The graduating group of First Nations students gets larger every year at the University of the Sunshine Coast – and this year 104 will celebrate the completion of their studies.
This brings the University’s total number of First Nations graduates to 771.
It is a milestone that UniSC Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Helen Bartlett, says reflects many years building towards student success – from school visits to First Nations student support programs.
Another 760 students who report coming from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background are currently enrolled at UniSC to follow in their footsteps.
“First Nations students make up 4 percent of UniSC’s student population, which is double the national average,” Professor Bartlett said.
“So UniSC is leading the way in terms of ensuring First Nations students in our communities are finding a pathway to tertiary study, but the real criteria for us is supporting each of those students through to graduation and beyond.
“UniSC offers targeted scholarships, culturally informed support systems, universal design principles and community-driven outreach, empowering students not only to enrol, but to thrive and lead.
“We also have the Buranga Centre, a place to meet, study and connect alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, Elders, staff and community. Here, students can find out about Indigenous study pathways as well as scholarships and bursaries to help with costs.”
Solid planning and data-informed goals have also helped streamline the work of Buranga Centre and First Nations support staff, ensuring consistent and effective outreach.
“It’s not just undergraduate students who benefit. The number of Indigenous higher degree research students has doubled to 10 this year, so we are adapting our advice to suit student needs,” Professor Bartlett said.
Empowering students from the start
The gap in success rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students has been closing over the past three years at UniSC, dropping another 5 percent in the last year.
This semester alone, 38 First Nations students graduate from across 26 study programs with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, as well as diplomas.
UniSC Pro Vice-Chancellor (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy) Professor Anthony (Joe) Fraser says that, as well as providing support and pathways, this improvement comes down to relationships with the students and an avoidance of ‘hierarchy’.
“Students bring a wealth of knowledge when they start university,” Professor Fraser says.
“They are not vessels that need to be filled up. It’s about mutual respect.
“University is a process of learning, resilience and growth, and our approach is to ensure the student is empowered from the start to get their needs met and not feel like they need to drop out when things get overwhelming.”
Professor Fraser says it helps to meet students several times before they start a course, and use data to track how people are going.
“It’s not about telling the student where to go and what to do, it’s about building a relationship, asking what their needs are, and offering options for tutorials, counselling or assistance, or alternative exits if necessary,” he said.
“By understanding individual needs and backgrounds, we can ensure our staff have the skills to engage with the issues.
“It is not one size fits all. It’s about having a much more relational approach with student, dealing with things before they become issues.”
Capture and Keep
A powerfully effective program for building these relationships, and for guiding students from enrolment to graduation, is Capture and Keep, an Aboriginal nurse-led support model for Indigenous Nursing and Midwifery students.
The Capture and Keep model was created at UniSC in 2013 by Dr Lynne Stuart (Mandandanji), and has been facilitated and led since 2015 by Aunty Leone Smith (Gamilaraay), a hospital-trained nurse with extensive experience and knowledge.
Capture and Keep has assisted 122 Indigenous nurses to graduate from the program, and a further 143 are currently enrolled.
The program focuses on orientation, retention and graduation, in partnership with Queensland Health.
The most effective part: Aunty Leone personally checks in with every student regularly throughout their studies.
“A lot of the time what they need is reassurance,” Aunty Leone said.
“It makes such a difference. I’ve had situations where students have had issues and I’ve been able to make contact and say ‘this is just a hiccup’. And then we talk about what we need to do to get through it.”
Aunty Leone says students appreciate hearing stories of her own experience in nursing, as well as guidance on clinical placements and jobs in the health system.
The Bachelor of Nursing Science is currently UniSC’s most popular program for Indigenous students, comprising 18.8 percent of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enrolments in 2024.
Connection is key, says student success mentor
If students feel comfortable, they are going to be more successful, says Budjalung man and UniSC graduate Josiah Green.
Josiah is using his experience as a UniSC student to support others.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Sports Studies in 2024, the Brisbane Strikers soccer fullback quickly returned to UniSC, this time as a community and future students officer based at the Buranga Centre.
Drawing on his own experience of being guided by the “older fellas” in the Sunshine Coast Goannas Indigenous soccer team, Josiah says students always respond better when they are talking to someone who’s “been there”.
“There are times you feel overwhelmed with everything. Not just uni life, but life in general,” Josiah says.
“If you relate to someone, and say ‘I’ve been where you are’, they know what you are saying. You can say ‘it’s going to be all right’ and they know you mean it,” Josiah says.
Media enquiries: Please contact the Media Team [email protected]