Indigenous Australians comprise just over 1% of all students enrolled in Australian higher education institutions (Pechenkina, 2015). A lack of awareness of Indigenous cultures among university staff can have a significant impact on Indigenous students’ access to, and retention in, higher education (Evans, 2017). When teachers don’t understand the importance of Indigenous cultural practices and ceremonies, they may not be in a position to respond appropriately during interactions with Indigenous students.
At Monash University, the William Cooper Institute coordinates support for Indigenous students and staff at Monash University. The unit provides a range of programs and services for students, including subject tuition, skills programs, pathways programs, and assistance finding accommodation or applying for scholarships or bursaries. At the William Cooper study spaces at Clayton, Peninsula and Caulfield campuses, students also have access to a lounge and computers.
The Institute is named for the activist, visionary and community leader, William Cooper, known for organising a number of protest organisations and petitions campaigning for Indigenous rights. Significant protests include the first interstate Day of Mourning, on January 26 in 1938.