Tour of duty: (re)positioning senior Indigenous leadership roles in the Australian higher education sector

Over the last decade most Australian universities have incorporated a senior Indigenous position into their leadership structure, bringing immense value to institutions and significantly impacting all areas of university business. While the introduction of such positions is seen as a commitment to improving outcomes for Indigenous staff, students and the broader community, little is known about how they are situated within the sector. This paper reports on qualitative data collected from 14 senior Indigenous leaders. It examines the physical location on campus of senior Indigenous leaders, their inclusion at executive tables and their relationship with other members of the executive and highlights some critical problems in the sector where many Indigenous leaders remain marginalised or are viewed as holding tokenistic positions. By drawing on Indigenous Theory of Place to underscore institutional racism, we have an opportunity to address these issues and bring Indigenous leadership centre and forefront of university business.