Improving Indigenous Outcomes & Enhancing Indigenous Culture & Knowledge in Australian Higher Education

This document includes an overview of the 2005 inaugural Indigenous Higher Education Conference, Education led Recovery of Indigenous Capacity: reshaping the policy agenda and presents the first strategic plan of the Indigenous Higher Education Advisory Council (IHEAC). The core issues discussed at the 2005 Indigenous Higher Education Conference were the continuing under-representation of Indigenous people in higher education and the low rates of success, retention and completion for Indigenous students. Conference participants also noted the interrelated and ongoing problems associated with:

• the uneven quality of Indigenous research programs and the limited number of active Indigenous researchers;
• the poor recognition given to Indigenous studies and the lack of visibility of Indigenous culture and knowledge on campus;
• the small number of Indigenous people working in Australian universities, especially in senior roles; and
• the low levels of participation of Indigenous people in university governance and management.