Challenging a measured university from an indigenous perspective: placing ‘manaaki’ at the heart of our professional development programme

ABSTRACT

Globally, universities show an outward strength partly built upon imported and exported commonalities that are measurable and therefore accountable, rankable and marketable. While there are advantages to this, it can create a barrier within each institution to acknowledging and valuing indigeneity, local flavour or special character. Such a barrier is present in Aotearoa, New Zealand, where it can be challenging to uphold obligations to the founding Treaty – Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This paper presents a case study that highlights our experience as academic developers in embedding a Māori value, manaaki, in the creation of a professional development programme and imported recognition scheme for university teachers. We were challenged to view the external visitors (the United Kingdom Professional Standards Framework (including the UKPSF)) as an opportunity for our land, to welcome them into our community using the protocols of the pōwhiri and to walk side by side with our colleagues, while aspiring to meet their needs. Embedding manaaki into a professional development programme has not been simply about being ‘kind’. Manaaki is inseparable from a worldview that values and measures in a way that is fundamentally different to that of many modern European cultures. Within our University setting, manaaki as a measurement has sustained, nourished and uplifted both host (our team, our people, our University and our land) and visitor (the UKPSF and our participating colleagues) and it is continuing to challenge the existing view of measurement, cutting right through layers of institutional policy and practice. We are challenging the comfortable sameness, and the comfortably measurable sameness, in the global university. This case study aims to share the story behind the development of our programme, and will be of interest to those considering valuing indigeneity, local flavour or special character in a modern, measured university.

KEYWORDS:

• Māori
• manaaki
• indigenous
• kindness
• measured university
• Higher Education Academy
• UKPSF
• values
• professional development
• teacher accreditation

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the first cohort of academics who with their willingness and enthusiasm continue to support, promote and participate in the development and practice of Ako Aronui. We would like to thank Emily Whitehead and Pam Wyse for always being there to help and enhance.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.