge to overcome knowledge apartheid, staff could construct a critical platform
from which they would gain a deeper appreciation of:
the reason why so many Indigenous peoples continue to be so ill-prepared to
engage with university education; and
their role and responsibility, as change agents, to finally deliver on the promise.
Significantly, one of the key issues to emerge out of the review was that racism
persists in various areas of the CSU operation. Addressing the issue of knowledge
apartheid would provide an ideal opportunity for some academic discussions that
would connect knowledge apartheid to the underpinning influence of white privilege
– its origins in colonial history. its long term impact within Australian society and
the way in which that has persisted into contemporary Australia.
The report provides a number of recommendations that will enable people to reflect
upon the value of the ideas, issues and outcomes, that were raised by various
stakeholders participating in the review and to identify those elements that inspire
them, that will enable them to construct the critical platform/s from which to move
forward and effect the changes that are necessary if CSU‟s Indigenous students, both
now and in the future, are going to acquire a university education that is relevant and
useful but above all empowering and full of promise. Achieving such
transformational practice is what will enable CSU to make a definitive difference in
Indigenous education in 2011 and beyond. It is also what will ultimately make CSU
the preferred university for Indigenous students from around the nation.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 4
Key Issues:
Using these TOR and an outcomes-based methodology for gathering information the
Review team identified several key issues that emerged from this review. These
issues are addressed in this report under the relevant TOR.
KI 1: The review team identified one Key Issue that seemed to emerge out of so many
discussions with so many different people about so many different issues. While it
may have been put in so many different words, the basic message seemed to be that:
CSU needs to hold on to the Indigenous students they have but in that regard it
would seem there is a lack of accountability. While there‟s a high level of
Indigenous students coming in, the high levels of attrition turn that into „out they
go‟. Nobody seems to be accountable for that! The real question is: “Where are we
going wrong?”
Other key issues included:
KI 2: Attrition rates suggest that the importance of access is that it is not only
about getting people in the door, it‟s also about ensuring they have the capacity to
walk into the room.
KI 3: Communication is critical aspect in delivering effective programs.
KI 4: In all areas of endeavour, across the university, a collaborative approach is
key to effectively working together.
KI 5: Need to address effectiveness of flexible delivery modes especially in
relation to Indigenous participation in Distance Education.
KI 6: Socio-economic status continues to mean most Indigenous students
struggle to survive financially.
KI 7: Racist attitudes permeate many areas of CSU.
KI 8: Increasing difficulty in employing qualified and experienced Indigenous
staff to take up range of positions available.
The Review team have found these key issues present something of a conundrum. It
seems odd that, given the high level of verbal commitment in support of the
implementation of the IES and strategies around indigenizing of the curriculum, the
key issues to have emerged out of the review activities tend to focus on Indigenous
educational failure and what could almost be perceived as resistant behavours.
In analyzing what this means the Review panel reflected upon the definition of
Indigenous Education as:
Education which relates to the education of Aboriginal students and Torres
Strait Islander students in terms of inclusiveness or appropriateness of overall
curriculum content, and strategies that take into account students‟ cultural
and language backgrounds; and
Aboriginal Studies and Torres Strait Islander Studies, which are studies for all
students about Aboriginal societies and Torres Strait Islander societies.
(Adapted from National Principles and Guidelines for Aboriginal Studies and Torres
Strait Islander Studies K–12, 1995:1)
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 5
In questioning what is happening here, the team concluded that, perhaps, the focus
on implementing the IES, has meant that staff – both Indigenous and nonIndigenous – are putting such an extraordinary effort into educating staff and nonIndigenous students about Indigenous issues, the importance of indigenizing
curriculum, of teaching cultural competencies, etc. that the needs of Indigenous
students are being overlooked. The Review panel has seen this happen in the past, in
other university. The more students feel their needs are not important, are not being
met, the more they will feel excluded and the more they are likely to walk with their
feet. The overall attrition rate of 35.1% for Indigenous students in 2008, certainly
indicates that, despite all that is being done, something is not happening for
Indigenous students. If this is the underlying issue, the Review team hopes this
Report will help to address it.
Recommendations:
In acknowledging the importance of quality service provision in providing
Indigenous students with the opportunities that will enable them to achieve quality
educational outcomes, the team has endeavoured to provide recommendations that
will enable CSU to:
address the key issues identified in the Executive Summary;
utilize some practical strategies in supporting and adding value to existing
pathways and transitions programs;
consider some workable options for possible future directions in relation to
enabling or foundation programs; and
make appropriate choices that will improve the quality of the first year experience
for Indigenous students thus increasing their chances for completing their
undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
These recommendations are:
Recommendation 1:
The Manager of ISS takes urgent responsibility for organizing a staff professional
development workshop designed to focus on team-building and building more
effective communication within the overall ISS team. It is suggested that it could be
useful to adapt the Djirruwang Program‟s philosophy of „cultural respect‟ as the
guiding principle for this activity that should be designed to enable ISS staff to focus
on a range of internal and external communication issues relevant to delivering an
efficient and effective service appropriate to supporting the diverse needs of
Indigenous students seeking to access and successfully engage in a wide range of
university courses. It is suggested that this workshop be outsourced to an external
consultant who specializes in such activities.
Recommendation 2:
The Manager of ISS takes responsibility for building a more sustainable model for
the future delivery of support services to Indigenous students by establishing a
collaborative activity that will enable all ISS staff to come together to engage in a
problem-solving and value-adding consultation designed to focus on ways of
enhancing the quality of the services provided for the benefit of all Indigenous
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 6
students seeking to use them. As the focus should be very clearly on „value-adding‟ it
is suggested that ISS staff use this as an opportunity to clarify their understandings,
as individuals and as a collective service provider, of what KAP‟s role actually is
within the broader provision of Indigenous student services; how effectively it
achieves that role; and how that role might be enhanced to increase its value to the
client group – Indigenous students seeking entry to CSU courses. Given that
Indigenous students who had previously participated in KAP commented favorably
on the value of this program in terms of preparing them for university life and the
focus of the program has shifted to skills assessment, this consultation should
explore other options the various elements of ISS to create stronger connections
between:
their separate internal operations providing a more collaborative and holistic
model of service delivery that caters for the diverse needs of all Indigenous
students; and
the ISS operation, in particular KAP, and the faculties/schools to ensure on-going
collaborative engagement in relation to the:
design, development and implementation (and future reviews) of the
assessment programs:
student selection interviews; and
provision of accurate course information for interested Indigenous students.
Recommendation 3:
Subsequent to the implementation of Recommendations 1 & 2, the Manager of ISS
establishes a working party to review all promotional materials. This working party
should identify the different markets to be targeted and ensure the accuracy of their
message to those various individuals/groups. Due to possible legal implications in
producing any informative materials intended for public use, it is recommended that
the working party work closely with the CSU marketing team and relevant academic
staff where necessary, to ensure all promotional materials clearly articulate, in
aspirational language, the total ISS service including the specific role of KAP in terms
of providing an alternative entry pathway for those who have suffered previous
educational disadvantage or failed to achieve entry through the ATAR process.
Recommendation 4:
Following the production of new promotional materials, the ISS Manager:
organizes a professional development activity for all ISS staff to be become
informed about contents of new materials and the critical messages they contain;
and
establishes a representative team of ISS staff who will schedule and conduct a
series of promotional events on each CSU campus as well as regional careers
expos and other similar activities held in the CSU catchment area. The focus of
such events will be to promote the ISS (and KAP) role within the overall context
of Indigenous education in this university. Such events should aim to engage:
CSU Heads of Schools and their academic staff to demonstrate the value of the
services ISS offers, establish vital connections between those delivering
academic programs and those delivering student support with a view to
identifying potential future collaborative development of assessment tools and
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 7
to encourage academics to refer those Indigenous students in need of
academic support, to the various campus facilities;
To identify academic staff who have an interest in being involved and
contributing to KAP programs, including the current development of the
Darrambal, because close consultation with the faculties is the only way to
ensure the development of appropriate assessment tools, the correct way of
conducting assessment tasks and the contribution of accurate information
sessions with students during KAP programs;
CSU Indigenous students to demonstrate value of ISS and foster an interest in
using the facilities amongst Indigenous students;
Staff and Indigenous students in schools to promote the services of ISS and
encourage Indigenous students to aspire to university studies; and
TAFE staff, students and Indigenous community members attending expos,
etc. to highlight the value of KAP as a means of alternative entry into
university studies and the importance of the ISS role in supporting Indigenous
students.
Recommendation 5:
That the DVC (Academic) give serious consideration to the issues raised in this
review, in particular around concerns that unrealistic expectations are being placed
on ISS to deliver academic assessment, academic advice and counseling and
academic support in the form of a tutoring service, when it is not an academic entity.
Recommendation 6:
That there is a need for consultation between ISS and the broader CSU Students
Services team to identify specific accountability needs in terms of service provision.
For example, processes in place, other than student services support, to ensure all
KAP entrants to CSU courses are being monitored and supported to cope.
Recommendation 7:
Review team suggests that the introduction of a no drug and alcohol policy for
students participating in residential skills assessment programs could be an effective
strategy to address issues around personal and cultural safety for all students.
Creating a drug and alcohol free environment for such events would enable all
participants to engage more deeply with the process and develop a greater
appreciation of their potential for self-empowerment through self-control.
Recommendation 8:
That all Heads of Schools/Disciplines take urgent responsibility for establishing a
working party of academic staff to undertake a mapping activity of their past and
current pathways programs for Indigenous students. A critical component of the
exercise will be to identify those initiatives that have worked/are working and to
indicate why they were/are considered to be successful.
Once this mapping exercise has been completed a copy should be circulated to all
academic staff for consideration prior to a staff meeting where the purpose of the
meeting will be to look beyond the scope of their current pathways programs and,
using a blue-skies scenario, identify possible options for expansion. Knowing what
works gives people a platform from which to launch their ideas. Encourage people to
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 8
see this as a challenge and be bold and innovative in their thinking, looking for
synergies within and beyond their own school/discipline, that could be used to really
expand the pathway opportunities for Indigenous students.
The Ideas paper that will be the outcome of this whole staff activity will be forwarded
to Faculty Deans to provide a starting point for the activity outlined in
Recommendation 9:
That all Faculty Deans meet to determine a suitable date and venue, prior to the end
of 2010, when they will convene a collaborative workshop with all Heads of Schools,
to engage in an aspirational planning session using collaborative problem solving to
identify innovative, approaches to achieving the CSU target to increase Indigenous
enrolments to at least 3% of its student enrolments by 2015. The development of
new pathway programs designed especially to enable Indigenous students to access
CSU courses will be an important element in achieving these targets.
Given that the goal is to achieve the target over the next 5 years, the outcome of this
meeting would need to reflect short term goals (utilizing initiatives that are currently
working or have worked in the past) and longer term goals that will focus on annual
expansion through additional new initiatives that will enable on-going growth over
the 5 year period.
The outcome of this workshop would be an overarching (or a series of) Faculty
Operational Plan/s that would reflect the collaborative nature of the exercise in using
a whole-of-institution approach to achieving the CSU target for growth of Indigenous
enrolment, over the period 2011-2015. This could be a 5 year plan or a series of
annual plans. The purpose of the exercise is to:
acknowledge the importance of achieving this target if CSU is going to be able to
demonstrate to the Wiradjuri Nation and to Indigenous Australians throughout
the nation, that it does have a genuine commitment to Indigenous education for
Indigenous peoples;
demonstrate a willingness to find different ways of enabling Indigenous peoples
to access and successfully engage in university education;
use a blue-skies scenario to encourage participants to “think big” and rise to the
challenge of making CSU the „preferred‟ university for all Indigenous school
leavers west of the mountains;
discover the power of genuine engagement through collaboration as a means of
finding solutions to problems, so that the value of this practice can be taken back
and used in the follow-up workshops that Heads of Schools will need to conduct
with their academic staff to develop the next layer of operational plans. In
cascading such experience, Heads of Schools need to be quite explicit in
articulating the process and its purpose so that staff will, in turn, be empowered
to use collaborative learning as an effective means of engaging with increasing
numbers of Indigenous students; and
produce documentation that will then be used by Heads of Schools/Disciplines
and their staff to develop the School/Discipline Operational Plans.
It is critical that Faculty and School/Discipline Operational Plans include clear
details of:
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 9
actual innovative ideas/strategies for growing enrolments;
agreed targets in specific courses, within each discipline area and/or school;
identified leaders and their specific responsibilities;
schedule for follow-up activities to monitor progress and achievement of targets
within specific timelines across the 5 year period; and
indication of ways in which progressive achievement of outcomes will be
recognized and promoted through recruitment and marketing.
While the Deans may wish to invite Chair of Indigenous Studies and/or the acting
Director of CIS to be sources of information/advice if required, these people should
not take a lead role in the activity.
Recommendation 10:
Despite the fact that 25% of CSU students enter via a TAFE pathway, this review
highlights the need for CSU to recognize and accept that VET currently provides a
very narrow route to higher education. On the basis of their own prior experience of
working with Indigenous students in both the TAFE and higher education sectors,
the Review team would argue that TAFE institutions and universities offer very
different learning experiences and that these do not necessarily facilitate a seamless
transition from the practical knowledge applications of the VET sector to the higher
education sector‟s focus on theoretical understandings. For this reason the Review
would like to recommend that the research project to identify the pedagogical and
participatory issues around the transition from VET to higher education, being
undertaken by Dr Cathy Down of CSU as part of an NCVER grant, might consider the
value of taking a particular focus on those issues as they relate to Indigenous
students.
Recommendation 11:
The Review team recommends that the Bachelor of Education (VET) 8 credit point
unit called Written Communication, that all VET sector students articulating into the
Bachelor of Education (VET) are required to complete, has a broader application
across the university where there is a high rate of articulation from VET to CSU, as it
addresses a real need. The unit examines academic writing, library skills, study
skills, grammar and text construction in a higher education context. The objective of
the unit is to scaffold students so that they develop an understanding of the
difference in the requirements around text in a higher education environment and it
has been very successful in equipping students to deal with language, information
literacy skills and assessment in a higher education context. For the unit to have
credibility and sustainability, however, it should only be taught in courses as a core
compulsory unit and as an accredited part of the student load.
Recommendation 12:
In view of the considerable disparity between the number of Indigenous students
who complete Year 12 or equivalent qualifications, compared to their corresponding
non-Indigenous cohort, the Review team would recommend that the Faculties and
Schools maintain their efforts in addressing this area of need as a part of their overall
strategy for increasing Indigenous enrolments in CSU courses by 3% over the next 5
years.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 10
The Review team recommends that Faculties might consider linking potential
partnership agreements, in schools and/or communities, with the development of
participatory research activities that enable schools and their Indigenous parents and
communities, across all levels P-12, to engage with the process and drive the
decision-making and change. In particular, the Review team, through their own
experiences in this regard would recommend the value of targeting science and
maths projects as a critical strategy in changing teacher expectations of Indigenous
student‟s achievement and increasing Indigenous student higher education
aspirations.
Recommendation 13:
The Review recommends that, as the TVET style courses, appear to offer some
potential opportunities for Indigenous students and others to experience learning in
a university environment while undertaking their HSC studies, Faculties/Schools
should ensure that details of these courses are made available so that they can be
promoted as part of the marketing of CSU.
Recommendation 14:
That CSU, in line with the introduction of the Australian Government‟s Higher
Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP), explore ways in which
it might work more collaboratively and productively with schools, NSW DET
Aboriginal Education teams in the various regions, Indigenous communities and
bodies such as the AECG and the Wiradjuri Council of Elders, to ensure that it
creates links between CSU and Indigenous school students which
engage with young people at their own level;
involve parents in educational decision-making;
provide realistic and achievable pathways into higher education which respond to
young people‟s career and personal goals.
To ensure that this occurs the Review sees merit in the university allocating a
proportion of its HEPPP Participation funding to meet the educational aspiration
needs of Indigenous school students in its footprint, particularly in those schools
with significant proportions of Indigenous students.
Recommendation 15:
Within the context of encouraging Indigenous school students‟ educational
aspirations despite their socio-economic status, the Review team recommend that
CSU foster closer relationships with various private sector groups, such as The
Aurora Project, to encourage Indigenous students within the CSU catchment area to
take advantage of increasing opportunities to access a range of initiatives such as
scholarships enabling students to complete secondary school, careers camps,
leadership and mentoring activities. The personnel establishing many of these
initiatives actively align themselves with Indigenous educational networks as a
source relevant advice around cultural issues and learning needs.
Recommendation 16:
The Review team recommend that the DVC Academic and the DVC Finance &
Administration give consideration to the value of allocating an identified Indigenous
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 11
position to be based in marketing. Not only would this provide an opportunity for an
Indigenous person to pursue a career in a field where there is a limited Indigenous
presence, but it would also enable CSU to implement a more targeted focus on
promoting growth in Indigenous enrolments through developing proactive strategies
including the use of multi media as a tool for sharing Indigenous academic success
stories throughout the CSU footprint and nationally. This would represent a critical
affirmation of the co-operation this university receives from the Wiradjuri nation.
Recommendation 17:
In response to a request from the DVC (Academic) the Review team met with the
General Manager of the Nura Gili Indigenous Centre at University of New South
Wales to explore the possibilities for enhanced communication and possible
partnership between CSU and UNSW. Based on the outcomes of that meeting, the
Review team would advise that, within the context of this Review and the creation of
more effective pathways for Indigenous school students, the Review is unable to
progress the idea of a partnership with UNSW further. While there might be some
concerns around losing some of our potential students to UNSW, there were also a
number of very positive possibilities for both UNSW and CSU in such an agreement.
It is now a matter for further discussion between the relevant parties in the
university to consider the benefits for CSU and the potential sources of funding.
Recommendation 18:
The Review team recommend that CSU Higher Education Partnerships Advisory
Board establish a working party to report to the Board on how to effectively support
Indigenous secondary students particularly in their final year of schooling to make
the transition to higher education.
Recommendation 19:
The Review team recommend Gale‟s (2010) identified ten characteristics that typify
programs that successfully foster higher education participation for disadvantaged
students, as set out at the end of the Review findings for TOR 4, to guide action that
it considers CSU should take to more actively engage in developing the university
aspirations of Indigenous young people in its footprint.
Recommendation 20:
Given their concerns regarding the very high attrition rates for Indigenous students
undertaking studies through Distance education, the Review team requests that the
DVC (Academic) meet with Chair of Indigenous Studies and the group of Faculty
Deans to discuss a possible intervention using participative research to involve
Indigenous students, their families and communities and ISS and relevant learning
skills advisers, in finding a solution to the problem/s that Indigenous students are
encountering in undertaking their studies through Distance Education mode as set
out in the Review findings. Given the CSU target for increasing Indigenous
enrolments, it is suggested that this meeting occur before the end of 2010 so that any
agreed intervention could commence at the beginning of the 2011 academic year.
Recommendation 21:
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 12
That CSU establish Indigenous enabling/foundation courses at CSU, as a means of
attempting to address a range of issues associated with:
high attrition rates of Indigenous students across all courses;
providing a culturally safe learning environment in which students can
develop skills which may help them to achieve the skills and knowledges they
require to effectively engage in a university course; and
expanding the scope of undergraduate programs that Indigenous people could
aspire to enrolling in.
Recommendation 22:
In considering the need for university access and preparation programs, the Review
recommends CSU note to the range of designated Indigenous preparatory and
pathway programs offered by other NSW universities (see Table 12). In particular,
the Review considers the complimentary approach to student pathways and access
offered by the Nura Gili unit at the University of NSW as one that would be of
considerable interest to CSU. The Nura Gili Pathways web page which clearly sets
out the links between their access and pathways programs is worth viewing at
http://www.nuragili.unsw.edu.au/programs.htm.
Recommendation 23:
The Review team recommends that the DVC (Academic) use the Discussion Paper
prepared by the Chair of Indigenous Studies in addition to the review findings
around this TOR, to guide his discussions with the appropriate executive managers
to determine the future direction of this issue. There are two critical caveats to this
recommendation. Firstly that there is a need to give serious consideration to
developing a model that addresses the real needs of all Indigenous students, in
particular those studying through the DE mode. Secondly, that existing pathways
should continue as many of these are providing relevant and effective alternative
options for Indigenous peoples seeking to access CSU courses.
Recommendation 24:
That Liz Smith, Director of Transitions Project, meet with Chair of Indigenous
Studies, to discuss possibility of holding a 2-day forum in 2011 for staff and students
on the issue: “Creating a quality transition to higher education at CSU for non
traditional students”. This forum would involve bringing together ISS, CSU Student
Services, CIS and range of staff involved in student transition– academic and general
- who engage directly with 1st year Indigenous students as well as current Indigenous
students – 1st year and others (e.g. ESL, mature aged, studying by DE, LSES,
international disability). The purpose would be to identify issues – barriers and
positive experiences - and work in collaborative groups to identify possible solutions
and wider applications ie. making links to activities that students indicate worked for
them, planning what needs to be done to achieve improved quality of transitions
across CSU.
Recommendation 25:
Given the high level of concerns expressed regarding the lack of academic support
and/or ITAS tutoring, the Review team considers there is a need for CSU to
proactively intervene at the highest level. This is not only an Indigenous issue – it
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 13
affects all of CSU students, especially those involved in DE. The team suggests that
the DVC (Academic) urgently establish a working group consisting of representation
from marketing and academic staff – Indigenous and non-Indigenous - to design a
program and organize a publicity campaign across the CSU footprint to place our
issue – difficulty in accessing suitably qualified and/or experienced people, in
various locations, who would be willing to support our students in completing their
studies through providing academic or other support such as tutoring, mentoring,
etc. Focus on issue that CSU delivering a critical community service educating
people to secure the future for regional NSW but can‟t do it alone – need help of
communities to ensure capacity to continue offering this essential service, etc.
Campaign needs to be ready to run at the beginning of the 2011 academic year.
The other part of the initiative would be to establish a database – in student services?
In faculties? – that would contain all of the information provided by those willing to
register – name, contact details, role in which they could provide support, any
restrictions in terms of time, days, etc. , relevant qualifications/experience. The
database needs to be organized ahead of time so that information can be recorded as
soon as it begins to come in.
Recommendation 26:
Given that there does appear to be some confusion and concern around the delivery
of ITAS services, in a timely manner as required by students, the Review team
recommends that the DVC (Academic) commission an urgent audit of all processes
that underpin the ISS operation as it would appear that it is these processes that are
impacting upon the effectiveness of the delivery of this service. As the issues that
have emerged throughout this review have been diverse: who is responsible for
promotion; where are the tutors: who is responsible for finding tutors for students;
some Indigenous students have never heard of ITAS; some Indigenous students have
given up all hope of ever getting a tutor; there is apparently a database yet we appear
unable to link students to appropriate tutors; can‟t get into the support centres – all
locked up when we go there; why can‟t people access learning skills advisors through
ISS, many students studying in DE mode are not aware of ISS and potential support
they might access. Due to this diversity of issues, the Review team recommends that
the review of the processes that impact upon the delivery of Indigenous Student
Services be undertaken by a person who does not work in this area, preferably an
academic given that many of the concerns are to do with academic issues, a person
who can bring a fresh eye and open mind to evaluating the processes and their
effectiveness.
Recommendation 27:
Given the need to increase the number of Indigenous academics in CSU and the
concerns expressed regarding the substantial turnover of Indigenous academics
within the university, the Review team recommends that the Faculty Deans and the
DVCs meet to discuss and develop a range of proactive approaches to overcoming
this problem. Consideration needs to be given to recruitment, opportunities to
encourage existing staff to acquire postgraduate qualifications, identifying successful
graduates and a strategy for encouraging them to return to CSU after some work
experience in their discipline area, incentives to encourage retention of Indigenous
staff, how effectively is our practice demonstrating a valuing of Indigenous staff and
their knowledges, how effectively is current organizational structure creating a
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 14
sense of „belonging‟ for Indigenous staff, how effectively does CSU enable and
encourage on-going community engagement for Indigenous staff, etc.
Recommendation 28:
That Heads of School require lecturing staff to report incidents of racist behaviour in
classes and in other arenas, e.g. such as the online forums, to their supervisors with
an explanation as to how it was dealt with. The Review team recommend that every
incident be dealt as it occurs. Making racist comments is not acceptable behaviour in
an education setting and that reality must be made explicit from the beginning. Just
as there are protocols in place to govern behaviour in undertaking research tasks so
there should be protocols in place to govern behaviour in learning environments.
Discriminatory behaviour is a certain turn-off for Indigenous students and often an
underlying cause of people abandoning their studies. While the Review team
acknowledges the work that has been done by many staff and students to create
culturally responsive environments across the university, visual symbols alone do not
build an inclusive learning environment or create quality learning experiences.
Recommendation 29:
Given that concerns were expressed that some Indigenous students are not
identifying as Indigenous, the Review team would point out that this is a matter of
personal choice but the underlying factors that influence such decision-making are
complex. Does CSU make Indigenous students feel proud to be Indigenous within
the university environment? Obviously not everyone. The Review team recommend
that CSU executive give serious consideration to how they currently demonstrate that
this university values Indigenous peoples and their knowledge systems. What are the
messages that are being put out there by staff and students on the ground? How are
management showing leadership in ensuring that the right message is getting out
there? The CSU vision doesn‟t mention people although the IES vision indicates it
“will be culturally inclusive” and will engage in the advancement of social justice and
human rights for Indigenous Australians”. The visible symbols are only the first part
of the message – the real message emerges out of what people do - how they treat
one another. The Review panel would suggest that management map what is being
done on each campus to actually demonstrate that the university values Indigenous
peoples? How and when does CSU acknowledge Indigenous achievement within
local, regional, state and national settings? How is CSU engaging with Indigenous
communities – within the CSU footprint to begin. What research projects reflect the
Indigenous voice or do they reflect what researchers think Indigenous communities
really need? There is no doubt that there are people here with very deep
commitment but sometimes it is hard to overcome the lifelong effect of white
privilege. If CSU is going to achieve its 2015 target it needs every student who is
Indigenous to be identifying. They are more likely to do that when they know that
they are valued for who they are and for the knowledge they bring to the learning
experiences in which they participate here at CSU.
In addition, there is a need to ensure that the private information that people enter
on their initial admissions form, where they tick the identity box, remains a part of
their record for as long as their records are kept. People should not have to repeat
filling in this sort of information every year.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 15
Finally, within the context of Indigenous identity, it became very obvious to the
Review team, during the process of interviewing and meeting people, that there is a
separation of the Indigenous presence across the university. Each group, CIS, ISS,
Indigenous Employment Strategy and the Djirruwang Program operates as a
separate entity and there would appear to be little or no interaction. Indigenous
lecturers seem to operate within the silos of their school or discipline. There is
nothing that brings everybody together, no unifying presence. While such a situation
may have no impact upon those who have a strong sense of their own identity, it can
contribute to a splintering of the sense of communal identity which is often
important to Indigenous students who function more effectively in learning
environments where they feel culturally safe, where they can establish the
connections, the relationships that are so important to the sense of „belonging‟ that is
so important to enabling them to engage with the knowledge and the learning
process. The Review team recommend that the DVC Academic consider the current
model that is driving Indigenous education in CSU with a view to addressing this
critical issue by implementing an alternative model that provides strong academic
leadership and management across all areas of Indigenous endeavour throughout the
university, a positive role model and has the capacity to draw the disparate groups
together to create the sense of group identity that can be very important to students
seeking to engage in what could almost be termed an alien environment. This person
would need to be located within the executive management structure of the
university and would be responsible for providing strategic management and
direction to all Indigenous operations across CSU – the unifying presence. A concept
overview, based on what happens in many other Australian universities, will be
provided to the DVC (Academic).
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 16
Review Overview:
In February 2010, Professor Ross Chambers, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic),
requested a Review of Indigenous Pathways and Transitions Programs („the Review‟)
be undertaken to address the following terms of reference as part of the CSU
Transitions Project:
1. The performance of current CSU pathway1 programs in relation to their
effectiveness for Australian Indigenous (hereinafter referred to as Indigenous)
students and opportunities to improve these programs.
2. The potential for development of new pathway programs for Indigenous students.
3. The effectiveness of TAFE pathways for Indigenous students and opportunities to
improve these.
4. The creation of more effective programs for Indigenous school students to
support Indigenous pathways and transition through enhanced links with high
schools.
5. The enhancement of pathways and transition for Indigenous students from rural
and isolated communities (including the use of mobile study centres).
6. The need for Indigenous foundation or enabling certificate or diploma within
CSU.
7. The performance of current transition arrangements for Indigenous students,
especially in their first year of enrolment; opportunities to improve these; and the
potential for alternative transition arrangements.
The Review is driven in part by the scope and underlying philosophy of CSU
Transitions Project which commenced in 2009 and aims to strengthen preparatory
studies and support for students in their first year of study and preparation for
potential students. The CSU Transitions Project recognises that in broadening
university access to meet Australian Government participation and attainment
targets2, there will be more students coming to CSU in the future who will be under
prepared for university study and will need increased support if their transition into
university in order to succeed.
While the Transitions Project focuses on three main stages of the student life cycle
(i.e. pre-enrolment (including areas such as aspiration raising, pathways, and/or
preparation programs); orientation; and the first year curriculum), in its
consideration of the issues affecting the access, participation and retention of
Indigenous students at CSU, the Review has explored broader issues of Indigenous
education3 to make recommendations in relation to how Indigenous students and
their communities can achieve quality outcomes from their participation in CSU.
1
CSU‟s pathway programs are designed to:
prepare students for admission to awards programs; and
provide appropriate support for students, particularly in their first year of enrolment.
Australian Government higher education attainment and participation targets:
by 2025, 40 per cent of 25 to 34 year olds attain a qualification at bachelor level or above; and
by 2020 20 per cent of higher education enrolments at undergraduate level should be from people from low
SES background.
3 Indigenous education within CSU‟s Indigenous Education Strategy is inclusive of student support, teaching,
Indigenising the curriculum, research, community engagement and increasing university access and
participation.
2
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 17
In accord with the key objectives of the Transitions Project and the broader CSU
Student Experience program which commenced in 2008, the Review team sought to
gather information to inform the design, development and delivery of effective
pathways and transitions programs to ensure the future retention and success of
Indigenous students at CSU. So that CSU can:
provide culturally safe learning environments for Indigenous students from a
diversity of backgrounds who want to participate in higher education;
design and deliver pathways programs to ensure that commencing Indigenous
students have the knowledge, skills and understandings they need to progress to
award courses;
improve transition program delivery and outcomes so as to increase the number
of Indigenous students who are able to effectively participate in award courses
and achieve qualification;
provide Indigenous undergraduate students with the opportunity to experience
the value of higher education as a pathway to realising their personal and work
aspirations; and
shift the discourse around Indigenous higher education, within both the
university community and its Indigenous communities, from one of failure to
success.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 18
Review Methodology:
The Review team consulted a variety of relevant CSU background documentation
including:
University Strategic Plan
Indigenous Education Strategy 2008
Indigenous Education Statements to DEEWR 2004 to 2010
Data on CSU Indigenous students as kindly provided by Office of Planning and
Audit
CSU Transitions Project as provided by Liz Smith, Director
Faculty Operational Plans
The Review used an outcomes-based methodology that invited participants to
identify what is working and then encouraged them to use their own knowledge and
experience to comment on possible changes and strategies that have the capacity to
increase successful outcomes for Indigenous students. It provided an opportunity
for participants to reflect upon their own activities at the faculty, school or service
delivery point level and to assess the effectiveness and relevance of these actions in
light of the university‟s commitment to its Indigenous Education Strategy.
Through this collaborative dialogue process, Review participants were invited to
comment upon:
relevance and effectiveness of current pathways and support programs for
Indigenous students at CSU;
changes and improvements to these programs that may enhance outcomes;
alternative strategies/options for increasing successful outcomes of programs;
and
opportunities for new initiatives to increase student access, retention and success
such as foundation and enabling courses.
The Review data gathering process comprised face to face interviews with
approximately 40 individual staff and community members; group interviews with
14 participants; and an open invitation to all CSU staff and all enrolled Indigenous
students to participate in separate online surveys. The process also included a mail
out survey to persons who had participated in the 2009 Koori Admissions Program,
however the response to this survey was too small to be included in the final review
of the data.
The Review data gathering tools and the summaries of the response to the online
surveys are attached as Appendices to this report.
Commendations:
In acknowledging the very broad scope of this review and the difficulty in gathering
all of the evidence in the short timeframe available, the Review team wishes to
comment on the outstanding efforts and achievements of many members of staff
across the university. While time has prevented us including all of the information
we gathered, we feel it is important to record our satisfaction at discovering just how
many initiatives are underway in schools and communities across the CSU footprint.
While there is neither the time nor the space to comment on every activity that is in
play, suffice to say that much of what is taking place augers well for the future of
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 19
Indigneous education in this university. The focused efforts of many of these people
also reveals some very serious effortrs are being made to achieve the CSU target to
increase Indigenous enrolments to at least 3% of its student enrolments by 2015.
The Review team commends this activity and encourages staff to maintain their
increasing efforts in this area. It is vital to the future growth of Indigenous education
in this university.
Limitations of the Review:
The Review team was conscious throughout the process that the review was being
conducted in an institutional environment within which changes had been put in
place in response to an earlier external review into CSU‟s former Aboriginal
Education Centres. The Review team is of the view that it would have assisted them
to access that review as background material, as it may have helped us in
understanding the uncertainty, and at times dissatisfaction, expressed by some
institutional and Indigenous community stakeholders in relation to the perceived
effectiveness and responsiveness of the current support structure.
CSU adopted an Indigenous Education Strategy (IES) in 2008; however, the Review
found that despite the obvious institutional commitment to the Strategy, there are
still many operational, structural and policy issues to be addressed if CSU is to
provide quality educational outcomes for Indigenous people.
The Review team had difficulty in obtaining useful data from Indigenous Student
Services as evidence of their Indigenous pathways and support programs so that the
Review could constructively evaluate their effectiveness. The team considers that this
is due in part to the need for further structural change and operational responsibility
if the goals of the IES are to be achieved.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 20
Introduction:
Closing the gap:
As at the 2006 Australian Census, the education participation rates of Indigenous
and non-Indigenous Australians were significantly different as is highlighted by the
profile below:
only 47.4 per cent of Indigenous 20–24 year olds had completed Year 12 or
equivalent qualifications, compared to attainment levels of 83.8 per cent for the
corresponding non - Indigenous cohort;
post school qualifications for Indigenous people are much lower than nonIndigenous people - 25% compared with 47%;
Indigenous people who engage in post secondary education are more likely to
participate in vocational educational and training (VET) than in higher education;
the bulk of Indigenous VET participants attain qualifications in the lower levels of
certification (Level 3 and below); and
post school qualifications are more likely to be attained by Indigenous peoples in
non-remote areas than in regional and remote areas, although the percentage of
Indigenous peoples living in regional and remote areas is far higher than that in
non-remote areas.
Contextualising the current CSU situation:
A key objective of the CSU Indigenous Education Strategy (IES) is to increase
Indigenous enrolments at CSU to at least 3% of its student enrolments by 2015. This
objective is embodied in the CSU Interim Agreement with the Commonwealth
Government for Mission-based Compacts 2010-2011 and in varying degrees of
explicitness in Faculty and School Operational Plans. For example, the Faculty of
Science clearly sets out in its Operational Plan 2010-2012 its commitment to the IES
and its objective to increase Indigenous enrolments in the Faculty to 3% by 2015 in
line with the IES.
CSU currently has an enrolment of 530 Indigenous students (May 2010). To meet
the above targets of either 3% of its student enrolment or 1,000 students by 20132015, the CSU Indigenous student population needs to increase significantly over the
next three years. Table 1 shows that while CSU‟s Indigenous enrolments as a
proportion of all CSU students have increased in recent years, this followed a
decrease in 2007-2008. For CSU to achieve its strategic target of 3% or 1,000
Indigenous students by 2013 will require an increase of more than 100% during a
time when there will be increased opportunities for Indigenous students at
competing institutions in a student demand driven environment. This target will be
particularly problematic for faculties such as Arts and Business which currently have
low enrolments of Indigenous students.
Table 1 - Indigenous Australian enrolments at CSU 2004 to 2009
Indigenous Total
Commencing
Continuing
% of CSU
2004
307
119
188
0.86%
2005
305
138
167
0.91%
2006
359
189
170
1.05%
2007
379
171
208
1.12%
2008
332
122
210
1.02%
2009
436
241
195
1.26%
(Source CSU Indigenous Education Statement 30 June 2010)
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 21
It is understood that there may be a number of Indigenous students studying at CSU
who are not identified in the University‟s data systems as Indigenous. The reasons
for this are unknown although it was suggested that it may in part be due to the CSU
Admissions process which requires students to tick the box that they are Aboriginal
and/or Torres Strait Islander each time they complete an Admissions form. In
addition, it was suggested that it may be because some students choose not to be
identified as Indigenous on University records. The reasons for this choice were not
explored in the Review but one view is that it may be related to some students
believing that „identifying as being Indigenous‟ is akin to situating oneself within
notions of deficit and disadvantage. Hence, where a student does not feel that they
are disadvantaged they may choose to not identify in university records. This does
not mean that they do not personally identify as Indigenous and live their lives
accordingly. This issue raises the question of how Indigeneity is positioned within the
university and the need to for it to be seen as more than an issue of equity.
The Review team in citing and commenting upon data related to Indigenous student
enrolments at CSU has relied upon the CSU Office of Planning and Audit data.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 22
Review Findings:
Term of Reference 1:
The performance of current CSU pathway programs in relation to their
effectiveness for Australian Indigenous (hereinafter referred to as Indigenous)
students and opportunities to improve these programs.
Introduction:
CSU defines a pathway as a way of gaining admission to study at Charles Sturt
University (CSU, 2010). Such pathways include the traditional pathway of entering
higher education on the basis of secondary education results such as the NSW Higher
School Certificate or the Victorian Certificate of Education. CSU also offers a range of
alternative pathways to university for those students who do not meet this criterion
but who are seen to have the capacity to succeed on the basis of other entry selection
processes. These pathways include:
TAFE articulation;
Credit for and recognition of prior learning and employment experience;
Special initiatives for school leavers such as the HSC Board Endorsed Nursing
Program and the Principal‟s Report Entry Program;
Darrambal Skills Assessment Programme (formerly known as the Koori
Admissions Programme); and
Single subject study.
In addition, if a potential student is not yet ready to enter their course of choice CSU
can provide assistance through enabling and foundations programs which prepare
students for entry, e.g. Studylink courses and the University Certificate in General
Study (CSU Pathways Program).
In addressing the terms of reference, the Review has explored various elements of
CSU‟s pathways programs, including school-linkage programs (see ToR 5), TAFE
preparation and articulation (see ToR 4), previous study and work experience, and
foundation and enabling courses (see ToR 6). The response to ToR 1 will focus on the
Koori Admissions Programme or KAP which is a key pathway for Indigenous
students wanting to enter CSU who do not meet the entry criteria.
Koori Admissions Programme (KAP)
The Koori Admissions Programme (KAP), which has been operating since 1992, is a
pathway program for Indigenous people who may have little or no formal evidence of
their level of skills, experience or abilities, to satisfy the usual entry requirements to
study at university. KAP is administered and delivered by Indigenous Student
Services (ISS) which provides academic, social and emotional well-being support for
Indigenous students. ISS also administers the Indigenous Tutorial Assistance
Scheme (ITAS) and Away From Base (AFB) financial assistance.
KAP was marketed on the CSU/ISS website as “an alternative entry program which
offers potential university students the opportunity to experience staying in a
university for a few days and have the opportunity to participate in simulated
classes, so as to find out about university and learn study survival skills, as well as
meet university staff in a supportive and caring environment”.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 23
The Review‟s examination of KAP in response to TOR One is based on KAP as it has
operated up to 2010. Indigenous Student Services, who operate KAP, has advised
the Review team that as part of their commitment to the ongoing review and
development of KAP, several changes have been implemented in the program for
2010, including the program being renamed as the Darrambal Skills Assessment
Programme.
Although KAP is represented as a major source of alternative entry of Indigenous
students into CSU, the actual enrolments from the KAP process into CSU in recent
years, although increasing, are not as great as those from other alternative entry
pathways, such as TAFE and employment. Table 2 shows the number of Indigenous
people who engaged in the KAP process in some way between 2006 and 2009
including the number of KAP participants who then enrolled in a degree level course
at CSU. In considering students who enrol as a result of the KAP process as a
percentage of commencing undergraduate Indigenous enrolment, it should be noted
that KAP data is based on the KAP activity in a particular year, and the enrolment
data is for the year in which they actually enrol, i.e. in the following year. This data
shows the number of Indigenous students entering CSU via KAP is generally less
than 20% which is not high when considering the educational disadvantage
experienced by many Indigenous people seeking entry into higher education.
Table 2: KAP participants 2006 to 2009
Applicants
Participants
Offers
KAP participants that enrolled at CSU in
undergraduate courses
Commencing Indigenous enrolments in u-grad
courses
KAP participants as % following year‟s
commencing u-g enrolments
2006
36
27
21
2007
47
26
24
2008
64
37
30
2009 2010
72
50
40
20
19
25
30
115
87
157
22%
16%
17%
Unknown
(Source: KAP Data as reported to DEEWR in Indigenous Education Statement 2010. Additional data on CSU
Indigenous enrolments provided by CSU Office of Planning and Audit)
The Review‟s analysis of KAP and its effectiveness were restricted as the Review team
experienced difficulty in obtaining data such as:
formal documentation of the design and implementation of KAP over the years;
processes used in KAP to assess applicants‟ preparedness to enter their course of
choice; and
reliable cohort data on the progression of KAP students.
The Review‟s comments on the effectiveness of KAP are based in the main on
interviews with staff and some students who have been involved in KAP, and
comments made by other CSU staff and students about the program and its
perceived effectiveness.
Issues:
KAP is a long standing CSU alternative entry program which appears to have
continued to operate in a similar format for many years. In the past it has been
offered as a three to five day residential program, through which participants were
able to obtain information about courses and meet past and current students who
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 24
acted as mentors and residential assistants in order to share experiences with other
students and act as role models. KAP has previously been more a university taster
type program which allowed participants to experience what it was like to be a
university student and find out their suitability to undertake courses in various
disciplines.
The main objectives of KAP are to:
provide an opportunity for participants to gain an understanding of what higher
education offers;
experience the university environment so as to reduce anxiety about moving into
what for some students may be a daunting place;
meet lecturing and other staff in a supportive environment; and
assess a participant‟s readiness to undertake a course of study, so as to avoid
setting the participant up for failure by providing entry into a course before
student is ready.
Table 3 illustrates the course interests identified in KAP enquiries in recent years.
While the main interest is in disciplines such as education, justice studies/policing,
nursing, mental health and social work, increasingly as the range of courses offered
by CSU has expanded, potential Indigenous students have also expressed interest in
a more diverse range of courses, such as allied health disciplines and human
movement. Even though the level of interest in some of these courses is small, the
fact that there is such interest, particularly in the more competitive courses such as
the allied health related courses, provides a marketing opportunity for CSU to
increase Indigenous access into these key programs and create new work pathway
opportunities for Indigenous people.
Despite KAP having been around for some years, feedback from university staff and
from staff who have worked with KAP indicates that there is a great degree of
confusion and misunderstanding amongst CSU staff about KAP‟s purposes,
operations and outcomes. Many staff had not heard of KAP, or knew very little about
it, other than that it was a program for Indigenous students wanting to come to
university. Others saw KAP as being a catch all that enabled all Indigenous people to
gain entry into CSU, regardless of whether a student required alternative entry, e.g.
the Review was told of instances where Year 12 students who wanted to undertake
courses at CSU were advised that they would enter through KAP, even if they could
enter on the basis of their Year 12 results. Such an approach can convey an
undesirable message to Indigenous Year 12 students and others, that if you are
Indigenous, you can get alternative entry and perhaps do not have to work for your
place at CSU. This concern about KAP was expressed by careers advisers and
Aboriginal Education Assistants at one regional high school who described programs
such as KAP as a „double edged sword‟ in terms of encouraging Indigenous students
to aspire to higher education:
If you know about KAP at school, even if you‟ve got some academic ability, you
know you can get into uni and you don‟t have to work hard. But what you realise is
that if you don‟t put in the work at school then KAP won‟t work for you (Barawul
Yana 2007)
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 25
Table 3: KAP Participants - course interests 2007-2009
Course Interest Area
Business
Communications
Education
Human Movement/Exercise Science
Justice Studies/Policing
Nursing
Mental Health
Psychology
Radiography
Dentistry
Allied Health (Physio, OT)
Paramedic
Pharmacy
Social Science
Social Work
Information Technology
Science (Parks Management)
Eco tourism
Vet Science
Graphic Design
Theatre
Winegrowing/agribusiness
2007
1
2
16
2
14
6
7
1
2
2
1
2
2
0
1
1
2008
1
0
16
2
13
8
3
2
1
0
0
1
2
6
1
3
1
3
1
0
0
2009
4
4
25
4
12
13
11
3
0
0
3
2
1
5
10
2
6
1
3
1
1
1
Total
6
6
57
8
39
27
21
3
2
1
3
3
2
9
18
4
11
4
6
2
2
2
(Source: KAP Enquiries database as maintained by Indigenous Student Services)
In recent years, due to the DEEWR and Centrelink funding conditions for the
program, ISS has had to focus more on the skills preparedness assessment element
of KAP, so the direction of the program has moved from learning outcomes to
assessment outcomes. This change could mean that some KAP applicants who are
not ready for entry may have to look elsewhere for a university familiarisation
program, or may be advised that they need to undertake preparatory programs
before entering their course of choice via KAP. One CSU school indicated that it saw
great value in KAP participants continuing to be able to participate in a broader
university and course familiarisation program, and as such the school would be
willing to fund that element of the program out of school funds. The school suggested
that ISS run the skills assessment component, using Centrelink funding, and the
school offers the course familiarisation activity.
Some staff spoke of the increase in recent years of the quality of participants
attending KAP and the greater range of courses students wanted to enter such as
policing, allied health, paramedics, and environmental sciences. This greater
diversity of student capability levels and interests highlights the need for ISS to
actively engage with faculties and schools in developing and designing an
appropriate program to meet participant needs.
The Review team received differing advice in relation to faculty/school involvement
in KAP. ISS personnel told the Review that academics drive the KAP process,
however, a number of academics expressed concern that in recent years there had
been an “erosion of the relationship of KAP with the faculties” and that
faculties/schools were often not invited to be involved in KAP. It is critical for the
program‟s success that the faculties/schools work closely with ISS both in the design
of the program and the assessment of students.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 26
The Review was advised of a situation where two KAP participants were offered a
place in a highly competitive course by ISS on the basis of their KAP participation.
The school had not been consulted in relation to this offer. As the course had an
interview as its major entry requirement, the school had to then work with ISS so
that the KAP participants could undertake the school interview process, and
hopefully be eligible for entry into the course. This could have resulted in a highly
embarrassing situation for CSU if the school had been unable to support the earlier
decision by ISS to offer the two students entry into the course. The school is now
very actively supporting these two students to the extent of having an identified
person within the school who meets with the students on a regular basis to monitor
and mentor their progress. In addition, the school has arranged for these students to
carry a reduced study load while still being able to meet Centrelink full time study
requirements. This supports the students by not placing the normal course study
burden on them in their first year. The students are aware that it will take them
longer to complete the course but understand that the school is supporting them by
setting a pace which hopefully will prevent them from failing in their first year.
Another instance of the need for active engagement between ISS and the relevant
course area was in relation to KAP entry to one of the allied health fields. The course
coordinator supported the ISS decision to offer two students entry to the course via
KAP, however, she expressed her concern that the two students are in a high
achieving environment and need intensive ongoing support particularly in
developing their science knowledge if they are to succeed.
Review feedback from the faculties/schools was very strongly that ISS, in developing
the new Darrambal Skills Assessment Programme, should actively engage faculty and
school personnel in the program design, development and delivery, as well as in
student selection. The Review understands that ISS has invited some discipline
areas to advise ISS of the skills required to undertake particular courses so that ISS
can base their assessments and advice to participants on this information. For
example, for students wanting to enter the Applied Science (Parks and Recreation)
degree, ISS advise that they are working with the employer (mainly NSW National
Parks and Wildlife Services) and the School of Environmental Science to prepare
assessment processes to determine students‟ readiness to undertake the course.
While there is a concern that such a process may restrict the number of students who
are able to enter the program in the short term, the approach does open up the
opportunity for participants who are not ready for degree level entry to be directed to
foundation and enabling programs or other supports to bring their skills up to level
ensure successful outcomes.
Concern was expressed by some academic staff that with the increased focus on skills
assessment, that the program not become just another type of university entry skills
aptitude/assessment testing program such as the Special Tertiary Admissions Test
(STAT), which is a series of related tests designed to assess a range of competencies
commonly considered important for success in tertiary study. Their view is that ISS
should value add to the process by including course information and university
familiarisation activities as a part of the alternative entry process, and not duplicate
the STAT process.
One head of school, concerned about the impact on her staff of working with ISS to
develop unique assessment tools for her school, suggested that a less onerous
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 27
alternative to each faculty/course/school developing a special assessment tool for
KAP, would be for ISS to identify those generic skills which are broadly required for
university study, such as critical thinking, reading for meaning, and academic
writing, and develop the relevant generic assessment tools. These tools would then
be complimented where necessary by more course specific assessment tools for areas
such as science knowledge and mathematics which could be developed by the
faculties. It was considered that entry to programs in education, humanities, arts,
policing and social sciences would have similar requirements based on academic
literacy and study skills and it should not be necessary to develop specific assessment
tools for each of these programs.
To establish effective liaison between ISS and the relevant academic units in the
effective development and delivery of operation KAP, some academic staff suggested
that ISS establish regular contact points within each faculty and also within those
schools where there are significant Indigenous interests. ISS says that it works with
the Sub Dean Learning and Teaching in each faculty in this capacity, however, there
is a concern that this role may have too broad a responsibility to address the issues
that need to be considered in developing and designing relevant KAP activities,
particularly in those faculties where large numbers of Indigenous students are
enrolled in particular courses, eg. Policing, Mental Health. In courses where
Indigenous enrolment is small then the role of a general faculty contact may be
appropriate.
A number of academics who were actively involved in courses teaching substantial
numbers of Indigenous students were disappointed when advised they were not
needed when that they had expressed their interest in working with and attending a
KAP program. While the Review understands ISS‟s desire to have mainly Indigenous
people delivering KAP both in terms of their cultural knowledge and understandings
and their being role models; if these persons do not have the required skills and
academic knowledge it may be better for some elements of the program to be
presented by academics.
In view of the increased focus on assessing academic readiness, an issue raised in the
Review was whether it is still appropriate for the program to be run through ISS
which is not an academic unit. It was suggested that the program could be more
effectively offered by an academic area working with ISS, on the basis that student
services officers should not be expected to offer academic advice and counselling. The
Review recommends this be considered further in action responding to other Review
recommendations concerning foundation and enabling programs as the matters are
linked.
Overall, in terms of student reaction to KAP, those who had participated in the past
and were enrolled at CSU, spoke favourably of the program and said that it had given
them the opportunity “to prepare for university life, build relationships with each
other that continue into their studies, meet staff and get to know how university
works and where to go for what they need”. All said that they had found the
program very helpful in helping them to assess their preparedness to enter higher
education. However, they also said that there needed to be more opportunity in KAP
to focus on skills development, in particular essay writing and effective class
participation.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 28
Such comments reflect the overall concern that in the absence of complimentary
enabling courses, KAP is attempting to achieve too much in too short a period of
time, with unrealistic expectations of what can be achieved in that time, perhaps
driven by ISS not being an academic unit. Although ISS recommend some KAP
students offered places undertake Studylink units prior to their actual enrolment,
these courses are offered in a distance mode and the completion rate for the units is
not good. Consider by contrast the situation of Indigenous students who are given
alternative entry to University of Sydney through its Cadigal program – the
university has a requirement that all students who are given alternative entry
through this program undertake a two week study skills course prior to class
commencement.
The Review was advised that the support for those students who entered CSU via the
KAP process is no longer as effective as it had been some years ago where the KAP
students were better known and more readily recognised as a cohort and received
both academic and personal support through the Aboriginal Education Centres on
each campus. It is thought that the current division of support into ISS, a unit with
no substantial Learning Skills Adviser capacity does not adequately support those
students most likely to be at risk. For example, the school which accepted two KAP
students into a highly competitive course advised that with the exception of using
ITAS, it is providing the academic and personal support through the school, having
found it difficult to obtain the support the students required through ISS, including
liaising with Centrelink about income support. The Review was unable to examine
the current attrition rates of KAP students as a cohort in isolation from those who
entered CSU via other alternative entry processes, as the Basis for Admission4 for
KAP entrants is Other, a category which includes students other than KAP.
Some KAP participants and staff commented upon issues of cultural and personal
safety when they attended KAP. One student spoke about his/her being disturbed by
the behaviour of some KAP participants who appeared to want to use KAP program
more as a party experience than as a pathway. As KAP is a residential program this is
an important element over which program managers need to ensure an appropriate
balance, particularly as a number of participants in this type of alternative
admissions process will also attend similar programs at other institutions and will be
using it to make a decision about which offer they will select. An instance which
illustrates that issues of cultural safety need to be taken into account was where some
non-Wiradjuri students became distressed while attending KAP. They attributed
their feelings to missing the Wiradjuri Welcome to Country as they arrived late
because of their travel plans. They eventually withdrew from the program as they felt
so disturbed.
Basis of Admission categories are determined by the DEEWR categories for collecting student data
on the basis of admission of students to under-graduate programs in higher education. Students can
be admitted on the basis of a completed senior school certificate (secondary); on the basis of prior
complete or incomplete higher education studies; on the basis of prior complete or incomplete TAFE
award studies (which is presumed to include awards of VET non-TAFE providers); as mature age
special entry students; and on the basis of a number of other very small categories, which at CSU
includes entry via KAP.
4
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 29
Another issue that was raised in relation to KAP is tied in with how KAP is marketed
and overall the marketing of opportunities for Indigenous people at CSU. There is a
need to ensure that all ISS personnel are fully informed and up to date about CSU
course information and the university processes in supporting and advising
participants. This issue is addressed in the response to Term of Reference 2 below.
The future:
The Review team acknowledges that some of the issues raised above relate to KAP
and the way in which it has been run in the past, however, there are still a number of
concerns with KAP‟s ongoing effectiveness and relevance. ISS advise that as part of
its ongoing development of KAP that it will implement several changes in 2010 with
the introduction of the Darrambal Skills Assessment Programme. These changes
include:
An ISS team leader has been appointed to coordinate the Darrambal Program.
The number of assessment activities held will increase.
ISS plan to hold these in several places to better suit the needs of the Schools
involved.
The number of participants at each assessment event will therefore decrease (in
some cases by up to 30 or 40 participants), which hopefully will give an
opportunity for more in-depth assessment and counselling.
With the help of Learning Skills Advisers and academic staff from all faculties,
more appropriate assessment tasks will be developed so that participants can be
assessed across a range of skill areas.
The role of Faculties and Schools will become much more pivotal to the
assessment programmes as they will play a major part in designing assessment
tasks appropriate to their courses, and will also be involved in the assessment of
participants.
ISS plan to introduce these changes when three separate assessment events will be
held in August, September and October as follows:
one for Policing, to be held in Goulburn with NSW Police and staff of the School
of Policing;
one mainly for Environmental Science (but may also include Community Health
and other courses), to be held in Wreck Bay with Department of Environment
Water and Heritage and the local community; and
a “general” program to be held in Bathurst, for all those whose interests are not
attended to above.
The redesign of KAP in 2010 including the activities above and renaming it as the
Darrambal Skills Assessment Programme may address some of the issues raised in
the review. For example, ISS has advised the Review that it will develop and deliver
Darrambal with the help of Learning Skills Advisers and academic staff from all
faculties, and that faculties and schools will be more pivotal to the program. ISS has
also requested courses and schools work more actively with them in the design of
assessment tasks appropriate to their courses. While this appears to mark a change
of direction in ISS, it has been the experience of the Review team that effective
change is difficult to achieve without the various stakeholders engaging with each
other in an active collaborative process that demonstrates a mutual respect and
willingness to contribute to the identified outcome/s in a timely manner.
The Review hopes that the modifications and improvements proposed by ISS go
some way to addressing the need for an effective Indigenous alternative entry
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 30
pathway; however, issues such as ongoing school and faculty liaison; the capacity of
ISS to design, develop and deliver an effective program; data management;
marketing; and ensuring personal and cultural safety need to be urgently addressed.
The recommendations below are made in the context of the immediacy of these
issues and the anticipated enhancements to KAP through the Darrambal Skills
Assessment Programme in 2010.
TOR 1 Recommendations:
As previously indicated, the recommendations in this section will focus on KAP as
the key pathway for Indigenous students seeking to enter CSU when not meeting
entry criteria, as other pathways are dealt with in other TORs.
Note: while the term KAP is used throughout in line with the terminology used in the
Terms of Reference, the recommendations offered should be viewed as equally
applicable to the newly established Darrambal Skills Assessment Programme.
Recommendation 1:
The Manager of ISS takes urgent responsibility for organizing a staff professional
development workshop designed to focus on team-building and building more
effective communication within the overall ISS team. It is suggested that it could be
useful to adapt the Djirruwang Program‟s philosophy of „cultural respect‟ as the
guiding principle for this activity that should be designed to enable ISS staff to focus
on a range of internal and external communication issues relevant to delivering an
efficient and effective service appropriate to supporting the diverse needs of
Indigenous students seeking to access and successfully engage in a wide range of
university courses. It is suggested that this workshop be outsourced to an external
consultant who specializes in such activities.
Recommendation 2:
The Manager of ISS takes responsibility for building a more sustainable model for
the future delivery of support services to Indigenous students by establishing a
collaborative activity that will enable all ISS staff to come together to engage in a
problem-solving and value-adding consultation designed to focus on ways of
enhancing the quality of the services provided for the benefit of all Indigenous
students seeking to use them. As the focus should be very clearly on „value-adding‟ it
is suggested that ISS staff use this as an opportunity to clarify their understandings,
as individuals and as a collective service provider, of what KAP‟s role actually is
within the broader provision of Indigenous student services; how effectively it
achieves that role; and how that role might be enhanced to increase its value to the
client group – Indigenous students seeking entry to CSU courses. Given that
Indigenous students who had previously participated in KAP commented favorably
on the value of this program in terms of preparing them for university life and the
focus of the program has shifted to skills assessment, this consultation should
explore other options the various elements of ISS to create stronger connections
between:
their separate internal operations providing a more collaborative and holistic
model of service delivery that caters for the diverse needs of all Indigenous
students; and
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 31
the ISS operation, in particular KAP, and the faculties/schools to ensure on-going
collaborative engagement in relation to the:
design, development and implementation (and future reviews) of the
assessment programs:
student selection interviews; and
provision of accurate course information for interested Indigenous students.
Recommendation 3:
Subsequent to the implementation of Recommendations 1 & 2, the Manager of ISS
establishes a working party to review all promotional materials. This working party
should identify the different markets to be targeted and ensure the accuracy of their
message to those various individuals/groups. Due to possible legal implications in
producing any informative materials intended for public use, it is recommended that
the working party work closely with the CSU marketing team and relevant academic
staff where necessary, to ensure all promotional materials clearly articulate, in
aspirational language, the total ISS service including the specific role of KAP in terms
of providing an alternative entry pathway for those who have suffered previous
educational disadvantage or failed to achieve entry through the ATAR process.
Recommendation 4:
Following the production of new promotional materials, the ISS Manager:
organizes a professional development activity for all ISS staff to be become
informed about contents of new materials and the critical messages they contain;
and
establishes a representative team of ISS staff who will schedule and conduct a
series of promotional events on each CSU campus as well as regional careers
expos and other similar activities held in the CSU catchment area. The focus of
such events will be to promote the ISS (and KAP) role within the overall context
of Indigenous education in this university. Such events should aim to engage:
CSU Heads of Schools and their academic staff to demonstrate the value of the
services ISS offers, establish vital connections between those delivering
academic programs and those delivering student support with a view to
identifying potential future collaborative development of assessment tools and
to encourage academics to refer those Indigenous students in need of
academic support, to the various campus facilities;
To identify academic staff who have an interest in being involved and
contributing to KAP programs, including the current development of the
Darrambal, because close consultation with the faculties is the only way to
ensure the development of appropriate assessment tools, the correct way of
conducting assessment tasks and the contribution of accurate information
sessions with students during KAP programs;
CSU Indigenous students to demonstrate value of ISS and foster an interest in
using the facilities amongst Indigenous students;
Staff and Indigenous students in schools to promote the services of ISS and
encourage Indigenous students to aspire to university studies; and
TAFE staff, students and Indigenous community members attending expos,
etc. to highlight the value of KAP as a means of alternative entry into
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 32
university studies and the importance of the ISS role in supporting Indigenous
students.
Recommendation 5:
That the DVC (Academic) give serious consideration to the issues raised in this
review, in particular around concerns that unrealistic expectations are being placed
on ISS to deliver academic assessment, academic advice and counseling and
academic support in the form of a tutoring service, when it is not an academic entity.
Recommendation 6:
That there is a need for consultation between ISS and the broader CSU Students
Services team to identify specific accountability needs in terms of service provision.
For example, processes in place, other than student services support, to ensure all
KAP entrants to CSU courses are being monitored and supported to cope.
Recommendation 7:
Review team suggests that the introduction of a no drug and alcohol policy for
students participating in residential skills assessment programs could be an effective
strategy to address issues around personal and cultural safety for all students.
Creating a drug and alcohol free environment for such events would enable all
participants to engage more deeply with the process and develop a greater
appreciation of their potential for self-empowerment through self-control.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 33
Term of Reference 2:
Development of new pathway programs for Indigenous students:
Goal: Increase the access and participation of Indigenous students across all
faculties of CSU in a student demand driven environment.
Where are they enrolled?
In 2009 Indigenous students were enrolled across all faculties at CSU, however, as
Table 4 indicates, the enrolments are predominantly in a small number of discipline
areas, e.g. the Bachelor of Health Science (Mental Health) (Djirruwang Program)
accounted for 40% and the Associate Degree in Policing Practice (Faculty of Arts) for
10% of ALL Indigenous commencing enrolments in 2009. The other strong areas of
Indigenous enrolment in 2009 were the Bachelor of Nursing (12%), Bachelor of Early
Childhood Education (4%) and Bachelor of Social Work (6%). For other programs
the commencing Indigenous enrolment is generally less than three students in a
course, with most courses having either none or only one or two Indigenous students
enrolled. Despite the small numbers there is a trend for Indigenous students to enrol
in more diverse discipline areas than previously, as their awareness of work
opportunities and the related course offerings at CSU grow. This trend can be
evidenced by the course interests expressed by applicants for the 2009 KAP process
(see Table 3 above). The trend to greater diversity in course interests/enrolments is
also reflected in a downward trend in enrolments in some of those courses which
previously attracted high numbers of Indigenous students, e.g. in 2009 the Bachelor
of Applied Science (Parks and Recreation) attracted only three commencing
enrolments compared to an average of 10 enrolments in earlier years.
The Bachelor of Health Science (Mental Health), which supports the highest number
of Indigenous students in any one program across the university, is an Indigenous
only program. A previous Indigenous only course, Bachelor of Community and
Public Health had similarly high enrolments and substantial course completions
until it was discontinued in 2007.
Table 4: Indigenous enrolments in CSU Bachelor degree courses, 2009
(Source: CSU Office of Planning and Audit 2010)
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 34
Issues:
With CSU‟s expanding portfolio of courses particularly in areas such as dentistry,
biomedicine, allied health, exercise science, health, policing, and creative arts and
communications, there is a window of opportunity for CSU to consider new pathways
to attract Indigenous students to CSU, by promoting course clusters. Participants in
the Review spoke of a number of potential areas for growth in Indigenous student
enrolments across CSU which would increase the access and participation of
Indigenous students beyond those courses where their enrolment has been
prominent to date and create a more diverse Indigenous workforce.
Faculty of Science
The Faculty of Science currently enrols over 30% of all commencing Indigenous
enrolments, and has a high proportion of Indigenous course completions. However,
these figures are mainly due to enrolments in the Bachelor of Nursing and the
Bachelor of Health Sciences (Mental Health, otherwise known as the Djirruwang
program, which is an Indigenous only degree level program and has had a lengthy
history of Indigenous participation. However, the broad scope of the faculty and its
continuing growth into new areas to supply a regional health workforce, offer a
number of opportunities for increased pathways, particularly into disciplines where
there are either no or very small numbers of Indigenous students enrolled.
The Faculty of Science Operational Plan 2010-2012, in line with the CSU Indigenous
Education Strategy, has a target of 3% enrolment by Indigenous students by 2015. It
will need to increase its Indigenous enrolment by 100% if it is to meet this target. Its
strategies include exploring:
alternative pathways to prepare and support Indigenous student entry into
Faculty programs; and
the potential for Indigenous bridging programs into wide range of courses.
Review participants from the Faculty of Science were very aware of the low
participation rate in most of the Faculty‟s courses and were keen to create new
opportunities for Indigenous students although the actual numbers in each course
would not be large because of the highly competitive nature of many of the courses.
Some schools within the faculty that could provide new pathways for Indigenous
students are:
i) School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences
In 2010 there are some students in animal science who are Indigenous, including two
students currently enrolled in Veterinary Science. The vet science students were
admitted as alternative pathway students in 2010, as they did not meet the ATAR
entry criteria. However, they still had to pass the interview process which is the
major hoop all students have to pass to get entry into vet science. Mindful of the
importance of not setting the students up for failure, the school was concerned that
in lessening the academic requirement for entry to the course, that students still met
the personal and professional suitability requirements. The school support process
instituted for these students includes a modified study load in the first year
comprising three subjects of which two subjects are vet science subjects and one a
non vet science subject; tutorial assistance; a mentor system; and buddy support.
The school has been upfront with the students about the challenges they will face and
is hopeful that this initiative will be successful and encourage more students into vet
science. While these two students had come through KAP, the school also has its own
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 35
provision for alternative entry for Indigenous students which is advertised on its
website. It also has a scholarship for an Indigenous student which is currently held
by a final year vet science student.
As of 2011, the school will make provision on its application form for interested vet
science students to tick a box if they want to identify as Indigenous.
ii) School of Community Health
The School, based at the Thurgoona campus, offers a diverse range of courses in the
allied health field including occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry and
speech pathology. The current enrolment of Indigenous students in the School is
very low and has been low since the School‟s inception. To date two students have
enrolled in physiotherapy.
National Indigenous enrolments in Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech
Pathology nationally in 2006 were 29, 15 and 7 respectively; as compared with
national non-Indigenous enrolments in these three disciplines of 4,786, 3,655 and
2,055 respectively (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council,
2008). The head of school, who is part of a National Committee looking at ways to
increase Indigenous participation in allied health disciplines, said that the reasons
for the very low level of participation in these course are complex, including high
academic scores required for entry, heavily science-based curriculum, and the
possible lack of exposure of many Indigenous people to actual careers in the allied
health, as many students live in rural areas where they may not have much
engagement with allied health practitioners.
The School is keen to raise Indigenous enrolments and has engaged with KAP and
the regional health forums to increase participation, as well as programs such as
Science to the Bush and the Murarrie Area Rural Health Student (MARHS) initiative
which is a group that goes into schools and promotes health careers. The School has
also participated in Indigenous cultural competencies workshops so as to increase
staff awareness and understanding of how to engage with Indigenous community
and students. Additionally, mindful of the low profile that some allied health
disciplines may have in rural and remote communities, the School has tried to
increase the number of students undertaking placements in Indigenous communities
in its clinical placement program, so that communities can become more aware of
allied health disciplines. However, at this stage all participating students are nonIndigenous.
Although the number of Indigenous students entering courses in School of
Community Health is likely to remain low for some time, this is a timely opportunity
for the School to explore the creation of highly supported pathway programs into
these courses through links with communities, primary and secondary schools, and
the health workforce. One strategy is to work with primary and secondary schools to
encourage students to aspire to become interested in science and gain entry to
university; another is to look at links with TAFE and develop pathways for
articulation from paraprofessional training courses; a third is to raise awareness of
what a tertiary education will offer the Indigenous community both generally and in
relation to specific allied health outcomes (NATSIHC, 2008).
Such an approach will build on previous CSU initiatives. A series of Koori Health
Careers Residential Workshops were held on the Wagga Wagga campus of CSU in
2002, 2003, and 2004 (see Barawul Yana Sept 2007). These workshops were
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 36
attended by Year 9 to 12 Indigenous students and others from regional, rural and
remote schools and appear to have been very effective in encouraging Indigenous
young people to complete their secondary education and study for a career as a
health professional. While the Review is unable to establish if there is any follow up
data to this project it is worth considering similar activities in the future particularly
with the increase in health related courses now offered by CSU and the increasing
emphasis on a regional health workforce.
The Head of School also believes that CSU needs to develop its image as a welcoming
place in which students can engage in quality learning in a supported environment.
In addition, the university needs to change its cultural ethos and the way in which
the university presents itself to and is perceived by Indigenous communities, through
finding a balance between what the university can do for Indigenous students and
what it will do for all students.
The Review encourages the School of Community Health to advance its interest in
this area further in liaison with other areas of the faculty and to reach back into
Indigenous communities and schools to “boost perceptions” of the attainability and
relevance of allied health courses to Indigenous well being and to equip more
Indigenous people to come to CSU through these pathways (NATSIHC 2008).
Faculty of Arts
iii) School of Psychology
The Head of School advises that Indigenous enrolments in the School of Psychology
are currently very small, but the school is keen to make more opportunities available.
An academic in the School of Psychology, currently on a teaching fellowship, spoke of
the work she is doing to explore creating pathways into Psychology for Indigenous
people. This includes an agreement with a health stakeholder to develop possible
pathways for graduates of the Djirruwang program. Greater Western Area Health
Services which already employs a number of the Djirruwang students is willing to
support traineeships in such a program, and it is hoped that other health services
and organisations will adopt the pathway if it adopted.
iv) School of Creative Arts and Communications
The Head of School is keen to develop pathways for students to come into CSU‟s
creative and performing arts programs. The Bachelor of Performing Arts is a very
competitive course, however, she would like to see more Indigenous students in this
program. The school will explore ways to increase Indigenous participation in its
school link programs. For example in June and September each year the School
invites secondary students to come into the university to access the creative industry
resources. This program is targeted at two levels – Yrs 7 to 9 a taster program across
all the creative areas of the school; Yrs 11 and 12 – choose a specific arts area on
which to focus. To date there has been no direct targeting of Indigenous students
and the School has no records of how many Indigenous students have participated in
the program. However, she said that as this program is an ongoing established
program, it could be adapted for Indigenous students if there was an interest. This is
seen to be an exciting possibility as creative arts can offer unique opportunities to
Indigenous communities. Another pathway opportunity for programs in this school
is articulation from TAFE diplomas in fine arts.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 37
Faculty of Education
It is understood that this Faculty has a pathways program into early childhood
education which includes TAFE articulation and which is currently attracting
Indigenous participants.
Recruitment and marketing
Opportunities such as those identified above illustrate the need for an urgent
comprehensive examination of CSU‟s Indigenous marketing and outreach program
to ensure that it is not only reacting to identified and historical needs but is
proactively looking to what CSU can offer Indigenous people throughout Australia so
that it can contribute to a diverse national Indigenous workforce.
In considering how to increase pathways into CSU a key issue that arose in the
Review was the way in which CSU courses and opportunities are marketed in
Indigenous communities. CSU does not currently have an identified Indigenous
Recruitment and Retention Officer either in the Division of Marketing or in ISS,
although the funding for such a position is shared 50-50 by the two areas. One
Indigenous staff member suggested that Marketing should have an identified
Indigenous person to provide Indigenous input into the way in which the division
works and provide advice to Indigenous people interested in becoming students. The
Review team was informed that there had previously been a position of Indigenous
Recruitment and Retention Officer but this position has been absorbed into ISS.
The Review was advised by the Director of ISS that while there is no actual
recruitment officer within the section, ISS policy is that all ISS team members are
involved in community engagement and are responsible for marketing CSU and its
courses in their contacts with community. This raises the issue of how up to date ISS
team members are in their knowledge of CSU course opportunities and their
knowledge of the entry requirements for these courses. It was suggested to the
Review that in some instances ISS team members were seen as at risk of being out of
date in their advice to communities and as a result may be “herding” Indigenous
people into the more traditional course choices such as education. It is critical that
any CSU employee who provides advice about CSU courses and admissions
procedures be up to date in the information they provide and offer this information
in an unbiased way.
If CSU is to increase the access of Indigenous students to 1,000 students in the next
three years, two key areas which the university should be focused on developing are:
more effective support systems to reduce the high attrition of Indigenous
students, particularly distance education students – see the response to ToR 7
below; and
effective and active policies around Indigenous recruitment and marketing,
particularly with school and TAFE students.
The Review considers that ISS, which currently does much of the marketing to
Indigenous communities and students, should liaise more closely with the CSU
Marketing Division, so that their activities are an effective component of CSU
marketing. This is not to say that ISS community engagement and marketing should
be tied to the CSU marketing schedule, rather that CSU provide ISS with the
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 38
professional knowledge and experience it needs to ensure that CSU resources are
suitable for Indigenous people and have a visible Indigenous presence. ISS also
needs to work more actively with schools and TAFEs and identify from the CSU
course profile the likely “hotspots” for Indigenous students and market these
accordingly.
One Dean suggested that a prime area in which CSU could look at its marketing with
Indigenous students is to look at the high number of students who leave the
university without completing their courses each year, and encourage them to come
back if appropriate and complete their courses. Students, who have a positive
experience in studying at CSU, will spread this through word of mouth. CSU would
then become known as the university which provides support and succeeds in
graduating its students. Another active way to market CSU is to use graduates as role
models to illustrate success in studies and workforce participation. CSU could also
make greater use of Indigenous graduates by encouraging them to go back to their
schools and communities to talk about their journeys in higher education. An
excellent example of marketing is the promotion of the relationship of the TAFE
IPROWD and CSU Associate Degree in Policing Practice program. The success of this
program has been widely reported including in State Parliament (NSW Hansard
2009), Dubbo and Tamworth local papers, and the National Indigenous Times.
An analysis of CSU‟s market share of Indigenous people from within the CSU
footprint5 who were enrolled in higher education for the period 2004 to 2008, shows
that there are some severe shortfalls, in terms of enrolments at CSU, in some areas
from which CSU is drawing students, e.g. of those in the Far West an average of only
35% attend CSU with the majority bypassing CSU to go to universities in Sydney. A
similar situation exists with Cowra/Parkes/Forbes (an average 33% at CSU) and
Dubbo (an average 40% at CSU). By contrast where CSU has a major campus, the
CSU market share of Indigenous enrolments is around 60 to 80%. These shortfalls
are no doubt driven by the fact that if you have to travel to undertake study and there
is only a limited number of courses available at the nearest CSU physical campus,
then a person may not be attracted to travel to a CSU campus in another location, as
an alternative to going to another university. There is a strong need for ISS and some
CIS personnel to be actively out in the bush talking with communities and Year 12
students about university and what it has to offer.
Another strategy for increasing Indigenous access and pathways is for the university
to be open to the communities that attach to the various campuses; e.g. the university
plays a key support role to the Wiradjuri Council of Elders and to the local Aboriginal
Education Consultative Groups. Although the focus of such activities is not solely on
accessing higher education, they do provide opportunities for communities to
develop their understanding of what a university is and what universities can offer
them in terms of meeting their needs and providing the skills they require.
CSU‟s geographic “footprint” as defined by CSU Office if Planning and Audit as Albury, Bathurst,
Orange, Dubbo, Far West, Cowra/Parkes/Forbes and Wagga Wagga.
5
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 39
TOR 2 Recommendations:
Given that CSU, through its endorsement of the IES, has set itself a target to increase
Indigenous enrolments to at least 3% of its student enrolments by 2015, it would
appear there is a need to design a range of short and long-term strategies for
achieving this outcome.
Hence, the Review team, in determining recommendations in relation to TOR 2 have
focused on a collaborative planning approach designed firstly, to encourage capacity
building of staff across all discipline areas to effectively engage with the learning
needs of Indigenous students, and secondly, with school, industry and Indigenous
communities, to raise awareness of new career opportunities and pathways that will
enable Indigenous Australians to access the education they need to aspire to such
careers.
Recommendation 8:
That all Heads of Schools/Disciplines take urgent responsibility for establishing a
working party of academic staff to undertake a mapping activity of their past and
current pathways programs for Indigenous students. A critical component of the
exercise will be to identify those initiatives that have worked/are working and to
indicate why they were/are considered to be successful.
Once this mapping exercise has been completed a copy should be circulated to all
academic staff for consideration prior to a staff meeting where the purpose of the
meeting will be to look beyond the scope of their current pathways programs and,
using a blue-skies scenario, identify possible options for expansion. Knowing what
works gives people a platform from which to launch their ideas. Encourage people to
see this as a challenge and be bold and innovative in their thinking, looking for
synergies within and beyond their own school/discipline, that could be used to really
expand the pathway opportunities for Indigenous students.
The Ideas paper that will be the outcome of this whole staff activity will be forwarded
to Faculty Deans to provide a starting point for the activity outlined in
Recommendation 9.
Recommendation 9:
That all Faculty Deans meet to determine a suitable date and venue, prior to the end
of 2010, when they will convene a collaborative workshop with all Heads of Schools,
to engage in an aspirational planning session using collaborative problem solving to
identify innovative, approaches to achieving the CSU target to increase Indigenous
enrolments to at least 3% of its student enrolments by 2015. The development of
new pathway programs designed especially to enable Indigenous students to access
CSU courses will be an important element in achieving these targets.
Given that the goal is to achieve the target over the next 5 years, the outcome of this
meeting would need to reflect short term goals (utilizing initiatives that are currently
working or have worked in the past) and longer term goals that will focus on annual
expansion through additional new initiatives that will enable on-going growth over
the 5 year period.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 40
The outcome of this workshop would be an overarching (or a series of) Faculty
Operational Plan/s that would reflect the collaborative nature of the exercise in using
a whole-of-institution approach to achieving the CSU target for growth of Indigenous
enrolment, over the period 2011-2015. This could be a 5 year plan or a series of
annual plans. The purpose of the exercise is to:
acknowledge the importance of achieving this target if CSU is going to be able to
demonstrate to the Wiradjuri Nation and to Indigenous Australians throughout
the nation, that it does have a genuine commitment to Indigenous education for
Indigenous peoples;
demonstrate a willingness to find different ways of enabling Indigenous peoples
to access and successfully engage in university education;
use a blue-skies scenario to encourage participants to “think big” and rise to the
challenge of making CSU the „preferred‟ university for all Indigenous school
leavers west of the mountains;
discover the power of genuine engagement through collaboration as a means of
finding solutions to problems, so that the value of this practice can be taken back
and used in the follow-up workshops that Heads of Schools will need to conduct
with their academic staff to develop the next layer of operational plans. In
cascading such experience, Heads of Schools need to be quite explicit in
articulating the process and its purpose so that staff will, in turn, be empowered
to use collaborative learning as an effective means of engaging with increasing
numbers of Indigenous students; and
produce documentation that will then be used by Heads of Schools/Disciplines
and their staff to develop the School/Discipline Operational Plans.
It is critical that Faculty and School/Discipline Operational Plans include clear
details of:
actual innovative ideas/strategies for growing enrolments;
agreed targets in specific courses, within each discipline area and/or school;
identified leaders and their specific responsibilities;
schedule for follow-up activities to monitor progress and achievement of targets
within specific timelines across the 5 year period; and
indication of ways in which progressive achievement of outcomes will be
recognized and promoted through recruitment and marketing.
While the Deans may wish to invite Chair of Indigenous Studies and/or the acting
Director of CIS to be sources of information/advice if required, these people should
not take a lead role in the activity.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 41
Term of Reference 3:
The effectiveness of TAFE pathways for Indigenous students and opportunities to
improve these.
CSU and TAFE
Approximately 25% of CSU‟s undergraduate students enrol via TAFE pathways. This
substantial institutional progression from TAFE to higher education at CSU is second
only to that at Swinburne University of Technology, which is a dual sector institution.
As well as students progressing from TAFE preparatory courses into CSU, there are a
number of other pathways programs that combine TAFE and university study. At the
completion of study, students graduate with qualifications from both TAFE and CSU,
including a degree. The major types of these pathways programs are Articulation
Programs and Integrated Programs.
i) Articulation Programs
Articulation programs allow students to study and complete qualifications at TAFE
first and then go on to complete their CSU study. By the end of their third or fourth
year, students graduate with a number of nationally recognised qualifications from
both TAFE and CSU.
ii) Integrated Programs
Integrated programs allow students to study at TAFE and CSU at the same time as
students are co-enrolled at both institutions and are able to undertake a combined
program at TAFE and CSU. Students then graduate with a number of nationally
recognised qualifications from both TAFE and CSU, including a degree.
Table 5: Data on enrolment of commencing Indigenous students who use TAFE as Basis
of Admission to CSU, 2005 – 2009
Total TAFE BOA
commencing*
Total Indigenous
commencing*
TAFE BOA as % ALL
Indigenous
commencing
2005
23
2006
45
2007
36
2008
36
2009
51
144
174
187
135
245
16%
26%
19%
27%
21%
*Includes those undertaking CSU Supplementary courses
1)TAFE Preparatory Programs
i) University Certificate in General Studies - CSU Pathways
This new program was introduced in 2010 and is based on a partnership between
CSU and Wodonga Institute of TAFE. It will be also offered in 2011 at Riverina
Institute in Wagga Wagga and Greater Western Institute in Bathurst. The course
offers a pathway for those students who wish to study at CSU but do not meet the
entry criteria for their course of choice or require further preparation. The program
focuses on providing supported learning for recent school leavers who have
completed Year 12. For the duration of the program, participants are considered as
enrolled CSU students.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 42
As the Review team were advised that none of the CSU Pathways students at
Wodonga TAFE in 2010 identified as being Indigenous, and the evaluation of the
pilot of this course is another deliverable under the Transitions Project, it was
decided not to include an evaluation of the effectiveness of this pathway for
Indigenous students at this time. With the proposed roll out of this course to other
TAFEs and communities in 2011, it is likely that in the future, Indigenous students
wanting to attend CSU may enrol in this program.
The potential effectiveness of this preparatory program in increasing access and
participation of Indigenous students at CSU is addressed more fully in the response
to ToR 6 which is about the need for Foundation and Enabling courses at CSU. The
Review understands however, that as part of the new Darrambal student assessment
process, some of those applicants who are considered not yet ready for course
admission may be recommended to CSU Pathways as an option to increase their
preparedness for entry to their course of choice.
ii) IPROWD
Indigenous Police Recruitment Out West Delivery (IPROWD) is a Certificate 3 level
course offered by NSW TAFE which runs full time over 18 weeks. The program is an
initiative of the Western Region NSW Police Team, Greater Western Institute of
TAFE Foundation Studies and Charles Sturt University. IPROWD commenced at
Dubbo TAFE in 2008 and was extended to Tamworth TAFE in 2009. The course
which is based on the TAFE Certificate 3 in Vocational and Study Pathways has been
adapted to prepare graduates for entry into the Associate Degree in Policing Practice
offered by CSU at the Goulburn Police Academy. IPROWD is also a specific strategy
of the NSW Police Force Aboriginal Employment Strategy 2009-2012. As a TAFE
Certificate 3, IPROWD graduates can proceed into roles other than entry into the
NSW Police Force, but there has been a substantial movement of IPROWD graduates
into the Associate Degree of Policing Practice.
In light of the success of the Dubbo and Tamworth programs the NSW Police and
NSW TAFE have agreed to extend the program to NSW North Coast, Sydney metro
and NSW South Coast as of 2011. It is understood that the Dubbo IPROWD team will
coordinate the extension of the program into other areas of NSW to ensure the
program‟s consistency and the continued liaison with CSU‟s School of Policing who
are involved in the IPROWD curriculum and delivery.
The Review was advised that CSU is “leading the way” amongst universities across
Australia in this area of training and the expansion of IPROWD will continue to have
a significant effect on CSU‟s enrolments in the Associate Degree - Policing Practice as
the NSW Police Force‟s objective is to increase its Aboriginal participation rate to 4%.
Table 6 shows the growth of this pathway for CSU Indigenous enrolments.
Table 6 – Articulation from TAFE to CSU – Commencing Internal Enrolments in
Associate Degree of Policing Practice
Assoc Degree - Policing Practice
Higher education
Other *
Secondary
TAFE**
Total
2005
1
2
2006
5
8
2007
2
5
2008
2
5
6
9
14
27
2
9
8
15
2009
1
6
1
7
15
*Includes those coming via KAP
** Includes IPROWD graduates as of 2009
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 43
2) TAFE Articulation
An example of a TAFE-CSU articulation program which has potential to increase the
number of Indigenous students in CSU is the Faculty of Education pathways into
Early Childhood Education for which the Federal Government has provided
substantial funding. The pathways are multi entry/exit pathways including
progression from TAFE Cert 1 in literacy to Cert 2 in Child care and Cert 3 in Child
care. The Review was unable to obtain detailed information on this TAFE pathway
but it is noted that the enrolments into early childhood education and teaching are
strong. Table 7 illustrates the growth in TAFE as basis of admission to the Bachelor
of Teaching (Birth to 5 years) 2005 to 2009.
Table 7– Articulation from TAFE to CSU – Commencing Distance Education Enrolments
in Bachelor of Teaching (Birth to five years)
Bachelor of Teaching (Birth to 5 yrs)
Higher education
Other *
TAFE
Total
2005
0
0
2
2
2006
0
1
2
3
2007
0
1
5
6
2008
0
0
3
3
2009
0
1
5
6
*Includes those coming via KAP
Another TAFE-CSU articulation pathway which has capacity for growth is within the
School of Creative Arts and Communication which currently has an agreement with
Riverina TAFE that TAFE students can articulate from TAFE Fine Arts Diploma into
third year of the CSU Bachelor of Arts - Fine Arts. The School wants to get this
agreement recognised state-wide so that any TAFE Fine Arts Graduates can
articulate into third year of the CSU Bachelor of Arts - Fine Arts. While this is not a
pathway which many Indigenous students have utilised to date, the Head of School
sees this pathway as an attractive option for Indigenous people in that they can do
Years 1 and 2 of their degrees via TAFE in their own communities and then do their
third year at CSU. The course is delivered by distance.
3) TAFE Integrated Program
An integrated program reported to the Review as achieving successful outcomes for
Indigenous students is the Bachelor of Social Work offered through the CSU Dubbo
Campus in which students are co-enrolled with TAFE Greater Western Institute,
Dubbo. The Head of School said that this program assists students undertaking the
course as they get “ a higher level of support in TAFE”, including more one on one
student time with lecturers, more support in the preparation of assignments, and
more feedback on assignments. The Head of School sees TAFE as providing a “good
transition between school and university for those who need support”. The course
experience has also assisted the School in developing a better understanding of more
effective ways of working with Indigenous students overall. Table 8 shows the
expansion of enrolments in this course coming via TAFE.
Table 8 – Example of an integrated program TAFE and CSU – Commencing Internal
Enrolments in Bachelor of Social Work (Dubbo TAFE/CSU)
Bachelor of Social Work
Higher education
Special entry
Other *
TAFE
Total
2005
0
2006
0
2
2
2
4
2007
0
2008
2
2009
0
7
7
9
7
2
4
5
5
*Includes those coming via KAP
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 44
Issues:
Although, 25% of CSU students enter via a TAFE pathway, and TAFE enrolments are
increasing, the potential for this to be an ever-growing source of student enrolments
is limited as only 20% of VET students are enrolled in courses that articulate with
university: 10% in Certificate 4 courses and a further 10% in Diploma and above
courses (Gale 2009). In short, VET currently provides a very narrow route to higher
education.
Similarly while Indigenous people are over-represented in VET courses (at 4.7% of
all VET students compared to 2.4% of all Australians), only 6% of all Indigenous VET
students are enrolled in Diploma or above courses that articulate with higher
education. Table 5 shows that an increasing number of Indigenous students have
entered CSU with TAFE as the basis of admission, however, the Review team did not
analyse what TAFE courses or programs these students had entered by and if they
had completed their TAFE courses prior to entry, and what experience they had had
in articulating or transiting to CSU from TAFE. The Review team understands
another working party under the CSU Transitions Project has reported on the
development of an orientation program for students coming from TAFE to CSU. The
major findings of the working party draft report indicate that although these students
have already completed one qualification and are entering university at an advanced
level, their learning needs in making the transition from TAFE to university are
diverse and there is a need for a variety of transition programs to support their
learning transition. The Working Group identified the following „gaps‟ between VET
and higher education:
content gaps
pedagogical gaps in Competency Based Training
generic skills gaps
learners‟ study habits gaps.
On the basis of their own prior experience of working with Indigenous students in
both the TAFE and higher education sectors, the Review team supports these
concerns and encourages further consideration of this issue for Indigenous students.
It is their belief that participating in TAFE and the university are very different
learning experiences, and that the style of teaching and the expected ways in which
students are expected to demonstrate their understanding vary greatly between the
sectors. Generally the VET sector is focused on the application of practical knowledge
and the higher education sector on theoretical understandings. The conceptual,
academic literacy and study skills around representing each of these ways of seeing
knowledge are very different.
The Australian Government reforms to Australia‟s higher education system following
the Review of Australian Higher Education (DEEWR, 2009) see tertiary education in
Australia as a continuum of delivery between the VET and higher education sectors,
and aim for better connections between sectors in both directions while avoiding one
sector subsuming the other. In this context, TAFE provides for some Indigenous
students an effective transition pathway to higher education, however, this should
not be at the expense of Indigenous students having the opportunity to engage in the
“real and powerful learning” they perceive takes place in a higher education
institution. The Review team is very interested in a research project to identify the
pedagogical and participatory issues around the transition from VET to higher
education being undertaken by Dr Cathy Down of CSU as part of an NCVER grant.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 45
The Review suggests that the research methodology particularly consider the issues
as they relate to Indigenous students.
The Review team was also interested in input from one academic who advised that all
VET sector students who articulate into the Bachelor of Education (VET) are
required to undertake a core 8 credit point unit called Written Communication in
their first year of study with CSU. This unit examines academic writing, library
skills, study skills, grammar and text construction in a higher education context. The
objective of the unit is to scaffold students so that they develop an understanding of
the difference in the requirements around text in a higher education environment.
Staff teaching the course report that it has been a very successful unit as it equips
students to deal with language, information literacy skills and assessment in a higher
education context. The Review commends this unit for broader application across
the university where there is a high rate of articulation from VET to CSU as it
addresses a real need. For the unit to have credibility and sustainability it should
only be taught in courses, however, as a core compulsory unit, and as an accredited
part of the student load.
TOR 3 Recommendations:
Recommendation 10:
Despite the fact that 25% of CSU students enter via a TAFE pathway, this review
highlights the need for CSU to recognize and accept that VET currently provides a
very narrow route to higher education. On the basis of their own prior experience of
working with Indigenous students in both the TAFE and higher education sectors,
the Review team would argue that TAFE institutions and universities offer very
different learning experiences and that these do not necessarily facilitate a seamless
transition from the practical knowledge applications of the VET sector to the higher
education sector‟s focus on theoretical understandings. For this reason the Review
would like to recommend that the research project to identify the pedagogical and
participatory issues around the transition from VET to higher education, being
undertaken by Dr Cathy Down of CSU as part of an NCVER grant, might consider the
value of taking a particular focus on those issues as they relate to Indigenous
students.
Recommendation 11:
The Review team recommends that the Bachelor of Education (VET) 8 credit point
unit called Written Communication, that all VET sector students articulating into the
Bachelor of Education (VET) are required to complete, has a broader application
across the university where there is a high rate of articulation from VET to CSU, as it
addresses a real need. The unit examines academic writing, library skills, study
skills, grammar and text construction in a higher education context. The objective of
the unit is to scaffold students so that they develop an understanding of the
difference in the requirements around text in a higher education environment and it
has been very successful in equipping students to deal with language, information
literacy skills and assessment in a higher education context. For the unit to have
credibility and sustainability, however, it should only be taught in courses as a core
compulsory unit and as an accredited part of the student load.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 46
Term of Reference 4:
More effective higher education pathway programs for Indigenous school students
through enhanced links with high schools to support Indigenous pathways and
transition.
Goal: CSU to encourage greater participation by Indigenous young people in higher
education by engaging more actively with school students.
Background
In 2006, only 47.4% of Indigenous 20–24 year olds had completed Year 12 or
equivalent qualifications, compared to 83.8% for the corresponding non-Indigenous
cohort. However the percentage varies by location, from over 55% in major cities to
less than 30% in remote areas. Accordingly, in 2006, the Indigenous Higher
Education Advisory Council (IHEAC) highlighted the importance of universities and
TAFEs reaching out to Indigenous communities to encourage young people to stay
on at school to Year 12 if Indigenous young people are to have the opportunity to
achieve their career and life aspirations.
1) Current CSU School-based Pathways and University Experience programs
i) My Day
The CSU MyDay program offers students in Years 10 to 12 the opportunity to
experience a day in the life of a uni student by getting a taste of living and learning on
campus at CSU, and finding out what courses are available. The program showcases
CSU's courses specifically to high school students, and provides a hands-on
experience of the student‟s profession and course of choice. As the program is offered
to schools, Indigenous students would generally participate as part of a school group.
The Division of Marketing does not keep separate data on Indigenous participation
in these programs.
ii) HSC Board Endorsed Nursing Program
The HSC Nursing Program provides a transitional link for Higher School Certificate
students interested in pursuing a career in nursing at Charles Sturt University. The
HSC Nursing Program is a 2 unit NSW Board of Studies endorsed course that allows
Year 12 students to complete two nursing subjects from the Bachelor of Nursing and
then gain entry to CSU into the Bachelor of Nursing degree. Credit is then given for
the two completed subjects.
The program is currently offered on the Orange campus, but it is understood that the
university is negotiating with NSW Department of Education and Training to extend
the program in a flexible delivery model from 2011 so that the HSC Nursing lectures
can be delivered from Orange and link to Year 12 students from Broken Hill, Parkes,
Dubbo and Lithgow.
Students successfully completing both Stage I and Stage II of the program can apply
for entry to the Bachelor of Nursing through the Principals Report Entry Program
(PREP). It is not known if any Indigenous students have used this pathway into
nursing.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 47
iii) Principal’s Report Entry Program (PREP)
PREP is designed to attract students from high schools in non-metropolitan areas in
NSW, ACT and Victoria to make CSU their university of choice. A successful PREP
application guarantees selected students an offer to their preferred course at CSU
prior to the mainstream selection system, which is based on the Australian Tertiary
Admission Rank (ATAR). To be eligible for nomination under the Program, a Year 12
student should be identified by their School Principal or TAFE Head Teacher as a
consistent achiever with the potential to succeed in university studies. Selection to
the program is competitive and is based on the Principal‟s assessment of the
student‟s performance and potential to succeed at full time on campus study. The
Review was advised that an Indigenous young man who is currently enrolled in
Forensic Science gained entry to CSU via this pathway.
iv) TVET
TVET are courses, developed or endorsed by the Board of Studies, which senior
secondary school students may study at a TAFE NSW institute while completing
their HSC at school. Apart from Stage 1 of the Nursing program described above
which is part of TVET, another TVET program at CSU is TVET sports science which
is conducted by the Education Faculty. It is understood that this program generally
attracts some Indigenous students because of their interest in human movement.
Another potential area for development of TVET is in the Business area in which
already has a strong tradition of admitting students to higher education through
TAFE pathways.
The Review was unable to obtain data as to what Faculties/schools offer TVET
courses across the university. It is considered that the TVET style courses potentially
offer opportunities for Indigenous students and others to experience learning in a
university environment while undertake their HSC studies. The details of these
courses should be available so that they can be promoted as part of the marketing of
CSU.
2) Non-CSU higher education pathways and links for school students
i) Murra Program
Murra is a pathway program run by NSW Police which offers cadetships to
Indigenous students in Years 11 and 12 in the Illawarra region who want to go into
policing as a career. While the program does not target young people wanting to
aspire to higher education per se, as entry into policing requires a minimum of an
Associate Degree it does offer these young people an opportunity to move into higher
education. Under the cadetships, participants are able to obtain a TAFE Certificate 2
as part of their Higher School Certificate; however, to get direct entry into CSU
Associate Degree of Policing Practice (ADPP) Murra graduates still have to get UAI of
at least 65. If a Murra graduate is unable to get direct access into the ADPP via this
pathway, an option is to apply to gain entry through IPROWD or through the
Darrambal Skills Assessment Program. Two Indigenous students are currently
enrolled in ADPP on the basis of Murra pathway.
Issues:
In encouraging Indigenous young people to consider the desirability of higher
education it is critical to see the transition to higher education as part of a
multiplicity of transitions and not a single transition from Year 12 to university which
may be the case with other students. In creating a pool of eligible young Indigenous
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 48
people who want to go on to higher education it is important to do this in a way
which links school and community, and which creates numerous pathways and
opportunities to allow for multiple transitions from primary school to secondary
school; junior secondary school to senior secondary school; secondary school to
TAFE; and school and TAFE to university. This may be achieved through:
primary school students attending activities such as high school familiarisation
programs or science workshops at university to interest them in key areas such as
the sciences;
parents participating in university familiarisation and course information days so
that they can support their children;
school students being able to access university role models and mentors, e.g.
through the use of technology setting up email buddies;
opportunities for diverse pathways between school and VET and VET and
university, e.g. increased availability of TVET units;
careers camps, university workshops, and leadership activities.
It is critical that the above activities be underpinned by strong cultural support and
be situated within students‟ communities of affiliation so that students do not
become isolated as “tall poppies”.
In its annual Indigenous Education Statement reports to DEEWR, CSU reports that
as part of its community engagement program, it actively participates in a range of
initiatives aimed at encouraging Indigenous high school students to remain at school
and to seriously consider tertiary education as a viable future option. CSU reports on
activities such as joint programs with external agencies which involve CSU students
as role models; student tours of CSU campuses; and opportunities for school
students to talk with and question academic staff about their options for tertiary
study. These activities are mainly coordinated by Indigenous Student Services as part
of their community engagement and marketing program. However, there does not
appear to be a formal effective liaison and coordination service between regional
schools and Indigenous Student Services to develop such initiatives as part of a
broader student aspiration program.
With the broad range of courses offered by CSU and the introduction of the
Australian Government‟s Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program
(HEPPP), now is an opportune time for the university to explore how it can work
more collaboratively and productively with schools, Indigenous communities and
bodies such as the AECG and the Wiradjuri Council of Elders, to ensure that it
creates links between CSU and school students which
engage with young people at their own level;
involve parents in educational decision-making; and
provide realistic and achievable pathways into higher education which respond to
young people‟s career and personal goals.
The purpose of the HEPPP Participation Component is to increase the participation
in higher education of students from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds;
as such it does not specifically target Indigenous school students. In the regional
areas in the CSU footprint most Indigenous families would meet the HEPPP low SES
criteria and as such should be part of the planning of appropriate HEPPP activities.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 49
To ensure that this occurs the Review see merit in the university allocating a
proportion of its HEPPP Participation funding being allocated to meet the
educational aspiration needs of Indigenous school students in its footprint
particularly in those schools with significant proportions of Indigenous students.
In light of the limited time which the Review team had to prepare this first phase of
its report into Indigenous pathways and transitions, the Review has not fully
addressed this term of reference at this time, other than to indicate some of the
pathways that are already in operation and which may be of interest to Indigenous
students, and to comment upon potential activity for the future. It is understood that
the university is also in the process of developing school linkages for purposes of
setting up higher education aspiration programs.
Table 9 indicates that the number of Indigenous young people entering CSU on the
basis of secondary schooling is very low. These students are generally enrolled in the
internal mode, with the exception being enrolments in the Djiwurrang program,
which is available only in the DE mode.
Table 9: Indigenous commencing students who entered course on basis of secondary
education as a proportion of all Indigenous commencing students
Enrolment
Secondary
Total commencing
Indigenous students
Secondary BOA as % of
total Indigenous
commencing
2005
2006
2007
2008
4
119
6
138
11
115
3.36%
4.35%
9.6%
7
8
7
8.05%
2009
4
157
2.55%
(Source CSU Office of Planning and Data)
A key issue for the university in encouraging Indigenous students to enter university
after school is for the university to develop strong links with schools so that students
are receiving the information they need in a timely way to enable them to make
decisions about where they want to go from Year 12. A number of people expressed
concern to the Review team about CSU‟s marketing and recruitment activities and
how they impact Indigenous communities. They want to see ISS and Division of
Marketing work more closely together to develop a more effective, consistent and
targeted marketing program. At present the university‟s main marketing to schools
is undertaken by the Division of Marketing. The Review understands that where
CSU Prospective Student Officers (PSO) come across Indigenous students in school
visits they will provide them with information about CSU Indigenous support if
requested.
ISS staff conduct outreach activities with schools as part of their working with
communities, and these activities do not necessarily coincide with Marketing‟s
efforts. There appears to be a difference of view between ISS and Marketing as to
how marketing should be undertaken in Indigenous schools and communities. The
ISS Director sees such activities being undertaken as part of a broader marketing
program in which all ISS team members are to be actively involved in marketing CSU
whenever they are out in communities. However, if much of these Student Services
Officers‟ time is taken up with meeting the needs of enrolled students, they may not
have the time or current knowledge about CSU courses to market CSU programs in
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 50
communities in a sustained and strategic way. One instance was reported to the
Review of a situation where Division of Marketing, in response to a request from a
group of Indigenous students to make a day visit to a campus to find out about
courses available, liaised with the campus ISS to take the lead in conducting the
activity. Unfortunately on the day the activity was to occur, the ISS team member
with whom Marketing had liaised was away from work, and no-one else in the ISS
unit was aware of the planned activity.
Some staff suggested to the Review that if Indigenous school student outreach is to
be performed effectively, it requires a coordinated and strategic approach involving
both Marketing and ISS. This approach would embrace cultural protocols and ways
of working with community, at the same time as ensuring that young Indigenous
people and their families are able to access the most up to date advice and
information about what CSU can offer. Such an approach has the potential to work
effectively, if Marketing and ISS liaise and compliment each other‟s activities;
however, it is feared that at present this relationship is unstructured and ad hoc and
this is leading to the gaps in service.
Nura Gili Winter School and other programs:
The Review team was invited to meet with Veronika Roth, General Manager of the
Nura Gili Centre Indigenous Centre at University of New South Wales to explore the
possibilities for enhanced communication and possible partnership between CSU
and UNSW.
The Nura Gili Unit offers a comprehensive suite of pathways and familiarisation
programs for Indigenous people wanting to undertake higher education, including its
annual Winter School which targets Indigenous students in Years 10, 11 and 12 across
Australia. The Winter School is a very popular program funded through $1 million
sponsorship funding from UBS, an investment bank. Nura Gili receives about 400
applications for the Winter School each year, for 165 places.
Interested applicants for the Winter School have to complete a detailed application
which is supported by a teacher reference and a statement of the community
activities in which a student is involved. The Winter School focuses not only on those
students who want to come to UNSW, but provides a broad aspiration program
which aims to address the barriers to higher education experienced by Indigenous
secondary students particularly those from regional and remote areas. It aims to give
participants an opportunity to experience a university environment in a safe and
supported experience.
UNSW is keen to establish a partnership with CSU in relation to its Winter School, as
there are some career interests expressed by participants that UNSW is unable to
accommodate, eg primary teaching, vet science, agricultural science, policing and
nursing. It also wants to establish relationships with other universities that may
better meet the social, emotional and course needs of students from regional, rural
and remote areas in transiting to higher education.
In addition to its Winter School, Nura Gili also offers a number of foundation and
enabling programs such as the Foundation Course in Humanities and Social Sciences
and short term pre-programs in medicine, law, social work and business which are
discussed further in the response to TOR 6.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 51
In considering the benefits of CSU partnering with UNSW for its Winter School, CSU
has a market of a diverse range of courses and joint programs with TAFE – eg
IPROWD and ADPP, which it can offer UNSW Winter School students. Moreover,
students coming to Winter School do not necessarily have a clearly defined vision of
what they want to do and where they want to go. CSU‟s involvement in the UNSW
Winter School offers scope for CSU to provide input into this decision-making
process, particularly for students from regional and remote areas. CSU and UNSW
are very different universities each with their own strengths. Even where the two
universities offer similar courses, it is likely that some students will achieve better
undertaking the course at CSU rather than UNSW, as CSU is likely to be more
supportive. A partnership between CSU and UNSW to explore and develop
additional school pathways could be based on providing a diversity of programs so
that students are able to make the best course choice and achieve successful course
completion, than on competition for student enrolments. With the coordinated and
active involvement of ISS, the Centre for Indigenous Studies and Marketing in such a
partnership there is scope for creating new pathways for Indigenous secondary
students into CSU.
In relation to use of the Participation component of the HEPPP funding, the Review
understands that the CSU Transitions Steering Group is also developing programs
through which CSU will encourage students to aspire to higher education. As part of
this CSU may engage in partnerships with other universities such as University of
New South Wales which already has a successful model of school outreach called
Aspire. While Aspire is not an Indigenous specific program, it is likely that at many
of the schools in the CSU footprint, Indigenous students may be part of the Aspire
target group. In this regard, the experience of the Aspire program at UNSW and its
working with Indigenous students and Nura Gili offers some potential guidance to
CSU. If Indigenous participation in Aspire is to be effective, then the experience of
the Nura Gili Unit at UNSW is that the university needs to ensure that inclusion of
Indigenous students is part of the program planning and not an add on. The Nura
Gili General Manager commented that the relationship between Nura Gili and Aspire
at UNSW needs to be more structured, if they are to ensure that can make the
program more inclusive of Indigenous students in the schools with which Aspire
works.
In the context of this Review and the creation of more effective pathways for
Indigenous school students, the Review is unable to progress idea of a partnership
with UNSW further. It will be a matter for further discussion between the relevant
parties in the university to consider the benefits for CSU and the potential sources of
funding.
Way forward
CSU has an active and positive commitment to linking with schools to encourage
students to undertake higher education; however, there appears to be only limited
targeted activity for Indigenous school students in the region, other than the
Darrambal Skills Assessment Programme which is an alternative entry skills
program. A number of faculties/schools spoke to the Review about their interest in
increasing Indigenous access and participation to CSU and links with schools (both
primary and secondary) is one way in which the university can assist to better
prepare these students to have the confidence and knowledge to go on to university.
One specific area for development which the Review recommends be explored is a
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 52
program which focuses on Health Careers pathways which targets Indigenous
students in primary and secondary schools in a differing range of science based
activities from familiarisation to experiential.
As part of its community consultations, the Review team met with Thelmerie Rudd,
who leads the NSW DET Aboriginal Eduction team in the Riverina Region. Ms Rudd
advised that regional schools are interested in programs to increase Indigenous
retention and pathways and that her team would be willing to work with the
university on any programs. There is also scope for CSU Dubbo to work more
proactively with Dubbo Senior High which has the highest Indigenous retention rate
to Year 12 in NSW through activities such as TVET courses and school linkages.
The Review understands that a project team in the Murray School of Education
initiated a small fact finding project in 2009 to identify the challenges and barriers
Indigenous school students experience in continuing on to higher education, and to
use this information to explore ways in which CSU and regional schools might work
jointly to increase the numbers of Indigenous high school students who continue
their education to CSU. The project recommended that CSU engage more actively
with students and their families to provide information about university study and
life, and also work with primary schools to develop links with the university. The
Review was unable to establish the current status of this project, but sees this type of
initiative as offering opportunities for the future.
The way forward
A study of successful higher education aspiration programs for young people led by
Gale (2010) identified ten characteristics that typify programs that successfully foster
higher education participation for disadvantaged students. The Review team has
previously been actively involved in a very successful Indigenous higher education
aspirations program conducted by the Queensland Department of Education called
AITAP (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tertiary Aspirations Program). On the
basis of their experience with that program in the 1990‟s the Review team has
adapted Gale‟s characteristics to guide action that it considers CSU should take to
more actively engage in developing the university aspirations of Indigenous young
people in its footprint.
The adapted characteristics are:
Active collaboration across all stakeholders including school and community
agencies at all stages of the development and design process.
Engagement with young people as early as possible, particularly in the primary
school and continue to support them throughout their schooling.
Support young people in the context of their schools and communities and
involve those people who can provide support to the young people.
Use a cohort-based approach to engage with groups of young Indigenous students
in a school, community or region, so that through peer support can change peer
culture.
Use a variety of information and communication media to relate to young people
and to encourage them to engage with each other and older students who can act
as role models, e.g. use of social media such as email and Facebook.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 53
Actively involve students in a diversity of university and career
familiarisation/site experiences, such as university visits and events such as the
UNSW Winter School which will inspire students to achieve, as well as assist
them to feel more confident about the prospect of going to university.
In any program development, it is necessary to recognise and respond to the
diversity of Indigenous young people on the basis that a one size fits all approach
will not work.
Provide relevant and enhanced curriculum and pedagogical opportunities to
young people to develop their enthusiasm and excitement for university learning
through programs such as participating in student challenges (similar to
programs such as Tournament of Minds), and camps that link young people with
content experts and other young Indigenous people with similar interests.
Seek out sponsorship and other financial support so that the costs are not placed
on young people themselves and become a barrier to their participation.
Ensure that activities have strong cultural underpinnings so as not to distance
participants from family and community.
TOR 4 Recommendations:
As is obvious in the findings that have been detailed in relation to this TOR, it would
appear that CSU staff are already engaged in a number of activities in schools across
the CSU footprint. Hence, the recommendations in this section have been limited to
some major issues.
Recommendation 12:
In view of the considerable disparity between the number of Indigenous students
who complete Year 12 or equivalent qualifications, compared to their corresponding
non-Indigenous cohort, the Review team would recommend that the Faculties and
Schools maintain their efforts in addressing this area of need as a part of their overall
strategy for increasing Indigenous enrolments in CSU courses by 3% over the next 5
years.
The Review team recommends that Faculties might consider linking potential
partnership agreements, in schools and/or communities, with the development of
participatory research activities that enable schools and their Indigenous parents and
communities, across all levels P-12, to engage with the process and drive the
decision-making and change. In particular, the Review team, through their own
experiences in this regard would recommend the value of targeting science and
maths projects as a critical strategy in changing teacher expectations of Indigenous
student‟s achievement and increasing Indigenous student higher education
aspirations.
Recommendation 13:
The Review recommends that, as the TVET style courses, appear to offer some
potential opportunities for Indigenous students and others to experience learning in
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 54
a university environment while undertaking their HSC studies, Faculties/Schools
should ensure that details of these courses are made available so that they can be
promoted as part of the marketing of CSU.
Recommendation 14:
That CSU, in line with the introduction of the Australian Government‟s Higher
Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP), explore ways in which
it might work more collaboratively and productively with schools, NSW DET
Aboriginal Education teams in the various regions, Indigenous communities and
bodies such as the AECG and the Wiradjuri Council of Elders, to ensure that it
creates links between CSU and Indigenous school students which
engage with young people at their own level;
involve parents in educational decision-making;
provide realistic and achievable pathways into higher education which respond to
young people‟s career and personal goals.
To ensure that this occurs the Review sees merit in the university allocating a
proportion of its HEPPP Participation funding to meet the educational aspiration
needs of Indigenous school students in its footprint, particularly in those schools
with significant proportions of Indigenous students.
Recommendation 15:
Within the context of encouraging Indigenous school students‟ educational
aspirations despite their socio-economic status, the Review team recommend that
CSU foster closer relationships with various private sector groups, such as The
Aurora Project, to encourage Indigenous students within the CSU catchment area to
take advantage of increasing opportunities to access a range of initiatives such as
scholarships enabling students to complete secondary school, careers camps,
leadership and mentoring activities. The personnel establishing many of these
initiatives actively align themselves with Indigenous educational networks as a
source relevant advice around cultural issues and learning needs.
Recommendation 16:
The Review team recommend that the DVC Academic and the DVC Finance &
Administration give consideration to the value of allocating an identified Indigenous
position to be based in marketing. Not only would this provide an opportunity for an
Indigenous person to pursue a career in a field where there is a limited Indigenous
presence, but it would also enable CSU to implement a more targeted focus on
promoting growth in Indigenous enrolments through developing proactive strategies
including the use of multi media as a tool for sharing Indigenous academic success
stories throughout the CSU footprint and nationally. This would represent a critical
affirmation of the co-operation this university receives from the Wiradjuri nation.
Recommendation 17:
In response to a request from the DVC (Academic) the Review team met with the
General Manager of the Nura Gili Indigenous Centre at University of New South
Wales to explore the possibilities for enhanced communication and possible
partnership between CSU and UNSW. Based on the outcomes of that meeting, the
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 55
Review team would advise that, within the context of this Review and the creation of
more effective pathways for Indigenous school students, the Review is unable to
progress the idea of a partnership with UNSW further. While there might be some
concerns around losing some of our potential students to UNSW, there were also a
number of very positive possibilities for both UNSW and CSU in such an agreement.
It is now a matter for further discussion between the relevant parties in the
university to consider the benefits for CSU and the potential sources of funding.
Recommendation 18:
The Review team recommend that CSU Higher Education Partnerships Advisory
Board establish a working party to report to the Board on how to effectively support
Indigenous secondary students particularly in their final year of schooling to make
the transition to higher education.
Recommendation 19:
The Review team recommend Gale‟s (2010) identified ten characteristics that typify
programs that successfully foster higher education participation for disadvantaged
students, as set out at the end of the Review findings for TOR 4, to guide action that
it considers CSU should take to more actively engage in developing the university
aspirations of Indigenous young people in its footprint
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 56
Term of Reference 5:
Enhance pathways and transition support for Indigenous students from rural and
isolated communities (including the use of mobile study centre).
Goal: To increase the course completions of students from rural and isolated
communities.
Context
The majority of Indigenous students at CSU come from rural and regional
communities throughout Australia and most of these students are studying through
the Distance Education (DE) mode. Although the Bachelor of Health (Mental
Health), known as the Djiwurrang Program, is offered through the DE mode and
includes significant residential components, many of the CSU courses offered
through DE, do not include any residential requirement, so some DE students may
not actually attend any on campus residential activities throughout their course.
Table 10 shows that 70 to 80% of all students studying at CSU are enrolled in the
distance mode, with the proportion studying through distance education increasing
in faculties such as Education as more courses become available in that mode.
Table 10: Undergraduate Indigenous Distance Education (DE) enrolments as
proportion of all Indigenous undergraduate enrolments 2005 - 2009
FACULTY
Arts
Business
Education
Health
Science
ALL CSU
Indigenous
YEAR
Total Indigenous
Total Indigenous DE
DE as % Total Indigenous
DE as % Commencing
Total Indigenous
Total Indigenous DE
DE as % Total Indigenous
DE as % Commencing
Total Indigenous
Total Indigenous DE
DE as % Total Indigenous
DE as % Commencing
Total Indigenous
Total Indigenous DE
DE as % Total Indigenous
DE as % Commencing
Total Indigenous
Total DE
DE as % Total Indigenous
DE as % Commencing
Total Indigenous enrolment
Total Indigenous DE
DE as %Total Indigenous
2005
58
46
79%
68%
24
17
71%
71%
43
14
33%
28%
108
73
68%
70%
39
34
87%
92%
2006
88
67
76
77
28
19
68
62
34
18
53
69
111
82
74%
73%
41
32
78
59
2007
100
82
82
81
47
38
81
86
49
25
51
50
2008
84
67
80
72
45
35
78
85
44
23
52
58
2009
96
79
82
79
57
41
72
61
66
47
71
80
134
117
87
98
113
100
88
83
150
133
89
87
272
184
68%
302
218
72%
330
262
79%
286
225
79%
369
300
81%
(Source: Office of Planning and Data, 2010)
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 57
Issues
CSU hails its flexible delivery expertise and capability as a hallmark of its capacity to
reach students in the real world whose studies are an integral component of their
work-life balance. The challenges of DE are complex and onerous for most students
as they strive to cope with the flexibility but particularly for Indigenous students who
may have experienced prior educational disadvantage, have limited access to
resources, and for whom this mode of learning may be unsuitable as blended and
flexible learning generally suits students who are autonomous, independent and self
managing learners who have access to study resources such as online technology.
However, many Indigenous students are forced by their living circumstances and
family obligations to undertake higher education at a distance. Sadly, failure for
these students in their endeavours may reinforce their belief that they are not good
enough to undertake higher education, rather than recognise the difficulties of
learning through DE that all students experience, and the negative impact that this
can have on individual success and course completion. Many respondents to the
Review consider that it is desirable to build into Indigenous DE students study
programs, at least in the initial phases, a degree of face to face teaching and activities
which enable them to experience success, so that they can be motivated to succeed
despite the odds. Such an approach needs to be supported by interested staff who
know the students‟ capabilities and support people who will not let students give up.
This approach needs to be properly resourced.
One head of school, who has actively supported a number of Indigenous students in
the DE mode, suggested that part of the problem also lay in many Indigenous
students being first generation uni students without a family tradition of higher
education and its expectations. As success in DE takes a great deal of resilience and
persistence, her concern is if the student has no internalised and external supports,
what do people fall back on when the unexpected occurs in attempting to balance
work and family responsibilities with study obligations.
The CSU attrition rate for Indigenous students studying via DE is much higher than
for their internal counterparts, regardless of the basis of their admission into the
university, other than for those who enter from secondary school, most of whom are
internal (see Table 11). It is not surprising that some DE students believe that they
are not getting as good a deal as internal students when you look at these attrition
rates. Attrition needs to be addressed considering the number of Indigenous students
undertaking their studies through DE and impact of this attrition on overall course
completion rates. The Review has not researched why DE students drop out of their
courses.
Students who responded to the online survey spoke of their apprehension with DE
and their preference for face to face teaching when they could access it. They
acknowledged that being able to undertake study via DE suited them for other
reasons such as family and work responsibilities, homesickness and being unable
to move away from home because of community and family obligations. They
commented that although the CSU program materials and online study plans are
useful, there is a critical need for other support and learning activities to improve
their outcomes.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 58
Table 11: Comparison of attrition rates according to Basis of Admission of those
Indigenous students undertaking studies through DE and those who study internally,
2001-2009
Basis of Admission
Employment experience
Entry assessment
Higher education
Other (includes KAP)
Professional Qualifications
Secondary education
Special entry
TAFE
Rate of attrition
Distance Education
65.06%
61.4%
50.13%
58.15%
60.00%
47.06%
82.74%
51.19%
Internal
37.84%
48.35%
37.18%
54.95%
33.33%
47.37%
38.46%
44.13%
(Source: CSU Office of Planning and Data 2010)
Another key area of concern for DE students in their transition to university is access
to appropriate support services. This concern raises issues around the type of
student support which is effective with a student clientele which is predominantly
studying at a distance from the campuses where the support teams are based. One
student spoke of the need for ISS to be:
“more involved and more user friendly. Staff must be professional
and approachable. They must also be available to follow the student
and make sure that the student is on top of their study program and
that they do have a tutor if required.”
The issues they raised included:
Teachers and tutors being willing to provide either one on one or small group
support.
More opportunity for residentials which provide an opportunity for face to face
teaching and small group hands on learning, particularly in the early stages to
enable students to meet with lecturing and support staff and to develop a better
understanding of the supports that are available to them to undertake their
studies successfully.
Opportunity to work with a Learning Skills Advisor or support person to review
work before submitted so that can enhance assignments. (Students comment that
this support is not as easily accessible as it once was when such persons were
located within the Indigenous support centres).
More structured support through their unit forums, which ensures that students
are up-to-date with their readings and work activities.
Better access to tutorial assistance under the Indigenous Tutorial Assistance
Scheme. Often such assistance is provided too late into the session and students
have already missed their opportunities.
Effective liaison between ITAS tutors and unit lecturer to ensure that assessment
requirements are properly understood.
Although it would seem that Indigenous Student Services use email and the ATSI
online forum to communicate with students, some students requested that ISS make
greater and more regular use of the phone as a contact point. One student summed
up the strongly expressed desire across many Indigenous DE students who
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 59
responded to the online survey for more contact and more proactive support as
follows:
I only really have a distance education perspective but I really think
that some sort of online 'o-week' would really help any distance
education student. Either that or courses with residential schools
should suggest that students do a residential school subject in their
first year and include some kind of orientation within that. I'm
pretty sure that there are plenty of services that I don't use properly
even after five years of study with CSU. I don't have spare time in
my life to hunt these things down and so mostly I just get on with
things. I think it would be great if the Indigenous support services
could organise some kind of a 'touch base' thing while residential
schools are on for DE students. Even something simple like a cup of
coffee one morning during the residential school period. It would be
nice to meet other Indigenous students doing my course as well as
the support staff.
Another student saw the desirability of ISS acting in a facilitator role to set up
opportunities for Indigenous DE students to make contact with each other
particularly those that are undertaking the same courses. An example of this would
be to link up people in an area and provide study groups so that students have
opportunity to discuss their work in a face to face manner and to talk about the
difficulties they are experiencing because: “Isolation kills creativity and stalls ideas.”
These issues are also identified by some academic staff working with these students.
A lecturer involved in a course in which students can undertake Session One by DE,
and then come internal for Session Two, spoke of the difficulties which students
faced in DE because of issues with access to technology; the style of written
communication in the online learning environment, e.g. students find blogs daunting
as they are a public writing form; pressure from other commitments; and not being
able to access suitable tutors in home areas. The lecturer highly recommends to
students that if they can do both sessions internally they should do so, as there are
more opportunities for engagement in small groups as well as in larger groups. In
particular, he saw the small group supports as providing a critical opportunity for
students to develop relationships and deal with problems as they arise. This course
has the highest course completion rate and the lowest attrition rate for al courses in
which Indigenous students are enrolled.
Way forward
Some Review participants spoke of various models of flexible delivery such as local
study centres and mobile learning units which may be used to bring DE students
together particularly at beginning of their program, so that they can weld and form a
support network. The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) in his recent CSU Staff
Roadshow spoke of CSU‟s interest in partnering with TAFE NSW in towns
throughout the region to establish study centres based in local TAFEs and other
facilities. Another option raised is the university to invest in mobile learning units so
that can visit groups of students in nodes. The development of these centres and
units is resource hungry; however, if such resources reduce student attrition, then
they will be cost effective
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 60
TOR 5 Recommendations:
The enhancement of pathways and transition for Indigenous students from rural and
isolated communities (including the use of mobile study centres).
Recommendation 20:
Given their concerns regarding the very high attrition rates for Indigenous students
undertaking studies through Distance education, the Review team requests that the
DVC (Academic) meet with Chair of Indigenous Studies and the group of Faculty
Deans to discuss a possible intervention using participative research to involve
Indigenous students, their families and communities and ISS and relevant learning
skills advisers, in finding a solution to the problem/s that Indigenous students are
encountering in undertaking their studies through Distance Education mode as set
out in the Review findings. Given the CSU target for increasing Indigenous
enrolments, it is suggested that this meeting occur before the end of 2010 so that any
agreed intervention could commence at the beginning of the 2011 academic year.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 61
Term of Reference 6:
Need for an Indigenous foundation or enabling certificate or diploma at CSU.
Defining within University context:
Foundation or enabling programs are bridging or supplementary programs
designed for students who need extra preparation in academic study or content
skills before they begin a university degree. Successful completion of such
programs usually provides a pathway into specific first year undergraduate
programs.
Table 12 illustrates the range of options for Indigenous enabling and foundation
type programs currently available in NSW universities. Although all Indigenous
Education Centres provide a designated Indigenous alternative entry pathway
which generally comprises a 2-3 day testing and assessment process, the options
for students who are assessed as not ready to enter directly into a degree
program, vary with some universities providing designated Indigenous
preparatory programs and others encouraging students to enrol in mainstream
preparatory options with the ongoing support of the Indigenous support
services in that institution. Indigenous students undertaking full-time enabling
programs in a university with duration of at least one semester (or min 10
weeks) are eligible to apply for Commonwealth Indigenous Enabling Education
Costs and Accommodation Scholarships.
Provision of enabling/foundation programs at CSU
i) Studylink
CSU currently offers Studylink which is a preparatory program for university studies.
It comprises a wide range of units which can be taken as single units or as part of a
broad support package. The units are offered by distance. Although Studylink units
do not count as credits toward undergraduate programs they do assist in helping
students to meet assessment criteria to for course entry.
ii) University Certificate in General Studies (CSU Pathway)
This program is aimed at recent school leavers who wish to study at CSU but do not
meet the entry criteria or who require further preparation before undertaking
preferred course. It was introduced in 2010 as a pilot program utilising the Wodonga
TAFE and the CSU Thurgoona campus. Critical to the success of the pilot program
has been TAFE‟s co-operation in ensuring their Cert IV course intermeshes with the
CSU subjects.
The University Certificate is a combination of 4 subjects from the TAFE Tertiary
Preparation Certificate, and 4 CSU bachelor level subjects studied over 2 x 17 week
sessions. Upon successful completion of the course, CSU Pathway Program students
will receive:
University Certificate in General Studies from CSU
Certificate IV (Tertiary Preparation Certificate) from TAFE
Guaranteed entry into CSU degrees (non competitive)
In some cases, credit for up to 4 of the CSU subjects
Tertiary Entrance Score (TES)
In 2011, the program will expand to other TAFEs including Riverina (Wagga Wagga)
and Western Institute (Bathurst).
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 62
CSU
Indigenous
Student
Services
Alternative
Admissions
Program
Darrambal Skills
Assessment
Programme
Newcastle
Wollotuka
Yes
Nura Gili
Indigenous
Admissions
Scheme
Koori Centre
Cadigal Special
Admissions
Program
No
Woolgunyah
Alternative
Admissions
Program
Testing and
Assessment
program
Badanami
Alternative Entry
Program
Internal
Selection
Program
No – students referred to
m/stream options
Universities
UNSW
Indigenous
Centre
UniSyd
Wollongong
SCU
UWS
UNE
Gnibi College
Badanami
Indig.Educ.
Centre
Oorala
Designated
Indig.Enabling
Program
No – students referred to
m/stream options
Yes – Yapug – 1-3
semesters f/t with four
pathways
Foundation program – 1
year f/t in humanities,
law and social sciences.
Designated Indig.
short term prog
(<than 1 sem.)
No
Indig. Enabling
S/ships offered
Studylink
CSU Pathways
No
Yes
Pre-progs – residential
intensives - Bus, Law,
Soc.Work, Medicine.
If entry through Special
Admissions compulsory
two week academic
skills course
No
Yes – Preparing for
Success – one semester
f/t
No. Students referred to
m/stream option
No
Yes - Tracks Up to 4
semesters
No
Foundation prog – 1
year f/t - sciences and
engineering.
Yes -
No
STEPS and UAP offered
through UOW College
Yes
Yes
No
University Foundation
Studies at UWS College
Yes
Yes
Table 12: Summary of current Indigenous enabling and foundation programs offered by NSW universities
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
M/stream prep
course option
page 63
Scope for Indigenous enabling/foundation programs in CSU:
Background – ADEPT
CSU does not currently offer a designated Indigenous university preparation
program; however, the previous Aboriginal Education Centres (now Indigenous
Student Services) offered ADEPT - Aboriginal Distance Education Preparatory
Training (ADEPT) for a number of years. ADEPT was conducted by distance
education over one semester and included a residential component. ADEPT
students were generally mature age students from isolated and remote
communities as well as inmates from Correctional Centres throughout NSW. The
ADEPT program gave those who successfully completed the program access to
tertiary courses at CSU. The Review is unable to provide data on the number of
students who participated in ADEPT but it is still recognised as an acceptable
alternative to a TAFE tertiary preparation certificate in the entry requirements to
many CSU courses.
Although CSU‟s annual Indigenous Education Statements to DEEWR over a
number of years have identified the need for enabling or foundation type
programs, the only program which CSU offers Indigenous students wanting to
enter higher education who do not meet the normal entry criteria, is the
Darrambal Skills Assessment Programme (previously Koori Admissions
Program).
CSU Studylink
In the absence of an identified Indigenous enabling course at CSU, some students
who participate in KAP and are identified as requiring additional skilling prior to
commencing their course of choice, are recommended to undertake CSU
Studylink units depending upon their needs. Some Indigenous students have
enrolled in these units as supplementary students, but the Review is unable to
comment on their effectiveness. However, many academic staff considered the
brief Studylink units as being inadequate to meet the needs of those Indigenous
students who require extra support in order to prepare to undertake higher
education, particularly in courses where subject specific content is required. The
general view is that generally Indigenous alternative entry students require a
more scaffolded on campus program with a distance option for those who cannot
attend on-campus.
Another concern with Studylink is that as it is not offered full time, Indigenous
students are unable to access Commonwealth Indigenous Enabling scholarships
to assist them to undertake the course. This may encourage some students to
enrol in a degree program prematurely without being adequately prepared for
course entry, so as to receive financial assistance. The outcome for students in
this situation is that they will either fail or find degree level studies extremely
difficult and struggle to stay in the course.
Issues:
What future for Indigenous enabling/foundation courses at CSU? In light of the
overall low retention rates of Indigenous students to Year 12, and the low
participation rates of Indigenous people in higher education, the Review has been
asked to consider whether what is currently offered by CSU in preparing
Indigenous students for success at CSU is adequate, and to what extent the
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 64
absence of adequate enabling type preparation programs may have contributed
to the high attrition of Indigenous students across all CSU courses.
In responding to this question, the Review is of the view that an Indigenous
enabling program within the university can offer a culturally safe environment in
which students can develop skills which may help them to achieve the skills and
knowledges they require before entering a university course. In considering the
need for university access and preparation, the Review recommends the range of
designated Indigenous preparatory and pathway programs offered by other NSW
universities (see Table 12). The Review recommends the Nura Gili Pathways web
page which clearly sets out the links between their access and pathways programs
at http://www.nuragili.unsw.edu.au/programs.htm.
The Review recommends the complimentary approach to student pathways and
access offered by the Nura Gili unit at the University of NSW. In addition to their
alternative admissions program, Nura Gili offers:
Discipline specific Pre-programs in Business, Social Work, Law and Medicine
– four week full-time residential programs which target non school leavers
(minimum age 18 years) and are an intensive preparation for the
requirements of study in the selected discipline. If a student is successful in a
Pre-program they can proceed to enrolment in that course. Alternatively they
may be offered a position in a enabling/ foundation course to develop skills
further before undertaking the course. Of those Indigenous students who
undertook pre-programs in 2009, 50% were directly admitted to degree level
courses, and one third entered foundation courses.
Foundation Studies – one year Indigenous enabling programs in Diploma in
Arts and Social Sciences, and Diploma in Law, and mainstream enabling
program in Engineering and Science.
The general view of those who contributed to the Review was that there is a need
for structured designated Indigenous enabling programs at CSU. The view of one
respondent was as “We are not one of the sandstones” we need to ensure that
those students who want to enter CSU who are under prepared are not seen as
less able, and are taught differently to prepare them for university success. It is
not the intention of the Review to recommend the format and design of future
enabling or foundation programs to be taught through CSU but to highlight the
need expressed across the university and to make recommendation as to what
action could be taken to develop future effective Indigenous enabling program at
CSU.
Another area of great interest of staff particularly in the Faculty of Science is in
developing enabling programs for those Indigenous people who want to enter
science based courses, such as those in the health fields. Students coming into
these programs with low ENTER score find the science requirements very taxing
and there is a need to focus on raising understanding and developing scientific
knowledge. It was not seen that general enabling type programs which focus on
academic literacy and study skills such as critical thinking, would have the depth
of science content to support a student wanting to enter a science course. In such
courses, assumed knowledge is an explicit course element and needs to be
addressed before enrolment in the actual course, eg nursing and allied health
fields, and agricultural and animal sciences.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 65
At the base of the desire for the provision of effective foundation or enabling
programs was a key concern to not set students up for failure. Review
respondents suggested various models of foundation and enabling programs
such as:
Embedding skills unit into a course – e g introduction of a unit such as
Academic Writing as a core assessable requirement of a course;
Pre courses – short term intensive courses which provided a concentrated
introduction to course requirements and the skills and language required for
success in a particular discipline eg, Pre-Social Work;
General academic foundation skills which provides broad range of skills with
specific pathways into various disciplines, eg health, humanities, education
and sciences.
There are various models for delivering enabling courses, however in light of the
high CSU distance education student profile, if it is decided to offer the program
through DE mode, it is critical to ensure that there is also provision for face to
face participation at some point in the learning process, and for some aspect of
the course to be delivered in situ in a university type environment, so that
students become familiar with the ways of operating in a university. Residential
components are also important for students wanting to undertake science based
enabling courses. However, regardless of the model(s) adopted, the overall view
was that the key to developing successful enabling programs was to ensure
flexibility in the program design so that students can engage in the manner which
is suited to their learning outcomes.
Much discussion in the Review centred on whether there is a need for designated
Indigenous enabling programs or whether the University Certificate in General
Studies (CSU Pathways) which has been piloted this year at Wodonga TAFE in
2010 and will be expanded to other centres in the CSU footprint in 2011, was
adequate to meet the needs of Indigenous students wanting to enter university.
Although there was a view that the CSU Pathways program has established itself
as a viable and effective full time program which offers students a range of skills
required for university study, there was a concern that the program may not meet
the needs of those students living in areas at a distance from the university,
particularly if it is only offered in a full time face to face mode. It was argued that
if CSU is to attract rural and isolated students it has to offer programs at a
community level that engender the attitude that CSU is a “good place” to go, and
that make it easier for people in more remote areas to go to university. The
general view is that CSU should have diverse pathways for Indigenous students –
eg CSU Pathways as well as an Indigenous specific enabling program, as it cannot
be assumed that all students will want to go into an Indigenous program on the
basis of their being Indigenous.
It should be noted however, that one school, which already has a successful
partnership with NSW TAFE in preparing students for entry into its major
course, does not want to see the development of multiple enabling options for
Indigenous students as there is a concern that they may dilute course focus and
curriculum. Critical to this issue is the type of counselling, which a student
requiring an enabling program may be given, as to the best options for their
situation.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 66
In designing an Indigenous enabling model consideration also has to be given as
to who will coordinate and deliver the program. At present Review team
understand that ISS has no functional Learning Skills Advisors, and that ISS‟s
role is to provide support and service functions. As ISS does not have an
academic function or the relevant staff, concern was expressed to the Review if
ISS was to undertake academic functions such as designing, developing and
delivering enabling programs. Although it was suggested that the current
Studylink courses could be redesigned and adapted to meet the requirements of a
full time enabling program, it is the view of the Review that these Studylink units
should not be the starting base for enabling program course design and
development. The Centre for Indigenous Studies already has experienced
academic personnel as part of its staffing structure and works across the
university in the delivery of Indigenous courses and content as part of the
Indigenising the curriculum strategy. For the enabling courses to have
educational credibility and to adequately prepare students for successful
participation in CSU courses, it is desirable that the enabling courses be
developed within an academic context and that the course developers work
across the relevant academic and learning support areas of the university to
ensure their proper design.
TOR 6 Recommendations:
Recommendation 21:
That CSU establish Indigenous enabling/foundation courses at CSU, as a means
of attempting to address a range of issues associated with:
high attrition rates of Indigenous students across all courses;
providing a culturally safe learning environment in which students can
develop skills which may help them to achieve the skills and knowledges
they require to effectively engage in a university course; and
expanding the scope of undergraduate programs that Indigenous people
could aspire to enrolling in.
Recommendation 22:
In considering the need for university access and preparation programs, the
Review recommends CSU note to the range of designated Indigenous preparatory
and pathway programs offered by other NSW universities (see Table 12). In
particular, the Review considers the complimentary approach to student
pathways and access offered by the Nura Gili unit at the University of NSW as
one that would be of considerable interest to CSU. The Nura Gili Pathways web
page which clearly sets out the links between their access and pathways programs
is worth viewing at http://www.nuragili.unsw.edu.au/programs.htm.
Recommendation 23:
The Review team recommends that the DVC (Academic) use the Discussion
Paper prepared by the Chair of Indigenous Studies in addition to the review
findings around this TOR, to guide his discussions with the appropriate executive
managers to determine the future direction of this issue. There are two critical
caveats to this recommendation. Firstly that there is a need to give serious
consideration to developing a model that addresses the real needs of all
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 67
Indigenous students, in particular those studying through the DE mode.
Secondly, that existing pathways should continue as many of these are providing
relevant and effective alternative options for Indigenous peoples seeking to
access CSU courses.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 68
Term of Reference 7:
The performance of current transition arrangements for Indigenous students,
especially in their first year of enrolment, and opportunities to improve these.
Goal: To provide effective support to Indigenous students in their first year of
transition.
Context:
The coordinator of a degree level program which is an Indigenous only course
told the Review of the experiences that students face in their first year of study.
The course is offered through distance mode but does have four residential
workshops each year. The coordinator said that many students really struggle
in the transition into university particularly mature age entry students who may
not have background in knowledges and skills required for their course of study.
He said that although students are offered the opportunity for additional study
skills and preparation courses such as Studylink, there has not been a
significant uptake by Indigenous students.
Issues:
Barriers faced by Indigenous students in their transition to higher education
In considering the issues of transition for Indigenous students CSU need to be
mindful of the high number of commencing students studying via distance mode
– see Table 10. Indigenous students reported the following difficulties and
barriers that they experienced in their transition to higher education:
unable to link with Indigenous peers;
deconstructed nature of online learning which made it difficult for them tor
elate to their learned experience;
over reliance on written texts as source of learning and little opportunity for
contextualised real life learning;
social and physical isolation and lack of mentors and role models;
difficulty in relating to lecturers particularly when there is conflict;
unable to obtain resources from Library in timely manner;
not having financial support to access resources – e.g. purchasing textbooks,
photocopying, postage, and internet access;
difficulties with being able to stay motivated when have other competing
pressures; and
being unable to balance study, work and family.
Students suggested the following strategies be put in place to assist Indigenous
students with their transition in their first year:
Teach core study skills such as planning, time management, research skills,
essay writing and how to monitor your progress at commencement of course.
ISS make support services such as tutoring assistance more accessible and
available earlier in the semester.
ISS make more regular contact with students abut the ways in which it can
assist students with their studies if required.
ISS set up opportunities for Indigenous DE students to make contact with
each other particularly those that are undertaking the same courses.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 69
ISS provide mentoring support perhaps by matching advanced level students
with first year students to show them the ropes.
ISS ensure that information about scholarships is readily available as students
may drop out as they are ignorant of the support that is available.
Lecturing and tutoring staff undertake cultural competency training so that
they have a better understanding of Indigenous learners.
Faculties incorporate more residential components into courses particularly
in the early stages to enable students to meet with lecturing and support staff
and to develop a better understanding of the supports that are available to
them to undertake their studies successfully.
Indigenous Student Services and the role of Student Support Officers
Student and staff respondents to the Review spoke of the skills and
knowledge required for ISS to provide timely and correct advice to
Indigenous students in the critical transition period, particularly those who
are at risk as they are not educationally, financially and socially prepared.
From student responses to the online survey it appears that where students
attend courses on campus either as part of a residential or as an internal
student, there is a greater awareness of the services of Indigenous Student
Services and the assistance available such as ITAS. These students
commented positively on the support that they have received from these
programs and the accessibility of the services. By contrast, many distance
education mode students advised that they were unaware of assistance
available outside of the individual subject areas and that this was
detrimental to their studies particularly in their first year, when they were
not aware of supports such as ITAS. However, it is not always the
responsibility of ISS if DE students do not get support. One DE spoke
reported her experience as follows:
There was a mistake entering my details when I initially enrolled at
CSU and I was not recorded as being Indigenous even though I had
put this on my enrolment form. I didn't discover the mistake and
therefore that there were support services relevant to me until
maybe my third year. I still don't feel 100% sure what services I
have access to as a DE student but this might be because I missed
out on any first year support due to that data entry error.
It would seem from students‟ comments that once they are aware of the ISS
services available and have made contact with ISS, the staff are very helpful and
for some become a very important part of their study success at the university.
One student said that the assistance provided to her by ISS made “the difference
between passing and failing”. A post graduate student who has had a long
experience with Indigenous students in higher education summarised it this:
I can say from experience that Indigenous students (whether school
leavers or mature age) do meet the challenges of tertiary study better
when there is culturally appropriate support to assist them in their
learning journey. Even if it is something as basic as ITAS support or
someone to help in developing a study and time management plan.
Central to the provision of support is the need for SSOs to be prompt and timely
in the way in which they work with students and their families. A community
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 70
member spoke of the distress one family experienced when their son, who had
been offered a place in a highly competitive course at CSU, withdrew from the
course because the student centre did not provide information required to enable
him to take up the offer. The School had attempted to assist the student but did
not have the required information and had relied upon ISS to provide it but sadly
on that occasion to no avail. The young man is now working in an apprenticeship,
but the family sorely regrets that he did not take up his place in the original
course.
A key area where ISS can assist students is the Indigenous Tutorial Assistance
program (ITAS) which is funded by the Australian Government. There are
instances of good results being achieved from this supplementary assistance
program but it is critical to a student‟s transition and success that tutoring be set
up early in the student‟s first session. The literacy level of many Indigenous
students who come into the university via alternative entry is not adequate at
point of entry. ITAS can be a very valuable tool in addressing this situation if
students are able to get a tutor early enough. Experience shows that the longer it
takes to get supports like an ITAS tutor in place, the greater the student‟s chance
of withdrawing from studies. It is acknowledged that for those students who are
studying at a distance that it can be very difficult locating tutors in small
communities. ISS advise that they have compiled a database of available tutors
but students report being unable to locate a tutor. There is a need for ISS as a
matter or urgency to review its tutor database and ensure its currency. The
Review team did not consider it appropriate that, given that approximately 80%
of Indigenous students are studying in DE mode, that there should be a
statement on the ITAS page on the ISS Website, to the effect that, if ISS don‟t
have a tutor to suit the student who had registered then it is the responsibility of
the student to find their own. While students often do know someone who may
be able to tutor them, this is not always the case and it is up to the ITAS
administrator to be continually building these networks and updating databases
so that students can be accommodated immediately they apply for a tutor. The
critical question would have to do that if 80% of the students are studying in DE
mode, what percentage of the ISF is allocated to provding support services that
are drectly related to the needs of DE students?
Indigenous Student Services (ISS) advise that as of 2010, it has put in place a
more structured support program for all commencing Indigenous students which
it hopes will address some of the issues relating particularly to the perceived
differential support between internal and DE students. As part of this process,
Student Support Officers (SSOs) will contact each commencing students by
phone early in the first session to advise them of the services available through
ISS, including tutorial assistance under ITAS, financial assistance and
scholarships, and to assure students that SSO‟s are there and that they are a
ready first point of contact if students require further assistance. ISS plan to
contact all commencing students in this way at least three times at key transition
points during their first year of study. The first contact is intended to provide
contact details and services; while other contacts ill be based around key
milestones such as tutoring and assignment preparation, and examinations.
ISS report that this style of student support has been moderately successful.
Feedback from the online student survey about wanting more contact and
support from ISS supports the SSO‟s continuing to be proactive in reaching
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 71
students in this manner as most Indigenous students being DE do not make use
of the shop front face to face support services, offered through the Indigenous
student centres on the various campuses. It is suggested that ISS consider the
student case management program described below under Faculty support
programs and explore if a structured program such as this could assist to better
support Indigenous students in their critical transition into higher education.
In summary to provide effective student support, ISS team members need
to be proactive in their approach to students;
be willing, flexible and ready to take on diverse roles as required;
have a clear delineation of the support they should be expected to offer
students; and be up to date in their knowledge of university student
policies and procedures, so that they can refer students to correct channels
when required.
The goal of ISS should be to provide a scaffolded process which enables students
to operate with assistance with the assistance becoming less structured as
students become more familiar with the system.
Learning Skills Advisers
A number of students commented upon the positive experiences that they had
had during their studies when they had an opportunity to work with a Learning
Skills Advisor or support person, for example to review work before it was
submitted so that they could improve their assignments. However, some students
expressed concern that this type of assistance is no longer available through the
current model of Indigenous Student Services and Learning Skills Advisers are
no longer a functional part of the ISS team. They understand that they can access
Learning Skills Advisers through the Division of Student Services but they would
like such support to be available through ISS.
Faculty based student support
Overall there is a strong commitment across the university to do more to support
students in their first year of study. University wide projects such as the CSU
Transition Project are encouraging faculties to consider how they can more
effectively support at risk students in order to reduce student attrition and
achieve their performance and attainment targets. One faculty has identified the
following two strategies in its 2010-2012 Operational Plan in its attempt to
increase the Indigenous enrolments in the faculty to 3% by 2015:
Closer engagement with Indigenous Student Services to ensure students well
informed of centralised support mechanisms available.
Closer engagement with Indigenous Student Services to identify the risk
factors and vulnerabilities that contribute to Indigenous student lack of
academic success and withdrawal from enrolment.
The Dean of this faculty spoke of a successful transition support program his
school had conducted which used a case management model for each first year
student. The program identified early warning systems for students at risk,
starting with a first year interview at beginning of the year. Support strategies
under the program included:
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 72
The establishment of a database for all commencing students plus students
already formally identified as „at risk‟.
The assigning of staff mentors to groups of students, with eight or fewer
students per staff mentor. Students were introduced to the program and
mentors at the SES O-Week camp (approximately 100 students and staff
members) at the beginning of each academic year.
The involvement of CSU Student Services in coordinating the program. This
involved the maintenance of the database, staff training and support, student
counselling and the channelling of potential „at risk‟ students to other student
support services proactively.
The use of student mentors from the O-week program (ie. senior students)
where appropriate for peer support.
The coordinator of the program has access to all relevant subject outlines and
assessment requirements to facilitate monitoring of potential indicators of
students „at risk‟ (by determining students running late with initial
assignments, etc).
One of the outcomes of the program was that the school found out that some
students were dropping out due to lack of information and an understanding of
what opportunities were available.
Unfortunately the school advises that the program was discontinued after a
couple of years, as resources were not available. However, the school‟s
experience with the program gave it clues as to what is needed to support at risk
students in their transition to university study. The school says that now some of
the warning signs can be identified though online means and thus require less
resources, eg use first year first assignment to draw attention to how students
progressing.
Institutional strategies to support students
Other factors that may assist Indigenous students in their transition to higher
education are institutional provisions that have been put in place as part of the
CSU Indigenous Education Strategy.
Indigenising the curriculum and cultural competencies training
CSU‟s Indigenous Education Strategy makes provision for the inclusion of
Indigenous knowledges and experiences into all areas of the curriculum so that
all CSU students will have to undertake as part of their course of study aspects of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges relevant to their discipline
area. This process is in its infancy although great strides are being made,
through the
establishment of the Centre for Indigenous Studies and the Board of
Indigenous Studies;
involvement of Indigenous people are involved in the design and delivery of
these programs; and
introduction of an Indigenous cultural competencies framework across the
university.
In relation to the Indigenising of the curriculum and the teaching of Indigenous
cultural competencies, many participants in the Review spoke of the importance
of increasing the number of Indigenous academics in CSU both to participate in
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 73
the design and delivery of courses and to provide support and act as role models
for Indigenous students. However, there is concern about the substantial
turnover of Indigenous academics within the university and how to provide a
supportive and responsive work culture that encourages recruitment and
retention of Indigenous academic staff. Another concern is how Indigenous
academics can work within the university in ways that allow their Indigeneity and
connection to community to be used in meaningful ways
One Faculty Dean acknowledged that his faculty is low on the awareness end of
the scale into terms of cultural competency citing the need to engage in staff
development; more community engagement; and establish opportunities for
developing reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities in a sensitive
structured way. He saw the opportunity for the faculty to look at including
Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum through working with communities
in relation to business opportunities so that the process will add to the
community‟s skills and resources.
Another Dean spoke of the enthusiastic way in which his faculty had embraced
the Indigenous Education Strategy and the way in which all Schools in the faculty
were actively working with Centre for Indigenous Studies and Board of
Indigenous Studies to develop subjects with Indigenous content. He sees that by
developing Indigenous content the faculty‟s courses will be more appealing to
Indigenous students and offer a more culturally safe environment in which to
learn, as well as enhance cross-cultural understandings within the professions.
During the Review some comments were made by staff and students that they
had felt unsafe in the university as they had experienced personal and group
racism both in classes and in other arenas, e.g. such as the online forums. An
Indigenous lecturer described the racist manner in which he had been treated in
class by students on a number of occasions, even though he was an academic. A
student spoke of his discomfort with presence of racist content on some of the
subject forum discussion sites. The student said that he had found this
experience so personally upsetting that it impacted on his capacity to engage with
the forum, with the result that he now disengages from the discussion. Some
academics spoke of their concerns with potentially racist materials which some
students placed on forum boards and said that while they did have their own
strategies for dealing with these students, they were concerned about the effect it
had on other students.
Culturally responsive environment
Some staff spoke to the Review with pride about the actions that have been
taking place in CSU in recent years to create a culturally responsive and
accessible physical environment which hopefully makes CSU campuses more
welcoming and safe places for students and the community so that they feel a
sense of place and comfort when they come on campus. Some of the activities
have included
use of visual symbols such as murals, and paintings;
use of more culturally appropriate building designs;
use of the Wiradjuri language on public signs and naming of sites; and
CSU promotion slogans, such as “Sharing learning in Wiradjuri country”.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 74
However, in considering the impact that such actions may have on Indigenous
students and the broader Indigenous community, it is important to remember
that the inclusion and acknowledgement of culture has to go beyond the
symbolic, into a recognition of culture as a lived experience in Indigenous lives
and be responsive to cultural sensitivities and diversity.
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 75
TOR 7 Recommendations:
Recommendation 24:
That Liz Smith, Director of Transitions Project, meet with Chair of Indigenous
Studies, to discuss possibility of holding a 2-day forum in 2011 for staff and
students on the issue: “Creating a quality transition to higher education at CSU
for non traditional students”. This forum would involve bringing together ISS,
CSU Student Services, CIS and range of staff involved in student transition–
academic and general - who engage directly with 1st year Indigenous students as
well as current Indigenous students – 1st year and others (e.g. ESL, mature aged,
studying by DE, LSES, international disability). The purpose would be to identify
issues – barriers and positive experiences - and work in collaborative groups to
identify possible solutions and wider applications ie. making links to activities
that students indicate worked for them, planning what needs to be done to
achieve improved quality of transitions across CSU.
Recommendation 25:
Given the high level of concerns expressed regarding the lack of academic
support and/or ITAS tutoring, the Review team considers there is a need for CSU
to proactively intervene at the highest level. This is not only an Indigenous issue
– it affects all of CSU students, especially those involved in DE. The team
suggests that the DVC (Academic) urgently establish a working group consisting
of representation from marketing and academic staff – Indigenous and nonIndigenous - to design a program and organize a publicity campaign across the
CSU footprint to place our issue – difficulty in accessing suitably qualified and/or
experienced people, in various locations, who would be willing to support our
students in completing their studies through providing academic or other
support such as tutoring, mentoring, etc. Focus on issue that CSU delivering a
critical community service educating people to secure the future for regional
NSW but can‟t do it alone – need help of communities to ensure capacity to
continue offering this essential service, etc. Campaign needs to be ready to run at
the beginning of the 2011 academic year.
The other part of the initiative would be to establish a database – in student
services? In faculties? – that would contain all of the information provided by
those willing to register – name, contact details, role in which they could provide
support, any restrictions in terms of time, days, etc. , relevant
qualifications/experience. The database needs to be organized ahead of time so
that information can be recorded as soon as it begins to come in.
Recommendation 26:
Given that there does appear to be some confusion and concern around the
delivery of ITAS services, in a timely manner as required by students, the Review
team recommends that the DVC (Academic) commission an urgent audit of all
processes that underpin the ISS operation as it would appear that it is these
processes that are impacting upon the effectiveness of the delivery of this service.
As the issues that have emerged throughout this review have been diverse: who is
responsible for promotion; where are the tutors: who is responsible for finding
tutors for students; some Indigenous students have never heard of ITAS; some
Indigenous students have given up all hope of ever getting a tutor; there is
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 76
apparently a database yet we appear unable to link students to appropriate
tutors; can‟t get into the support centres – all locked up when we go there; why
can‟t people access learning skills advisors through ISS, ISS, many students
studying in DE mode are not aware of ISS and potential support they might
access. Due to this diversity of issues, the Review team recommends that the
review of the processes that impact upon the delivery of Indigenous Student
Services be undertaken by a person who does not work in this area, preferably an
academic given that many of the concerns are to do with academic issues, a
person who can bring a fresh eye and open mind to evaluating the processes and
their effectiveness.
Recommendation 27:
Given the need to increase the number of Indigenous academics in CSU and the
concerns expressed regarding the substantial turnover of Indigenous academics
within the university, the Review team recommends that the Faculty Deans and
the DVCs meet to discuss and develop a range of proactive approaches to
overcoming this problem. Consideration needs to be given to recruitment,
opportunities to encourage existing staff to acquire postgraduate qualifications,
identifying successful graduates and a strategy for encouraging them to return to
CSU after some work experience in their discipline area, incentives to encourage
retention of Indigenous staff, how effectively is our practice demonstrating a
valuing of Indigenous staff and their knowledges, how effectively is current
organizational structure creating a sense of „belonging‟ for Indigenous staff, how
effectively does CSU enable and encourage on-going community engagement for
Indigenous staff, etc.
Recommendation 28:
That Heads of School require lecturing staff to report incidents of racist
behaviour in classes and in other arenas, e.g. such as the online forums, to their
supervisors with an explanation as to how it was dealt with. The Review team
recommend that every incident be dealt as it occurs. Making racist comments is
not acceptable behaviour in an education setting and that reality must be made
explicit from the beginning. Just as there are protocols in place to govern
behaviour in undertaking research tasks so there should be protocols in place to
govern behaviour in learning environments. Discriminatory behaviour is a
certain turn-off for Indigenous students and often an underlying cause of people
abandoning their studies. While the Review team acknowledges the work that has
been done by many staff and students to create culturally responsive
environments across the university, visual symbols alone do not build an
inclusive learning environment or create quality learning experiences.
Additional Recommendation:
While the focus of discussions around this TOR was on the performance of
current transition arrangements for Indigenous students and the potential for
alternative transition arrangements, this also seemed to encourage respondents
to reflect more broadly on where Indigenous education was going. As a result of
these discussions some deeper concerns emerged and it became obvious to the
review panel that it might be timely for CSU to give some serious consideration to
the following:
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 77
Recommendation 29:
Given that concerns were expressed that some Indigenous students are not
identifying as Indigenous, the Review team would point out that this is a matter
of personal choice but the underlying factors that influence such decision-making
are complex. Does CSU make Indigenous students feel proud to be Indigenous
within the university environment? Obviously not everyone. The Review team
recommend that CSU executive give serious consideration to how they currently
demonstrate that this university values Indigenous peoples and their knowledge
systems. What are the messages that are being put out there by staff and students
on the ground? How are management showing leadership in ensuring that the
right message is getting out there? The CSU vision doesn‟t mention people
although the IES vision indicates it “will be culturally inclusive” and will engage
in the advancement of social justice and human rights for Indigenous
Australians”. The visible symbols are only the first part of the message – the real
message emerges out of what people do - how they treat one another. The
Review panel would suggest that management map what is being done on each
campus to actually demonstrate that the university values Indigenous peoples?
How and when does CSU acknowledge Indigenous achievement within local,
regional, state and national settings? How is CSU engaging with Indigenous
communities – within the CSU footprint to begin. What research projects reflect
the Indigenous voice or do they reflect what researchers think Indigenous
communities really need? There is no doubt that there are people here with very
deep commitment but sometimes it is hard to overcome the lifelong effect of
white privilege. If CSU is going to achieve its 2015 target it needs every student
who is Indigenous to be identifying. They are more likely to do that when they
know that they are valued for who they are and for the knowledge they bring to
the learning experiences in which they participate here at CSU.
In addition, there is a need to ensure that the private information that people
enter on their initial admissions form, where they tick the identity box, remains a
part of their record for as long as their records are kept. People should not have
to repeat filling in this sort of information every year.
Finally, within the context of Indigenous identity, it became very obvious to the
Review team, during the process of interviewing and meeting people, that there is
a separation of the Indigenous presence across the university. Each group, CIS,
ISS, Indigenous Employment Strategy and the Djirruwang Program operates as a
separate entity and there would appear to be little or no interaction. Indigenous
lecturers seem to operate within the silos of their school or discipline. There is
nothing that brings everybody together, no unifying presence. While such a
situation may have no impact upon those who have a strong sense of their own
identity, it can contribute to a splintering of the sense of communal identity
which is often important to Indigenous students who function more effectively in
learning environments where they feel culturally safe, where they can establish
the connections, the relationships that are so important to the sense of
„belonging‟ that is so important to enabling them to engage with the knowledge
and the learning process. The Review team recommend that the DVC Academic
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 78
consider the current model that is driving Indigenous education in CSU with a
view to addressing this critical issue by implementing an alternative model that
provides strong academic leadership and management across all areas of
Indigenous endeavour throughout the university, a positive role model and has
the capacity to draw the disparate groups together to create the sense of group
identity that can be very important to students seeking to engage in what could
almost be termed an alien environment. This person would need to be located
within the executive management structure of the university and would be
responsible for providing strategic management and direction to all Indigenous
operations across CSU – the unifying presence. A concept overview, based on
what happens in many other Australian universities, will be provided to the DVC
(Academic).
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 79
References:
Arkles, R., Guthrie, J., Sutherland, S., Dance, P., Dejanovic, A., McDermott, D.,
and Jackson Pulver, L., (2007), Barawul Yana: Better strategies for the
recruitment, retention and support of Indigenous medical students in Australia
– A NSW perspective. Mura Murri Indigenous Health Unit: UNSW
Downloaded from
http://www.med.unsw.edu.au/sphcmweb.nsf/resources/MMIHU_BarYanaFull
Rep_Contents_ExecSum.pdf/$file/MMIHU_BarYanaFullRep_Contents_ExecS
um.pdf
Charles Sturt University, (2010), Pathways to CSU. A guide to pathway options
for study at Charles Sturt University (online brochure) – can be downloaded
from
http://www.csu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/15365/pathways-to-CSU2010.pdf
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR),
(2009), Transforming Australia‟s Higher Education System. Commonwealth of
Australia: Canberra
Gale, T., 2009, Challenging Australian Higher Education. Presentation to the
Vice Chancellor‟s Colloquia Series. La Trobe University: Bundoora
Downloaded from:
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/ctlc/assets/downloads/Gale30Oct09.pdf
Gale, T., Sellar, S., Parker, S. Hattam, R., Comber, B., Tranter, D. & Bills, D.
(2010). Interventions early in school as a means to improve higher education
outcomes for disadvantaged (particularly low SES) students: A survey of the
nature and extent of outreach activities conducted by Australian higher
education (Table A) providers. Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council (NATSIHC),
(2008), A Blueprint for action. Pathways into the Health Workforce for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Commonwealth of Australia:
Canberra.
Rose, M., 2007, The Great Silent Apartheid.
Downloaded 5/09/10 from:
http://www.bsl.org.au/pdfs/Mark_Rose_community_development_11Oct07.pdf
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 80
Appendices:
Appendix 1:
Interview Questions
The following set of questions formed the base of face to face interviews.
Variations were used according to the position of the person being interviewed.
Thos interviewed comprised members of the Executive, Deans, Heads of Schools,
Senior Lecturers and Student Services personnel.
1. What is the current level of Indigenous participation and course completion
in your school‟s programs? Do you think this rate of participation has varied
in recent years? Why do you think that is the case?
2. Has your school/faculty implemented any initiatives in past three years aimed
at:
increasing Indigenous access and participation (consider in particular
school and TAFE pathways and mature age entry);
reducing Indigenous student attrition; and
increasing Indigenous course completions.
3. How effective have these initiatives been?
4. Are there other initiatives that you consider it would be beneficial for your
school to introduce to achieve these outcomes?
5. What resources do you consider would be required to introduce these
initiatives and how do you think these resources can be accessed?
6. What do you consider have been the most successful outcomes for Indigenous
students at CSU as a result of your school‟s programs? What factors do you
consider enabled Indigenous students to achieve these outcomes?
7. If CSU‟s goal is to increase Indigenous enrolments at CSU to 3% (parity with
regional catchment area) by 2015, what strategies/opportunities do you
consider will increase Indigenous student participation and success in your
faculty in a student demand driven higher education environment? How do
you see such strategies/opportunities being resourced? What barriers do you
consider might limit the enrolment of Indigenous students within your faculty
during this period?
8. What alternative pathways are Indigenous students able to access to gain
admission to your school‟s courses? Are you aware of the Koori Admissions
Program (KAP)? If yes, how effective has KAP been in increasing access of
Indigenous students into your school‟s programs? How might KAP be
enhanced to increase its effectiveness in assessing and preparing students for
an alternative pathway into university?
9. Do you consider there is a need for CSU to introduce any foundation or
enabling programs for Indigenous students? If so, do you have any
suggestions as to how such programs should be designed and delivered?
What role might your school play in their development and delivery?
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 81
Appendix 2:
Online Staff Survey Tool
Background:
1. How long have you been on staff at CSU?
_____ (approx number of
years)
2. Please nominate your staff category: (Please tick) Academic
General
3. School or division of CSU in which you are currently employed?
___________
4. What is the major function of your role in CSU? Please tick
Teaching
i. Student Services
ii. Administration
5. Do you identify as an Indigenous Australian: Please tick YES
NO
Survey Questions:
(Note: space was allowed in each response for up to 300 words):
1. What do you consider have been the most successful outcomes for Indigenous
Australian students at CSU in the past three years?
2. What factors do you think enable Indigenous Australian students at CSU to
achieve these outcomes?
3. Through your contact and engagement with Indigenous Australian students
at CSU, what strategies have you found are best suited to assisting these
students to achieve success in their studies?
4. What issues are of particular concern to you in delivering your type of services
to Indigenous Australian students at CSU? In what ways and with what
strategies are you able to respond to these issues?
5. Are you aware of any academic and support services at CSU that Indigenous
Australian students use to assist them in their studies? Please describe the
services.
6. How effective do you consider these academic and support services have been
in assisting Indigenous Australian students to participate in their studies?
7. Are you aware of any alternative pathways programs for Indigenous
Australian students to access courses at CSU? If yes, please describe.
8. How effective do you think these programs are in increasing access of these
students to CSU and their participation in CSU courses?
9. Are there ways in which you consider any of the alternative pathways
programs can be enhanced to increase their effectiveness in assessing and
preparing Indigenous Australian students to access and participate in CSU?
10. In his May 2010 Roadshow the Deputy Vice Chancellor indicated that CSU‟s
goal is to increase Indigenous Australian participation in CSU to 1000
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 82
students by 2013, what strategies do you consider will enable CSU to achieve
this goal?
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 83
Appendix 3:
Online Student Survey Tool
Background:
1. Gender (Please tick)
MALE
FEMALE
2. Are you currently enrolled at CSU? (Please tick)
YES
NO
3. If you answered Yes to Question 2, which course are you currently enrolled in?
4. If not currently enrolled at CSU, when were you enrolled at CSU?
From: __________________ to __________________
(Month) (Year)
(Month) (Year)
5. What pathway did you use to enrol at CSU: (Please tick) After Year 12
TAFE course
Employment
Combination
Other
6. Did you enter CSU via Koori Admissions Program (KAP)? (Please tick) YES
NO
7. What attendance mode are/were you enrolled in: (Please tick) Internal
Distance Education
Survey questions:
(Note: space was allowed in each response for up to 200 words):
1. What were the most successful outcomes for you from your participation in a
course at CSU?
2. What teaching and learning strategies do you think were best suited to help
you achieve these outcomes?
3. What were some of the support services that you used to assist you in your
learning program at CSU?
4. How helpful were these support services to you in your first year at CSU?
5. Were there any issues with your studies that were of concern to you while you
were enrolled at CSU? What strategies did you use to respond to these issues?
6. What support do you recommend that CSU provide to Indigenous Australian
students in their first year of study at CSU to help them cope with their
studies?
7. What would you identify as the three major barriers that you face in
undertaking studies at CSU?
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 84
Appendix 4:
Koori Admissions Program Student Survey Tool
The survey was conducted through a mail out, with a reply paid envelope being
provided for the return of the survey form. The response was very small.
Background:
1. Gender (Please tick)
MALE
2. Are you currently enrolled at a university? (Please tick)
FEMALE
YES
NO
3. If you are currently enrolled in a university course, in which course are you
enrolled and at what university?
Name of Course:
_________________________________________
Name of University:
__________________________________________
Survey questions:
Please respond to those questions for which you are able to answer.
1. How did you find about the CSU Koori Admissions Program (KAP)?
2. What did you hope to gain by participating in KAP?
3. How helpful was KAP in helping you to achieve these outcomes?
4. What activities in KAP did you find were the most effective in embedding
Indigenous ways of learning in the program?
5. How prepared did you feel to undertake a university course after you
completed KAP?
6. What other types of assistance could you have been given in KAP to help you
to be better prepared to undertake your university course?
7. Please describe any issues that were of concern to you when you took part in
KAP? What strategies did you use to deal with these issues?
8. What did you learn from KAP which helped you to make a decision about
your future higher education pathway and your career goals?
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 85
Appendix 5:
Overview of response to online staff survey
1. Total number of respondents
59
2. Categories
Academics
General
49
10
3. Breakdown of roles
Teaching
Student Services
Administration
46
6
7
4. Indigenous Staff respondents
6
5. Years of experience at CSU
0 to 3 years
4 to 6 years
7 to 9 years
10 years and more
Not stated
23
11
10
14
1
6. Faculty participation
Arts
Business
Education
Science
Centres
6
4
17
20
2
7. Division participation
Students Services
Library
Research
Administration
6
2
1
1
8. Participating Schools
Arts - Humanities and Social Sciences,
Communication and Creative Industries
Psychology
Business – school not stated
Education – SOTE, Murray School of
Education
Science – Animal Sciences, Biomedical
Sciences, Indigenous Mental
Health/Nursing/Midwifery,
Community Health, Agricultural and
Wine Sciences
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 86
Appendix 6:
Overview of response to online student survey
1. Total number of respondents
2. Gender
3. Enrolment status6
4. Level of study
5. Undergraduate entry pathway7
Male
Female
Currently enrolled
Not enrolled
Undergraduate
Postgraduate
Post Year 12
TAFE
Employment
Combination
Other (including KAP)8
82
27
55
79
2
65
17
7
4
18
11
25
6. Undergraduate Faculty participation
Arts
23
Business
6
Education
7
Science
29
7. Undergraduate courses in which respondents are enrolled or were
enrolled by Faculty:
Arts
Business
Education
Graphic Design
Media and Communications
Arts
Policing
Theology
Psychology
Social Science
Social Work
Clinical Practice (Paramedic)
Management
Marketing
Industrial relations
Accounting
Human Resources
Librarianship
Early Childhood Education
Primary
VET
1
1
3
3
4
1
3
6
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
3
1
For purposes of distributing the survey an individual email was sent to all ATSI students based
on a list of ATSI students enrolled for 2010. Contact with other students about the survey was
informal and word of mouth.
7 As self reported by students
8 A question about KAP was in the survey but unfortunately in programming the retrieval of data
of the survey responses this response was omitted from the program and is unable to be
captured.
6
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 87
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 88
Report on Indigenous Transitions Review 2010
page 89