Indigenous graduation rates up at Sask Polytechnic
A serious focus on improving Indigenous student graduation rates at Sask Polytechnic is paying off with a shrinking gap between them and the overall student population at the institution.
Across the province last year, 854 Indigenous students graduated, up from 716 the year before, said Jason Seright, director of the Aboriginal strategy that’s being implemented at campuses in Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw and Regina.
The Indigenous graduation rate jumped to 61 per cent from 56 per cent the year before, compared to the steady 76 per cent for the institution overall.
The long-standing 19 per cent gap between Indigenous students and the overall student body has fallen to 15 per cent, Seright said.
The improvement is the result of a four-year effort that was affirmed on Tuesday when president Larry Rosia and Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations signed an agreement to continue supporting students’ success.
“There’s a commitment here for us to continue with open dialogue, talking to one another and receiving feedback on how each other are doing, all in the spirit of doing what’s best for our students,” Rosia said.
Sask Polytechnic has gathering spaces at all campuses geared to Indigenous students, where they can meet with one of the six elders who work in the system, smudge with sweetgrass or use computers and study “in a space where they feel safe and welcome,” Rosia said.
Tuesday’s agreement will open communication between Indigenous students and the institution via their leaders, Cameron said.
“Our goal is to ensure our students who are exercising their treaty right to education at this institution can succeed.”
Indigenous enrolment has also nudged up to 3,670, or 19 per cent of students, compared to 18 per cent five years ago.
A committee that includes heads of the six schools within Polytechnic, as well as two external, Indigenous members, two Indigenous staff members and an Indigenous student meets regularly to make recommendations to remove barriers and improve success.
“It’s very important. Indigenous people want to be consulted, they want to be heard. It’s not them sitting outside the meeting room or at another table, it’s them being involved in that process,” Seright said.