Hey Everyone!
In light of National Reconciliation Week, I thought I would post some resources about support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander uni students can access.
I have previously worked with the First Nations departments of a uni (being vague for anonymity reasons) and I know a lot of people aren't aware of what support they have access to, so I thought I would highlight a few:
- Specialised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Support
The majority of universities in Australia have a division of the university solely devoted to supporting aboriginal students throughout their entire degree in the areas of academic support, emotional support, career planning and even economic support by assisting with applications for scholarships. Many unis will provide you with a direct person within the division who will be there to assist you with any issues, concerns or questions you have about university or your courses. Some examples: USyd has the Gadigal Centre, UNSW has Nura Gili, UNE has Oorala. If you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander - I really recommend getting in touch with these departments when you start uni or if you are thinking of starting! They are full of really lovely people who are there to help!
- The Indigenous Tuition Program/ Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme/Indigenous Academic Enhancement Program
The Aus Government funds a program which allows Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to access free weekly tutoring for each subject they take, each semester and each year at university. The name for this scheme changes depending on the uni you go to, but the above are some examples of what unis call the program. You will get paired with another, more senior uni student who will provide weekly 1 hour sessions to do anything from cover content, to read over and provide feedback on assignments or even assist with studying for your exams. This program is often run out of the departments I mentioned above, so I would suggest to get in touch with them so they can match you with a free tutor!
This isn't specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, but is relevant to mental health and uni! All universities in Aus should have a department related to disability/equity provisions. This means, if you have a medical certificate to confirm a diagnosis of a mental health condition, neurodiversity or other long term/short term health conditions, you can get certain adjustments for your exams or assignments. If you have a diagnosis, I really recommend looking into this so that you can thrive at uni!
Hope this helps someone, and if you have any other support services at uni that you know of, please comment them!
