Higher Education experience for First Nations students at CDU
Higher Education and First Nations Students: The CDU Story
Over three years, this project will address issues of retention and completion of the First Nations students enrolled in undergraduate courses at CDU.
This project undertakes the first CDU investigation of the engagement of undergraduate First Nations students in Higher Education. Considering engagement of First Nations students in a regional setting is ground-breaking and will deliver mutually informed lessons for the CDU staff and the First Nations students themselves.
The project employs an explanatory research design that is suitable for this type of research.
We will analyse CDU de-identified statistical data about First Nations students enrolled in undergraduate courses. Online surveys will collect further information about this population. The analysis of the quantitative data (statistics, survey) will be followed up by the qualitative data collection through interviews with selected lecturing staff (the survey invites students to name their best teacher) and the CDU First Nations Students Support staff to deepen our understanding of the key factors in retention and completion.
We will also conduct focus groups (FG) with the lecturers and professional staff. The project website will serve the team to provide updates on the research progress.
Research highlights the inequity and underrepresentation of First Nations people in Higher Education enrolment and completion. This can lead to a lack of equal opportunity in employment, life choices and social inclusion. Since the completion of the Behrendt Review in 2012, inequity continues to be an issue.
The project aims to provide current evidence that will increase completion rates among First Nations undergraduate students attending CDU and increase knowledge about student enrolment and engagement, improving the likelihood of completion by taking cultural background and the need to embed culture into Western learning contexts into account. Our effort will assist First Nations students and CDU by giving information about lecturer/institutional cultural competency. Equally important, our project will shine a light on the shared achievements and struggles. It will support reflexive practice for CDU staff.
The research proposal strongly aligns with the CDU Strategic Plan. Although the main impact will be to ‘First Nations,’ the broader impact would include cultural competence and inclusion benefiting students and educators.
Are you a First Nations undergrad at CDU? We want to hear from you.
We are conducting a three-year study on the experiences of undergraduate First Nations students at CDU. By participating, you’ll help CDU better understand and address First Nation students’ needs. There will be questions asking about your studies, motivations, weekly commitments, support networks and whether you access services and support at CDU. The online survey is completely anonymous, confidential and aims to:
- Understand the experiences First Nations students have with Higher Education
- Identify needs and challenges that students face completing their studies
- Support current and future First Nations students at CDU.
Find the survey and more information at Indigenous success at CDU
Project update: Higher Education and First Nations Students: The CDU Story
Speakers: Dr Tracy Woodroffe, Dr Kate Golebiowska & Alicia Boyle and Dr Guzyal Hill
Date: 4 December 2023
Project update: Higher Education and First Nations Students: The CDU Story
Speakers: Dr Tracy Woodroffe and Alicia Boyle and Dr Guzyal Hill
Date: 6 December 2022
Team
Dr Tracy Woodroffe
Dr Tracy Woodroffe is a local Warumungu Luritja educator with extensive teaching experience and an Early Career Researcher with a growing track record. Dr Woodroffe is the lead researcher for this two-year project. Her research experience and focus is educational pedagogy, identity, Indigenous perspectives, and the use of Indigenous Knowledges in educational contexts. Dr Woodroffe has been both a team member and the lead CI on numerous successful research projects which can be seen on her CDU profile. Past research has included research with and within the NT Department of Education.
T: 08 8946 6624 E: Tracy.Woodroffe@cdu.edu.au
Dr Kate Golebiowska
Based on more than a decade’s worth of research and engagement with immigrant communities and individuals, Kate brings to the project a wealth of experience in qualitative research with disadvantaged groups. Until early 2020, Kate had served at the CDU Human Research Ethics Committee for 10+ years.
T: 08 8946 6891 E: Kate.Golebiowska@cdu.edu.au
Alicia Boyle
She has worked in VET/TAFE and Higher Education, training, management, and research for over 35 years and at CDU since 1999. Mrs Boyle has program and project leadership experience and works extensively in applied research with key interests in education, technology for learning, and workforce development in northern Australia, particularly in regional and remote areas. Most recently she has completed the Barkly Region Workforce Plan, undertaken an evaluation of the Northern Territory’s Local Decision-Making Policy and developed a digital Recognition of Prior Learning platform for Remote Aboriginal Teacher Educators.
T: 08 8946 7267 E: Alicia.Boyle@cdu.edu.au
Dr Guzyal Hill
Dr Hill was born in Kazakhstan and has a strong understanding of cross-cultural implications in Higher Education. Prior to joining CDU, Guzyal worked as a solicitor and has experience interviewing vulnerable clients. She is a Senior Lecturer in Asia Pacific College of Business and Law, a founding coordinator of the First Nations Pre-Accounting Enabling Program. She coordinated First Nations Pre-Law Enabling Program for 2021 intake.
T: 08 8946 8841 E: GUZYAL.HILL@cdu.edu.au
Funding
The projects are funded through the CDU Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) - Applied research stream.
Northern Institute HEPPP Advisory Group (NIHAG):
Collectively, these individuals have an immense wealth of research experience and an in-depth understanding of conducting research in the Indigenous space. All of the advisory group members are staff in Northern Institute – Contemporary Indigenous Knowledge and Governance team (CIFEA). Professor Ruth Wallace, Dean of the College of Indigenous Futures, Education and the Arts (CIFEA) and Professor Reuben Bolt, DVC First Nations Leadership support the development and work of the NI HEPPP advisory group (NIHAG).
