The University of Auckland (Māori: Te Whare Wānanga o Tāmaki Makaurau) is a public research university in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as Auckland University College, a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Today, the University of Auckland is New Zealand’s largest university by enrolment, hosting about 40,000 students on five Auckland campuses.[5] The City Campus, in central Auckland, has the bulk of the students and faculties. There are eight faculties, including a law school, as well as three research institutes associated with the university.
The University of Auckland is perennially ranked as the top academic institution in the country. It is the only New Zealand university in the QS‘s Top 100 rankings.
History[edit]
Origins[edit]
The University of Auckland began as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand, founded on 23 May 1883 as Auckland University College. Stewardship of the University during its establishment period was the responsibility of John Chapman Andrew (Vice Chancellor of the University of New Zealand 1885–1903). Housed in a disused courthouse and jail, it started out with 95 students and 4 teaching staff: Frederick Douglas Brown, professor of chemistry (London and Oxford); Algernon Phillips Withiel Thomas, professor of natural sciences (Oxford); Thomas George Tucker, professor of classics (Cambridge); and George Francis Walker, professor of mathematics (Cambridge). By 1901, student numbers had risen to 156; the majority of these students were training towards being law clerks or teachers and were enrolled part-time. From 1905 onwards, an increasing number of students enrolled in commerce studies.[citation needed]
Development of a research culture[edit]
The University conducted little research until the 1930s, when there was a spike in interest in academic research during the Depression. At this point, the college’s executive council issued several resolutions in favour of academic freedom after the controversial dismissal of John Beaglehole (allegedly for a letter to a newspaper where he publicly defended the right of communists to distribute their literature), which helped encourage the college’s growth.
In 1934, four new professors joined the college: Arthur Sewell (English), H.G. Forder (Mathematics), C.G. Cooper (Classics) and James Rutherford (History). The combination of new talent, and academic freedom saw Auckland University College flourish through to the 1950s.[1]
In 1950, the Elam School of Fine Arts was brought into the University of Auckland. Archie Fisher, who had been appointed principal of the Elam School of Fine Arts was instrumental in having it brought in the University of Auckland.
Making a name[edit]
Plaque commemorating the opening of the Science Centre of the University of Auckland by the Queen Mother in 1966. The plaque is currently placed outside Large Chemistry Lecture Theatre in Building 301 of the Science Centre.
The University of New Zealand was dissolved in 1961 and the University of Auckland was empowered[6] by the University of Auckland Act 1961.
In 1966, lecturers Keith Sinclair and Bob Chapman established The University of Auckland Art Collection, beginning with the purchase of several paintings and drawings by Colin McCahon. The Collection is now managed by the Centre for Art Research, based at the Gus Fisher Gallery. The Stage A of the Science building was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother on 3 May. In 1975-81 Marie Clay and Patricia Bergquist, the first two female professors, were appointed.[1]
Growth and consolidation[edit]
Inside the Recreation Centre of the University of Auckland City Campus in 2019. The Recreation Centre is scheduled to be replaced by a new Recreation and Wellness Centre by mid 2020s.
Queen Elizabeth II opened the new School of Medicine Building at Grafton on 24 March 1970. The Queen also opened the Liggins Institute in 2002.[7]
The North Shore Campus, established in 2001, was located in the suburb of Takapuna. It offered the Bachelor of Business and Information Management degree. The faculty was served by its own library. At the end of 2006, the campus was closed, and the degree relocated to the City campus.[8]
On 1 September 2004, the Auckland College of Education merged with the University’s School of Education (previously part of the Arts Faculty) to form the Faculty of Education and Social Work.[9][10] The faculty is based at the Epsom Campus of the former college,[11] with an additional campus in Whangarei.[12]
Professor Stuart McCutcheon became Vice-Chancellor on 1 January 2005. He was previously the Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University of Wellington.[13] He succeeded Dr John Hood (PhD, Hon. LLD), who was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford.[14] On 16 March 2020, McCutcheon was succeeded by Professor Dawn Freshwater, the first female Vice-Chancellor in the University’s history.[15]
The University opened a new business school in 2007, following the completion of the Information Commons. It has recently gained international accreditations for all its programmes and now completes the “Triple Crown” (AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB).[16]
In 2009, the University embarked on a NZ$1 billion 10-year plan to redevelop and expand its facilities.[17] The $240m Grafton Campus upgrade was completed in 2011.[18] In May 2013 the University purchased a site for new 5.2-hectare campus on a former Lion Breweries site adjacent to the major business area in Newmarket.[19] The Faculty of Engineering and the School of Chemical Sciences moved into the new faculties in 2015.[1] The NZ$200 million new Science Centre was opened in July 2017.[20] The NZ$280 million new Engineering Building was completed in 2019.[21] In 2017, work started on the building of a new $116m medical school building in Grafton Campus.[22] In 2019, work has begun with the redevelopment of the University Recreation Centre in the City Campus.[23][24] The University of Auckland has also built multiple student accommodation buildings, and it became the largest provider of student accommodation in New Zealand.[25]
Administration[edit]
The head of the University is the Chancellor, currently Scott St John,[2] however this position is only titular. The chief executive of the University is the Vice-Chancellor, currently Professor Dawn Freshwater, who is the University’s sixth Vice-Chancellor,[26] and the first female to hold the role.
Coat of arms[edit]
The Blazon of the Arms of the University of Auckland is: Azure between three mullets argent an open Book proper edged and bound Or with seven Clasps on either side Or, on a chief wavy also argent three Kiwis proper.[27][1] Translation of the Blazon. The shield is the first part described “Azure” means blue so the shield is blue. A “mullet” is a five pointed star and when there are three of them they are depicted two above and one below. Their colour is silver (“argent”.) Between these stars is an open book and “proper” means the book is shown in its natural colours – normally black and white. The edge (“edged”) of the book and the binding of the book is in gold (“Or”.) and it is bound with seven clasps on either side which would close the book securely when closed. These clasps are also gold. A “chief” is a broad strip at the top of the shield but “wavy” means that the base of the chief is in a wave like line. The colour of the chief is silver (“argent”.) On the chief are three kiwis and “proper” means that they are shown in their natural colour.
The university’s motto is Ingenio et labore which may be translated from Latin as “By natural ability and hard work.”[1]
Admission[edit]
Since eliminating open entry in 2009,[28] all applicants must have a university entrance qualification. Domestic students are required to achieve the NZQA University Entrance Standard,[29] while international students must achieve an equivalent approved qualification in their country.[30] Admission to the University also requires applicants to meet the preset academic and English language entry requirements specific to the degree for which they are applying.[31] Some programmes also have a preset number of places available within the degree. To be guaranteed entry students must achieve a rank score as well as meet any additional requirements.[32]
All students who did not complete their high school education or equivalent in English are also required to provide a valid IELTS score (minimum of 6.0) or equivalent.[33]
Campuses and facilities[edit]
Campuses[edit]
The School of Population Health building on the Tāmaki Campus
The University of Auckland has a number of campuses in Auckland, and one in Whangarei in the Northland Region.Buildings 303 (left) and 302 (right) of the Science Centre at the City Campus of the University of Auckland
- The City Campus in the Auckland CBD has the majority of the students and faculties. It covers 16 hectares and has a range of amenities including cafes, health services, libraries, childcare facilities and a sports and recreation centre.[34]
- The Tāmaki Innovations Campus is located in the east Auckland suburb of St Johns.[34] It is a predominantly postgraduate campus offering training and research security in health innovation and “biodiversity and biosecurity innovation.” There are plans to close the campus by 2020 and relocate its programs to the City, Grafton, and Newmarket campuses.[35]
- The Grafton Campus, established in 1968, is opposite Auckland City Hospital in the suburb of Grafton, close to the City Campus. The Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, School of Pharmacy and School of Optometry and Vision Science are based here, along with the Eye Clinic.[34]
- The Epsom Campus is the main teacher training campus, offering programmes in teacher education and social services. It was formerly the Auckland College of Education’s main campus, until the college merged with the University’s School of Education in September 2004 to form the Faculty of Education and Social Work.[36] There are plans to close down the Epsom Campus in 2020 and relocate the Faculty of Education and Social Work to the City Campus.[37]
- Newmarket Campus. In 2010 Lion ceased operations at its Newmarket brewery, selling the site to the University in May 2013.[38] The university has built an engineering research space and a civil structures hall. This new campus houses the Faculties of Engineering and Science.[34]
- The Tai Tokerau Campus in Whangarei offers teacher education courses to the Northland community.[39]
- The Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences also has several satellite campuses and research facilities including the Waitemata Health Campus (which services North Shore Hospital and Waitakere Hospital), the Freemasons’ Department of Geriatric Medicine at North Shore Hospital, the South Auckland Clinical Campus at Middlemore Hospital, and the Waikato Clinical School.[34]
- Leigh Marine Laboratory. The Leigh Marine Laboratory is effectively the marine campus and hosts postgraduate teaching and research at the Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve (Goat Island) near Warkworth. Situated on the east coast, about 100 km north of the city of Auckland, it has access to a wide range of unspoiled marine habitats.[34]
- South Auckland Campus – Te Papa Ako o Tai Tonga. In 2020, the University opened the South Auckland Campus in Manukau[40] to replace the Faculty of Education courses that were offered at Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) prior to the opening of the campus.[34]
- Goldie Estate – Wine Science Centre. In July 2011 Kim and Jeanette Goldwater gifted a 14-hectare winery in Waiheke Island to the University. The Wine Science Centre currently hosts the University’s Wine Science courses.[41][34]
Building 529 (Old Liggins Building) of the University of Auckland Grafton Campus
From the start of the first semester of 2010, the University banned smoking on any of its property, including inside and outside buildings in areas that were once designated as smoking areas.[42]
Overseas facilities[edit]
The University of Auckland Innovation Institute China (UOAIIC)[edit]
UOAIIC was established by the University of Auckland and UniServices, the commercialisation arm and knowledge transfer company of the University of Auckland, in 2017 in the Chinese city of Hangzhou.[43][44][45] The Institute occupies a 2800m² physical space in the Hangzhou Qiantang New Area. UOAIIC is led by Dr Yuan Li. It organises annual conferences and meetings for the University to seek commercial opportunities for its research in China.The University of Auckland Innovation Institute China (UOAIIC) in Hangzhou, China
Aulin College[edit]
Aulin College, based in Harbin, China, was set up by the University of Auckland and the Northeast Forestry University (NEFU) of China in 2019. The name ‘Aulin’ is a combination of the word “Au” (from the name “Auckland”) and “Lin”, which is the Chinese word for farming and agriculture. In September 2019, Aulin College had its first intake of undergraduate students. Aulin College offers Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Biotechnology, Chemistry, Computer Science and Technology. Graduates will receive degrees from both the University of Auckland and NEFU.[46][47][48]
Libraries[edit]
Albert Barracks wall remnant and the General Library on the City Campus (June 2012)
The University of Auckland Library system consists of the General Library and seven specialist libraries: the Business and Information Centre, Davis Law Library, Leigh Marine Laboratory Library, the Philson Library, the Sylvia Ashton-Warner Library on the Epsom and Tai Tokerau campuses, and the Tāmaki Library and Information Commons.[49]
In mid-2018, Vice-Chancellor McCutcheon announced that the University would be closing its Fine Arts, the Architecture and Planning, and Music and Dance Libraries. Their collections were merged into the General Library’s collections.[50][51][52]
The General Library Special Collections stores several rare books, manuscripts and archives and other material relating to the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. Some notable manuscript collections include the Western Pacific Archives (which contains British colonial records relating to that region between 1877 and 1978), the poet Robin Hyde’s papers, and the archives of the New Zealand Electronic Poetry Centre, local Labour Party branches, and the New Zealand Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. The Special Collections also has several published collections including the Patterson Collection (which contains books on biblical studies, classics, and ancient history), children’s author Betty Gilderdale’s collection of New Zealand children’s books, the Philson Library’s collections of pre-1900 medical books, and the Asian Language Collection (which contains 230 titles of rare Chinese books). Some notable microtext collections include the Maori Land Court Minute Books and the Pacific Manuscripts Bureau series.
Schools and faculties
Part of the Medical School buildings at Grafton
- Faculty of Arts
- Business School
- Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries
- Faculty of Education and Social Work
- Faculty of Engineering
- Auckland Law School
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences
- Faculty of Science