SDG10 Reduced Inequalities

The CQUniversity Office of Indigenous Engagement (OIE) plays a pivotal role at CQUniversity in providing leadership to improve higher education outcomes for Indigenous Australians. The office drives informed policy development to influence the way in which the University provides higher education, training, research opportunities and engagement that expresses a deliberate destiny for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Indigenous Student Engagement Team provides advice about a number of support services available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students including:

• Free tutoring support
• Financial guidance
• Cultural advocacy
• Safe learning support
• Basic course information, and more.

Student Support Services are available for all students including those from underrepresented groups such as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Island students, international students and students with disabilities.

Services include:

• Welfare Support
• Career Support
• Academic Support
• Campus Support

CQUniversity has dedicated employees available to assist with any equity or diversity requirement including our Equity Program Officers and Student Access and Equity Manager. To reach out to the Program Officers, contact the Equity and Diversity Office.

CQUniversity developed an online micro-credential which explores what it means to work in a diverse workplace and introduces the roles of leadership, valuing individual and group differences and promoting a culturally diverse and harmonious workplace.

Our Student Mentors are existing CQU students who volunteer their time to help new and continuing students transition to life and study at university.

From study hacks or café recommendations to insight on additional support services available to you at CQU, our Student Mentors provide helpful advice on a variety of student-related topics.

CQUni is dedicated to creating a safe and supportive atmosphere for all students with a zero tolerance approach to bullying and discrimination. As part of this, we have implemented an Ally Program to promote acceptance and understanding for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) students.

There is an Ally Network on Moodle as a connection point for any student who would like to be involved, with resources, links, and forums. It is a place for students to access support and get in contact with an Ally.

• Widening Participation Strategy - CQUniversity has a widening participation strategy that aims to promote higher education to low socioeconomic, regional and remote, and indigenous school students and sees our CQUni Connect team partnering with schools to deliver programs outreach programs.
• Choices Program - CQUniversity students engage with police and community stakeholders in delivering a theatre production called Choices to year 12 high school students as part of the preparation for post year 12 celebrations.
• First Lego League - First Lego League Challenge is a competition catering to upper-primary and lower-secondary school students. Every year, teams of up to 10 students build, program and compete with a robot, while also learning about a modern problem in science and engineering and developing solutions for it.
• Safety Circus – conveys road safety and personal safety messages to year 3 school students. This product has been operating since 2012.
• PreQUIP - Year 10 Indigenous students attended CQUni as part of their career development to investigate potential career opportunities in the region.
• Queensland Virtual STEM Academy - Students from several schools were lucky enough to access seagrass meadows and coral rock pools to collect seagrass seeds, assisting with the research CMERC are currently undertaking as well as experiencing some hands-on STEM activities on the barge.
• RoboCup Junior Competition - CQUniversity was proud to support the next generation of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) enthusiasts at the recent RoboCup Junior competition in Mackay. By exposing school-aged kids to STEM and giving them opportunities to explore its concepts, they will hopefully develop a passion for it and pursue a job in a related field.
• Townsville Campus Science Experience - CQUniversity Townsville played host to over a dozen high school students this week for the Townsville Campus Science Experience. Year 9 and 10 students from across the region travelled to attend the three-day event for the opportunity to explore a range of scientific fields, including Virtual Reality, Biodiversity and Data Analysis.
• CQ Conservatorium of Music Summer Spectacular-  – The interactive drama program saw Mackay secondary drama students work with guest director Dale Pengelly to hone their theatre skills in a one-week intensive workshop.
• CQ Junior Robotics Competition – Open to school students in years 4 – 12 within the Central Queensland region, CQUniversity hosts the CQ Junior Robotics Competition and it provides a fun environment for students to develop pivotal skills in problem-solving, creativity, critical thinking and teamwork.
• Educating Kids  about Agriculture QLD - The Agri-Tech team travelled to North Queensland as part of the Kids to Farm project to increase primary school aged children's understanding of agriculture and its importance on Australia's way of life.
• RACE - Gippsland will deliver a range of hands-on, interactive, and engaging activities to primary and secondary students focused on raising aspirations in agriculture and building student capacity in STEM, digital technologies, agribusiness, manufacturing and food and fibre concepts.
• Principal's Recommendation Scheme - Our Principal’s Recommendation Scheme is an early offer scheme that allows Year 12 students to apply to an undergraduate CQUniversity course based on the recommendation of their high school Principal rather than ATAR.

• Project Booyah - CQUniversity is a training partner in Project Booyah which provides educational opportunities for at-risk young people. It is a partnership between CQUniversity and the Queensland Police Force
• Smith Family Learning for Life program – CQUniversity partners with The Smith Family to deliver the Learning for Life Program. The Smith Family is a charity that supports financially disadvantaged young people with assistance in maintaining their educational aspirations. The University is working with Rockhampton and Mackay Learning for Life staff to open up pathways to higher education for scholarship families, through information sessions and by supplying families with university program and scholarship information.
• Seagrass: Citizen Scientist Program - This initiative engages volunteer community members to collect seagrass flowers in Gladstone Harbour, for the final harvest of the season.  This is part of the Sea Flowers: Growing Community Engagement for Seagrass Restoration Project and teaches volunteers how to work together to ensure the restoration of the vital flora.
• Parasites in the Wild - Citizen Scientist Program - Participants developed a project plan addressing a hypothesis through the scientific method. Participants collected and identified ticks using field and laboratory equipment and easy-to-understand identification keys. Citizen Scientists will be able to get hands-on in the design and construction of laboratory and field equipment, including tick traps.
• WinTECH Society - The Women in Technology (WinTECH) Society has developed free online workshops teaching students skills in data science using Excel and Python software. The workshops encourage students to choose STEM career paths.
• CQUniversity Gladstone’s STEM Central - It’s a state-of-the-art experience that takes science, technology, engineering and mathematics out of the classroom and into the real world, one of the highlights of STEM Central has been the diversity of people who use of the facility – from five-year-old children getting their first experience of flying a drone, primary and high school groups from right across the region, then Indigenous elders, and even senior citizens.
• Mission Australia Coffee Van Partnership - A hospitality training partnership between CQUniversity and Mission Australia will help provide valuable skills and employment opportunities to people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage in Cairns.
• Student Health Clinics -Our Student Health Clinics operate in Rockhampton, Mackay, Sydney, and Brisbane. These clinics are a collaboration between health care practitioners and our students to deliver local health services in oral health, speech pathology, physiotherapy, podiatry, and chiropractic services.
• Australian Defence Force Reservists - In the past year, several CQUniversity employees have been deployed with the ADF Reserves in response to the national bushfire crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. CQUniversity’s commitment to supporting staff to engage in such activity led to it being announced as the 2020 Defence Reserve Employer Support Award winner under the not-for-profit organisation category.

Studying abroad for a year, term or even just a couple of weeks is a very rewarding and educational experience. You will have opportunities to travel, make friends from around the world, enhance your employment prospects and possibly even learn another language. Above all, you will gain a fresh perspective on the world around you. We are all part of an increasingly globalised world and international study will give you a cultural awareness and life experience that will set you apart from your peers.

Due to the impact of Covid-19, the Global Outreach programs available for students at CQUniversity were interrupted in 2021 however students are excited to be able to restart these projects when available.

• GGC Volunteers LTD: Our Physiotherapy students, all funded under the Federal Government's New Colombo Plan, visited Vietnam and conducted clinics and therapy sessions within 10 different youth centres, charity clinics or schools.
• Nepal's Fishtail Hospital: CQUniversity Bachelor shadowed staff at Nepal's Fishtail Hospital. Exposing them to areas such as paediatrics, intensive care, medical and surgical, theatre, maternity, outpatient clinics, renal dialysis, accident and emergency, and medical imaging. They also provided health assessments and education to locals in rural villages.
• Malaysian Theatre Production: Performing the joint production of Chess The Musical by CQUniversity's Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music and the Bentley Music Academy of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
• Cambodian Children's Fund: CQUniversity Oral Health students provided dental services to impoverished children at schools during their trip to Cambodia. The project was run by the Cambodian Children's Fund and the People Improvement Organisation.
• Antipodeans Abroad: Thailand's Rachawadee disability centres recently welcomed 16 of CQUniversity's Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Exercise and Sports Science students. Students were able to work in multidisciplinary teams to work with residents who have a variety of significant physical disabilities and learning difficulties.
• Wild Medic Project: Nine CQUniversity Paramedic students and two lecturers travelled to Nepal to assist with priority screening at a remote health clinic

This policy and procedure is a non-discriminatory policy designed to meet the University’s admissions requirements, academic policies, quality assurance standards, accreditation requirements and relevant administrative systems.

This procedure ensures a consistent, timely and merit-based recruitment and selection process is used to attract quality employees to CQUniversity. Special measures are taken to recruit staff and faculty from underrepresented groups (refer to Clause 3.6 and 3.7 of this Procedure).

This policy and procedure provides a framework and information for University employees to appropriately resolve alleged cases of workplace harassment (excluding sexual harassment), workplace bullying, and unlawful discrimination.

This policy and procedure provides a framework and information for University employees on how to appropriately resolve alleged cases of sexual harassment.

This procedure informs and assists CQUniversity students with disability on how to access specialised support services, assistive technologies, equipment and other reasonable adjustments.

This procedure informs and assists CQUniversity employees with disability on how to access specialised support services, assistive technologies, equipment and other reasonable adjustments, to ensure equitable access to employment opportunities, training, promotion, services and facilities.

This policy and procedure provides a framework for the provisions of workplace rehabilitation to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of CQUniversity employees whose ability to carry out their duties is affected by any physical and/or psychological, work-related or non-work-related injury or illness.

This policy outlines the legislative requirements that underpin a range of equity-related policy documents and programs at CQUniversity. The University is dedicated to providing an environment that upholds the principles of social justice, equity, diversity and social inclusion without fear of discrimination, harassment or bullying, where all students, employees and others participating in our community are treated with dignity, courtesy and respect. It strives to build a vibrant community that respects the inherent dignity of the individual and values the unique knowledge, skills, abilities, life skills and competencies that each person can contribute to learning and workplace culture.

Bundaberg, QLD residents living with a disability will be able to access local beaches and enhance their lives through movement thanks to the Universal Beach Access Hub (U-Beach). U-Beach is a project driven by CQUniversity, in collaboration with Bundaberg Regional Council, Surf Lifesaving Queensland, Community Lifestyle Support, and Rotary Bundaberg Region, as well as local education providers and sporting clubs.

The CQUniversity clinical project that uses electrical stimulation to improve the lives of those living with spinal cord injuries has been named a finalist in the Bionics Challenge 2021.

Led by CQUniversity Lecturer in Neurological Physiotherapy Dr Vanesa Bochkezanian, the Electrical Stimulation (E-Stim) treatment aims to increase muscle mass, reduce spasticity and improve overall physical health. The project uses electrical stimulation to improve the lives of those living with spinal cord injuries and has been named a finalist in the Bionics Challenge 2021.

CQUniversity has delivered a series of sector leading programs that have increased the access, participation and success of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in vocational and higher education. Our aim is to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by delivering education, training and research that improves lives and offers pathways to meaningful careers.

Our vision for reconciliation is for all Australians working together to address injustice and provide equality of opportunity, and to develop a tertiary education sector that truly embraces the knowledges, leadership and strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan July 2022 - July 2024 is an important step in meeting our vision.