First Nations Academics in Regional Universities: Progression Into and Through Academic Life and Workplace Well-Being
Tracks
Karrie Webb
| Thursday, November 5, 2026 |
| 11:50 AM - 12:20 PM |
Overview
Vicki Pascoe, CQ University
Three Key Learnings
1. Gain awareness of the current positioning of Indigenous academics in regional universities.
2. Thematic analysis of the data from this project revealed issues such as colonial load, career progression barriers and workplace discrimination.
3. Discussion around the implications of workplace experience on the health and wellbeing of Indigenous academics.
Presenter
Dr Vicki Pascoe
Senior Research Fellow
Cquniversity
First Nations Academics in Regional Universities: Progression into and through academic life and workplace well-being.
Presentation Overview
Representation of First Nations academics in Australian universities has been described as ‘miniscule,’ with participation far below the working-age parity figure of 3.1% (Smith et al., 2015). Approximately 1.2% of all Australian academics are from an Indigenous background (Department of Education, 2021). Representation is also low in regional universities; only 56 of the 3,980 (1.4%) academics employed in Regional University Network (RUN) universities identify as Indigenous.
The Universities Australia Indigenous Strategy (Universities Australia, 2022) requires universities to focus on three strategies to improve higher education access and outcomes for Australian First Nations peoples: a) embedding Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into the university curriculum; b) improving the university environment for First Nations peoples through robust and respectful relationships with First Nations communities; and c) increasing numbers of First Nations peoples participating in higher education as students, graduates, and staff. Central to the success of these strategies is the availability and active engagement of First Nations academics across all levels of academia. Despite the disconnection between demand and availability of First Nations academics, there is limited research on their participation in higher education. There is no research on the experiences and wellbeing of First Nations academics within regional universities.
Therefore, our research project interviewed and surveyed First Nations academics from regional universities. Thematic analysis of interviews revealed themes focusing on progress into and through academia, colonial load, systematic and structural challenges, and job satisfaction and meaning. The findings suggest that First Nations Academics persevere and often flourish in their roles as educators despite unique challenges related to cultural expectations, career progression barriers, and workplace discrimination. We will discuss the implications of these findings for the health and wellbeing of First Nations academics and their continued and increased involvement at all levels in academia.
The Universities Australia Indigenous Strategy (Universities Australia, 2022) requires universities to focus on three strategies to improve higher education access and outcomes for Australian First Nations peoples: a) embedding Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into the university curriculum; b) improving the university environment for First Nations peoples through robust and respectful relationships with First Nations communities; and c) increasing numbers of First Nations peoples participating in higher education as students, graduates, and staff. Central to the success of these strategies is the availability and active engagement of First Nations academics across all levels of academia. Despite the disconnection between demand and availability of First Nations academics, there is limited research on their participation in higher education. There is no research on the experiences and wellbeing of First Nations academics within regional universities.
Therefore, our research project interviewed and surveyed First Nations academics from regional universities. Thematic analysis of interviews revealed themes focusing on progress into and through academia, colonial load, systematic and structural challenges, and job satisfaction and meaning. The findings suggest that First Nations Academics persevere and often flourish in their roles as educators despite unique challenges related to cultural expectations, career progression barriers, and workplace discrimination. We will discuss the implications of these findings for the health and wellbeing of First Nations academics and their continued and increased involvement at all levels in academia.
Biography
Dr Pascoe has over 30 years’ experience working across 4 Australian universities as a First Nations academic, her research focuses on social justice in the areas of Education and Health. Dr Pascoe is an experienced qualitative researcher. Most recently, her research has focussed on a project in regional Queensland to enable youth-led communication on health and justice priorities. Also, research includes the benefits of education scholarships and the potential impact on families as well as the experiences of First Nations Academics in regional universities. Dr Pascoe is currently a Senior Research Fellow with the Jarwun Research Institute at CQUniversity.
