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Bond University moves ahead in Indigenous education goals
supplied by Promedia 19 February 2014
B
ond University achieved another milestone last weekend in its drive to be a leading university in Indigenous education with the graduation of four Indigenous students, three of whom are going on to do postgraduate studies. Bond University has 48 Indigenous students admitted in 2014 – 18 of them on scholarships. Pro Vice-Chancellor, Pathways and Partnerships, Catherine O’Sullivan said Bond University
Sinead Dumas with her partner Luke Dumas together with family and friends after the graduation. Image supplied
had a goal to become the leading Indigenous student tertiary education provider in Australia. “Currently, Indigenous students make up just 1.4 per cent of all enrolments at Australian universities, and tend to have lower completion rates compared to nonIndigenous students,” she said. “Bond University is determined to help address this disadvantage, and our efforts are already making a difference. “We are committed to playing our part in raising the education and
economic outcomes for Indigenous people by making sure they have not just the education, but the leadership skills they need to drive change within their communities. “Bond’s Indigenous student retention and completion rates are among the best in the country, with 82% of our Indigenous undergraduate students completing their studies, compared with just 69% nationally.” Bond’s graduating students were: • MADELEINE PUGIN who graduated from a
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Bachelor of Arts. She is now studying towards a Master of International Relations; • TRENT BOSGRA who graduated from a Bachelor of International Hotel and Tourism Management (was on an Indigenous Land Corporation Scholarship). Trent is now studying towards a Juris Doctor; and • SINEAD DUMAS who graduated from a Bachelor of International Relations. Sinead is now studying towards a Master of International Relations. • The fourth student was KRISTAL ADDO who graduated from a Bachelor of Sports Management. Ms O’Sullivan said Bond University strongly supported the need for specific education policies for Indigenous students and was doing everything in its power to help drive this change. “Bond University has a broad indigenous strategy including strong ties with the Queensland Indigenous Education Consultative Committee,” she said. “This relationship is vitally important and the consultative committee will be holding its next board meeting at Bond, which will focus on the need for specific education policies for Indigenous students. “We are investing $1.4 million in Indigenous scholarships this year including an additional 10 scholarships to Indigenous students as part of Bond’s 25th Anniversary
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Graduate Sinead Dumas with her partner Luke Dumas shortly after graduating.
celebration.” She added that Bond also had exceptional support programs on campus, such as the Nyombile Support Centre assisting Indigenous students with the unique challenges of moving from remote communities and the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) which aims to assist Indigenous students currently in high school to move into tertiary studies. The student-run Bond Indigenous Awareness Society is active in promoting Indigenous awareness at Bond and the wider community through social events, cultural
exchange, volunteering and philanthropy. The Kununurra Youth Project – organised by the Student Philanthropy Council – is a studentled initiative that sees a group of students travel to the Kimberley region every September to spend two weeks living and breathing the Kununurra way of life. Another support mechanism is the not-for-profit organisation CareerTrackers, which helps create career pathways for Indigenous students through a structured paid internship program involving 42 of Australia’s biggest and best employers.