CQUniversity's 'whole-of-university' approach makes it well-placed to boost the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in all areas of study proportionate to the wider Australian population...

That's according to Professor Bronwyn Fredericks who says "right now we are a long way off equitable representation".

Professor Bronwyn Fredericks, CQUniversity and Professor Larissa Behrendt, UTS

However, she says CQUniversity is ideally positioned to work on recommendations from the recently-released Review of Higher Education Access and Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, known as the Behrendt Review.

Professor Fredericks is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement) and BMA Chair in Indigenous Engagement. She attended the Review launch in Melbourne last Friday.

"Increasing the numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in all areas of study proportionate to the population is important if we are going to increase the number of Indigenous people in professions and decision-making roles in government and industry," she says.

"We also have to look at Indigenous employment in the University; imagine seeing Indigenous people employed in a range of academic and professional staff positions across the University and not mostly in the Nulloo Yumbah Centre.

"A few sections in the report mention the VET Sector and, with the proposed merger with CQ TAFE, CQUniversity is ideally positioned to support Indigenous people with VET qualifications moving into university."

LINK HERE for Minister for Tertiary Education Senator Chris Evans' statement

 on the Behrendt Review report or LINK HERE for the full Review Report

CQUni's Prof Bronwyn Fredericks with Angela Leitch (Qld Dept Education Training and Employment), A/ Prof Maggie Walter (UTas), Prof Aileen Moreton-Robinson (QUT), Prof Irene Watson (UniSA) 
Audience members at the launch at Melbourne Museum 
Prof Shane Houston, DVC Indigenous Strategy, University of Sydney