Kaimahi | Staff

Office of Māori Development

The University established the Office of Māori Development (OMD) following Council's endorsement of its Māori Strategic Framework (MSF) in 2007 (see also information on the MSF 's developmental history). The 2005 Treaty of Waitangi Stocktake clearly identified that while a large and varied range of activity was occurring in the area of Māori development, it lacked a cohesive 'map' as well as clear, centralised leadership.

The development and implementation of the MSF therefore initiated an institutional change for the University, led from the Vice-Chancellor's Office. It 'normalised' Māori development at the University, and has since become a natural part of life across all of the University's four campuses.

OMD is a significant unit in Te Tari o Te Pou Koko Māori | The Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori, which provides significant cultural support and encourages cultural engagement across the University. It continues to contribute to the strengthening of existing Te Tiriti partnerships Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka has throughout the motu, assisting the University to realise its ambitions to become Te Tiriti-led. Rhonda Bryant, as Acting Director, provides an important contribution to the direction of the University as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.