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Home > Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples > Indigenous Student Support > Student Support and Services

Indigenous Student Support and Services

Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples provides Indigenous Australians quality support through its Indigenous Student Support Centre (ISSC). The Student Support Centre is a popular place for Indigenous students to gather with their friends and staff, work on state-of-the-art iMac computers, undertake one-on-one tutorials, or group work. It also affords Indigenous Australian culture a place in a tertiary setting which, in turn, serves as a source for the provision of Indigenous perspectives in Associate Degree and Degree courses across the University.

Each year, Southern Cross University provides the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) with information about our outcomes and future plans for meeting our ongoing responsibilities for Indigenous student achievement. Our Indigenous Education Statement can be found in the downloads page.

The principle objectives of the Indigenous Student Support Centre is to help Indigenous people gain access to higher education, in participation, equity and outcomes. The support roles are multi-functional and covers:

Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ITAS)

The ITAS program provides Indigenous students with individual or group tutorial support in their academic assessment and study tasks.

Academic Support

The academic support within the ISSC will help Indigenous students with generic assessment structure to grasp content philosophy and ideology, become familiar with the practice of writing for and understanding language use of academia, resulting in articulate graduates that can contribute to their chosen careers or communities in a professional and meaningful way.

Other Services

Gnibi staff also provide the following services:

  • Pastoral support for distance education students and incarcerated students.
  • Counselling and referral of student needs.
  • Promotional visits to Aboriginal communities, high schools, TAFEs and the wider community.
  • Marketing of Gnibi and SCU programs through participation at Open Days, Career Days and Aboriginal cultural events.
  • Organisation of Aboriginal cultural and social events such as NAIDOC day, student orientation, barbecues, graduation lunches and Aboriginal art exhibitions.
  • Liaise with Elders and Aboriginal communities on forthcoming events and student excursions.
  • Information technology support within our Indigenous Student Computer Laboratory equipped with the latest iMac computers and printing facilities.
  • Provision of common room facilities such as tea and coffee, a fridge, microwave, comfortable lounges and an outdoor setting.

The Indigenous Student Support Centre is here to provide all Indigenous students with the utmost support in their targeted course of study in a culturally safe and friendly environment.

Updated: 09 February 2012