INDIGENOUS NEWS to be developed to ensure policies and strategies can be implemented.
Summary recommendations 1. At the National level, undertake a subsequent detailed research project, possibly involving universities Australia, the ARC and other partner universities, to officially define Lateral Violence and develop strategies to tackle Lateral Violence in the workplace. 2. Lobby the Commonwealth and State/Territory Governments to examine detailed strategies and institute a public campaign to tackle racial discrimination in Australian society. 3. Lobby all universities to undertake a review of the effectiveness of current policies, in particular, procedural arrangements to tackle racial discrimination in the workplace. 4. Lobby university management to insti-
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tute effective and appropriate reporting mechanisms for grievances involving racial discrimination that provide greater confidence for Academic and Professional/General staff members. Undertake an information campaign on the issue of Lateral Violence and its relationship to successful staff recruitment and retention. Encourage NTEU Branches to undertake a survey of their membership on perspectives of the effectiveness of current university policies and procedures. Where possible, ensure NTEU representation on university policy development and review committees. At those universities where a policy development, review and implementation committee does not exist, lobby university management to implement a policy committee as soon as practicable. Lobby university management to ensure a diverse membership on policy develop-
Indigenous Higher Education Review T
he Review of Indigenous Higher Education, announced in April this year, is a welcomed initiative by the Indigenous Higher Education Advisory Council (IHEAC) and the Federal Government. On 19 September, Ministers Chris Evans and Kim Carr formerly announced a call for public submissions to the Review. In calling for submissions, both Ministers Evans and Carr recognised that participation in the higher education sector by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and students is well below acceptable levels. Minsters Evans and Carr in their joint statement detailed that ‘higher education is central to building the capacity of Indigenous communities and facilitating the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the professional life of the nation.’ Since its inception, NTEU has advocated for greater opportunities and levels of employment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, along with better mechanisms of support (both financial and academic) for Indigenous students at universities. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff comprise around 0.96% of all academic and general staff employed in the higher education sector and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students represent approximately 1.3% of the entire student cohort.
NOVEMBER 2011 www.nteu.org.au
ment, implementation and review committees. 10. Encourage all universities to provide detailed training for all staff, both inductive and retrospective, to ensure staff members are aware of university policies on racial discrimination and the relationship to current legislative requirements. 11. Encourage university management to develop strategies to empower university staff to challenge racial discrimination in the workplace. It is hoped that the findings and recommendations from the report will be examined by university management, with a view to amending current policy and implementing strategies that will work to eliminate discrimination, racism and lateral violence in the higher education sector. A Adam Frogley, National Indigenous Coordinator Final report and recommendations c www.nteu.org.au/indigenous
In the July 2011 edition of the Advocate, we cited 2010 Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) data to illustrate the increasing gap in the participation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous staff and students in the higher education sector. Based on the current 2010 datasets, and on the proviso that no additional non-Indigenous staff members were employed and no additional non-Indigenous students were enrolled; there would need to be a minimum immediate increase of 1,628 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academic and general staff employed, along with a minimum immediate increase of 16,538 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled to reach the acknowledged population parity figure of 2.5%. While it must be acknowledged there have been achievements made in increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and students in the higher education sector; the yearon-year increases in the Indigenous staff and student cohort only ensure that participation rates are maintained – there is little evidence that there has been overall growth in the sector. Participation is but one aspect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander involvement in the higher education sector. There are also many concerns, including but not limited to; tenure of employment; the level of academic staff employment/retention; financial, pastoral and academic support for Indigenous students; involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in research activity and cultural respect, bullying and racism in the sector. Members wishing to provide a submission are encouraged to view the Review of Higher Education Access and Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people website. A www.deewr.gov.au/Indigenous/HigherEducation/ ReviewofIndigenousHigherEducation/Pages/default.aspx
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