The University of Waikato (Māori: Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato), informally Waikato University, is a comprehensive university in Hamilton, New Zealand. The university was established in 1964, and has an additional campus located in Tauranga.[4]
History[edit]
The University of Waikato began in 1956 after Hamilton locals launched a petition for a university to serve the needs of the South Auckland region. The group was led by Douglas Seymour, a barrister, and subsequently Anthony “Rufus” Rogers, a Hamilton GP and brother to long-time Mayor of Hamilton, Denis Rogers.[5] Their campaign coincided with a shortage of teachers in the 1950s that prompted the New Zealand government to consider plans for a teachers’ college in the region.[6] In 1960, the newly established Hamilton Teachers’ College opened its doors, and combined with the fledgling university (then a branch of Auckland University), began a joint campus on farmland at Hillcrest, on the city’s outskirts.[5]
In 1964, the two institutions moved to their new home, and the following year the University of Waikato was officially opened by then Governor-General Sir Bernard Fergusson.[5]
At this time the university comprised a School of Humanities and a School of Social Sciences.[5] In 1969 a School of Science (now the Faculty of Science and Engineering) was established.[7] This was followed by the creation of Waikato Management School in 1972,[5] Computer Science and Computing Services (which ultimately became the Faculty of Computing and Mathematical Sciences) in 1973,[5] and the establishment of the School, now Faculty, of Law in 1990.[8]
From the beginning, it was envisaged that Māori studies should be a key feature of the new university,[5] and the Centre for Māori Studies and Research was set up in the School of Social Sciences in 1972.[5] A separate School of Māori and Pacific Development was formally established in 1996.[9] In 1999, the original Schools of Humanities and Social Sciences were merged to form the School (later Faculty) of Arts and Social Sciences.[10] In 2010, the tertiary partnership was widened to include Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.[11][12]
In 2014, the university became smoke-free, disallowing smoking on campus and in university-owned vehicles.[13]
Faculty of Law[edit]
The Faculty of Law was founded in 1990 and is one of seven faculties that make up the University. The Faculty is located on the southeast side of the Hillcrest Campus in Hamilton, accessible from Hillcrest Road. The Law Faculty is also located at the Tauranga campus.
The Law Faculty adopted the principles of professionalism, biculturalism and the study of law in context. One of the key founders of the Waikato Faculty of Law was the 27th Speaker of the House Margaret Wilson who returned[14] to the faculty as a professor in January 2009.
Structure and governance[edit]
The village green is the social hub of the University of Waikato’s Hamilton campus.One of three lakes on the University of Waikato’s Hamilton campus.
The chief executive of the University of Waikato is the Vice-Chancellor, currently Professor Neil Quigley. The University is governed by a council, headed by the University’s Chancellor, who is currently former New Zealand Governor-General Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand GNZM, QSO, KStJ.
The University Council works with Te Rōpū Manukura, made up of representatives of the 16 iwi (Māori tribal) authorities in the University’s catchment area. Te Rōpū Manukura is the Kaitiaki (guardian) of the Treaty of Waitangi for the University of Waikato, and acts to ensure that the University works in partnership with iwi to meet tertiary needs and aspirations of Māori communities.
The following list shows the university’s chancellors:[17]
- Denis Rogers (1964–1969)
- J. Bruce McKenzie (1970–1972)
- Henry R. Bennett (1973–1978)
- C. Douglas Arcus (1979–1980)
- The Hon Sir David Tompkins QC (1981–1985)
- Henry R. Bennett (1986–1987)
- Dame Joy Drayton (1988–1991)
- Gerald D.G. Bailey (1992–1997)
- Caroline Bennett (1998–2002)
- John A. Gallagher (2003–2005)
- John B. Jackman (2006–2007)[18]
- Rt Hon James Bolger ONZ (2007–2019)[18]
- Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand (2019–present)
Campuses[edit]
The University of Waikato operates from two campuses, Hamilton, and Tauranga. Undergraduate degrees are also offered through a satellite location on the campus of Zhejiang University City College in Hangzhou.[19]
Hamilton[edit]
The main Hamilton campus is spread over 64 hectares of landscaped gardens and lakes, and includes extensive sporting and recreational areas. Originally farmland, the campus was designed by architect John Blake-Kelly in 1964. The open space landscaping contains extensive native plantings, including a fernery, centred around three artificial lakes, created by draining marshy paddocks.[5]
Tauranga[edit]
The University of Waikato previously shared two campuses with Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology in Tauranga: Windmere and the Bongard Centre. In 2018, it was announced that the University would be moving all of their Tauranga operations to the Bongard Centre, with Toi Ohomai conversely moving their Bongard students to the Windmere campus.[20] In April 2019, the Tauranga campus was opened to the public.[21]
- Waikato University Student Centre.
- Inside the Waikato University Student Centre.
- Water feature inside the Waikato University Student Centre.
- Computer lab inside the Waikato University Student Centre.
- The Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts.
The Student Centre officially opened in 2011 by Waikato alumnus Governor-General Jerry Mateparae.[22]
Rankings[edit]
| University rankings | |
|---|---|
| Global – Overall | |
| ARWU World[23] | 701-800 (2019) |
In the latest 2020 QS rankings, The University of Waikato leapt more than 100 places in six years to 266th place – in the top five percent of the world’s 26,000 universities.[24]
Alumni[edit]
Main category: University of Waikato alumni
Graduate Nathan Cohen (BMS; 2012) is a two-time world champion and Olympic champion in rowing.[25] The university also has current prime minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern as a notable alumna.[26]
Staff[edit]
Main category: University of Waikato faculty
Student associations[edit]
The Waikato Students’ Union represents all students on campus, and publishes the student magazine Nexus.[27] Law students are represented by the University of Waikato Law Students’ Association,[28] Te Whakahiapo (the Māori law students’ association),[29] and the Pacific Law Students’ Association,[30] The University of Waikato’s Women In Law Association https://www.waikato.ac.nz/law/student/waikato-women-students-in-law-association, Management students are represented by the Waikato Management School Students’ Association (WMSSA), Management Communication Students’ Association (MCSA), Pacific Islands Management Students Association (PIMSA), and Te Ranga Ngaku (TRN). [1]