Kwe l’Université! Student Profession Competency Profile

Abstract

As part of the Kwe l’Université! Project, an initiative aimed at supporting the perseverance and academic success of Indigenous students at the university level, a competency profile for the student role was developed. This initiative responded to an identified need: few existing frameworks explicitly address the competencies related to being a student, especially in Indigenous contexts. The development of this profile, carried out between 2019 and 2025, was based on a rigorous approach combining the analysis of existing frameworks, a review of literature on school perseverance in Indigenous settings, and consultations with Indigenous students as well as Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers and professionals. Inspired by the Medicine Wheel, the competency profile is structured around four roles: collaborator, communicator, organizer, and reflective strategist. Integrated into the Kwe l’Université! Learning Wheel, the profile guides the design of courses that take Indigenous realities into account and allows students to document their learning in an evolving portfolio. It also supports personalized guidance by the Kwe l’Université! support team, thereby fostering the engagement of Indigenous learners throughout their academic journey.