Māori Student Support
- Kaitautoko Whakamatau
- List of Kaiäwhina (Māori support people) by department
- Kaitakawaenga Rangahau Mäori (Research Facilitator Maori)
- Other useful links
- Te Timatanga
Kaitautoko Whakamātau
Dr Stephen Scott is the Division's Kaitautoko Whakamātau. Stephen co-ordinates student support initiatives in the departments, and he is available to talk to departments and researchers about increasing the profile of things Māori. Stephen is working with Te Huka Mataurāka and the Student Learning Centre to explore the effectiveness of the way we support Māori students in their first year in the Division of Sciences, and also in Health Sciences. You can contact Stephen by email at kaitautoko.sciences@otago.ac.nz |
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Māori Support Network for Sciences
We have a growing number of Māori students at University of Otago, and nearly half of those are studying within the Division of Sciences.
We consider it a privilege and a responsibility to have you with us, and we are committed to providing the support you need to achieve your best while you are here.
Within the Sciences Division, support for Māori students is mostly undertaken at a Departmental level. All departments have a Kaiāwhina (Māori Support Person), and some departments have very strong support groups for their Māori students. Physical Education, Psychology, Zoology Anatomy and Structural Biology,and Human Nutrition all have well-established support structures. We all meet on a regular basis to exchange ideas and learn more about the various Māori support networks available on-campus.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact the Kaiāwhina in your department. Check the list below.
Sciences Division Departmental People involved in Māori Support and Liaison
| Department | Contact Person | Extension |
|---|---|---|
| Anatomy & Structural Biology | Louise Parr-Brownlie | 4960 |
| Biochemistry | Lyn Dowsett | 7851 |
| Botany | Janice Lord | 5131 |
| Chemistry | Sharon Taita | 7908 |
| Applied Sciences | Catherine Smith | 7548 |
| Computer Science | Alistair Knott | 8299 |
| Divisional Office | 9202 8458 |
|
| Food Science | Phil Bremer | 5469 |
| Genetics | Gillian MacKay | 7937 |
| Geography | Michelle Thompson-Fawcett | 8762 |
| Geology | Andrew Gorman | 7516 |
| Human Nutrition | 5687 3978 |
|
| Marine Science | Miles Lamare | 7463 |
| Mathematics and Statistics | Austina Clark | 7757 |
| Microbiology and Immunology | Roslyn Kemp | 7708 |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology | Irene Hall | 3945 |
| Physical Education | 5263 8944 |
|
| Physics | Terry Scott | 7741 |
| Physiology | 7182 5773 |
|
| Psychology | Tamar Murachver | 8351 |
| Science Library | Nicky Dever | 7827 |
| Surveying | Mick Strack | 7603 |
| Zoology | Stephen Scott | 7970 |
Kaitakawaenga Rangahau Mäori (Research Facilitator Maori)
One of the expressions of the University of Otago's partnership wtih Ngai Tahu is the Ngai Tahu Research Committee, which is served by the Research Facilitator Mäori, Mark Brunton.
The committee's role is to assess resarch projects for their relevance to Maori, and to provide support in developing real collaborative links for researchers and the community. The committee is chaired by Otakou rangitira Edward Ellison, and contact can be made through Mark Brunton. Mark's email is mark.brunton@otago.ac.nz
Other links that may be useful:
- Māori ki Otago
- Te Huka Matauraka (The Māori Centre)
- Ka Rikarika a Tane ( Mentoring Programme)
- Tutorial Programme
- Student Learning Centre
- Te Aka a Tawhaki (Māori Resource Librarians)
Te Timatanga - The Beginning
In 2006 the Division of Sciences produced a plan for Māori support and development within the Divison . Te Timatanga is the result of many months of consultation wtih key stakeholders including academic staff, students and members of the wider universtiy community as well as the local Māori community. The document is a considerable achievement, but needs to be seen for what it is: an action plan that is designed to map a way forward. It was encouraging to note the number of strategies already in progress, and we look forward to putting more and more of Te Timatanga into action. In 2007 te Timatanga was translated into Te Reo, and is now available as a bilingual document.
You can read an executive summary of Te Timatanga elsewhere on this site.
If you would like a copy of Te Timatanga, simply email Rose Newburn and request one.