Indigenous academics are being invited to participate in new research aimed at helping universities reduce 'colonial load'.
The study, led by Arrernte woman Dr Vicki Pascoe, an academic at CQUniversity, seeks to evaluate how Indigenous academics are managing the burden of colonial work within regional Australian universities.
Dr Pascoe explained that while universities are making efforts to decolonise curricula and increase Indigenous representation through Reconciliation Action Plans and other initiatives, these efforts often place additional strain on a small number of Indigenous staff.
The term 'colonial load' refers to the expectation placed on Indigenous people to help address systemic injustices caused by colonisation, often through initiatives led by non-Indigenous Australians.
"Colonial load is increasing as the number of Indigenous staff is declining, making succession planning difficult," Dr Pascoe said.
The research targets regional universities, which have higher proportions of Indigenous academics.
The project aims to assess the health and wellbeing impacts of these increased demands on Indigenous staff and explore ways to support leadership pathways.
Survey questions will address the frequency with which Indigenous academics are asked to provide advice on community engagement, course content, and cultural practices, such as performing Welcome to Country or Acknowledgement of Country.
Dr Pascoe hopes the research will provide a "welfare check" on those managing the increasing demands of colonial load, identify successful support systems, and understand what factors lead some Indigenous academics to leave the sector.
She also highlighted the persistence of racist attitudes, referencing recent incidents, such as the removal of YES signs for the Referendum on campus.
"Even recently, seeing staff display YES signs on campus for the Referendum, and then someone coming along and ripping them down – it's still disappointing to know those attitudes are out there," she said.
Indigenous academics working at regional universities can anonymously share their experiences through an online survey.
They can also opt to participate in follow-up interviews to provide further insights.
The research, funded by an internal CQUniversity grant, is being conducted in collaboration with Dr Cassy Dittman and Dr Chris Doran, fellow CQUniversity academics, as part of the Manna Institute.
The institute focuses on addressing mental health needs in regional Australia. PhD candidate Nadia Cowperthwaite is also supporting the study.
