The School of Indigenous Studies has been discontinued after the University of Divinity announced its decision to close it immediately.
The school offered education and research, including in the fields of theology and ministry, led by and for First Nations people.
Vice-chancellor James McLaren said in a statement the University Council decided the school’s financial model was not sustainable in the current higher education environment.
Professor McLaren said it was a difficult decision that carried additional gravity after the result of the 2023 constitutional referendum for an Indigenous Voice.
He said the council affirmed the university’s strategic goals relating to Indigenous theologies.
The National Tertiary Education Union said it was appalled and profoundly disappointed at the decision.
NTEU Chair of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy Committee Dr Sharlene Leroy-Dyer said Indigenous students were one of the most under-represented groups across Australia’s higher education sector.
“This announcement by the University of Divinity will undermine the years of work undertaken by the Reverend Dr Garry Deverell and others, to build the profile of the University of Divinity amongst the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” Dr Leroy-Dyer said in a statement.
The University of Divinity has been contacted for comment.
