By The Indigenous Collective
Dear Professor Ian Jacobs,
Nura Gili is regarded as a leader of Indigenous Higher Education in Australia. We as students take pride in the fact that Nura Gili staff and its Director are dedicated to being research and teaching intensive. As students of Nura Gili, we know that the Director and staff place value on research and education, while engaging, supporting and inspiring Indigenous students. It cannot be denied that Nura Gili is a unit that is culturally and educationally unique. This is why we believe that it is essential that the Nura Gili Director is Indigenous.
UNSW is dedicated to continuously improving Indigenous students’ access to service and degree completions, as well as providing the opportunities for our Indigenous staff to build their careers. As Indigenous students, we know that the success of outstanding Indigenous retention rates and intake (which continue to increase) comes down to the knowledge, experiences, support and excellent standard of our staff. Once again, this is why we believe the Nura Gili Director should be Indigenous. An Indigenous Director would work towards strengthening commitment to Indigenous students and communities. An Indigenous Director would ensure that the proportion of Indigenous staff and graduation rates for Indigenous students continue to rise.
We also know that it is important for Indigenous students have an Indigenous Director as the core leader of their unit. It means the person representing them is someone they can trust, respect and be open with. It is empowering and necessary for the growth of young Indigenous leaders. Self-empowerment and Indigenous leadership is incredibly influential for younger generations. Most importantly, the Director needs to be someone with a deep understanding of Indigenous culture. They must have the deepest understanding of Indigenous peoples and culture and show that they are an embodiment of this.
Sincerely,
The Indigenous Collective