Ain't no mountain high enough : perceived impact of Senior Indigenous Leadership on aspiring of Indigenous academics within Australian universities

Due to a long history of exclusion and marginalization, Indigenous Australians have been under-represented at senior levels across the 39 Australian universities until recent times. While the number of senior Indigenous leadership positions across the sector is steadily increasing, these positions have not been empirically investigated until now. The Walan Mayiny: Indigenous Leadership in Higher Education project commenced in 2018, with the aim to examine the roles, responsibilities and subsequent contributions of senior Indigenous leaders within Australian universities. This paper reports on findings from one component of the Walan Mayiny study, which seeks to understand the impact of senior Indigenous leaders in higher education from the perspectives of Indigenous academics. The varying levels of engagement between Indigenous academics and their senior Indigenous leader is examined. This paper also reports on the perceptions Indigenous academics have in regard to their own career progression and the role senior Indigenous leaders play in ensuring there are opportunities for career progression. The findings also highlight the varying opinions Indigenous academics hold in relation to the qualifications and experience required to fulfil a senior Indigenous leadership position. Finally, implications of these findings are discussed.