Indigenous Engagement – Pro Vice Chancellor
Lead the continued development of Indigenous learning, research and engagement across the University.
The Brief
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- A University had already advertised the Pro Vice Chancellor position, with no successful candidate to date, therefore engaged Fisher Leadership to supplement the candidate pool via a thorough executive search process.
- Ability to unite Indigenous staff and students, growing numbers and increasing cohesion to grow confidence and research capacity.
- Understanding of Indigenous cultures and societies and the ability to partner sensitively with the community.
- Strategic leadership skills and experience in operational management.
- Innovative and able to foster links with research, business and industry communities, with a strong personal research record.
Solution Building
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- Detailed research and mapping covered high calibre potential candidates in similar positions at Australian universities and tertiary education institutions.
- Our team reached out to individuals across these networks, engaging in dialogue to ascertain advice and recommendations of potential candidates,. These potential candidates were then encouraged to apply and were interviewed by Fisher Leadership consultants to evaluate their fit with the requirements and culture of the University.
- An online advertising campaign supplemented the search and included higher education and Indigenous websites.
- Market feedback indicated a competitive field, with eight other universities having recently appointed senior Indigenous roles or were currently in market.
- A positive response to the opportunity yielded a longlist of 10.
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The Outcome
Five applicants were selected for interview, of whom four were female, one male and including one internal candidate. Candidates presented on their vision for Indigenous education, research and engagement in the context of the University’s strategy document.
A proud First Nations woman was appointed to the role, bringing over 35 years’ experience in nursing, teaching, lecturing and research. The successful candidate is widely credited for increasing the uptake of Indigenous-centred research and decolonisation methods in Australia and recognising colonisation as the primary determinant of Indigenous health.