Indigenous Student Success Programs

The Indigenous Student Success Program (ISSP) commenced on 1 January 2017. ISSP provides supplementary funding to universities to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students take on the demands of university and succeed.

Southern Cross University supports the aim of the new Indigenous Student Success Program (ISSP) to raise outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, communities, families and the knowledge of our country, through supplementary funding based on enrolments, unit success rates and course completions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

The University uses ISSP Grant funds to offer pathways, scholarships, tutorial assistance, mentoring, safe cultural spaces and other support services. ISSP funding is particularly prioritised towards the support of Indigenous students who are financially disadvantaged and/or from remote and regional areas.

ISSP is administered under Part 2-2A of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 and the Indigenous Student Assistance Grants Guidelines 2017 (the Guidelines). An explanatory statement and the *National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) ISSP Handbook 1st Edition May 2020 is available to assist interpret the Act and Guidelines when administering ISSP.

The Guidelines require universities to provide an annual Performance Report to NIAA. The University has met the conditions of eligibility for ISSP funding and has used ISSP funds according to the Guidelines, as outlined in its performance and financial report:

“All ISSP Grant related communications occur through the ISSPG Committee Chair email alias (ISSPGCmembers@scu.edu.au) and the Vice Chancellor (vc@scu.edu.au).

Your right to complain or appeal

Effective complaint handling is the key to an ethical university. The University deals with all complaints openly, efficiently and fairly.

If you don’t agree with a decision made by the University about the use of an Indigenous Student Success Program Grant you may appeal within 10 working days of being notified in writing of the decision. The appeal will be commenced within 10 working days and should take no longer than 10 working days for an outcome to be reached. Within this time you may be invited to participate in an interview or other mutually agreed means of establishing the grounds of the complaint or appeal and where applicable, a schedule for remediation or mitigation will result.

You will receive notification about the outcome as soon as possible. Any appeal is to the Vice Chancellor (vc@scu.edu.au) and their decision is final.

Any person not satisfied with the outcome may appeal externally to the relevant Ombudsmen Office or the Anti-Discrimination Commission in their state or territory, and/or the Australian Human Rights Commission. Further information is available from the websites for each of these organisations. This approach may be particularly relevant where students or staff have concern raising the issue with the provider in the first instance.

*The National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) was established on 1 July 2019. Prior to this the functions of the Agency were delivered by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C).

Indigenous strategies

In accordance with Section 12 and Section 13 of the Indigenous Student Assistance Grants Guidelines 2017, the University has established an: