Centre for Indigenous Studies

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Born and raised in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, Professor Jeannie Herbert is currently the Foundation Chair of Indigenous Studies at Charles Sturt University in New South Wales. Prior to taking up this position at CSU, her long engagement in the sector included:

• Vice-Chancellor of the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE) in the Northern Territory (2006-2009);
• Chair of Indigenous Australian Studies at James Cook University (JCU) in north Queensland (2001-2006);
• Head of the School of Indigenous Australian Studies at JCU (1998-2002);
• Director Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Participation, Research and Development at JCU (1997);
• Director of the Oorala Aboriginal Centre at UNE in New South Wales (1996-97).

One of her most significant achievements in the university sector was providing the visionary leadership that led to the Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Participation, Research and Development (CATSIPRD) at James Cook University becoming the School of Indigenous Australian Studies (SIAS) in January 1998, thus positioning Indigenous education and people within the formal academic structure of that university.

Her work in the tertiary sector is the culmination of a long career in education that has included experience as a:

• classroom teacher P-12, VET and university sectors - 20+ years;
• educational administrator, schooling VET and HE sectors, including P-12 Guidance Officer - 10+ years;
• private educational and training consultant undertaking range of educational and training projects and evaluations such as Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET) national Gender and Violence Project - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues, which was part of the federal government's Stop Violence Against Women community education program and the evaluation of the national ACCI Aboriginal Employment Strategy; and
• researcher including her PhD study that focused on Indigenous success in education and provided valuable insights into Indigenous Australian notions of success within the context of Indigenous engagement within the Australian university.

Research

Prof. Herbert was a member of the Queensland Indigenous Education Consultative Body (QIECB) that commissioned 7 research projects to investigate various aspects of Indigenous education, including: Teacher Education; Completion of Schooling to Year 12; Community Capacity Building; Pre-School Education in Independent Indigenous Community Pre-Schools; Pre-School Education for Indigenous students in State Pre-Schools; Standard Australian English and Languages for Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students; Accountability: Inclusive assessment, monitoring and reporting. These projects represented a major contribution to the data that enabled members of the QIECB to develop and publish their "Position Paper on Schooling and Teacher Education", a paper that subsequently provided the Queensland Minister for Education and the Australian Government Minister for Education and Training, with informed advice on the state of Indigenous education, in Queensland, in 2003.

In recognition of her research in Indigenous education, Prof. Herbert was awarded the prestigious Betty Watts Award by the Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) in 2005. Her paper entitled "Owning the Discourse: Seizing the Power!" was presented at the AARE 2005 Conference, "Education Research: Creative Dissent: Constructive Solutions" held at The University of Western Sydney, Parramatta Campus, Sydney, NSW, Australia in November, 2005.

Prof. Herbert was a co-author of the Indigenous Boys' Module in "Success For Boys", a professional development package, developed through a collaborative partnership between James Cook University and Curriculum Corporation, funded by DEST.

In recognition of her "research, teaching and leadership, and her significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge in Indigenous education and to the advancement of JCU as a provider of Indigenous Higher Education", Prof. Herbert was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Educational Studies from James Cook University in 2008.

Professional Engagement

• Chair of Dare to Lead National Steering Committee to Principals Australia Inc. (since 2008).
• Member of YALP Advisory Board, Australia (since 2008).
• Member of National ACER Standing Committee on Indigenous Education (since 2007); and
• Indigenous representative on the PISA-TIMSS-PIRLS National Advisory Committee.