Facilitating Access, Retention and Success for Indigenous Health Science Students

 

Sally Farrington, Susan Page

Yooroang Garang

Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Sydney

Yooroang Garang

Teach Indigenous Health UG and PG programs

Support Indigenous students in the Faculty.

Since 1991, there have been 44 graduates from

allied health programs ( 26 Physiotherapy, 5

Occupational Therapy, 3 Radiography, 3 Speech

therapy, 5 nursing etc)

Indigenous Participation in Higher Education

Participation rates have improved in recent years but still underrepresented.

comprise only 1.2 %

Completion rates for Indigenous students 45% compared to 65% for non Indigenous counterparts.

The Research Project

A qualitative study…

“…capable of identifying what actually fosters continuing engagement in education by Indigenous people”

Semi structured interviews with Indigenous students enrolled at the faculty

Commitment to Success

‘Equity’ does not always mean ‘equal’ treatment

Students reach the same standards

An enrolment means a graduation

Facilitating Access

Personal interaction with staff…“..it made me much more confident just talking to the co-ordinator on the phone”

Cadigal Access Program…

- diffential UAI- not necessary to have assumed

knowledge- other attributes considered

Facilitating Success…

Effective orientation to the discipline content and process

“( the orientation program) was really good..the teacher was teaching us how to learn”

Orientation to the academic environment

Facilitating success … continued

Reduced load enrolment…

“(in reduced load)…you get more time so you can sort of learn a subject really well”

Allows time for concurrent academic support

Facilitating success … continued

Effective academic Support…

Academic staff knowledgeable about both discipline content and process

Stu

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Academic Support

Curriculu

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Facilitating success … continued

Provide personal support…

- High levels of death and illness in family- Newness to the environment requires constant scaffolding

Provide advocacy and case management

Facilitating success … continued

common room for Indigenous students

“It’s important, being able to come up here and have somewhere to study with minimal disruption and with an understanding from an Indigenous perspective of why I have difficulties in certain areas”

Facilitating success … continued

Provide dedicated learning resources

-text books

-models-extra lab time-computer labs

Facilitating success … continued

Provide financial support…

Most students withdraw for personal and financial reasons