Falaniko Tominiko welcomes the group in the Gold Lecture Theatre at Mt Albert
Our Māori and Pacific learners gathered last week with their families to meet lecturers and hear more about Unitec and the support available for their journey here, at the Whānau – Fanau evenings at our Mt Albert and Waitakere campuses.
The evenings were an opportunity for teaching and support staff to meet first year Māori and Pacific learners and their family members. Student support teams were available to share the different ways that they can assist learners, and lecturers were on hand to talk about course content and what to expect in the year ahead.
Students enjoying the kai at the Mt Albert Whanau-Fanau evening
The Whānau – Fanau evenings are a part of Unitec’s strategy and aim to set up Māori and Pacific learners and their whānau / fanau for success. We know that juggling home and study commitments is difficult, so these evenings are designed to connect the learner and their whānau to the many support functions we have available to our learners at Unitec.
Our Director of Pacific Success, Falaniko Tominiko said that from a Pacific perspective, these events are important because families need to know what is expected of their family members studying at Unitec.
“Outside of study, Pacific learners have many other responsibilities and commitments and their families need to know that studying is also a commitment and that they must also support their family member’s need to put aside time for their studies.”
Falaniko said that family support is very important for Pacific learners and so having them come onto campus to understand what is required to support their family member is vital to the student’s success.
“On the evening, the learner and family heard from speakers on what is required to be successful and they were told about the support services available to them. The guests also had an opportunity to talk with teaching staff before having a shared meal.”
All ages came along to the evenings to hear what the year ahead will hold
Toni Rewiri, Director of Māori Success, said she enjoyed meeting our learners.
“This event provided an opportunity to meet our Māori and Pacific learners and their whānau; we were able to share kōrero and kai; and start to engage in whakawhanaungatanga (connection), so they feel a sense of belonging here at Unitec. We know that if our learners feel a sense of manaaki (caring), they are more likely to be successful in completing their study. These events, along with the pōhiri (formal welcome) and wānanga show our Māori and Pacific learners that we care about their success.”
There was a great turnout at the Waitākere Whanau-Fanau evening