Supporting Indigenous Students to Succeed at University: A Resource for the Higher Education Sector

Addressing a significant gap in the literature, this book provides conceptual and practical foundations for the development of more effective support strategies to improve academic outcomes for Indigenous higher education students.

Authors Martin and Vicky Nakata draw on Indigenous and higher education research, as well as their own experience implementing reforms to Indigenous student support services in Australian universities, to present a method that focuses on helping students to develop the skills and capabilities they need to thrive at university. The book is divided into three sections, the first outlining fifteen key concepts and conditions for student success. The second section provides detailed guidance on individual student case management, from foundational concepts through to implementation. The third section outlines what staff need to consider before attempting to implement changes to practice in their local context, offering a blueprint for assessing current practice, planning for and then implementing change.

Presenting an approach that has proven successful in closing the gap between the academic outcomes of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, this book is an essential resource for academic and non-academic staff who support underprepared students to succeed in higher education.

Martin Nakata is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Indigenous Education & Strategy and Head of the Indigenous Education and Research Centre at James Cook University.

Vicky Nakata, now retired, was a Researcher in the Indigenous Education and Research Centre at James Cook University.