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2014-16 Mission-based CompactBetween:

The Commonwealth of Australia

and

Charles Darwin University

CONTENTS

Context 4

A. Policy Setting 4

B. The Purpose and Effect of this Compact 4

C. Establishment of the Compact 4

D. The Principles of Commonwealth Funding Support 4

E. The Structure of this Compact 5

Part One: Focus & Mission 6

Part Two: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Access and Outcomes 12

Part Three: Innovation and Engagement 16

Part Four: Teaching and Learning 25

Part Five: Research and Research Training 38

Part Six: General Provisions 46

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This compact is between

The Commonwealth of Australia (Commonwealth) represented by and acting through:

The Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research

Assisted by the Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education (DIICCSRTE)

ABN 77 599 608 295

Of

Industry House

10 Binara Street

Canberra ACT 2601

And

Charles Darwin University

ABN 54 093 513

A body corporate under the Charles Darwin University Act 2004

Of

Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, NT 0909

(University)

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CONTEXTA. Policy Setting

The Australian Government believes all Australians are entitled to a productive, fair and prosperous life and our higher education system is crucial to achieving this. Universities impart the skills and knowledge Australians need to realise their personal and professional aspirations and contribute to the broad economic and knowledge base of our society including the cultural, health and civic wellbeing of the community.

Over the term of this mission-based compact (compact), Australian universities will confront a range of opportunities and challenges in fulfilling their social and economic remit. These opportunities and challenges include, but are not limited to, changing national and international educational markets, dynamic global financial arrangements including the rise of the Asian Century, new approaches to teaching and learning, rapidly changing information technologies and evolving priorities for research and innovation.

Australia’s universities are well equipped to harness the opportunities and meet these challenges that lie ahead. The 2014-16 compact supports this process by articulating the major policy objectives and the diverse approaches and commitments universities will adopt to achieve these strategic goals over the term of the agreement.

B. The Purpose and Effect of this Compact

This compact is an agreement between the Commonwealth and the University. Entering into a compact is one of the quality and accountability requirements which a higher education provider must meet under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA) as a condition of receiving a grant. Specifically, subsection 19-110(1) of HESA requires Table A and Table B providers must, in respect of each year for which a grant is paid to the provider under HESA, enter into a mission based compact with the Commonwealth for a period which includes that year.

The compact demonstrates the Commonwealth and the University have a shared and mutual commitment to provide students with high quality educational experiences and outcomes and to building research and innovation capabilities and international competitiveness.

The compact recognises the University is an autonomous institution with a distinctive mission, operating within a state or territory, national and international higher education environment.

The purpose of this compact is to provide a strategic framework for the relationship between the Commonwealth and the University. It sets out how the University’s mission aligns with the Commonwealth’s goals for higher education, research, innovation, skills development, engagement and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander access and outcomes.

The Commonwealth and the University agree this compact will be published on Commonwealth websites and may be published on the University website.

C. Establishment of the Compact

The Commonwealth and the University agree the Term of this compact is from 1 January 2014 until 31 December 2016.

D. The Principles of Commonwealth Funding Support

The Commonwealth articulates its vision for the higher education sector, through Transforming Australia’s Higher Education System (available at the DII CC SRTE website ), and the role of universities in driving our national innovation system, through Powering Ideas (available at the DII CC SRTE website ).

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http://www.innovation.gov.au/Innovation

http://www.innovation.gov.au/HigherEducation

In supporting Australia’s universities, the Commonwealth seeks to promote:

academic freedom and institutional autonomy;

a diverse and sustainable higher-education sector;

opportunity for all;

access to university based on merit;

world-class teaching and learning that advances the international standing of Australian education;

world-class research and research training that advances knowledge, critical thinking and Australia’s international standing; and

responsiveness to the economic, social and environmental needs of the community, region, state, nation and the international community through collaborative engagement.

To ensure Australia’s higher education system remains robust and of high quality in a globally connected and competitive world, the Australian Government has adopted and implemented a number of system-wide quality measures including establishing the Higher Education Standards Framework, and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA).

E. The Structure of this Compact

Part One provides for the Commonwealth’s focus for the compact and a description of the University’s Mission Statement and Strategic Priorities.

Part Two provides for matters related to improving access and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It contains Commonwealth objectives, university strategies and performance indicators and targets.

Part Three provides for matters related to innovation, industry and skills and engagement. It also contains Commonwealth objectives, university strategies and performance indicators and targets.

Part Four provides for matters related to teaching and learning including student enrolments, quality, equity and infrastructure. It contains Commonwealth objectives, university strategies and equity targets.

Part Five provides for matters related to research and research training including research performance and research capability. It contains Commonwealth objectives, university strategies, performance indicators and targets.

Part Six provides for general provisions of the compact including compact review, privacy, confidentiality and information sharing, changing the compact and notices.

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PART ONE: FOCUS & MISSIONThe Commonwealth’s Focus for this Compact

The Commonwealth's ambitions for higher education include:

providing opportunities for people from all backgrounds to participate to their full potential and be supported to do so. This includes supporting the aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through improved access and support arrangements. The Commonwealth is committed to ensuring the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people participating in undergraduate and higher degrees by research (HDR), as well as staffing and academic representation, reaches population parity;

providing students with a stimulating and rewarding higher education experience;

producing graduates with the knowledge, skills and understanding for full participation in society and the economy;

better aligning higher education and research with the needs of the economy, and building capacity to respond to future changes in skills needs;

increasing universities’ engagement with all parties and linkages between universities and Australian businesses in particular;

playing a pivotal role in the national research and innovation system through the generation and dissemination of new knowledge and through the education, training and development of world class researchers across a wide range of intellectual disciplines;

improving knowledge transfer and commercialisation outcomes;

consistent with the Asian Century policy framework, ensuring education is at the forefront of Australia’s engagement with Asia; and

being amongst the leading Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in terms of participation and performance.

In support of these objectives, the Commonwealth encourages universities to consider the following important measures in their planning and delivery:

developing partnerships with schools and other organisations to improve the participation of people from disadvantaged backgrounds in higher education;

working with business, industry and Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers to provide the Australian economy with the graduates it needs;

the suite of performance measurement tools being developed through the Advancing Quality in Higher Education initiative, work on quality in research training, and a feasibility study on research impact assessment (including the possible implementation of a mechanism, separate from Excellence in Research for Australia, to evaluate the wider benefits of publicly funded research);

applying the principles and procedures required to support a continuous improvement model for intellectual property; and

the National Research Investment Plan, including the need for a strategic outlook to address Australian Government priorities and principles at a national level.

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1 THE UNIVERSITY’S MISSION AND STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

1.1 The purpose of the University’s Mission

The University's Mission sets out its values and aspirations, what it does and how it can best serve the interests of its students, staff and key stakeholders. The Commonwealth and the University recognise the University's Mission may evolve.

The University and the Commonwealth recognise the University is an autonomous institution which is responsible for the determination of its Mission and for its aspirations and strategies for their achievement.

1.2 The University’s Mission and Strategic Priorities

NORTHERN AUSTRALIA'S UNIVERSITYCharles Darwin University (CDU) is one of the most “regional” of Australian universities, and one of the most critical institutions in Northern Australia. Starting from the University Mission, and then flowing into strategic and operational plans and the dual-sector nature of provision, the focus is one of supporting development and capacity building in Northern Australia: providing education and training aligned with regional economic development opportunities, supporting endeavours to address complex problems facing the region, providing a community resource to support the professional and personal aspirations of the population, and being part of the foundation that underpins broad development of this part of Australia.

Charles Darwin University is a multi-campus, multi-sector tertiary institution characterised by a uniquely high level of community engagement. Each year, around 10% of the local population over the age of 15 years enrols for study at the University in either Vocational Education and Training (VET) or Higher Education. As a business, CDU is one of the largest employers in the Northern Territory, and has a local economic impact of more than $400 million. CDU’s course offerings across Higher Education and VET are focussed on key skill shortage areas, ranging from engineering and trades to support developments in the energy and resources sector, to health and education underpinning a strengthening of basic services, to creative arts and languages relevant to Northern Australia, Indigenous communities and near-Asia neighbours, to the provision of literacy, numeracy and other vocational skill sets to support Closing-the Gap initiatives. Research activities are similarly focussed, with the University excelling in areas related to environmental science, public and Indigenous health and social policy.

Despite the extraordinarily high level of community engagement, the Northern Territory is too expensive a jurisdiction to operate in, and the population base too small, too dispersed and with too many educational challenges, to financially sustain a contemporary university unto itself. For CDU to be viable in the present environment, revenue generated from NT activities must be supplemented by activities outside of the NT.

In recent years, CDU has become one of the largest providers of flexible distance education, with more than 70% of CDU Higher Education enrolments now for this form of study. The interstate student component of this has provided the additional scale necessary to operationally sustain a university in the Northern Territory. Deregulation of the Higher Education sector has placed pressure on CDU’s interstate student cohort, pressure that threatens the very existence of the only University fully focused on regional development in this part of Australia. CDU’s response to this pressure has been structural change, informed by knowledge of what aspects of a Northern Australia-focused Higher Education curriculum have national resonance, aimed to exploit the national market opportunity to its fullest.

CDU is at a critical point. Turning 10 years old during the life of this Compact, the University has a good understanding of what is necessary to support development of Northern Australia, has developed novel approaches and partnerships that make achievement of the Mission practical, knows how much of this can be supported by the local, thin, market, and has a business model that has worked to make up the shortfall. Deregulation, and in particular the opportunity for

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interstate universities to make inroads into CDU’s niche flexible distance delivery market, has the potential undo all of this. It is crucial that the University receive support over the life of this Compact to grow interstate student numbers while at the same time pursing its Mission as Northern Australia’s University, a foundation on which regional development in its broadest sense can occur.

MISSIONAs set out in the University’s Strategic Plan 2012-2014, the Mission of Charles Darwin University is as follows:

Enriched by the social, cultural and natural endowments of the Northern Territory, and committed to the advancement and prosperity of our region and the nation, Charles Darwin University enables staff and prepares students to be creative thinkers and effective contributors in a complex changing world.

CDU STRATEGIC GOALS AND ALIGNMENT WITH COMMONWEALTH AMBITIONSCDU reviewed its Strategic Plan in 2012. While the broad strategic direction of CDU is strongly rooted in the institution's role in Northern Australia and so is largely unchanged, goals and challenges have been updated to reflect the changing local, national and international environment.

CDU has four goals as defined in the Strategic Plan:1. To create rich and engaging learning environments that reflect CDU's unique regional location and offerings, enable students to achieve success and produce graduates with the knowledge, skills, values and worldview they need to be effective contributors in society.2. To become a recognised national leader in the tertiary education of Australian Indigenous students, and in the teaching, research and understanding of Indigenous knowledge systems.3. To enhance CDU's local, national and international standing for research excellence, particularly in the areas of environment, human health and well-being, Indigenous knowledges, and social and public policy.4. To continue to develop as a robust, regional multi-sector university, acknowledged for the quality and excellence of its staff, resource allocation programs, management and governance, as well as the strong partnerships it has forged.

CDU's Strategic Goals align well with Commonwealth Ambitions. In particular:1. There is a strong focus on access and participation, particularly in relation to Indigenous and regional/ remote students. 2. There is explicit alignment between CDU course offerings and the skills needs of Northern Australia.3. CDU plays an important role in the national research and innovation system in areas of critical need to Northern Australia, including Indigenous health, environmental science and social policy.4. CDU has growing ties into Asia, with a particular focus on regional neighbours (Timor Leste, Indonesia, etc).5. CDU has a strong focus on providing a stimulating and rewarding Higher Education experience, particularly for a student cohort that requires flexibility, skills upgrade, adult-to-adult interaction and the authentic experience that the Northern Territory brings to areas of education, health and Indigenous issues. This experience underpins growth in student numbers.

CHALLENGES,ASPIRATIONS AND PRIORITIES CDU’s broad aspirations are captured in the Vision Statement in the Strategic Plan:By 2015, Charles Darwin University will have consolidated its position as a sustainable, innovative, regional multi-sector tertiary education provider, strengthened by mutually beneficial partnerships, and recognised nationally and internationally for its quality, flexible, local and distance education, world class research and focus on Indigenous achievement.

A Unique Learning EnvironmentThere are significant challenges in creating the Unique Learning Environment CDU aspires to and in developing the range of resources necessary to meet these challenges. CDU needs to leverage

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effectively its strengths as a multi-sector institution, providing education and training in multiple locations and via a range of modalities and technologies to meet the demands of its students. CDU must also balance local and national delivery in ways that meet the needs of the Northern Territory, improve tertiary education access nationally and internationally, and achieve the scale necessary to sustain a comprehensive university in the Northern Territory.

CDU has experienced consistent and significant growth in its total Higher Education load over recent years, and must continue this trend over at least the next five years. Growth in Higher Education has been supported by the University’s strongly expanding commitment to flexible, online learning options for both local and national student cohorts, with the result that roughly one-half of CDU's Higher Education students now access programs from interstate locations. CDU has also managed growth across the entire spectrum of Sub-Bachelor / Bachelor / Post-Graduate offerings, as necessary to support local capacity building and address skills shortages. This alignment with local skills needs has also seen CDU continue as the largest VET provider in the Northern Territory.

CDU's priorities address a range of factors that impact success for the institution's particular student cohort, and underpin continued growth:1. Identify factors that affect student success and target support and other programs towards those factors. 2. Use the University’s multi-sector environment to expand student access to tertiary education as well as pathways across, and entry and exit points to, all academic programs.3. Maximise educational opportunity and participation through innovative, flexible and high-quality local, distance and blended learning offerings, and through strategic partnerships.4. Provide high-quality student support and best practice, contemporary learning environments, both on and off campus, which enhance students’ educational experience. 5. Systematically review and upgrade Higher Education and VET programs to ensure they meet the needs of students, industry, community, the professions and national accreditation agencies.6. Facilitate and support faculty-led innovative approaches that best meet the University’s learning, teaching and training challenges. 7. Maintain a strong representation of students from regional and remote locations and access and participation of students of low socio-economic status.

A Leader in Indigenous EducationIn meeting the challenge of becoming the University of Choice for Indigenous students, CDU must build on its strong ties to Indigenous communities to lead national change in Indigenous tertiary education and achieve successful Indigenous outcomes by developing best practice in access, education and support, and embedding Indigenous perspectives in learning and teaching practice.

An important part of CDU's Indigenous education engagement is the partnership with the Bachelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE) in the Australian Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Education (ACIKE). The current focus is on developing a sustainable model of Higher Education for BIITE for the broad benefit of Indigenous education in the Northern Territory. However, over the course of this Compact the partnership will see a rationalisation of offerings, a continued increase in quality and strengthened engagement with the Indigenous student cohort in remote, urban and national settings.

In 2012, CDU expects to rank highest in the sector for access and participation rates of Indigenous-identifying Higher Education students (600+). In addition, CDU provides training to around 4000 Indigenous students through the University’s VET programs.

Priorities for CDU in the area of Indigenous Education:1. Improve Indigenous student participation and outcomes in tertiary education through better access to innovative and flexible post-secondary education programs. 2.Create and maintain culturally enriched spaces within which students can achieve success.

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3.Learn in partnership with Indigenous students, staff and communities to ensure cultural relevance and knowledge, cultural affirmation and cultural safety are embedded in programs to maximise student engagement, learning and skills development. 4.Develop Indigenous staffing recruitment and retention strategies, enhance Indigenous participation in University governance and improve the incorporation of Indigenous perspectives and knowledge into University core business.5.Work in partnership with other tertiary education providers, particularly BIITE, relevant organisations and stakeholders to build collaboration and enhance opportunity in Indigenous education, training and research.

A Research Leader with Global ReachCDU has established itself as an exemplary research-intensive university, with local, national and international partnerships that expand research capacity and facilitate the sharing of skills and expertise developed locally. The challenge for CDU is to maintain and develop its distinctive, high impact research profile in areas of strength such as environmental sciences, health and Indigenous knowledges, while also supporting emerging fields of research such as energy and education, in a region where the need for knowledge to solve major real-world problems is high. CDU will need to provide adequate support for its staff and research students to optimise their contributions to knowledge across all discipline areas and create a scholarly environment that stimulates research creativity. Important to meeting these challenges will be continuing and new strategic research partnerships with the Northern Territory Government and with universities and research organisations in Australia and overseas. This latter group includes the Australian National University and the Innovative Research Universities Group, a variety of Indigenous organizations, and international research linkages and partnerships in Timor Leste, Indonesia, Malaysia and China.

The adoption of a strong research focus and promotion of cross-disciplinary research teams has been a successful institutional strategy to build world class research capability. CDU's five priority research areas are in areas strategically important to the NT and its regions, and include Indigenous Knowledges, Social and Public Policy, Education, Energy, and Creative Industries. These areas of focus reflect CDU's commitment to supporting Northern Australia's development needs and a broader commitment to global engagement.

The University has achieved significant growth in total research income across all categories in the HERDC and a high ranking among Australian universities on a per capita basis. This reflects the relatively high research intensity of the institution and productivity of staff and is demonstrating strong performance in terms of excellence and innovation. In the Commonwealth's Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) 2012 exercise, CDU was ranked at or above world average on 71 per cent (10 of 14) of the research disciplines for which it was assessed. The Excellence in Innovation for Australia exercise identified two CDU projects in the "20 of the Best" list. These projects related to the University's work on the emerging carbon economy in northern Australia, and to the work of colleagues in the Menzies School of Health Research in relation to Malaria.

As outlined in the Strategic Plan, priorities for CDU in the area of research include:1. Advance research strengths while also identifying new and emerging research priorities that focus on the unique and complex needs of regional Australia, and the Asia-Pacific region.2. Attract and retain high-quality researchers and postgraduate students by establishing a research environment that is intellectually stimulating and provides quality support, infrastructure and equipment. 3. Build research capacity and capability through key partnerships with other universities, the Innovative Research Universities Group, as well as with government, industry and Indigenous organisations.4. Expand its international research linkages and partnerships, particularly throughout the Asia-Pacific region.5. Ensure that its teaching practice is informed by research, through valuing and supporting the teaching-research nexus.

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A Secure FutureRegional universities face inherently higher costs and reduced opportunities for diversification of revenue as compared to urban universities. In a deregulated and demand-driven tertiary education environment, CDU faces the significant challenge of remaining a sustainable university in a regional setting. To meet its Mission and the challenges of teaching, learning and research in a regional setting, CDU needs to attract and retain dedicated and talented staff and develop effective and innovative approaches to workforce management and development. In addition, CDU will require a sophisticated understanding of and strategies for revenue, expenditure, resource management and infrastructure renewal.

Priorities for CDU:1. Improve the University’s overall analysis and reporting capacity to underpin better decision making.2. Develop a budget process that best addresses the University’s long-term sustainability and empowers innovation at divisional level.3. Develop human resource management tools that support staff to achieve their career aspirations, and recognise and reward achievement.4. Develop better student recruitment and load planning systems to support teaching, training and research aspirations and regional capacity building imperatives. 5. Develop a University-specific quality management system to be applied across all operations and partnerships.6.Ensure effectiveness though transparent and appropriate governance systems and regular measurement, assessment and review of University processes, operations and performance.7. Expand and maintain quality physical and IT infrastructure, appropriate Occupational Health and Safety standards and leading edge environmentally sustainable practices across the campus network.

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PART TWO: ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ACCESS AND OUTCOMES2 ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ACCESS AND OUTCOMES

Part Two recognises the important role universities play in supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s personal and professional aspirations through the provision of accessible and supportive higher education programs. Increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander higher education participation and success is important given the direct benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities and broader economic and social benefits for all Australians.

Universities are asked to detail their strategies and targets to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander access and outcomes over the compact period in this section. Principal Performance Indicators are compulsory and institutions may voluntarily nominate Optional Performance Indicators and targets considered reflective of individual institutional goals.

The Commonwealth recognises that universities have diverse missions and, consequently, targets and performance will vary between institutions. Each university should develop performance indicators and targets to reflect its individual performance and strategic direction.

2.1 Commonwealth Objectives

The Commonwealth is committed to enhancing the participation and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in higher education consistent with the Closing the Gap initiative addressing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disadvantage.

In realising this objective, the Commonwealth has set an aspirational national parity target for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff in higher education. The parity target equates to the proportion of the population aged between 15 and 64 years which is currently 2.3%.

To help achieve this aspirational national target, the Commonwealth has introduced a new focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reporting in the compact as recommended by the Review of Higher Education Access and Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. Universities should report high level Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student and staffing plans and strategies in this part of the compact including performance targets for student enrolments, completions and numbers of general and academic staff. Universities may also report on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander initiatives under the Innovation and Engagement, Teaching and Learning and Research and Research Training parts of the compact.

2.2 University Strategies

CDU is committed to being a University of Choice for Indigenous students, particularly for Northern Australia. In order to achieve this, CDU places a focus on developing best practice in access, education, and support for Indigenous students, and in embedding Indigenous perspectives in learning and teaching practice.

Key university documents that will guide CDU’s activities in relation to Indigenous education include: CDU Indigenous Tertiary Education Plan 2013-2015 (ITEP) Indigenous Learning and Teaching Plan 2012-2014 (ILTP)

The ITEP is informed by the recommendations of the Review of Higher Education Access and Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, and the On Stony Ground report (Moreton-Robinson et al 2011). The ITEP has been the catalyst for a move from an enclave model of Indigenous administration and management, to a whole-of-university framework. From 2013, the responsibility for achieving Indigenous outcomes is shared across all portfolios.

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The ILTP is focused specifically on high quality teaching and learning outcomes for Indigenous students and aligns with the National Indigenous Higher Education Workforce Strategy, particularly in relation to strategies to enhance academic success and pathways to research. The Australian Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Education (ACIKE) plays a critical role in this area, through facilitation of the partnership between the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE) and CDU. ACIKE enhances the University’s capacity for excellence in teaching and learning programs, community engagement and research, and will support CDU’s efforts to build the social, human, economic, and identity capital of Indigenous people in Northern Australia and nationally.

Although not strictly part of this Compact, CDU is also committed to achieving a VET system that meets Indigenous tertiary aspirations, particularly in relation to participating in areas of economic opportunity in the Northern Territory.

EMPLOYMENT STRATEGIESApproximately 6.82 per cent of staff at CDU identify as Indigenous, including 12 academic staff members (IPP 2011). Although the numbers are small, CDU has seen a steady increase in professional staff who identify as Indigenous, but a small drop in Indigenous academic staff. Proportionally, CDU exceeds the IRU and sector averages on measures for the number of staff identifying as Indigenous, and the number of Indigenous academic staff.

Increasing Indigenous representation and leadership are high priority ITEP and Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Strategy goals, overseen by the Senior Executive. The ITEP provides the framework for achieving increased staffing levels, particularly in senior academic appointments.

The ILTP also contributes to CDU’s Indigenous employment activities through initiatives such as a commitment to review and improve the effectiveness of the University’s Indigenous Employment Policy and Associated Indigenous Attraction and Retention procedures over the term of the Compact. The ILTP links with the National Indigenous Higher Education Workforce Strategy, through strategies to support the development of Indigenous academic researchers (discussed further in Section 5).

ACADEMIC SUPPORTAs part of the University's Indigenous employment focus, the University aims to support Indigenous Academics. The ITEP establishes the Indigenous Tertiary Education Advisory Committee as a subcommittee of the senior executive group, chaired by the PVC-Indigenous Leadership with a majority membership of senior Indigenous academics. This will provide the Indigenous academics with the status to influence policy and programs across the university. The Indigenous Learning and Teaching Quality framework 2013-2015 emphasises the need to recruit and retain Indigenous academic staff as leaders in the transmission of these knowledges. The Office of the PVC-Indigenous Leadership is holding an Indigenous staff caucus network in 2013 to stimulate internal support networks, and will follow this with an annual mini-symposium and regular gatherings.

Additional to initiatives for CDU staff, the University has spent some effort over the last two years in providing professional development to BIITE staff. There are now more than 50 BIITE staff on the CDU Casuarina campus, and they are encouraged to participate in the networks, training, support and development activities available to CDU Indigenous academics.

EDUCATION STRATEGIESAccess and ParticipationAccess Rates and Participation Rates for Indigenous students remained steady at CDU over the period 2006-2010 (2011 IPP), but are now increasing through the ACIKE initiative. CDU’s access rate for all commencing students is 5.46 per cent, which is well above the IRU figure of 2.36 per cent, and the sector average of 1.59 per cent. The figure is somewhat lower for school leavers, which highlights the need for flexible, innovative and supported pathways into Higher Education.

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The participation rate for Indigenous students at CDU is 5.01 per cent, also well above the IRU figure of 2.00 per cent and the sector average of 1.35 per cent (IPP 2011).

CDU recognises the importance of enabling programs for Indigenous students and is working with BIITE to grow enabling pathways through ACIKE for Indigenous students. CDU already has one of the largest enabling programs in the country, and is expanding the University’s Indigenous-focused enabling course, the Preparation for Tertiary Success program (PTS). The PTS is available face-to-face at present, but will move to a mixed-mode of delivery in the future.

RetentionThe Retention Rate for Indigenous students at CDU is an area of increased institutional focus. The Retention Rate for Indigenous students at CDU is 54.25 per cent, which is below the IRU and the Sector averages (IPP 2011).

CDU is committed to achieving high attainment in Indigenous Higher Education. Parity between outcomes for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students is being achieved in VET with access, and participation rates of approximately 30 per cent. Parity of outcomes for retention and attainment in higher education will continue to be a long-term aspiration.

CDU acknowledges the distinctive needs of Indigenous students and as part of the Strategic Plan, has committed to learning in partnership with Indigenous students, staff, and communities to ensure that cultural relevance, cultural knowledge, cultural affirmation, and cultural safety are embedded in programs to maximise student engagement, learning and skills development.

The ITEP and the ILTP outline a suite of strategic and operational initiatives that will enhance CDUs ability to support Indigenous students over the education lifecycle. The ITEP facilitates the development of organisational structures that are cognisant of the cultural and academic needs of Indigenous people, while the ILTP provides a more detailed plan of initiatives that will support a culture of success for Indigenous students.

A selection of ITEP and ILTP strategies targeted at improving attainment rates include: Establishment of sophisticated student monitoring systems to enable early intervention for

negative progression Establishment and implementation of an Indigenous Learning and Teaching Quality Framework Enhanced offerings of a flexible multi-faceted range of scholarships that support and promote

progression and completion Development of a CDU Indigenous Education and Retention Procedure Development of an appropriate set of qualitative measures to monitor progress and

achievement Establishment of an Indigenous Pedagogy / Androgogy Working Group tasked with advising

CDU academics and VET lecturers of their course content and to research innovative “whole of life” teaching-related practices compatible with delivery of courses to Indigenous students

Enhanced orientation and support in relation to CDU’s IT systems and links to Indigenous support services and development of an Educational Technology Preparation Program

Targeted Learnline training workshop at flexible times to enhance students skills Creation of unit-specific peer learning/mentoring and culturally safe collaborative online

learning sites for Indigenous students that are link to ITAS and academic enrichment tutors.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURAL COMPETENCYAs part of the ILTP, a revised Cultural Competency Framework will be implemented from 2013 across the University. The framework will be embedded through a suite of professional development programs and participation will be a central measure in performance appraisal plans.

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STUDENT SUPPORT - INCLUDING DISTANCE EDUCATIONCDU recognises the importance of understanding and responding to cultural differences in styles of learning and, having prioritised Indigenous education in the Strategic Plan, is committed to supporting students to achieve success. The ILTP includes a focus on: (a) enhancement of the quality of learning and teaching for Indigenous students; (b) enhancement of the Indigenous student experience; (c) strengthening of the teaching-research nexus; (d) improvement of the inclusivity of Learnline and learning and (e) expansion of Indigenous participation through increasingly positive educational outcomes.

MENTORING AND LEADERSHIPThrough ACIKE, CDU has established Higher Education Partnerships and Participation Program (HEPPP)-supported mentoring projects. This initiative gives effect to the University’s intention to address specific pipeline issues associated with academic progression from primary and secondary education systems to higher education. The introduction of a customised, culturally relevant mentoring program seeks to achieve a significant increase in the pool of Indigenous senior secondary students who are better prepared for tertiary studies and aspire to Higher Education through CDU.

2.3 Performance Indicators and Targets

The purpose of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performance indicators and targets is to assist the University and the Commonwealth in monitoring the University’s progress against the Commonwealth’s objectives particularly its contribution to reaching national parity.

The University will aim to meet the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander targets set out in the following tables.

Note: All calendar year references below refer to the previous year’s data collection.Principal Performance

IndicatorsBaseline

2012Progressive Target 2013

Progressive Target 2014


Target2016

Number of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student enrolments1

658 678 698 719 741

Number of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student completions2

51 53 54 56 57

Number of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander professional/general staff3

34 35 36 37 38

Number of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academic staff4

22 23 23 24 25

1 Refers to total undergraduate, postgraduate and HDR students by headcount

2 See footnote 1 for definition

3 Refers to number by headcount

4 See footnote 3 for definition

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PART THREE: INNOVATION AND ENGAGEMENT3 INNOVATION AND ENGAGEMENT

Part Three recognises the important role of universities in our national innovation system, in boosting economic productivity contributions to improved social and environmental outcomes and growth, and in engaging, advancing and inspiring their communities. It also recognises that universities make an important contribution to building connections and partnerships that broaden and deepen Australia's understanding of Asia.

Under three themes: Innovation; Industry and Skills; and Engagement; universities are asked to detail their strategies and targets over the term of this compact. Principal Performance Indicators are compulsory and institutions may voluntarily nominate Optional Performance Indicators and targets considered reflective of individual institutional goals.

The Commonwealth recognises that universities have diverse missions and, consequently, targets and performance will vary between institutions. Each university should develop performance indicators and targets to reflect its individual performance and strategic direction.

3.1 Innovation

3.1.1 Commonwealth objectives

The Commonwealth seeks to build an innovation system that ensures Australia can meet the challenges and grasp the opportunities of the twenty-first century. The Commonwealth encourages innovation by supporting industry-led research, promoting knowledge-transfer activities and the commercialisation of research.

3.1.2 University strategies

CDU is committed to undertaking research focussed on generating solutions to the complex problems faced by Northern Australia and its neighbouring regions. The University aims to maximise the social and economic impact of research through public engagement and encourages the practice of assessing community need and interests in order to inform new projects. As such, research is primarily applied and directed towards the public good rather than for commercialisation purposes. Two examples of nationally important research programs that commenced in 2011 are:

National Environmental Research Program (NERP): The $30m North Australian Biodiversity Hub brings together research partners from across Australia to improve biodiversity conservation in northern Australia through sound planning, innovative policy and strong partnerships.

Collaborative Research Network (CRN): The Northern Research Futures Collaborative Research Network (with ANU, JCU, AIMS) is enhancing the University’s research capacity in social and environmental research as well as contributing to raising the quality and recognition of the University’s research nationally and internationally.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFERCDU has an ongoing commitment to contributing to the Open Access publishing environment and to associated improvements in discovery and access. CDU has invested considerable resources in the development and implementation of its Institutional Repository, CDU eSpace. CDU eSpace provides a stable, long term storage location for CDU’s research outputs and datasets that is easy to access and use by authorised staff and students of CDU and is also making public and open access materials available to the wider world. As at February 2013, there are 179 items available on Open Access via eSpace, with a further 423 items in processing as part of the Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages project (LAAL).

CDU eSpace also includes the results of digitisation projects that improve the transfer of knowledge, such as photographs, student theses, research material to do with East Timor through the Arafura Digital Archive (ARADA).

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ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMESCDU is investing in partnerships that support research excellence in the areas of environment, human health and wellbeing, Indigenous knowledges, and social and public policy, particularly through the work of the Northern Institute (TNI) and the Research Institute of Environment and Livelihoods (RIEL) . The Strategic Plan ties the identification of new and emerging research priorities to the unique and complex needs of Northern Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, and to the establishment of key partnerships with government, industry, and Indigenous organisations, as well as key networks, such as the Innovative Research Universities (IRU) group.

The field of humanitarian and disaster management is an emerging research focus in CDU's Faculty of Engineering, Health, Science and the Environment at CDU. The establishment of RIEL, and the Research Centre for Health and Wellbeing (in the School of Health), provides a platform for growing research projects with an interdisciplinary focus. This focus is being developed in partnership with the IRU through the Disaster Resilience Forum and is also linked to the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre (NCCTRC), which was established in 2005 following major incidents in Bali and Timor Leste. The major themes of this work involve: preparing for and reducing the potential physical damage; improving responses when disaster strikes; and addressing the psychological impact of disasters on those in disaster areas and to those who respond.

The range of projects undertaken through TNI responds directly to the needs of agencies and communities in remote, regional and urban contexts. Research carried out through TNI's Central Australian Research Group (CARG) in particular, is looking at the development of the communities and economies of remote Australia, with a particular focus on Indigenous development.

INNOVATION-FOCUSED PARTNERSHIPS IN ASIACDU has a long history of engagement in neighbouring Asian regions, particularly in China, Eastern Indonesia and Timor Leste. The approach is based on mutually beneficial partnerships with established research and teaching institutions (i.e. Gadjah Mada University and Hasannudin University in Indonesia, Anhui University and Hefei Normal University in China) and universities where capacity building is the central objective. These universities include the National University of Timor Leste (UNTL) and Nusa Cendana University (UNDANA), Kupang, Indonesia.

Key current research activities in Indonesia centre predominantly around the Environment, Health and Marine Science fields, whereas research activities in Timor Leste are centred on Governance, Environment, Health and Agriculture. In China, CDU is conducting research in Rural and Remote Education, Joint Atomic and Molecular Physics, and School Leadership. In addition, strategic partnerships are being developed and fostered in the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka and Japan for education and research collaboration.

The University's Confucius Institute, established in 2012, works closely with the Chinese community in the Northern Territory to support a range of cultural and language programs. The Centre will continue to offer a range of activities including short courses for language teachers, conversation classes and web-based activities, and celebrations of Chinese culture.

PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES TO SUPPORT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTYThe University recognises that management of intellectual property is an area where improvements can be made. Some progress has occurred in relation to the establishment of principles and standard clauses for the management of Intellectual Property, confidentiality and publications in contractual arrangements. In addition, CDU has implemented a Research Management System with the ability to record contractual details associated with projects, including arrangements related to intellectual property and publications.

The review of all intellectual property related policies, guidelines and processes has been identified as an activity for 2013 within the Office of Research and Innovation and will include a dissemination and education component. This will provide the foundation for a subsequent audit of intellectual property across the University.

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3.1.3 Performance indicators and targets

The purpose of the innovation performance indicators and targets is to assist the University and the Commonwealth in monitoring the University's progress against the Commonwealth's objectives and the University's strategies for innovation.

The University will report principal performance information and aim to meet the innovation performance indicators and targets set out in the following tables.

Note: All calendar year references below refer to the previous year’s data collection.Principal Performance Information5 2012

Number of patent and plant breeder’s rights families filed, issued and held

Filed0

Issued0

Held0

Number of all active licences, options or assignments (LOAs)6 executed and income derived

No.0

Value($)0

Number and value of research contracts and consultancies executed7

No.37

Value($)$3,480,932.05

Investment in spin-out companies during the reporting year and nominal value of equity in spin-outs based on last external funding/liquidity event or entry cost

Investment ($)0

Value($)0

Note: All calendar year references below refer to the previous year’s data collection.Principal

Performance Indicator

Baseline2012

ProgressiveTarget 2013



Target 2016

Category 4 Income $957,569.93 $890,000 $1,000,000 $1,000,000 $1,000,000

Note: All calendar year references below refer to the previous year’s data collection.Optional Performance

IndicatorsBaseline




Target2016

Number of contracts and grants awarded to support Category 2 research income

40 42 45 47 50

Number of contracts and grants awarded to support Category 3 research income

24 25 26 28 30

the number of contracts and grants awarded to support Category 4 research income

2 2 3 3 3

5 This set of performance information does not require targets. Universities will be asked to advise their baseline performance and will report on their future performance in the context of the Institutional Performance Portfolio Information Collection commencing in 2013. Patent and plant breeder right family refers to a group of patent or plant breeder rights applications or grants emanating from a single filing. Note: this question only concerns patent and plant breeder rights families, and is not in reference to families of other forms of registered IP (i.e. trade marks).

6 A LICENCE agreement formalises the transfer of technology between two parties, where the owner of the technology (licensor) grants rights to the other parties (licensee). An OPTION agreement grants the potential licensee a time period during which it may evaluate the technology and negotiate the terms of a licence agreement. An option agreement is not constituted by an Option clause in a research agreement that grants rights to future inventions, until an actual invention has occurred that is subject to that Option. An ASSIGNMENT agreement conveys all right, title and interest in and to the licensed subject matter to the named assignee.

7 Please use the definition of contracts and consultancies utilised in the National Survey of Research Commercialisation (NSRC). A copy of the survey is available at this URL: http://www.innovation.gov.au/Section/Innovation/Pages/TheNationalSurveyofResearchCommercialisation.aspx

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3.2 Industry and Skills


The Commonwealth encourages universities and employers to work together so that courses meet the needs of employers, where relevant. This may include integrating work and learning, meeting professional accreditation requirements and involving employers in course development and delivery.


The CDU Mission, Vision and supporting Strategic Plan are strongly focussed on regional needs. Priorities include: As the highest institutional priority, achieving quality teaching and learning outcomes for the

unique student demographic that CDU serves; Supporting an improvement in the quality of life of Indigenous people; and Engaging in research and educational activities that are focussed and enriched by the needs

and cultural and natural endowments of the NT.

LOCAL ECONOMIC PROFILEThe Northern Territory is experiencing a fundamental shift in economic profile. Whilst mining and construction are the two largest industry sectors (18 per cent and 11 per cent respectively of Gross State Product), there has been strong growth in manufacturing and service industries to support the resources sector. This means that the NT is now a more diverse economy than it was even a decade ago. Population growth has averaged 1.5 per cent p.a. from 2006-2011, fuelled by natural increase (including a rapidly growing young Indigenous population) and international migration (many of whom have particular needs in settling in a new country). There remains, however, a net outflow of Australians from the NT to other states. The NT’s population is young, with 53 per cent of residents aged under 35, yet there is a long term trend of a growing proportion of residents aged 65 and over. In the short-to-medium term, there will be a step-change expansion in opportunity in the NT, with planned major energy and resource projects. A recent study commissioned by the NT Government details 36 NT major projects which could impact the available labour market over the next 3 to 7 years. The total capital expenditure for these 36 projects is estimated to be $38.15 billion of which $6.08 billion (24 in number) relates to projects currently under construction or approved. These projects are expected to have an impact on population growth and particularly the training needs for this expanding workforce which will be better served through a more broadly based higher education provider. NT industry and skills needs that flow from this picture include: Vocational Education and Training requirements integrating into Higher Education - Building

local capacity to support mining, resources and defence initiatives in areas spanning advanced trades, instrumentation and engineering, as well as the flow-on effect of improving pathways between Vocational Education and Training and Higher Education to produce graduates with “combination” credentials, will be important.

Pathways - Targeted pathways, RPL and support for recent migrant students are required for these groups to pursue meaningful participation in workforce opportunities.

Flexible education - To enable education to integrate with other family requirements, particularly for mature age workers.

Local opportunities - Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training must be available in regional centres.

WORKFORCE NEEDS AND SKILLS SHORTAGESBroadly speaking, the NT faces skills shortages across healthcare, education, public administration, engineering and trades. CDU has a strong focus on capacity building in the NT. However, while the skills shortages are critical, the employee numbers needed to meet the skills shortages, and/or the number of people interested in taking on these roles, is often not sufficient to justify or sustain CDU taking on the activity solely for the NT. In areas such as Nursing and Education, CDU has a large interstate cohort that provides the scale needed to offer a NT

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program. However, in specialist areas, such as in many allied health fields, it is currently not possible to offer local programs. A recent example is physiotherapy, where despite offered support from the NT Government, market research indicated that the course was not viable.

CDU and Flinders now offer joint programs in some specialist areas, and have a partnership in place to underpin significant growth in joint capacity-building initiatives. There is also the potential to grow these opportunities across a multi-state jurisdiction to achieve scale and capture expertise. Areas under consideration include health, engineering and Indigenous-focussed programs.

MEETING THE NEEDS OF A CHANGING AND DIVERSE POPULATION Demographic changes in the NT, including a growing number of recent migrants, in combination with the Federal Government push to increase the overall proportion of the Australian population with tertiary qualifications, with a particular focus on low SES students, impact upon CDU’s programs and offerings.

With recent migrants, net overseas migration is the second largest source of NT population growth. Foundation Skills and English language classes outstrip available places, with a need to expand RPL services into both Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training.

CDU currently trains up to 5,000 Indigenous Australians (Higher Education and VET) each year, a number that is growing. CDU’s partnership with Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE) through the Australian Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Education (ACIKE) specifically caters to the Higher Educational needs of Indigenous Australians.

Skills training and re-training to support investment in the resources sector is a particular opportunity for the NT. CDU has the capacity to support re-training and/or up-skilling to access a labour market experiencing growing occupational shortages in many areas. Sub-Bachelor level programs (described in section 4 of this Compact) are one approach to meeting this need.

Locally and nationally, there is strong demand for Enabling Programs to provide access to Tertiary Education for students who are not able to access study through high school / TER / ATAR admissions. Enabling programs are not financially attractive in their own right, but lead to better (more frequent and successful) outcomes on subsequent enrolments. In a deregulated environment, there are opportunities to bundle direct admission into a Bachelor-level course with successful completion of an Enabling Program. CDU is presently the fourth largest provider of Commonwealth-funded Enabling Programs in the country.

CONSULTATION ARRANGEMENTSCDU maintains a strong and formal partnership with the NT Government, and works closely with the Government to support programs through Higher Education, VET and research. CDU has strong ties to local industry and professional societies. This is especially relevant in the case of VET, where CDU is the largest overall training provider in the NT and is particularly dominant in trade-related areas. In support of major resources projects, CDU has also partnered with local industry around engineering (for example, with Inpex in the North Australia Centre for Oil and Gas), environmental science, and health.

Structures to support consultation exist through CDU's Course Advisory Groups (CAGs), which provide a formal framework for industry and community stakeholders to contribute to course and program review and development. Under the Learning and Teaching Plan these mechanisms will be through the review and upgrade of higher education and VET programs in alignment with student, industry, and community requirements, as well as professional and national accreditation standards.

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3.3 Engagement


As part of its social and economic remit and as an important precursor to innovation, the Commonwealth encourages universities to engage with all levels of government, other universities, businesses, schools, the vocational education and training sector, employers, the professions, research institutions and the wider community including international partners particularly those in the Asian region.


BUILD CURRENT PARTNERSHIPS TO DEVELOP NEW COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH ACTIVITIESSince its establishment, CDU has embraced strong and productive partnerships as a way to tackle significant challenges in the NT, to expand education and research opportunities for Territorians, and to achieve the scale necessary at both the discipline and institution level to sustain Higher Education. Partnerships are evaluated formally for their efficacy, and managed at the executive level.

CDU's major partnership, with the NT Government through a formal Partnership Agreement, has as its overarching aim the continued expansion of mutually productive and cooperative activities that result in lasting and sustainable benefits to the social and economic development of the Northern Territory. Partnership activities focus on the following: A critical mass of University enrolments, resident teaching and research staff, and funding

applications to build the capacity of CDU and enhance CDU’s role as a cultural and intellectual leader in the local and global community

Courses relevant to both industry and NTG needs VET and higher education sectors that are relevant and appropriate to industry needs, seek to

achieve real employment outcomes, offer a range of suitable courses, and provide seamless pathways for learning

A thriving and engaged Indigenous population that achieves success in relevant education, employment and training programs clearly linked to social and economic outcomes

CDU's major academic partner is Flinders University, where existing joint or shared programs (NT Medical Program), centres (including the Centre for Remote Health), not-for-profit health services (including the Palmerston SuperClinic), and infrastructure will be expanded upon over the life of this Compact, likely in areas of Health, Business and Tourism, Indonesian and Indigenous programs.

CDU also has an active partnership with ANU, with the aim of developing collaborative educational initiatives (including pathways of opportunity and co-delivered courses in areas of complementary strength), research and staff exchanges. Joint Higher Degrees by Research were approved by both institutions in 2012. The CDU CRN also includes funding for research training which attracts ANU-CDU scholars. Raising the profile of Arafura Timor Research Facility, NARU, and the Northern Institute is also a priority for both partners.

The relationship between BIITE and CDU will be strengthened over the period of the Compact through ACIKE. Formal arrangements for the delivery in partnership between CDU and BIITE of Higher Education offerings came into effect in 2012.

The VET-HE nexus will continue to be maximised through opportunities for students it access pathways, shared resources and collaborative means of engagement with external communities. CDU has formal pathways in business, accounting, finance, and hospitality. These pathways are mostly used by international students but there is scope to expand and promote these options to domestic students.

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NEW COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT ENGAGE END-USERSA significant element of the University's strategic approach to research is the development of partnerships and collaborative relationships with external agencies. These arrangements provide CDU with the critical mass to enable the funding of large scale research projects aimed at generating solutions to the complex problems faced by northern Australia and its neighbouring regions. CDU's new collaborations and partnerships are coordinated primarily through the Northern Institute (TNI) and the Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods (RIEL) both of which were established in 2011.

TNI's partnership and engagement activities have a strong focus on modeling and evaluation of social policy. The institute continues to engage in public debate and provide informed commentary on issues that contribute to the public process and general community education. Research teams, led by internationally and nationally recognised principal scientists, co-operate to develop research in the areas such as: Demography and growth planning Transdisciplinary methodologies and knowledge systems Social inclusion and community engagement Remote workforce development and pathways with training and social sustainability across

Northern and Central Australia and nations to our north.

RIEL undertakes comprehensive research across the terrestrial, aquatic, coastal and marine ecosystems of northern Australia. Strategic programs that will be a focus for the period of the compact include: Centre for Renewable Energy NT Environmental Chemistry and Microbiology Unit (ECMU) North Australian Fire Information (NAFI) North Australia Marine Research Alliance (NAMRA) National Environmental Research Program (NERP) Northern Australia Hub Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge (TRaCK)

OUTREACH ACTIVITIES ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT SUPPORT ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ACCESS AND OUTCOMESA key strategic goal for CDU is to become a recognised national leader in the tertiary education of Australian Indigenous students, and in the teaching, research and understanding of Indigenous knowledge systems. Activities that support enhanced access and outcomes for Indigenous students are critical to this goal. CDU is working in partnership with NT schools including Kormilda College, Centralian Middle School and Centralian Senior College to increase the participation and retention of Indigenous students. The project focuses on activities that demystify technology and provide students with skills to transition to University studies, and also provides students with peer mentoring to increase confidence and encourage progression.

DEMONSTRATE THE IMPACT OF RESEARCH TO COMMUNITY AND INDUSTRYIn 2012, CDU participated in a national trial, the Excellence in Innovation for Australia (EIA), aimed at demonstrating the economic, social and environmental benefits of research undertaken by Australian Universities. This activity was led by the Go8 and ATN Universities and including CDU, the University of Newcastle and the University of Tasmania and involved seven panels of seventy-five volunteers, 70 per cent of whom were external industry and business sector experts.

In total, 162 case studies were submitted for assessment by the participating universities. Of these case studies, 87 per cent were found to have considerable, very considerable or outstanding impact. CDU submitted ten case studies to the trial, nine of which were assessed, some by multiple panels. All nine of these case studies were found to have considerable, very considerable or outstanding impact, and two of CDU’s case studies appeared in the "20 of the best" list in the EIA report. The two highlighted case studies related to CDU's work on the emerging carbon economy in northern Australia (with NAILSMA, Bushfires NT and CSIRO) and the work of colleagues at Menzies on better treatments for malaria.

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OPPORTUNITES FOR AUSTRALIAN STUDENTS TO STUDY IN ASIAOver the last 5 years, CDU has provided opportunities for 140 students to engage in various forms of mobility opportunities in Asia. These students participated in exchange programs, in-country language programs (Indonesia and China), the Eastern Indonesia Field intensive program, internships and work placements, and fieldwork (research). Scholarships were also provided via Study Overseas Short-Term Mobility for undergraduate students enrolled in the Humanitarian and Community Studies program, for placements in Cambodia, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Thailand, and India.

The University is expanding these opportunities through the development of programs such as the Master of Humanitarian and Disaster Management. The course will offer advanced knowledge and evidence-based practice from an interdisciplinary perspective in: humanitarian law and ethics; logistics; public health aspects of disaster; civil-military interface; risk management; environmental awareness and sustainability; disaster preparedness, responsiveness and debriefing; community resilience; engineering in emergencies. This program will also offer fieldwork in Northern Australia, Indonesia, SE Asia and beyond.

CDU is committed to strengthening relationships with key partner institutions, promoting and supporting short term study options, and sourcing new opportunities for internships and field placements. CDU is also considering the development of outbound credit bearing programs such as study tours.

ENCOURAGE PHILANTHROPY AND INDUSTRY INVESTMENTIn conjunction with the Charles Darwin University Foundation, the University will undertake the following program of philanthropic activity: Conduct its annual donor / membership drive program seeking continued support and

memberships from the NT public in support of the CDU Foundation activities Engaging with the CDU Foundation membership, the University will conduct a major campaign

for the redevelopment and refurbishment of the CDU Theatre. The campaign aims to raise more than $2 million during the next 12 to 18 months

Complete a fundraising campaign with the NT Greek community and a representative fundraising committee, to create an endowment fund of more than $1 million in support of the CDU Greek Language and Culture program

Continue the program known as the Vice-Chancellor’s Leadership Prospect Group that cultivates relationships with high net worth prospective major donors nationally in support of major initiatives of the University

The University is working on a Trusts and Foundations fundraising program that aims to create a 2013 timetable for trust and foundation funding opportunities for CDU with key CDU academic and research staff stakeholders to develop, write and coordinate submissions to identified trusts and foundations.

Direct industry investment in CDU is primarily in the area of Engineering and Information Technology: North Australian Centre for Oil and Gas ($3.1 million from Inpex, Total, ENI) Power and Water Corporation ($200k per annum for 5 years for Chair of Sustainable

Engineering, $125k per annum for Water Engineering research) Conoco Phillips ($50k per annum for Business and Engineering)

IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF ENGAGEMENTEngagement is key to all CDU activities and is characterised by two-way relationships in which the University forms partnerships with its communities to yield mutually beneficial outcomes. CDU's communities include the businesses, industries, government agencies, non-government organisations, professional organisations, schools, alumni, Indigenous and ethnic communities and local community groups of central Australia, northern Australia and the Asian region to our north.

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CDU will continue to improve the quality of engagement through: Responding to the needs of business, industry, government and the wider community Providing teaching, learning and research that contributes to the economic, social, cultural and

sustainable development of the region Enhancing student learning through courses that are relevant and through opportunities for

work-based learning Meeting the University’s civic responsibilities Fostering a sense of community ownership – 'CDU is our university'


The purpose of the engagement performance indicators and targets is to assist the University and the Commonwealth in monitoring the University's progress against the Commonwealth's objectives and the University's strategies for engagement.

The University will aim to meet the engagement performance indicators and targets set out in the following table.


IndicatorsBaseline




Target2016

Number of active collaborations8 with industry and other partners in Australia

89 80 86 92 95

Number of active collaborations9 with industry and other partners overseas

7 8 9 11 13

Category 3 Income $3,104,530 $3.2M $3.3M $3.5M $3.7M

8 Collaboration involves active joint participation with other organisations, by contributing resources such as intellectual property, knowledge, money, personnel or equipment, with the aim of obtaining a shared goal or objective. Straight fee-for-service arrangements, such as contracts and consultancies, are deemed not to be collaborative and are therefore excluded. Collaboration with Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) is also to be excluded. This definition is in line with the ABS and OECD definitions of collaboration.

9 See footnote 8 for a definition of collaboration.

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PART FOUR: TEACHING AND LEARNING4 TEACHING AND LEARNING

4.1 Student enrolments


The Commonwealth is committed to expanding higher education to provide high quality opportunities for people of all backgrounds to participate to their full potential. An expanded higher education system will educate the graduates needed for Australia's future economy, which will be based on knowledge, skills and innovation.

The main objectives of the Commonwealth are to ensure that: by 2025, 40 per cent of all 25 to 34 year olds will hold a qualification at bachelor level or

above; by 2020, 20 per cent of undergraduate enrolments should be students from low socio-

economic backgrounds; national parity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff is achieved over

time; and universities are producing graduates that meet the nation’s skills needs.

These objectives are supported through the Commonwealth Grant Scheme and, in particular, the demand driven funding of students in bachelor level courses.


As described, CDU is a major contributor to development and capacity building in Northern Australia and to Northern Territory life. This role will likely continue to grow, as CDU plays a fundamental enabling role in the tourism and education component of the Territory Government’s "3-Hub economy" vision, and will likely play a similar role in any Federal development push for Northern Australia.

In pursuing economic prosperity, the NT has particular challenges and needs that are at least partially addressed through local application of the Commonwealth’s national skills, qualifications and target demographic objectives in expanding the Higher Education system. These include: Supporting a fundamental shift in economic profile, which sees a decreasing dependence on

primary production and increasing reliance on the resource, construction and service industries.

Meeting skills shortages and gaps, and in doing so, expanding the current limited work opportunities in regional areas.

Provision of adequate education and healthcare to all Australians. Ensuring equitable opportunities for, and inclusion of, Indigenous Australians. Meeting the needs of a changing and diverse population, with areas characterised by, for

example, an ageing population (outside of the NT), a rapidly growing young Indigenous population, and a recent migrant population with specific needs.

Growing links to Asia. Leveraging regionalism to strengthen state / territory / national agendas. Making best use of the National Broadband Network (NBN).

CDU has a range of underlying sustainability challenges that stem from the small size (230,000 people) of the NT population relative to the population base needed to sustain a small comprehensive institution (around 500,000 people). CDU has been critically dependent upon three innovations to remain viable as a NT-based institution: (1) Dual-sector (Higher Education and TAFE) operations, where administration, overheads and some teaching and training is shared; (2) Online delivery, where flexible course offerings designed to meet NT needs are also offered to

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a national audience; and (3) a strong and mutually-beneficial partnership with the Territory Government.

Higher Education course and enrolment planning at CDU aims to balance the development needs of Northern Australia with the need to effectively expand the constituency, offering courses that are directly linked to occupation skills shortages in a manner that supports the work-study-life balance needs of Territorians and resonates with a national audience possessing Territory-like needs and attributes, who will be motivated to enrol at CDU from outside the NT (flexible delivery /wide education pathways/additional support). This national resonance saw CDU Higher Education EFTSL exceed 5000 in 2012, with around one-half of the subscription from outside the NT.

Over the next 4-5 years, CDU will push to grow beyond 7000 EFTSL of domestic student load as part of a continued drive to improve institutional robustness; CDU aims to achieve around 90 per cent of this mark over the course of this Compact Agreement. This growth will be predominantly from outside the NT, with a strong focus on the non-traditional, mature age and skills-upgrade audiences, and with curriculum that positively leverages the value of an “authentic NT experience”.

SUB-BACHELOR PLANNING Sub-Bachelor course offerings are an important component in how CDU implements its education mandate for Northern Australia. Sub-Bachelor Designated Load is used to provide education pathways to non-traditional, low SES, Indigenous and educationally-disadvantaged students. Sub-Bachelor Designated Load also provides pathways to students with either VET or high school backgrounds and who require higher-AQF credentials to meaningfully participate in major NT projects, particularly relating to the resources and extraction industries. Sub-Bachelor load is an important component of the Batchelor Institution of Indigenous Tertiary Education sustainability vision (working with CDU through the Australian Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Education), providing access to tertiary education for Indigenous students. The importance of Sub-Bachelor courses to CDU is reflected in the relatively high percentage of the total CGS load located in Sub-Bachelor (around 15 per cent).

Overall, CDU will pursue opportunities to grow CGS supported Sub-Bachelor Designated Load.

Enabling ProgramsCDU has one of the largest enabling programs nationally with the Tertiary Enabling Program (TEP), and is working with BIITE to grow an Indigenous-focussed enabling course, the Preparation for Tertiary Success (PTS) program. The TEP program is offered nationally via flexible online means, and has demand that outstrips available places. At this stage, PTS is not available externally owing to some Indigenous-specific face-to-face units. The aim is to move these into workshops in a mixed-mode course setting.

CDU will pursue what opportunities existing to grow Enabling Load. In conjunction with this, CDU will be taking a number of steps to improve transition from TEP into CDU Higher Education courses, from around 35 per cent at present to around 50 per cent. CDU will also expand interstate study centres to provide face-to-face support to the largely educationally disadvantaged TEP student cohort.

OTHER SUB-BACHELOR PROGRAMS CDU’s other Sub-Bachelor programs fall largely into two categories: (1) programs addressing the economic needs and opportunities of the NT economy and workforce, and (2) programs that provide education opportunity for Indigenous students.

In relation to the former, CDU is offering programs that allow transition from a VET qualification to a Sub-Bachelor program necessary to work in resource-related projects and supporting industries. The Sub-Bachelor programs are more accessible than full degree programs for a range of reasons, such as lower requirements for mathematics (particularly engineering programs) and less time commitment for students with pressure to balance work / study / home. Programs in

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this area include engineering and science (Diplomas in Science, Engineering, Network Engineering, Advanced Diploma in Engineering, Associate Degree in Process Engineering), the Associate Degree in Legal Studies, and an increasing number of Asian-facing business, tourism and language offerings as new facilities in the Darwin Waterfront are completed. In relation to opportunities for Indigenous students, CDU is offering, through ACIKE and in partnership with BIITE, Diplomas in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledges, Creative and Indigenous Writing, and Languages.

BACHELOR PLANNINGCDU has a suite of Bachelor programs that proportionally reflect the needs of Northern Australia: (relatively) large Nursing and Education programs, smaller programs in areas such as allied health, engineering, science and environmental science, and law and business, and niche programs in areas such as creative arts and industries. CDU plans to grow most programs proportionally, with the aim of increasing the number programs that do not require a cross-subsidy from Nursing and Education to be viable.

In Nursing and Education, and to a lesser extent Law and some of the Allied Health fields, CDU is now a national provider. CDU’s value proposition lies in the flexible nature of offerings, the adult-to-adult style of delivery demanded by a mature age market, and the “authenticity” that comes with a Northern Territory institution. The latter is particularly true for areas such as nursing, where most CDU students have an interest in Indigenous and tropical health, and spend some time in Northern Australia as part of their program. To support an expanded national student cohort, CDU will establish a number of study / tutorial centres. The first of these is being established in Melbourne with support of the Structural Adjustment Fund, with an emphasis on Nursing and Allied Health. CDU aims to move to around 4500 EFTSL of CGS Bachelor load over the course of the Compact.

POSTGRADUATE COURSEWORK DESIGNATED LOAD CDU currently has permission and CGS funding to deliver around 520 EFTSL of Postgraduate Coursework Designated Load. The bulk of this is associated with the Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning, a qualification linked to teacher skills shortages in Northern Australia. The demand for this program outstrips places at present, although CDU expects this to move back into balance as new teacher training requirements come into play.

CDU's other major Postgraduate Designated Load area is Allied Health. Demand for these programs has been growing slowly, with the recent focus on provision in Alice Springs in partnership with Flinders University through the Centre for Remote Health. CDU will pursue opportunities to secure a small increase in this area.

Finally, CDU is seeking to introduce (in partnership with BIITE) a Graduate Certificate level Indigenous Course, targeting largely non-Indigenous people from outside the NT. The program is in response to a detailed market research exercise commissioned by CDU, looking at market structure in relation to Indigenous programs, Indigenous student study preferences and student cohort segmentation options. The course provides a national opportunity for upskilling, and an opportunity for CDU and BIITE, through ACIKE, to grow a revenue stream for Indigenous activities. CDU will pursue opportunities to secure a small cohort of CGS supported places for what is viewed as a national priority area of study. Quality

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A focus on teaching and learning quality underpins the Commonwealth’s vision for Australia to be one of the most highly educated and skilled nations in the world.

The Commonwealth has made a commitment to provide more autonomy to universities through the removal of funding caps on Commonwealth supported bachelor level places. In turn, the Commonwealth requires the University to participate in the higher education quality arrangements which are overseen by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. The arrangements are designed to support academic autonomy while ensuring that the achievement of standards can be demonstrated and that there is a strong focus on enhancing the quality of teaching and learning while expansion of the higher education system meets national participation ambitions.

The Commonwealth’s commitment to quality is demonstrated through initiatives such as the Office for Learning and Teaching, which provides a suite of grants, awards and fellowships to recognise quality and promote innovations in learning and teaching.

The University also has obligations under the quality and accountability requirements in Division 19 of HESA. This compact does not change those obligations.


Quality related actions outlined in the Strategic Plan are focused on the provision of student support and best practice learning environments that enhance students' educational experience; the systematic review and upgrade of higher education and VET programs; and supporting faculties to lead innovative approaches that best meet the University's teaching and learning challenges. To assist with this, CDU is developing a University-specific quality management system that will be applied across all operations and partnerships.

QUALITY OF TEACHING AND LEARNINGCDU approved its current Learning and Teaching Plan 2012-2014 in March 2012. This plan, approved by Academic Board and monitored by the PVC Academic, sets out objectives, strategies, timing and responsibilities and grouped into five areas:1. Enhancing the Quality of Learning and Teaching (focusing on updating policies and procedures, identification and promotion of best practices, academic planning, accreditation, student feedback, cultural safety and inclusivity, and regulatory compliance);2. Enhancing the Student Experience (focusing on on-campus and online learning, teaching spaces, English language proficiency, retention and outcomes, VET to HE pathways and work integrated learning opportunities);3. Strengthening the Teaching-Research Nexus (focusing on teaching scholarship, and pathways for students into research courses);4. Improving Learnline (focusing on staff PD, enhanced learner engagement, technology stability, and quality of digital learning resources);5. Learning and Expanding through Educational Collaborations (focused on course delivery relationships, bicultural collaborations and risk management).

CDU's Learning and Teaching approach is enabled via Learnline, and fundamentally oriented towards independent learning. The Learning and Teaching Plan outlines CDU's commitment to the design and dissemination of a suite of best practice learning and teaching principles and practices, such as authentic learning, active learning, problem based learning, and outcomes based ‐assessment, for a range of modalities and learning technologies.

Professional Development and Good PracticeProfessional development at CDU has been significantly reconsidered over the past several years to reflect the flexible methods by which the University engages with its students. As a multicampus, multimodal and dual sector University with a very diverse student population, CDU needs to specialise more than most universities on a broad range of teaching strategies for effectively attracting, engaging and progressing students.

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The current professional development programme is grouped into the following categories: Induction to Teaching Online PD courses (a suite of offerings determined by the Office of Learning & Teaching) One on one consultations (usually in response to specific requests from staff) School-requested workshops Learning and Teaching Week workshops (reintroduced in 2012 to showcase key strategic

developments and issues) Key changes training (focused on new University-wide initiatives, e.g. upgrades to technologies

in teaching spaces or to the learning management system)

These categories provide for a balance of PD opportunities, driven in part by centrally identified needs (drawing heavily upon analysis of student evaluation results, and introduction of learning policies, technologies and practices) and in part by localised needs.

Where relevant and practical, CDU will use outcomes from OLT projects to inform teaching practice and policy. In addition the those projects in which CDU staff participate directly, OLT reports are included on the agenda of the Learning and Teaching Committee for further dissemination. The University's policy and procedure review process includes consideration of OLT reports and other appropriate benchmarks.

Teaching AwardsThe University operates an internal Awards program, sponsored by the Vice-Chancellor, for research, general staff and outstanding contributions to student learning. The program has been revised in 2013 to better align with DIISRTE OLT criteria and changes in teaching design and delivery best practice. Supporting this, CDU has a dedicated grants and awards officer in the University's Office of Learning and Teaching, who in additional to aligning internal and external grants and awards schemes, identifies external opportunities for staff, including those offered by the OLT.

PROMOTION ARRANGEMENTSIn 2011, CDU introduced an innovative Enterprise Agreement that progressively combines VET and HE staff under a single scale, thereby removing obstacles to staff operating across sectors and seeking to progress their careers. It also introduces three categories of academic staff: Teaching Focused, Research Active, and Research. In 2012 and 2013, the University is concentrating on updating its policies and procedures to give effect to these strategic initiatives. The Promotions Policy and Procedures, including criteria for promotion have been revised (2012) have been revised to align with the single award and to provide career pathways for teaching focused academic staff. A Teaching Standards and Academic Staff Requirements policy has been established which sets out expectations of staff in relation to: Teaching activity (focusing on quantity of teaching) Teaching quality (focusing on teaching design and delivery, and unit and course quality); and Professional currency (focusing on currency with contemporary teaching practices and CDU

requirements).

TEACHING RESEARCH NEXUS Strengthening the teaching-research nexus is a major focus of CDUs Learning and Teaching Plan. CDU plans to use teaching research grants and internal teaching seminars to build clear understandings for learning based on various types of research evidence, including: notions of inquiry; how disciplinary knowledges inform professional contexts; and particularly, the importance of place-based research within local and global contexts. The teaching-research nexus will be an integrated component of the Course Accreditation and Reaccreditation Process (CARP), so that curriculum design and content is informed by research. CDU will also promote the scholarship and research of learning and teaching practices as a core component of academic work through professional development opportunities, promotion criteria and workload allocation models.

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STUDENT ENGAGEMENT CDU has a structured student evaluation and feedback system to support quality enhancement of courses, programs, and teaching. Through the Learning and Teaching Plan, CDU is taking steps to improve the relevance, efficiency and quality of reporting with a review of the Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Survey (SELTS) and the establishment of Annual Course Reports that will analyse trends and benchmarking data. CDU is working to identify factors that affect student success and provide high-quality support for students both on and off-campus. In 2013, CDU will build on work carried out in 2012 that identified key issues associated with the student experience and opportunities for improvement. Strategies include a HEPPP funded project on mentoring that has a focus on low SES and Indigenous students.

STUDENT OUTCOMES CDU has seen an improvement in undergraduate success rates since 2006, but retention rates for commencing students and for all undergraduate students are below Sector averages. An intensive two-year study of attriting students has shown that the poor retention rates reflect a significantly higher proportion of students in work and studying part-time than many other institutions; most attriting students found their University experience positive and want to continue studying, but need to take time off for various non-University reasons. CDU's Learning and Teaching Plan outlines a framework for improved student outcomes in terms of attrition and retention, as well as transition to further education and/or employment.

CDU has developed a suite of attributes that all graduates are expected to acquire through the course of their studies. Specific attributes have been developed for Higher Education and VET graduates under the core areas of Personal Practical Knowledge; Citizenship; and World View. Additional work is being undertaken to strengthen the uptake of Graduate Attributes through the use of ePortfolios as a means of facilitating greater student ownership of and investment in their learning activities and experiences.

An enhanced Work Integrated Learning Framework will also contribute to strengthening student uptake of Graduate Attributes. CDU has the aspiration of ensuring all undergraduate students will have the opportunity to undertake either credit-bearing or non-credit bearing WIL during their course of study. Non-credit bearing opportunities will particularly focus on community engagement, service and leadership. The University is a partner in two national projects to increase the emphasis on high quality work integrated learning (WIL) opportunities for undergraduate students: one with the IRU, and one with ACEN. CDU will promote research skills within all undergraduate courses and provide articulation arrangements from VET and undergraduate courses into higher degrees by research opportunities.

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Note: All calendar year references below relate to projects and awards in that calendar year.Principal Performance

IndicatorsBaseline




Target2016

Number of active learning and teaching projects supported by the PELTHE10 program where the University is the lead institution *

0 0 1 2 2

Number of active learning and teaching projects supported by the PELTHE11 where the University is a partner institution *

0 1 2 2 3

Number of citations for outstanding contributions to student learning **

0 1 2 3 4

Number of awards for teaching excellence **

0 0 1 2 2

Number of awards for programs that enhance excellence **

0 0 1 2 2

*The Grants baseline does not appropriately reflect activity at CDU. During 2011, CDU’s effort was focused on a competitive Structural Adjustment Fund bid, for which it achieved a $20M grant, and a competitive HEPPP bid, for which it achieved a $4.88M grant. These were significant achievements and demonstrate strong and successful commitment towards engaging in quality improvement projects. The work on both of these grant-funded projects commenced in earnest in 2012 and will span 2013-4. It is anticipated that a second round of competitive HEPPP grants will be released in 2013 and CDU intends to bid. As far as OLT grants are concerned, OLT issued 29 grants in 2012: with 39 universities in the sector, CDU is setting realistically humble progressive targets.

** CDU has, particularly for its size, a better history of citations and awards than the 2012 baseline suggests. Since 2005 it has received 11 citations, 3 awards and the Prime Minister’s Award. For the 2012 round, CDU did not have the support of a dedicated officer as the PEI funding that had supported this position had finished and CDU was implementing salary savings targets. The University’s assessment of its internal process, and benchmarking with other universities, shows a direct relationship between citation and award success and the availability of a dedicated support person to facilitate the application process. Given that OLT citations, awards and grants are now to be performance indicators in the Compact, CDU will seek to resource this position.

10 Promotion of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education - the program providers learning and teaching grants, awards and fellowships and is administered by the Office for Learning and Teaching.11 See footnote 10 for definition.

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Note: All calendar year references below relate to projects and awards in that calendar year.Optional Performance

IndicatorsBaseline




Target2016

Teaching staff enrolled in the GCTL(HE)*

TBA (FROM OMP)

5 10 15 20

Number of teaching staff participating in Learnline training units**

230 260 290 320 350

Proportion of units with a quality-assured Learnline site***

≈70% 75% 80% 85% 90%

* Completion of the Graduate Certificate Teaching and Learning (Higher Education) is a requirement for certain academic staff in the current Enterprise Agreement. While a proportion of enrolled staff against the total population required or desiring to undertake the qualification would be more relevant than numbers, the total is difficult to determine. EFTSL is being used as a suitable proxy (note that one complete GCTL(HE) = 0.5 EFTSL). The GCTL(HE) is being revised to be a more relevant professional development experience for CDU teaching staff and the new version should be in place by 2014, at which time it will be more strongly promoted.

** There is a range of Learnline (CDU's online courseware management system) training courses provided by the University, and further open-access online training resources available. This indicator focuses on those staff that who completed at least one of the Learnline–related (including Collaborate) training sessions provided by CDU’s Office of Learning and Teaching. Repeat training is desirable, and the number includes multiple unit enrolments by the same staff member, therefore whole numbers are more useful to track than proportions of total staff.

*** Learnline is the University’s learning management system. In some cases it is used as a primary delivery mechanism (i.e. external mode delivery) and in other cases it is used to augment internal mode delivery. In either event, Learnline provides improved access to content and engagement activities, thereby enriching the learner experience. CDU has a policy of expanding its quality-assured Learnline offerings. The University however notes that there may be some educational offerings for which reliance upon an LMS is in fact disadvantageous (e.g. in relation to certain remote cohorts), and as such does not have a policy of 100 per cent units with a Learnline site. It is anticipated that UES will be utilised to establish baseline and improvement targets for student satisfaction with courses (the University monitors student satisfaction with units closely, but statistically these do not aggregate usefully for the purposes of institutional targets).

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4.2 Equity


The Commonwealth is committed to a fair and equitable higher education system that provides equal opportunity for people of all backgrounds to participate to their full potential and the support to do so.

In particular, the Commonwealth has an ambition that by 2020, 20 per cent of higher education enrolments at the undergraduate level will be people from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds.

The Commonwealth expects all universities to play a part in meeting the Commonwealth's higher education participation ambitions, consistent with the objectives and regulatory requirements of Commonwealth funding.

The Commonwealth funds a range of programs to encourage and support access to and participation in higher education by people from low SES backgrounds and other under-represented groups, including the Higher Education Loan Program and Student Income Support.

The Commonwealth will monitor the University’s equity performance through the reporting requirements and evaluations of programs and initiatives. The University’s performance in meeting equity objectives will also be linked with teaching and learning Performance Funding targets.

Universities have obligations under the fairness requirements in Division 19 of HESA. This compact does not change those obligations.


On the basis of the interim indicator, the low SES access rate for CDU for all commencing students is 21.12 per cent as opposed to 16.69 per cent for the Sector. The low SES access rate for school leavers is slightly lower at 17.88 per cent for CDU and 14.28 per cent for the Sector (IPP 2011). The low SES participation rate for CDU is 19.09 per cent and 15.50 per cent for the Sector. CDU has a strong commitment to meeting the needs of low SES students while maintaining a focus on contributing to closing the gap in education outcomes for Indigenous students.

The most recent census data indicate that 9.1 per cent of the NT population were attending a university or tertiary institution in 2011 (up from 8.5 per cent in 2006) as opposed to 14.3 per cent for Australia. Only 29.5 per cent of the NT population continued through to the final year of school, as opposed to 38.1 per cent for the country and approximately 16.1 per cent of the population has a Bachelor level qualification as opposed to 21.7 per cent for Australia overall.

Through the HEPPP program, CDU is working in partnership with Kormilda College, Centralian Middle School and Centralian Senior College to increase the participation and retention of Indigenous and low SES students. The project has two key activities: (a) introducing the University’s learning management system into schools in order to demystify the technology and provide students with key skills necessary to effectively transition into university studies; and (b) peer mentoring services to provide students with the confidence and interpersonal skills that encourage progression into higher education.

One of the major strategies CDU employs to achieve its equity objectives is the creation of pathways to Higher Education through enabling program and articulation via VET. In 2011, over 1200 students were enrolled in CDU enabling programs (DEEWR HE Statistics). This represented approximately 14 per cent of Higher Education enrolments. It is clear that access to enabling pathways and skill development needs to be supplemented with activities that promote the benefits of Higher Education to students very early on in the education cycle. Therefore CDU is also working with junior high school students to develop a strong cohort of low SES and Indigenous students with higher education aspirations. Outreach to low SES and Indigenous students is funded to continue through 2013 and 2014.

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Key strategies for 2013 and beyond that will enhance outcomes for targeted equity groups include investment in CDU's Aspire Scholarships and the implementation of strategies via Learnline to address the obstacles to learning for students in rural and remote locations. Through the Aspire scholarships CDU partners with schools in remote locations to encourage retention and excellence. The Learnline Support project has been developed in response to issues identified in DSA funded project - “A Remote Chance? Widening participation of Remote Indigenous Students in the Northern Territory via ICT-enabled learning”.

In addition to the strategies above, CDU aims to improve student retention rates, access and outcomes for students from a low SES and other equity groups through better identification of the patterns and reasons for student attrition and retention. CDU's Learning and Teaching Plan commits to a 5 per cent increase in overall student retention per year over the period 2012-2014.

The CDU Equity Committee is Chaired by the Deputy Vice Chancellor and provides leadership and oversight of the University’s performance in equity, diversity and social inclusion. The Equity Committee makes recommendations, through the Chairperson, to VCAG and to related committees on strategic matters relating to equity, diversity and social inclusion in education and employment. The Equity Committee will develop and monitor implementation of the University's Equity and Diversity Plan. The Equity Committee will also critically review and analyse plans and reports relating to equity, diversity and social inclusion from units and divisions, and provide advice and support for these.

4.2.3 Participation and Social Inclusion Targets

Proportion of domestic undergraduates who are from a low SES backgroundBaseline for improvement target: To be determined

Proportion of domestic undergraduates who are from another underrepresented groupBaseline for improvement target: x% (Either 2009 or average of 2008 and 2009 data)

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Principal Performance Indicators

2014 Reward Payment(target for 2013

students)

2015Reward Payment(target for 2014

students)

2016Progress target(target for 2015

students)Excellence Target To be determined To be determined To be determinedImprovement Target To be determined To be determined To be determinedOutcome - - -

Principal Performance Indicators


students)


students)

2016Progress target(target for 2015

students)Improvement Target To be determined To be determined To be determinedOutcome - - -

4.3 Teaching and Learning Infrastructure


The Commonwealth is committed to the development of world class higher education infrastructure. A contemporary, technology rich, well designed and equipped campus environment has a positive influence on staff and student performance and satisfaction.

While the responsibility for capital infrastructure development and maintenance rests with the University, the Commonwealth’s commitment is demonstrated through programs such as the Education Investment Fund. Universities also utilise Commonwealth Grant Scheme funding for capital works and maintenance.

The Commonwealth will monitor the University's infrastructure performance, through the Institutional Performance Portfolio/CAMS.


CDU is a multimodal institution. As such, the suite of teaching and learning infrastructure spans on-campus, workplace, online and other distance education support.

FACILITIES TO MEET TEACHING AND RESEARCH NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONSIn 2009 CDU received $3M from the Australian Government’s Teaching and Learning Capital Fund (TLCF) for a project titled “Moving technology enabled flexible delivery to the core at CDU”. This project completed in 2012 and achieved several highlights including (but not limited to) the following: Deploying wireless capability across all CDU campuses (Casuarina, Palmerston, Alice Springs

and Katherine), enabling greater access to online technologies for students; Installing centrally-managed, campus-wide videoconferencing facilities, producing better

quality and more stable videoconferencing between the University’s campuses and external locations;

Expanding the suite of software applications in the desktop computer managed operating environment (MOE) to include those required for Learnline (Learnline is the University’s suite of learning technologies, based on Blackboard products);

Providing online classrooms via Wimba (which has since been upgraded to the superior product Blackboard Collaborate), aided with desktop HD cameras for all teaching staff; and

Upgrading centrally managed teaching spaces, including the latest in smart board / smart projector technologies. This aspect built upon research into flexible teaching spaces undertaken by CDU staff with ALTC funding, and was further refined in the development of the new ACIKE complex funded with Commonwealth support.

This set a new baseline for the standard of teaching facilitates at CDU. In order to ensure that the University builds upon these new standards, the following strategies are being pursued: The Teaching Spaces specifications are being documented and codified as institution-wide

minimum standards. This will ensure that further expenditure will be effectively and efficiently invested in accordance with established good practices.

The University is annually provisioning for refreshment of teaching spaces in its capital expenditure budget ($600k in 2012 and $600k in 2013).

A Learnline Steering Group, with institution-wide expert membership, has been established to provide better oversight of the University’s suite of learning technologies. CDU has modified its approach to incorporate a carefully considered program of upgrades. Already, this has resulted in a far more stable learning technology environment with higher student and staff satisfaction, while still allowing for innovation (such as the introduction of CDU Mobile).

Drawing upon the University’s $20M SAF grant, CDU is developing an Innovative Multimedia Production Studio (IMPS) to enable the production of high quality digital learning resources that facilitate interactive online learning in an asynchronous context. This is in accordance with the theory that students will learn more successfully when interacting with the subject matter. IMPS will also enable CDU to be an active exporter as well as importer of learning

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resources in an OER context. CDU regards this as essential for a credible scholarship-led university.

SPACE UTILISATIONSpace Utilisation at CDU is a topic of some considerable internal focus, in part because of the high cost of maintaining and air conditioning space in a tropical environment. Space use efficiency benchmarks (ratios of Usable Floor Area/EFTSL) in the IPP do not paint an accurate picture of the use of space at CDU. The main reason for this is the exclusion of VET student numbers in the calculations (on an equivalent full-time basis, VET delivery equates to around 4200 EFT students). Additionally, the exclusion of external students from the benchmark does not recognise the fact that around 1500 EFTSL of local students choose to enrol externally, but attend campus for face-to-face tutorials on a regular basis. The IPP benchmarks point to less teaching space (on a percentage basis) that sector norms, a result of a focused drive to centralise teaching space over the last ten years (to improve usage and reduce power and cooling costs).

Some measures currently in place to inform and improve space utilisation approaches: The Space Management Policy and Procedures have recently been revised ensuring the

University community know and understand how space is managed. All space is governed by these documents with a Capital Development and Space Management Committee has been set up to make recommendations for decisions by the Vice-Chancellor’s Advisory Group.

Regular space utilisation audits are undertaken in accordance with TEFMA Guidelines. A database is maintained to record space.

University teaching space is largely comprised of centralised teaching space which is controlled through a centrally timetabled system providing a means for lecturers/teachers and trainers to plan and book the required space for the upcoming calendar year. This centralised approach also allows the Timetabling department to correctly allocate the right kinds of space with a view to improving the occupancy of space. During 2013 the Facilities Management team is changing its approach to measuring the utilisation of space, as recommended by TEFMA and are developing a programme of continuous measurement. This aims to provide not only more rigorous data in respect of the TEFMA approach to utilisation but also the rhythm of the use of space.

One of the identified problems in improving utilisation is the booking of space through the timetabling system but not using or cancelling the booking to enable to space to be reallocated. So, another approach being trialled during 2013 will be to control the utilities within space, particularly power for lighting and the air conditioning. Recent upgrades to the central teaching spaces have provided for electronic control points in the teaching spaces and the strategy will be for the lecturer who booked the space to swipe their staff card to access the facility. Once identified as the originator/lecturer of the booking all power will be enabled to the space and the air conditioning will be activated from a pre-determined ‘set point’. This will not only improve the efficiency in the use of energy and other environmental considerations but clearly identify where problems exist within the process/system to provide an avenue to improve.

A review of computer laboratory spaces is underway which will provide the necessary information to rationalise these spaces, particularly given the advance in technologies and the University’s approach to technology enabled spaces and campuses.

Desk top modelling is being undertaken to investigate the possibilities of various charge back mechanisms to incentivise space utilisation/management and improve the utilisation rates of space. This is in the early planning stages.

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REMEDIES TO BACKLOG MAINTENANCE LIABILITIES A number of strategies are being implemented to assist in reducing backlog maintenance

liability, the first of which was the implementation of a new Facilities Management Information System (FMIS). This has assisted in identifying key assets, condition and functionality. An audit will be undertaken during 2013 and will form the foundation of a Strategic Asset Management Plan to inform future Capital Development.

A Master Plan Framework exercise has been completed and the development of Campus Master Plans will be undertaken during 2013, with Casuarina and Katherine Campuses being the initial priorities.

Additional capital investment over 2013 will also mean that those assets which are deemed to be beyond economical life can be disposed or recycled, further reducing the backlog maintenance liability.

During 2012 considerable work was undertaken to ensure that the University’s statutory obligations are met and maintained with a rigorous approach to inspections and maintenance. This has established a systemic routine in meeting requirements further enhancing the safety and operations of the facilities. This process has dealt with important elements of the backlog liability, focussing on risks to the University which cover more than just Work Place Health and Safety issues further enhancing the facilities.

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PART FIVE: RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING5 RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING

A range of research and research training performance indicators and targets are proposed in this section. Principal Performance Indicators are compulsory and institutions may voluntarily nominate optional performance indicators and targets considered reflective of individual institutional goals.

The Commonwealth recognises universities have diverse missions and, consequently, targets and performance will vary between institutions. Each university should develop performance indicators and targets to reflect its individual performance and strategic direction.

5.1 Research performance and research capability


The Commonwealth encourages excellence in research performance and the strengthening of research capability. Particular objectives are to:

progressively increase the number of research groups performing at world class levels, as measured by international performance benchmarks; and

promote collaboration, amongst universities, across sectors, between researchers and industry Australia and internationally.

The Commonwealth, through the Australian Research Council (ARC), conducts the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) which evaluates the quality of research undertaken at Australian universities by discipline against international benchmarks. ERA is used to assist in determining funding in the Sustainable Research Excellence in Universities program administered by the Commonwealth.


CDU is a small, remote university, but this in no way diminishes the fundamental importance of a vibrant and well-supported research program. Research is central to the purpose of the University, and closely tied to the needs of the Northern Territory and the Territory’s immediate region: Timor Leste, Eastern Indonesia and the Arafura Sea.

Research with Global Reach is one of the four pillars of the University’s Strategic Plan. Improvement is structured by the objectives articulated in the University’s Research and Research Training Plan 2011-2014 around the three goals: Focus: A Distinctive Research Profile; Quality and Excellence in Research; and Capacity and Sustainability.

Primary strategies to address issues of research capacity and quality are to concentrate research activity, foster partnerships with other research intensive institutions (such as ANU) and align resources with areas of identified research focus.

To achieve focus, the University has identified a limited number of broad fields of research strength at world class or above: Environment and Livelihoods Human Health and Wellbeing

and a limited number of fields that are strategically important to the Northern Territory with the potential to develop into world class fields of research: Social and Public Policy Education at the interface with Health, and Energy

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In addition, Indigenous Knowledges is a cross-cutting research focus that is incorporated, where possible, into the areas identified above.

Since its inception, research has been a major strength of CDU. During 2011, the quality of research at CDU was recognised through a number of measures. The 2011 SciMago World Report ranked CDU at the top of the Australian University sector on the measure of High Quality Publications (Q1), with 65.8 per cent of CDU’s outputs (2005-2009) appearing in the top quartile of ranked journals; equal 8th in the Australian University sector on the measure of Normalised Impact (N1), with CDU’s outputs (2005-2009) being cited 40 per cent above the world average and 8th in the Australian University sector on the newly introduced measure of high quality output, Excellence Rate (ER), with 17.5 per cent of CDU’s outputs (2005-2009) included in the top 10 per cent of the most cited papers in their respective scientific fields. The seven universities above CDU are all Go8 with ERs in the range 18.5-21.8 per cent (mean 19.4 per cent).

The 2012 Times Higher Education report ranked CDU in the top 2 per cent of all universities around the globe – and 48th in the top 100 under 50 years old and the most recent analysis of Australia and New Zealand’s top research institutions for Environmental Sciences and Ecology by Thomson Reuters placed CDU in the top four universities in Australia and New Zealand and in the top 1 per cent of research institutions in the world for research quality. This assessment was based on citation impact over the period 2001-2011.

Over the period 2006-2011, CDU’s external research income, including Menzies, increased from $18.7 million to $43.9 million. 2011 research income for CDU (including Menzies) increased 32 per cent on the 2010 figure. However, this figure includes approximately $8 million adjustments of Menzies income not reported in the previous years. Without these adjustments, the Menzies total is estimated to be approx. $17 million and total CDU (including Menzies) total to be approximately $35 million, an increase of approximately 6 per cent on the 2010 figure. Category 2 research income (Other Public Sector) in particular experienced significant growth of 68.14 per cent (from $14.3m to $24.1m) while increases of 2.9 per cent, 15.3 per cent and 13.0 per cent were observed for Category 1, 3 and 4 research income respectively with 24 per cent of research income derived from direct investment by the Northern Territory Government. Of concern is that weighted HERDC publication points have grown only marginally over this period from 200 in 2006 to 242 in 2011. Increasing research productivity commensurate with research income is a major focus for the University.

As further evidence of the University’s standing in research in Australia, the Commonwealth Government’s Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) 2012 showed that there has been an improvement in research quality across Australia since the last assessment in 2010. In this context, it is an endorsement of CDU’s research strength that CDU was ranked at or above world average on 71 per cent (10 of 14) of the research disciplines for which it was assessed. The pinnacle of achievement was CDU’ s research in Clinical Science, conducted primarily through the Menzies School of Health Research, which received the highest possible score of five, ranking the discipline’s performance as outstanding, and well above world standard.

Ecological Applications, Environmental Science and Management and Medical Microbiology received scores of four, a ranking that places these research disciplines above the world standard. An additional six fields of research were ranked at three, indicating performance at world standard: Biological Sciences, Ecology, Microbiology, Zoology, Information and Computing Sciences, Computation Theory and Mathematics and Medical and Health Sciences.

Research by both staff and postgraduate students is mostly applied and targeted at significant real-world problems in northern Australia and Asia. Research results provide input to public policy formulation, private sector decision-making, and the work of Non-Government Organisations. The University has identified the need to develop strategies to enhance its social contribution through focus, quality, sustainability and capacity relevant to the distinctive and challenging context in which it operates. In this context CDU participated in the Excellence in

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Innovation national trial aimed at demonstrating the economic, social and environmental benefits of research undertaken by Australian Universities.

A total of 162 case studies were submitted for assessment by the participating universities. Of these case studies, 87 per cent were found to have considerable, very considerable or outstanding impact. CDU submitted ten case studies to the trial, nine of which were assessed, some by multiple panels. All nine of these case studies were found to have considerable, very considerable or outstanding impact. In addition, two of CDU’s case studies appeared in the "20 of the best" list in the EIA report. These relate to CDU's work on the emerging carbon economy in northern Australia (with NAILSMA, Bushfires NT and CSIRO) and to the work of colleagues at the Menzies School of Health Research on better treatments for malaria.


The purpose of the research performance and the research capability performance indicators and targets is to assist the University and the Commonwealth in monitoring the University's progress against the Commonwealth's objectives and the University's strategies for research performance and research capability.

The University will aim to meet the research performance and research capability performance indicators and targets set out in the following table.

Principal Performance Indicators ERA 2010 ERA 2012 ERA 2015 Target

Number of disciplines, as defined by two-digit Fields of Research (FoR), performing at world standard or above (3, 4 or 5)

6 6 8

Number of disciplines, as defined by four-digit FoR, performing at world standards or above (3, 4 or 5)

6 10 12

Disciplines the University commits to demonstrating substantial improvement

in as defined by two-digit FoR and/or four-digit FoR

Disciplines nominated in 2011–13 Compact

Disciplines nominated in 2014–16 Compact

Education (13)Social and Public Policy (1402; 1605)Indigenous Knowledges (1601; 1699)Energy (1099, 1022)

Environment and Livelihoods (05; 0502; 06; 0605; 0608; 07; 14)Human Health and Wellbeing (11; 1103; 1108; 11; 1117)Social and Public Policy (1402; 1605)Education (13)Energy (1099, 1022)Indigenous Knowledges (1601; 1699)

Environment and Livelihoods (05; 0502; 06; 0605; 0608; 07; 14)Human Health and Wellbeing (11; 1103; 1108; 11; 1117)Social and Public Policy (1402; 1605)Education (13)Energy (1099, 1022)Indigenous Knowledges (1601; 1699)

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IndicatorsBaseline




Target2016

Category 1 income $15.8M $17.25M $18.25M $19.25M $20.25M

Category 2 Income $24.0M $15.5M $16.25M $17.25M $18.25MNumber of joint research grants in Australia

45 35 37 39 42

Number of joint research grants overseas

11 5 7 9 12

Number of jointly supervised PhD students in Australia12

59 62 67 72 77

Number of jointly supervised PhD students overseas13

13 14 16 18 20

Note: All calendar year references below refer to the previous year’s data collection. Optional Performance

IndicatorsBaseline




Target2016

research income per research active RE/RT FTE

$218K $212K +10K +10K +10K

research outputs (weighted points) per RE/RT FTE

1.25 1.30 1.35 1.35 1.4

the share of joint publications co-authored with researchers from other Australian and or/ international universities

72% 75% Stable at 70 or 75%

Stable at 70 or 75%

Stable at 70 or 75%

12 Please provide the number by headcount of jointly supervised HDR students enrolled in your institution who have a supervisor from an external organisation in Australia (examples include someone from a government organisation, hospital or another university).

13 Please provide the number by headcount of jointly supervised HDR students enrolled in your institution who have a supervisor from an external overseas organisation (examples include someone from a government organisation, hospital or another university).

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5.2 Research training


The Commonwealth encourages excellence in the provision of research training. Particular objectives are to: support research excellence and develop an internationally competitive research workforce

in Australia through high quality research training; develop an internationally competitive research workforce in Australia through high quality

research training; and significantly increase the number of students completing higher degrees by research over the

next decade.


HDR Students

The Research and Research Training Plan 2011 – 2014 identifies the following imperatives: Increase the number of HDR students in fields of research world class or above. Improve the quality of supervision through engagement of HDR supervisors with staff

development and workshops Reduce formal grievances and problematic HDR progress reports Monitor HDR examination outcomes against supervisor registration Improve the HDR completion rate.

The total number of Higher Degree by Research (HDR) candidates at CDU continues to rise incrementally off a small base. The Total HDR Student Load for 2012 was 193.5 EFTSL, an increase of over 10 per cent on 2011. This included increases in both PhD (up 7per cent to 158.75 EFTSL) and Masters by Research (up 11 per cent to 34.75 EFTSL). In keeping with the University’s strategic focus in research 58 of the HDR students were in the broad field of Environment and Livelihoods (FOR 05,06,07,14) and 77 in the broad field of Human Health and Wellbeing (FOR 11,17). The number of student completions has also increased with 27 completions recorded in 2011 compared with 22 in 2010.

The University is committed to increasing HDR student load through effective marketing, significantly increasing international research student numbers and through strong research partnerships with research intensive Australian and International universities. The University’s International Committee has identified the ambitious target of doubling International HDR students from 45 to 90 by 2017. Analysis indicates that there is the supervisory capacity to support this strategy and International Student Barometer 2012 outcomes have overall been positive.

Close analysis of the CDU HDR student experience indicates that there is room for improvement, and highlights the need for strategies need that align with the student profile. It is clear from CDU’s HDR profile data that the majority of candidates are mature professionals, a significant proportion of whom continue to work full-time, albeit in fields closely related to their research. One in four candidates is based outside of Darwin, a number study remotely and a greater proportion of CDU’s candidates are Indigenous. These factors have implications for entry pathways and associated admissions criteria (Marsh et al. 2010), preparedness for the research degree and skills training requirements, and for resource and support requirements more broadly. As argued in CDU’s response to the DIISR consultation paper Defining Quality for Research Training In Australia a one size fits all approach is not appropriate.

The Go8 chapter of the DDOGS has developed a conceptual framework for a basket of indicators of the quality of research education. One of the key outcome measures listed here is student satisfaction. Others are completion/attrition rates, examination outcomes, quality of the examination process, quality of outputs, employer satisfaction and the research environment.

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It is clearly important for CDU to demonstrate a high level of performance in as many of these areas as possible (and to maximise the use of partnerships wherever possible), primarily to ensure the University is providing a high quality research training experience. To this end, CDU monitors RHD profile and performance data and outcomes of this process are embedded in the University's Research and Research Training Plan. CDU is committed to developing and enriching the research training environment through strategies that include improved engagement of RHD supervisors through programs and workshops, and the development of a vibrant research culture that is supported through an increased number of visiting scholars, and targeted investment in research areas of strategic importance.

Indigenous HDR Students

Although numbers are small, Indigenous candidates have represented approx. 4% of the higher degree by research cohort at CDU for the past 5 years. This includes a total of 20 candidates between 2008-2012.Indigenous RHD Cohort: Enrolled Candidates Count and EFTSL, 2008-2013

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Number of Candidates 9 10 10 10 13 . PhD 8 9 8 6 11 . Masters 1 1 2 4 2Total Count 221 224 236 242 260% of Count 4% 4% 4% 4% 5%EFTSL 7 7.5 7.5 7.25 10

Total EFTSL150.875 164.75 168 175.25 196.5

Total EFTSL150.875 164.75 168 175.25 196.5

% of EFTSL 5% 5% 4% 4% 5%Commencing Candidates 3 0 2 2 5Completions 1 1 1

Of the 9 Indigenous HDR Candidates who were enrolled at CDU in 2008, three have completed their PhD, one is currently under examination, three are currently enrolled in 2013 and two are not currently enrolled (or no longer studying).

Of the 20 Indigenous HDR Candidates that have been enrolled at CDU between 2008-2012, three have completed their PhD and one is under examination. Of the eight that are not currently studying (or no longer studying), the maximum years studying was seven (enrolled for 6 EFTSL) and average duration was 3.3 years (enrolled for 2.5 EFTSL).

CDU’s aim is to improve participation, retention and success, primarily through improved supervision and support facilitated by a national network of ACIKE Fellows. The University is also giving priority to supporting Indigenous students in their post-doctoral phase to ensure that they have the opportunity to maximise the outcomes from their PhD.

The HDR Student ExperienceThe student experience scale presented in the NRSS Institution Summary Report (ACER 2011) suggests that the level of support and supervision at CDU is significantly lower than the national average (28.8 vs 36.2). This scale is constructed from the items: belonging in department or centre; supportive supervisor; support and direction in research; and helpful administrative and support staff.

It is important to note in this regard that one area where CDU consistently struggles in terms of student satisfaction is with integration into the research community of the school/centre/institute. This is evident again in the NRSS data where only 26.5 per cent of CDU respondents agreed with the statement “I feel like I really belong in my department/centre”. The national figure was 42.9 per cent. However, on the three other items related to supervisor

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support, research support and direction and administrative/other support, CDU fares well in terms of the proportion of respondents that agree with the statements. This is consistent with PREQ and other data. It should also be noted that a greater proportion of CDU respondents disagreed on all 4 measures though with the exception of item 1 related to integration/belonging the difference was in the range 2-4 per cent.

CDU’s PREQ data for 2011 (2010 cohort) was generally encouraging with 100 per cent of respondents reporting a positive HDR experience overall. As noted above results for infrastructure and intellectual climate are impacted to some extent by the demographic of CDU’s HDR cohort, a very significant proportion of whom are mature aged professionals who spend limited time on campus.

In 2012 a working party under CDU’s RRTC was established to develop a set of recommendations for improving the quality of the student experience and examination outcomes, including the integration of research students into the research community of the School/Institute/Centre. In addition to the recommendations, the working party developed an Operational Strategy to implement and operationalise the recommendations.

The working party identified six key drivers impacting on student integration and examination outcomes at CDU: Institutional structure; Quality of Supervision; Clarity of Roles and Responsibilities; Communication and Engagement (especially for those off campus); Submission and Examination; and Exit pathways. These drivers now frame the University’s program for continuous improvement of the HDR student experience.

In relation to increasing access, retention and completion of Indigenous Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Students, three new initiatives underpin favourable progress with this cohort. THE University will finalise its Indigenous Research Strategy in 2013, providing the necessary foundation for staff and students to lead processes of change and reform in the pursuit of excellence with respect to Indigenous research outcomes. These are likely to include the manner in which research with Indigenous people is conducted with a parallel commitment to Indigenous Researcher capacity building. Secondly, the University’s membership of the Australian Research council funded National Indigenous Research and Knowledge Network (NIRAKN) will ensure the University has access to a range of capacity building programs and activities for its Indigenous HDR students. Thirdly, the University will implement a professional development program for prospective and registered HDR Supervisors in 2013. Facilitated by philanthropic sponsorship, the program will enable the university to ensure that all registered HDR supervisors have access to professional development opportunities in understanding Indigenous research methodologies so as to attain the necessary expertise to supervise Indigenous HDR students in a culturally relevant, respectful and academic manner.

CDU also participates in the IRU also sponsored award winning High Performing Researcher Program, which applies the latest psychological and educational research to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the research higher degree study experience.

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5.3 Performance indicators and targets

The purpose of the research training performance indicators and targets is to assist the University and the Commonwealth in monitoring the University's progress against the Commonwealth's objectives and the University's strategies for research training.

The University will aim to meet the research training performance indicators and targets set out in the following table.


IndicatorsBaseline

2012




Target2016

HDR student load 175.25 190 200 210 220HDR student completions by masters

4 5 6 8 8

HDR student completions by doctorates

23 25 27 29 31

Note: All calendar year references below refer to the previous year’s data collection.Optional Performance

IndicatorsBaseline




Target2016

student satisfaction with quality of research training experience such as the Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire

100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

international HDR student load

39.5 44 46 50 54

HDR Attrition rate 5.8% 5% 5% 5% 5%

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PART SIX: GENERAL PROVISIONS6 GENERAL PROVISIONS

6.1 Compact Review

6.1.1 The Commonwealth and the University will review the compact annually. This review will be a mechanism for considering progress made towards agreed goals outlined in this compact. Compact review will aim to ensure that the Commonwealth and the University will continue to focus on key objectives and strategies and will be an opportunity to consider developments that may impact on the compact or trigger a need to change the compact.

6.1.2 To facilitate this review the Commonwealth will produce an annual Institutional Performance Portfolio and the University agrees to contribute to the annual Institutional Performance Portfolio Information Collection (IPPIC). The Commonwealth will consult with the higher education sector on the information collection requirements and any issues arising from the IPPIC process.

6.2 Privacy and information sharing

6.2.1 Subject to clause 6.2.2 below, the University acknowledges and agrees that any information it provides to the Department for the purposes of this compact, may be accessible under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 and may also be:

published by the Commonwealth in any manner in accordance with any legislative requirement;

used by the Department for any purpose of the Commonwealth, including dealings with other Commonwealth or State or territory agencies;

used in reporting to or answering questions from a Minister of State of the Commonwealth or a House or Committee of the Parliament of the Commonwealth; or

disclosed where the Commonwealth is required or permitted by law to do so.

6.2.2 The Commonwealth and the University agree to carry out their roles under this compact in accordance with any obligations they have under the Privacy Act 1988 or any state or territory law relating to the protection of personal information.

6.3 Changing the Compact

6.3.1 Either party may propose changes to this compact at any time. Any variation to this compact is to be in writing and signed by the University's, and the Commonwealth’s Representatives.

6.4 Notices

6.4.1 A party wishing to give notice under a provision of this compact:

a. must do so by sending it to the other Representative set out in clause 6.4.2; andb. must, if a response is required to the notice, set out the time in which the response is

to be given;

6.4.2 The Representatives are:

a. University RepresentativeVice-ChancellorCharles Darwin UniversityEllengowan DrDarwin, NT 0909email: [email protected]: 08 8946 6040Fax: 08 8946 7075

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b. DIICCSRTE RepresentativeDivision HeadHigher Education GroupDepartment of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary EducationGPO Box 9839Canberra ACT 2601

OR

[email protected]

6.5 Dictionary

In this compact, unless the contrary intention appears:

‘Department’ means the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education or any successor.

‘HESA’ means the Higher Education Support Act 2003 and includes any subordinate legislation or Ministerial determination made under that Act.

‘Institutional Performance Portfolio’ (IPP) is a report which provides an historical record of a university's performance based on information provided by the University and an analysis of the Higher Education Data Collections. An IPP will be prepared by the Commonwealth for the University annually using the latest available data.

‘Institutional Performance Portfolio Information Collection’ (IPPIC) is a set of Commonwealth instructions requesting that universities provide a submission to the Commonwealth, endorsed by the University's chief executive, that includes student, staff, financial and research information needed for the preparation of an Institutional Performance Portfolio for that university.

‘Minister’ means the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research.

‘Mission’ means the University’s Mission set out at Part One of this compact as amended in accordance with the variation provisions in this compact from time to time.

‘TEQSA’ means the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency.

‘Term of this compact’ means the period set out in Part B of the Context of this compact.

‘University’ means Charles Darwin University ABN 54 093 513

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mailto:[email protected]

Signed for and on behalf of the Charles Darwin University

by

…………………………………………………….. …………………………Signature Date

Professor Barney Glover

the Vice-Chancellor, Charles Darwin University

In the Presence of:

.....................................................................................

WITNESS

.....................................................................................

Full name and occupation or profession of witness (Please print)

SIGNED for and on behalf of

THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

by

…………………………………………………….. …………………………Signature Date

Mr David de Carvalhothe Head of Divisionof Higher Education Divisionof the Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education

a Delegate of the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research

In the Presence of:

.....................................................................................

WITNESS

.....................................................................................

Full name and occupation or profession of witness (Please print)

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