Young and Smith on ‘Who Built This Fence? Regenerating Faculty Landscapes for Lasting Educational Reform'

Professor Simon Young and Kirstie Smith of the University of Southern Queensland School of Law and Justice have published a new paper titled 'Who Built This Fence? Regenerating Faculty Landscapes for Lasting Educational Reform'.  The article appears as a book chapter in Nicole Watson and Heather Douglas (eds), Legal Education through an Indigenous Lens: Decolonising the Law School (Routledge, 2024).  Here is the abstract:

"This chapter offers tactics to address obstacles to incorporating Indigenous knowledge and building First Nations student support at a young regional law school. Viewing structural reform as a critical early step in achieving sustainable pedagogical advances, the chapter proposes means of breaking institutions away from the old exclusionary habits of law and education by advocating for changes to be made at the grassroots level. The chapter discusses a range of methods for these purposes: building relevant connections and reciprocal collaborations (with communities, the profession, alumni and other parts of the university); collecting and curating resources; ensuring First Nations’ visibility in physical and digital spaces; illustrating a sustained commitment to First Nations issues in public lectures and seminars; identifying new pathways and opportunities for students; embracing the inter-disciplinary nature of many First Nations issues; and understanding where expert First Nations advice and leadership are required."