Indigenous plan aims for parity

The University has undertaken to raise the number of Indigenous students and staff on campus, with a commitment to population parity a key feature of its 2015 Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

The first RAP announced in 2010 focused on building the knowledge and processes to support Indigenous development and contribute to Indigenous well-being.

Extending that commitment and taking greater steps towards setting hard targets to achieve population parity, the University will look to recruit and retain more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

The University will also actively grow its Indigenous Australian academic and professional workforce.

University of Melbourne Indigenous students have one of the highest success rates in Australia, but Professor Ian Anderson, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Engagement) (MB BS1989, DMedSc 2012), says there is still much to be done.

“We have set ourselves somelong goals and targets,” he says. “For Indigenous staff we aim for parity by 2020. For Indigenous students we are looking towards 2050.

“While a long way off, the figures for students are based on analysis of current Indigenous populations in the school system and projections on how many might come to undertake tertiary study.”