The University of Melbourne has come under fire for appointing non-Indigenous academics to senior roles focused on Aboriginal studies, at the same time as acknowledging it is “ill-equipped” to handle allegations of institutional racism.
The fresh criticism follows the resignation of Dr Eddie Cubillo – a Larrakia, Wadjigan and Central Arrernte man – from his role as part-time associate dean and senior fellow at the university’s prestigious Melbourne Law School (MLS).
Cubillo continues to lead the university’s Indigenous Law and Justice Hub but alleged the law school was “the most culturally unsafe place” he’d worked.
In an email sent to staff last week, the deputy vice-chancellor (Indigenous), Barry Judd, said Cubillo’s experiences showed current processes were “ill-equipped” to deal with “the complex issues raised by allegations of racism in the workplace”.
“As an organisation we have to do better,” he wrote.
A petition calling for the better treatment of First Nations staff and students at the law school has attracted more than 1,200 signatures – including from dozens of leading academics.
“The failure of the institution to take meaningful action on, listen to, and support First Nations staff and students is unacceptable,” the petition states. It calls for a First Nations-led standing committee on anti-racism and a permanent role for an Indigenous advocate and liaison officer.
Signatories include the chief executive of the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence, Jason Glanville, First Nations lawyer Teela Reid, the Sisters Inside CEO, Debbie Kilroy, the director of Murrup Barak at the University of Melbourne, Inala Cooper, and the chief executive of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, Nerita Waight.
Students say the issues that led to Cubillo’s resignation are “systemic” and there needs to be a broader examination of how Indigenous staff and students are treated at the University of Melbourne.
Dozens protested outside the law school last week – less than a month after the university released its sweeping four-year Indigenous strategy Murmuk Djerring.
Amanda Porter, an associate professor in criminology and criminal law, was one of three other First Nations staff members to resign from the law school earlier this year.
Other former staff members say the problems extend beyond MLS.
The Indigenous Knowledge Institute, founded in late 2020 to advance Indigenous research and education, is headed by Aaron Corn, who is a “long-term collaborator” with Indigenous leaders.
A University of Melbourne (UoM) academic who wanted to remain anonymous said the appointment of a non-Indigenous academic as the inaugural head of a department wholly dedicated to Indigenous knowledge was “one of the big catalysts” for the recent exits of First Nations staff.
“There was no shortage of [Indigenous] talent and it wasn’t a one-off,” they said.
Zena Cumpston, a Barkandji woman and former research fellow at the university, said it was common for non-Indigenous “experts” rather than Indigenous academics to be placed in senior roles advising on community and teaching Indigenous subjects.
Cumpston quit in August last year. She said she experienced significant mental distress linked to her treatment at the university and said she felt that anyone who spoke out against hiring policies was “carved off as an individual problem”.
While she was in the science faculty, Cumpston was asked to join its Indigenous advisory body for no extra pay. She was shocked to find the advisory panel was mostly comprised of non-Indigenous academics.
“Our elders and communities have fought for these upper-level positions for decades – the fundamental basics of self-determination – and here’s a trend for positions with the word ‘Indigenous’ to be filled by ‘experts’, taking us back decades,” Cumpston said.
The UoM has one of the highest employment rates of Indigenous staff members in the nation with more than 100 First Nations academic staff.
A spokesperson said the university was committed to addressing Indigenous disadvantage through employment opportunities.
“Where non-Indigenous academics and staff are appointed to senior roles in Indigenous knowledge, it is done with the full support of the university’s Indigenous leadership,” they said. Corn was contacted for comment.
But Cumpston – who held short-term and part-time contracts – said the key was “reciprocal benefit to the community”.
“No one spoke to me about my academic future … they think we are so in deficit we can’t ‘perform’ at the level needed to be ‘proper’ academics, so they don’t bother,” she said.
Another former academic, who began at the University of Melbourne in a cohort of Koori doctoral students, said she faced a “difficult environment” but continued teaching at the institution.
“Eventually a permanent position became available which some of us applied for,” she said.
“The Indigenous academic who ran our [Indigenous studies] school gave this position – to teach our culture and histories – to a white academic against the wishes of many in our university and the broader Koori community.”
The academic left the university at the end of 2020 and other Indigenous colleagues did too, she said.
“The opportunity to be in these spaces has been hard-won by the people who came before us. These gains [are being] squandered. It’s not a safe space for young Blak academics at all.”
Nic Radoll worked for seven months at the University of Melbourne as its Indigenous engagement and outreach coordinator before resigning late in 2022.
Radoll, a non-binary and queer Anaiwan person, said it was the “worst experience” of their career. They sent an email when resigning arguing Indigenous staff were under-appreciated and subjects were labelled as being “Indigenous-run” despite key decisions being made by non-Indigenous staff.
“When I raised issues … I was told that I ‘don’t exhibit any leadership qualities and will never go anywhere’ at the university,” they said.
“I was told to ‘reduce my expectations’ and that ‘it takes time to make change’ so I should just do what I get told to do. It’s a killer for mental health.”
The University of Melbourne said it was aware of and “deeply concerned by” cultural safety issues raised by some Indigenous staff.
“Those experiences have challenged us to consider what we are doing to address Indigenous cultural safety and to demonstrate that racism is not tolerated,” the spokesperson said.
“Creating an environment where Indigenous staff feel supported to thrive is a top priority for the university. There is much more work to do but we have made progress.”
They cited the university’s first anti-racism commitment and anti-racism action plan – which included anti-racism training – and a forthcoming mandatory Indigenous cultural education program for staff.
The Murmuk Djerring strategy includes an apology for colonisation and institutional racism that had “tainted” the institution since its foundation – and a target to reach 350 Indigenous staff members by 2025.
It also promises to articulate the “contested history” of the university, including its complicity with eugenics and scientific racism, and possible connections to slavery.
Keshi Moore, the Indigenous student representative at the MLS who led the recent protests, said Cubillo’s 25 years of expertise was “overlooked unless it served the university’s public image”.
“Dr Cubillo is not the only academic who has endured this,” she said.
“Three other Indigenous staff members have left due to continual violations of their physical, emotional and cultural health.”
