Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme

The Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ITAS) is a specialised tutorial program established by the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education (DIISRTE) It provides funding to Murrup Barak to employ qualified tutors who work one-to-one with enrolled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to assist students with their academic studies. This service is provided free to Indigenous students.

Eligibility

All Indigenous students enrolled at the University of Melbourne are encouraged to apply for the ITAS Academic Excellence Program. To be eligible, you must satisfy the following criteria:

• Be an Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander person.
• Enrolled in a formal course of study leading to a certificate, diploma, degree, or other qualification at the University.
• Or be accepted for enrolment in a course that commences within one month of lodging an application for assistance.
• Be assessed as being in need of tutorial assistance, by an appropriate representative of the institution.

The amount of tuition you can receive is based on funding and need. Undergraduate students are eligible for two (2) hours tuition per subject per week and an additional five (5) hours each semester (in total, not per subject) for exam preparation.

How to Apply

To apply for tuition through the ITAS Academic Excellence Program, use the online system to complete your application.The best time to apply is before semester begins so that we can meet with you and find a suitable tutor to work with you as soon as possible. However, there is no time limit on when you can apply. You can apply for an ITAS Academic Excellence Program tutor at any time during the academic year.

When your application has been completed online, Murrup Barak will then pair you with a suitable qualified tutor for your selected subjects. Once you have been matched with a tutor you will receive an email with the Tutor information so that you can arrange to meet with your tutor and begin your tutoring. Please note: Tutoring cannot begin without the written permission of Murrup Barak, even if a tutor has worked as an ITAS Academic Excellence Program tutor in previous semesters.

The ITAS Academic Excellence Program is a prestigious opportunity for tutors who wish to build on their current successful tutoring role within faculties and departments. Tutor’s professional development is an important consideration within the program with specialist cultural awareness training, one-on-one tutor training and on-going support provided.

Tutor recruitment is managed within each faculty and/or departments and positions are advertised along with other tutor positions before the beginning of semester 1 and semester 2 each year.

If you are selected as a faculty or department tutor, and you have indicated your interest in the ITAS Academic Excellence Program Tutor role, a casual contract will be submitted to HR from a Murrup Barak staff member. You will also be invited to attend a specialist tutor training day held in Orientation week and also the first week of Semester 2 for all new Tutors starting in the 2^nd semester. Once you casual contract has been submitted and approve you will be given access to the ITAS online system, where you will create an ITAS Tutoring account. The ITAS system is used to match students and tutors together, create work plans and submit tutorial hours.

• ITAS Tutor Guide for using the online system and themis. 

Tutor FAQs:

Who can be an ITAS Academic Excellence Program Tutor?

ITAS Academic Excellence Tutors must have a minimum of third-year level tertiary study with demonstrated high level academic achievement. Most tutors are postgraduate students that are already engaged as tutors within their faculty or department. The ITAS Academic Excellence Program is a prestigious opportunity to build on their current successful tutoring role at the University of Melbourne.

Key knowledge, skills and attributes of ITAS Tutors include:

• Experience teaching; tutoring or mentoring students at undergraduate level, experience teaching at the University of Melbourne is highly regarded;
• Highly developed organisational, interpersonal and communication skills;
• A demonstrated understanding or ability to rapidly acquire an understanding of the issues that impact on Indigenous Australians undertaking University studies.

It is desirable that tutors have previous experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in an education environment. For more information, including special requirements, please refer to the Casual ITAS Academic Excellence Program Duty Statement.

What subjects will I tutor in?

ITAS Academic Excellence Program Tutors only tutor subjects in which they have a demonstrated high level of achievement. For example, if you have expressed interest and have experience tutoring first year Physics, you will not be asked to tutor students in Biology or Primary Education.

Can I still be an ITAS Academic Excellence Program Tutor if I haven’t worked one-to-one with Indigenous students before?

Tutors who are Indigenous or who have previous experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will be highly regarded, however, it is not essential. If you have an understanding or ability to rapidly acquire an understanding of the issues that impact on Indigenous Australians undertaking University studies, you may still apply.

Tutor’s professional development is an important consideration within the program and we offer specialist cultural awareness and one-on-one tutor training (co-developed by the Academic Skills Unit and Murrup Barak), as well as on-going support. All training is paid and tutor’s contributions to enhancing the educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled at the University of Melbourne are formally recognised at an event hosted by Murrup Barak and the Office for Student Equity.

How do I apply for work as an ITAS Academic Excellence Program Tutor?

Tutor recruitment is managed within each faculty and/or department and positions are advertised in early February each year. If you are interested in becoming an ITAS Academic Excellence Program tutor, we encourage you to contact the relevant staff in your department. For more information about the role, please read the Casual ITAS Academic Excellence Program Tutor Duty Statement.

Please note: Participation in the training does not guarantee employment as a tutor with Murrup Barak. Tutoring cannot begin without the written permission of Murrup Barak, even if you worked as an ITAS Academic Excellence Program tutor in previous semesters.

When do I apply?

The best time to apply is early February (before the start of the academic year), when the faculties and departments recruit their tutors. However you can express interest at any time.

How much work is available?

The amount of work available for tutors is difficult to predict and varies according to:

• The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled in the discipline / subject areas tutors propose to work in, the number of tutors in that area, the amount of ITAS support requested by the students and approved by Murrup Barak. and the amount of ITAS funding available.

Eligible students are entitled to a maximum of two hours per week per subject, although most students choose not to use all the tutorial hours to which they may be entitled for every subject in which they are enrolled.

Students are also entitled to an increase of five (5) additional hours (in total, not per subject) during examination preparation breaks.

When can I start tutoring?

Tutoring must not commence until advised by Murrup Barak, in writing, even when the student/s to be tutored have been identified and contacted and if you have previously tutored the same student.

All ITAS Academic Excellence Program Tutors are employed on a casual basis. Current as well as previously employed ITAS Academic Excellence Program Tutors should not anticipate they will automatically be invited to continue providing services in the following semester, unless advised by Murrup Barak in writing.

When and where can tutoring take place?

It is preferred that ITAS Academic Excellence Program tutorials take place on campus. Apart from this, the tutorials can take place at any time agreed between the student and the tutor, except during times of the student’s scheduled lectures, (course) tutorials and workshops.   Murrup Barak allocates the maximum number of tuition hours but is not involved with scheduling the time/s or booking the venue for tutorials to be conducted.

Murrup Barak has a limited amount of space available for tutorials. Please book these through the student success team.

What are the boundaries of the tutor’s role?

ITAS Academic Excellence Program tutors are not expected or encouraged to:

• Do any part of student’s reading, research or assignment work for them. This includes word-processing student’s written work;*
• Act as editors and proof-readers of student work;
• Assess or grade student assignment work;
• Attend the student’s lectures;
• Discuss their student’s performance or progress with members of academic staff without that student’s permission.

Tutors must declare to Murrup Barak as soon as possible any conflict of interest or circumstance that compromises their professional integrity in relation to their tutoring role.

*Tutors found to be in breach of this provision will be dismissed.