First Nations academics are invited to share their experiences for new research to guide universities in preventing ‘colonial load’.
CQUniversity research is offering Indigenous academics a chance to take stock of their careers and wellbeing, to help assess how Australian universities are managing ‘colonial load’ carried by First Nations people.
Led by Arrernte woman and CQUniversity First Nations Studies academic Dr Vicki Pascoe, the research is exploring how university workplaces across regional Australia are impacting health and wellbeing for First Nations staff.
“It’s a particularly challenging time in higher education for First Nations people – and for a lot of well-meaning reasons” Pascoe says.
“Universities are trying to decolonise the curriculum, they’re rolling out their Reconciliation Action Plans, they’re developing strategies to increase Indigenous staff and student numbers – but all this work puts a burden on First Nations academics, and there just aren’t that many of us.”
‘Colonial load’ is work initiated by non-Indigenous Australians to address systemic injustice created by colonisation, with expectation that First Nations people will contribute.
“The colonial load being placed on First Nations academics is increasing while staff numbers are declining, making succession planning difficult,” Pascoe says.
Focus on regional universities
Pascoe’s research is targeting regional universities, which have some of Australia’s highest proportions of Indigenous academics.
She says the work also aims to explore ways to create better pathways to leadership. Survey questions include how often participants are asked to provide advice and leadership in community engagement and course content development, and how often they are asked to conduct Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country.
Indigenous academics working at regional universities are invited to complete an anonymous online survey, and reflect on questions about work and cultural demands, and stress, health and wellbeing.
Pascoe says participants will then have options to share their contact details, separate to their survey responses, to participate in an interview to share their experiences as a First Nations academic. The research is funded by an internal CQUniversity research grant, and Pascoe is conducting this research with CQUniversity Psychology academic Dr Cassy Dittman and Health Economics academic Dr Chris Doran. The trio are members of the Manna Institute, conducting research to address the complex mental health needs of regional Australia as an urgent, national social justice issue. CQUniversity PhD candidate Nadia Cowperthwaite is also supporting the study.
First Nations academics who are working at regional universities can take the survey here.
