Torrens University Australia proudly acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands where our campuses are located and pays respects to the teaching, learning and research undertaken since time immemorial.
Our vision for reconciliation
Our reconciliation action plan
Introducing our First Nations leaders
Rochelle Morris
Lesli Kirwan
Embedding Indigenous knowledge into curriculum
At Torrens University Australia we enrich the education we deliver by embedding Indigenous knowledge into curriculum. We are enshrining a mindset in our students to acknowledge, respect and champion Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their culture.
Health
In our Health Sciences team, we have several Indigenous Identified Academic roles teaching subjects including ‘First Peoples Culture, History and Healthcare’ and ‘Social and Emotional Wellbeing in Australian Indigenous Populations’. This builds the capability and enhances understanding and cultural responsiveness of our future health professionals to provide appropriate health services to First Nations people.
Design and Creative Technology
Our Design and Creative Technology faculty integrates Indigenous thinking within Work Integrated Learning (WIL) curriculum and our students are often engaging with First Nations communities. Our students greatly benefit from this transfer of knowledge and are often transformed by the experience.
Social Enterprise Hub
Through our Social Enterprise Hub our business students have had the opportunity to take on roles with organisations like Linking Futures, an innovative cross-cultural education and facilitation initiative helping businesses, government and First Nations’ clients to work together to meet the expectations of the communities in which they operate. Bilbie XR Labs is leveraging XR technologies to create engaging and interactive experiences with our Design and Creative Technology students to help foster a better understanding and appreciation of our shared history, environment management, and cultural interactions within a contested terrain across Australia.
-
Bulbuwil Project brings Stolen Generation stories to life through designDesign students at Torrens University Australia were challenged in a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) brief to create a physical memorial to pay respects to survivors of Australia’s Stolen Generation. For the students involved, it quickly became so much more than just an assessment.
Students create innovative concepts to communicate Reconciliation Action PlanTorrens University Australia initiated a Work Integrated Learning project to engage and educate students, whilst at the same time developing their cultural capability as they share ideas on how to communicate the university’s Reconciliation Action Plan.
Research
Dr Hayden McDonald is the Program Director of Torrens University Australia's Master of Business Analytics program. His research is focused on examining how to improve the social and cultural governance of organisations. He is passionate about strengthening relationships between First Nations and other Australians through improved governance mechanisms. Dr McDonald had a lead role on a research project funded by CPA Australia: Making management controls inclusive: The importance of embedding Indigenous cultural values in key-performance indicators. The project examined the role of management controls in the implementation of Reconciliation Action Plans.
Related articles
-
Strengthening our First Nations Health Sciences academics teamTorrens University Australia places great importance on embodying and embracing our Reconciliation Action Plan – and embedding it into everything we do.
Student working with Linking Futures to create social impact on Aboriginal communitiesClarice leveraged the Social Enterprise Hub to gain real-world experience and invaluable skills to help secure a role as a Business Analyst and shape her future career.
Alumni's advice on how to become a freelance graphic designer with a nicheMeet Danielle Leedie Gray, a freelance First Nations Graphic Artist, Illustrator and Designer.
Artist credit: Samantha 'Sammy' Hill