Photo: RNZ / Ziming Li
An Auckland-based associate professor says there is value in programmes that honour cultural diversity.
New Zealand's Auckland University of Technology (AUT) has celebrated 206 school leavers completing its preparation programme 'UniPrep'.
The five-week course helps Māori, Pacific and other school leavers transition into tertiary studies.
AUT's Pacific Pro-Chancellor Fa'alogo Jacoba Matapo told Pacific Waves having a holistic approach matters.
"One thing that is quite unique with AUT is that we have quite a high percentage of our student population who are also working, more than 10 to 20 hours a week, as well as doing studies," she said.
"The whole experience of a learning journey and a successful academic journey really is about how, as an institution, we support our students - also giving the life, study, work balance, family balance, and all of the other cultural commitments that are important to our students.
"That's something that's really important to us, particularly through the UniPrep program, is understanding where our students want to lead in their academic journey as well."
Fa'alogo said in UniPrep, there's a focus on one paper, compared to university which usually has four papers in one semester.
She said AUT as a 'university of opportunity' is about nurturing experiences for students to have academic success.
"So it isn't necessarily just about focusing on culture. It is also about ensuring a strong academic foundation for future academic success."
Fa'alogo said there's unease following the NZ First Party's proposal to "remove woke 'DEI' (diversity, equity, and inclusion) regulations" from legislation that it helped put into place five years ago.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is adamant diversity is being preferred over merit for people getting jobs in the public sector.
The party says the legislation would end "woke left-wing diversity targets".
Diversity Works New Zealand chief executive Maretha Smit said that she did not believe the best qualified people for jobs were being passed over in favour of others on the basis of having diversity, adding that if it had happened, it would need to be addressed.
Fa'alogo said valuing diversity is what makes New Zealand unique, and universities will continue to uphold equity.
"I think every academic in every university would feel a sense of nervousness around certain initiatives that have actually been long standing in education and possible - I guess - threats that might seem to diminish those opportunities.
"But I think collectively, there is still a strong commitment across, not just at AUT, but I would like to imagine all our universities, for the value of first honouring tangata whenua, mana whenua, in the context of our universities.
"And the uniqueness that that is as a New Zealand nation, in Aotearoa, New Zealand, realizing that that is such a unique part of who we are as a people, and a unique part of our history.
"That also extends out towards Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa (Pacific Ocean) and the way we think about the uniqueness of our position in the Pacific."
