During a visit to Brisbane in early May, Professor Bronwyn Fredericks, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement), and Bridget Saplos (Nulloo Yumbah) attended a meeting of the Queensland Indigenous Higher Education Network (QIHEN).

The QIHEN meeting is held four times a year and was hosted this time by Queensland University of Technology. In attendance were representatives from Queensland's universities and TAFE and government sectors.

L-R Prof Bronwyn Fredericks (CQUni), Mary Kelly (QUT), Geoffrey Mitchell (Widening Tertiary Participation Queensland) and Bridget Saplos (CQUni)

Mary Kelly, Director, Equity, QUT, and Geoffrey Mitchell, Project Manager, Widening Tertiary Participation Queensland provided an overview of the Widening Participation Higher Education Partnership and Participation (HEPPP) Grant Program.

The HEPPP program is a state-wide approach to stimulating demand for tertiary study involving collaboration between all eight public universities in Queensland and the Department of Education, Training and Employment (DETE). CQUniversity is involved in this collaboration.

Professor Fredericks stated that "it was great to get an update on what is happening with the HEPPP program and to have the opportunity to hear from other universities what they are doing to increase participation at their universities".

The HEPPP program is a holistic and multi-layered approach which comprises a suite of six projects over four years encoded in a memorandum of understanding (MOU). The MOU is between all partners and aims to create interest, aspiration and participation in tertiary study amongst people form low socio-economic backgrounds and Indigenous people.

Ms Saplos added that "such an opportunity for sharing offers valuable lessons that we can all learn from, along with showcasing what CQUniversity is contributing through HEPPP".

‘What we bring back is knowledge gained from across the sector that we can now share within CQUniversity," concluded Professor Fredericks.