Revisiting, revitalising and recommitting to an Indigenous education program : an enabling program case study

The Tertiary Entry Program was developed at Central Queensland University in 2000 and began to be offered in 2001. The overview for the program states that 'TEP prepares students for successful participation in a university undergraduate or postgraduate degree program. TEP introduces student to university culture, computing skills, academic essays, reports and seminars'. Moreover, the program 'focuses on particular issues for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people'. over time it has developed into an external, flexible, on-line learning program offered to Indigenous Australians in urban areas, regional and remote communities and in correctional centres. In 2011 the program underwent its first review which found that the program needed to have a more strategic and academic orientation along with more efficient and effective service delivery. A second review in 2012-2013 that aligned with reaccreditation goals found that the program needed a major overhaul to align with the university, incorporate Indigenous perspectives and maximise learning outcomes for Indigenous students. The reviews questioned the need for an Indigenous specific program based on the evidence as presented. Since this time, staff and community members have revisited the original goals of the program and there has been an effort to revitalise the program aligned to the changing needs of Indigenous peoples within the University sector and the funds that support such initiatives. Moreover, the revisiting and revitalising has resulted in a recommitting of the University to such a program and the recommitting of Indigenous peoples to progressing successfully through such an enabling program through to graduation. This presentation will discuss the hard realities of the evidence found in the review and the process of revitalisation and recommitment to the Tertiary Entry Program and why such processes are vital to the ongoing developments and improvements needed in indigenous education.