>> Watch the full recording here <<
On Tuesday 8th October, nearly 300 people from over 140 organisations, including representatives from each and every Australian public university tuned in to an online panel session about equity of access and success, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
The session was chaired by Mark Heiss, deputy CEO and Head of Scholarships at the GO Foundation - a long-time social partner with Studiosity - and the panel consisted of:
- Adam Goodes, co-founder of the GO Foundation and CEO of Indigenous Defence & Infrastructure Consortium (IDIC)
- Professor Braden Hill, Deputy Vice Chancellor Students, Equity, and Indigenous at Edith Cowan University in WA
- Sarah Scott, currently studying a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) and Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice student at UNSW
Also acknowledging the involvement of Professor Leanne Holt, Deputy Vice Chancellor Indigenous at UNSW, who sadly was unwell on the day and didn't end up joining the discussion.
The panelists discussed the importance of higher education for both individuals and communities, the goals and shortcomings of the Universities Accord report, practical ways to support Indigenous students through education and what allyship looks like in practice, governance structures that lead to better outcomes, black excellence and self-determination for Indigenous people in higher education settings.
The chat was also lively with input from participants acknowledging Country, supporting the sentiments of the panelists and asking thoughtful questions in the Q&A. Mark was able to skilfully keep the conversation flowing while checking back on the most upvoted questions in the Q&A simultaneously.
To give a recap, here are some of the most poignant quotes given by each panelist.
The importance of higher education, specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Adam Goodes: "I think the importance for me was that there'd been no one in my family that had been to higher education. So I was breaking through for some of my family members - and now my brothers have followed suit and now cousins and nieces and nephews are following suit. So I think for me, we're at the very beginning of breaking through into that higher education space and seeing the benefits from a community point of view... And I think that's what we're on this planet to do, is to constantly learn from each other and challenge ourselves and acquire skills that can benefit us."
I think that's what we're on this planet to do, is to constantly learn from each other and challenge ourselves and acquire skills that can benefit us.
Sarah Scott: "It empowers us more to be able to navigate the Western world and our own world, and gives us the power to do both. It also creates opportunities for leadership roles and opens doors to more opportunities - where we can influence policy and change and have a seat at the table. I think that's been one thing as a student that I've recognised in my experience: that being in this space has allowed for more of those opportunities."
Prof Braden Hill: "Blackfellas create that [safe] space within higher education for one another. And we're really protective of that space because we know how important it is."
Prof Braden Hill: Generally, blackfellas really like studying at university. But really enjoying something doesn't mean that you always succeed."
What does self-determination for mob look like, in a higher education setting?
Prof Braden Hill: "So Indigenous self-determination is about thinking about who's leading the indigenous agenda within your institution and how much of a say and a voice do they get in the broader aspect of what's going on? If you can show that you have indigenous leadership at all levels and good engagement through all those levels, then you're getting closer to self-determination. But that's within the institution, right? So as long as blackfellas are setting the black agenda, you're good."
Adam Goodes : "A big part of my vision in everything that I do is black leadership. [At the GO Foundation], we have an Indigenous chair, we have an Indigenous CEO. You are the head of our scholarship program and our vice CEO, Mark, our whole scholarship team is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Over 90% of our board are blackfellas. So as part of our GO Scholarships, it's not only an education from an academic point of view in the schools, it's actually an education on what it means to be a modern day Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person, which I think is really important and the real strength to our, the work that we do."
Adam Goodes: "Self-determination for me and our young people at times is out of their control. That's what we're wanting our students to do, is to rock up to university, do the work, feel comfortable not to worry too much about the roof over their head or where the food's coming from, that they can actually come to their studies and be the absolute best that they possibly can. I think that's the responsibility of all of us to be able to create those environments for our young people and also for us as Indigenous leaders to make sure that we keep putting up our hands for those roles that are influencing our communities, that are influencing non-Indigenous people, to give our opinions on what's best for, you know, some of those young people."
How can universities support aspiration, participation, and success for Indigenous students?
Prof Braden Hill: "Participation is great. We need to get mob in, but we also need to think about how we're supporting them and how we're leading that work, and enabling that work, as universities."
Sarah Scott: "I knew through my high school experience that by getting those qualifications, I could see in the future that I would have many more opportunities open for me."
Adam Goodes: "What can we do at our universities and in our communities to make it easier to connect these young people with culture, with community, if they're not from those areas? Because that's going to actually make them feel part of the system and part of the culture of where they are."
That outreach work is really important because it signals possibility.
Prof Braden Hill: "So that outreach work is really important because it signals possibility... How are we going to sustain meaningful relationships, particularly with schools from early on, all the way through to a potential pathway at university. Our job is not only just to sell education, our job is to make sure that we prosecute the argument for why mob should consider going to university. And so that can only be done in trusting relational ways that's led by blackfellas in academia, I think."
Prof Braden Hill: About 42% of Indigenous students encounter racism from their peers. More worryingly, though, Indigenous kids say about 20% of racism, 20% of students experience racism from their teachers, ok? From their teachers. So when we think about cultural load that our students are bearing, it's one that we know well, unfortunately. Racism is, is is a structural problem that exists. It's not going to vanish in thin air. So we have to confront that because at the moment, what we focus on is "are kids going to school?" Because attendance seems to be the number one driver for outcomes. And it is right. But we don't stop and ask why might they not want to be at school? If you've got a 1 in 5 chance that your teacher might be racist towards you, I think there's a very good reason why kids go 'nah, stuff it'."
"At the moment, what we focus on is "are kids going to school?" Because attendance seems to be the number one driver for outcomes. And it is right. But we don't stop and ask why might they not want to be at school? If you've got a 1 in 5 chance that your teacher might be racist towards you, I think there's a very good reason why kids go 'nah, stuff it'."
What does good allyship look like?
Adam Goodes: "How are you hearing the voices of those Indigenous people at your university as employees? Are you creating spaces for them to come together just as a group, to have conversations, if they want to report back any of the challenges or support that you can do? For me, that is a great way to not only give our people a voice, but you also creating a forum for them to come together. How are you creating spaces to learn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?"
Prof Braden Hill: "It was only in 2019 when I moved to ECU, there was a non-Indigenous colleague who asked the questions that I would normally have to ask, right? So in this instance it was "where is the Indigenous content in your curriculum?" Or where is "where are your efforts around outreach and engagement?" And I thought, sheesh, I don't have to be the one asking this! And so it's taking that respectful intervention that takes a load off blackfellas always having to be the ones raising the questions. For me in my context, that's always been very helpful."
Sarah Scott: "And also creating opportunities where Indigenous voices can be heard and privileged, and having opportunities for leadership to enable that to happen."
Adam Goodes: "So for me, this space is so important. This conversation today is so important. And I think the people that we need to listen to are the people we have on this panel, the students: Sarah, who's at the schools, and Brother Braden, who is a voice, sometimes a lone voice in his area. So we've got to create more opportunities not only for the students, but for our students to go out and get careers and then fill roles that like Brother Braden's filling over there in Western Australia."
