Gathering Insight and Embedding Workplace Improvements for Indigenous Staff at Western Sydney University

This project invited Indigenous staff at Western Sydney University (WSU) to offer insight and reflection on their perceptions and experiences of the University's workplace culture. Specifically, the research focused on progress made by WSU's current Indigenous Strategy (2020–2025) and recent changes made by the Division of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Leadership. These changes include the introduction of new initiatives and supports for Indigenous staff, students and community, as well as updates to WSU policy and practice that are designed to promote and embed Indigenous excellence. This research aimed to assess whether and how these changes are having impact and to scope further refinements that may be required to advance workplace equity for Indigenous staff at WSU.

This research demonstrates clear and convincing evidence of progress in advancing Indigenous equity at WSU since the launch and implementation of the Indigenous Strategy (2020–2025) and the establishing of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Leadership portfolio. WSU's Indigenous staff voices profiled within this report describe increased feelings of confidence, empowerment and autonomy, greater feelings of cultural safety, enhanced cultural and professional knowledge, feeling more supported and nurtured in their careers, and a strengthened feeling of togetherness among Indigenous staff, students and community. In doing so, these voices evidence transformational culture change at WSU, brought about by elevating senior Indigenous people in the governance of the University, underwritten by an ambitious and visionary strategy instrument.

Indigenous staff collaborators across this report detail where recent policy and practice changes are having most impact (embedding cultural recognition, building community, shoring up career progression, and improved non-Indigenous staff cultural awareness) but also identify areas for further improvement (colonial load, more growth in Indigenous employment, enhanced student support, non-Indigenous staff engagement with Indigenous priorities, and non-Indigenous cultural competence). As such, the research highlights a critical opportunity for WSU to embed sustainable culture change at the University into the future. This sustainable change can be achieved through the ongoing resourcing of Indigenous priorities, a continued and more widespread commitment to valuing Indigenous cultures, knowledges and ways of being, and by continuing to enshrine Indigenous cultural values within the institutional context.