Indigenisation of the Criminology Curriculum: Pilot Project

Indigenisation of the criminology curriculum is necessary and complex. It is necessary to promote cognitive and social justice – to generate change in criminology and criminal justice that prevents further harm to Indigenous people. It is complex because it requires ongoing individual and institutional commitment to personal learning and curricular transformation. Rather than indigenising the curriculum unit by unit, a more holistic process can contribute to greater coherence for students as they progress through their program of study, and importantly its Indigenised components. This presentation discusses the process undertaken by a criminology team as part of a larger project in the Bachelor of Arts. It begins with an approach to developing a major-specific strategy – articulating aims, identifying areas for curriculum renewal, and setting goals for professional development. It then discusses progress to date, offering reflections on the benefits and challenges of the process so far, and concludes with proposed next steps.