Community Engagement

Wollotuka values its links with Indigenous Communities and with the wider Australian and international communities.  Wollotuka staff foster these links by committing time and resources to visiting Indigenous communities, by contributing expertise to boards and committees, by undertaking collaborative research, by presenting papers at conferences, by hosting public lectures and by sponsoring international visits.

A Community Engagement Portfolio has been established to further foster links with Community.  The primary roles of the portfolio are to engage with on and off campus community/education partners in relation to the roles and functions of Wollotuka and the University of Newcastle.  The Community Engagement team is lead by proud Darkinjung Woman, Madelene Davy. Madelene has a wealth of experience working within Aboriginal communities, particulary her own community on the Central Coast. Madelene is also a trained early childhood teacher.

Community Engagement Officer

Joe Griffin is an Awabakal man from the local community in Newcastle. Joe works from the Callaghan campus with local community as well as the wider footprint areas of Newcastle University. Joe promotes university study to Aboriginal communities by participating in events such as careers markets, pathways awards and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community events.

School 2 University (S2U) Program

The Portfolio drives a strong Year 7 - 12 school program across the catchment areas of Newcastle, Central Coast, Mid North Coast and Western NSW, providing students with a gainful insight into University life including pathways of entry as well as providing an awareness of who they are as Indigenous people contributing to a strong cultural affirmation. Three staff work within this program - Noarelle Heise at the Callaghan Campus; Stuart McMinn at the Ourimbah Campus and Karen Moran at the Port Macquarie Campus.