It won the 2016 VAEAI Wurreker Award for University Pathways for its holistic campus-wide approach to improving Koorie academic achievement.

La Trobe Indigenous Student Services officer Dr Pettina Love said the Albury-Wodonga campus had demonstrated positive educational outcomes for Koorie individuals, families and communities.

“We’ve taken a holistic approach; it’s not just one program, it’s a whole of campus approach,” she said.

“We’re thrilled the award acknowledges this.”

The campus has had a thriving Koorie student cohort for the past three years, and the second successful Koori PhD candidate is due to submit his Doctor of Philosophy (Environmental Sciences) in 2017.

The partnership between Wodonga TAFE and La Trobe has assisted five Koorie students to transition to a degree during 2016.

Dr Love said universities aimed to maintain their percentage of Koorie students above 2 per cent, which reflected the overall population.

“We have over a 2 per cent cohort for three years in a row, which shows real stability,” she said.

The campus is committed to increasing knowledge and understanding of Koorie culture.

The introduction of Wominjeka (meaning welcome), an Indigenous cultural awareness subject that all La Trobe students undertake has become an essential non credited subjects.

The campus is also actively involved in the wider community such as Wodonga Aboriginal Network, Community Working Party, Koolin Balit Working Group, Yali Wiradjuri Program and hosting the Albury Wodonga NAIDOC awards.

Dr Love said that the welcoming environment had been a cornerstone of the campus.

“Wominjeka has enhanced the entire learning environment on the campus for all of our Koorie students,” she said.

“There is the feeling of being part of a community on campus and there has been an increase of knowledge and understanding of Koorie culture amongst all of our new students.”

Now in their 12th year, the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated Wurreker Awards took place on October 13 in Melbourne.