Equity Statement

We provide a welcoming, safe, inclusive, equitable, and accessible environment in which members of our community can thrive.

In line with Te Ara Tautika, The Equity Policy, we achieve our vision by:

1. Recognising the significance of location and historical context

Aotearoa New Zealand is a country of rich diversity, where Māori are tangata whenua with strong kinship, cultural, social, and economic links to the Pacific and beyond.

The University recognises, and seeks to develop mutually beneficial relationships with the iwi and hapū where our campuses are located.

In relation to equity, it acknowledges the importance of:

• Te Tiriti o Waitangi, in particular ngā tikanga katoa rite tahi, Māori ways of doing, equal to all others, as given expression through Toitū Waipapa, The Enduring Framework
• The sacred vā or special relationship between Māori and Pacific peoples by virtue of shared whakapapa as well as commonalities in origins, languages, histories, and culture
• The concepts of:
  • Whakawhanaungatanga, the establishment of respectful relationships
  • Whanaungatanga, the reciprocal process of maintaining relationships and connections
  • Manaakitanga, upholding the mana of others by providing safe, inclusive, equitable, and accessible environments, which enable everyone to thrive

2. Valuing the diversity of our community

People from all over Aotearoa New Zealand and across the world are attracted to and join our community, making the University a place where staff and students have many different identities, backgrounds, and values.

We cherish the breadth of views, discussion, insights, and innovation that this diversity brings. We contribute to equity on a global basis, including through work supporting achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

3. Appreciating that achieving equity is everyone's responsibility

We foster an inclusive and equitable work and study environment by:

• Encouraging understanding of others and how to approach our differences, through continuous learning
• Providing opportunities for whakawhanaungatanga and whanaungatanga

This includes actively:

• Creating avenues for learning that embrace te ao Māori, mātauranga Māori, kaupapa Māori, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and our Pacific context and connections
• Encouraging participation in equity-related:
  • Training and educational opportunities 
  • Networks, communities of interest, and other groups of expertise and support
• Celebrating the diversity of our community, including by promoting key dates, festivals, languages and occasions

4. Creating conditions for equitable access, participation and success for our diverse staff and students

We want the University’s environment to support everyone to thrive. We therefore strive to:

Understand

• Use data and qualitative information ethically to:
  • Understand the different identities, characteristics and experiences of our staff and students. This includes considering intersectionality and its effects on access, participation, and success
  • Develop, and measure the effectiveness of, pro-equity initiatives
• Respectfully engage with key interested parties, to help us thoughtfully embed diversity, equity and inclusion considerations into our work and University environment

Take action

• Identify and address barriers and forms of privilege where they create or perpetuate inequities. This includes addressing structural and systemic ableism, ageism, classism, homophobia, racism, religious intolerance, sexism, transphobia, and other forms of discrimination
• Create appropriate work, study, and social opportunities and options - particularly for those who have experienced, or experience, prejudice, discrimination, intolerance, underrepresentation, or who have been historically disadvantaged or marginalised
• Prominently display information about our Equity Statement, relevant resources and support

Be inclusive

• Make our research, teaching and learning, and communications inclusive and accessible to people with diverse backgrounds and characteristics
• Provide mana enhancing services, experiences and assistance for our students and staff.

Intersectionality

Refers to a way of understanding unique and overlapping aspects of identity and related opportunities, challenges, advantages, and disadvantages. An analytical framework that recognises multiple axes of discrimination and prejudice caused by structural inequities – refer to Crenshaw, 1989 (PDF, 1.87MB).

Kaupapa Māori

Means Māori approach, topic, customary practice, institution, agenda, principles, ideology, incorporating the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values of Māori society.

Manaakitanga

Upholding the mana of others by providing safe, inclusive, equitable, and accessible environments, which enable everyone to thrive.

Mātauranga Māori

Refers to traditional and contemporary bodies, forms, and expressions of Māori knowledge, and includes world view and cultural practices.

Tangata whenua

Means 'people of the land', the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Te ao Māori

Denotes the Māori world or world view.

Whakawhanaungatanga

The establishment of respectful relationships.

Whanaungatanga

The reciprocal process of maintaining relationships and connections.

Owner: Pro Vice-Chancellor Equity
Content manager: Senior Research and Policy Adviser Equity
Approved by: Vice-Chancellor
Date approved: 4 September 2025
Review date: 4 September 2028