Equity for Māori and Pasifika Students: The Objectives and Characteristics of Equity Committees in a New Zealand University

Abstract

Approaches to achieving and managing equity for Māori ¹ and Pasifika ² tertiary students differ among the eight universities in Aotearoa ³ /New Zealand. Achieving equity in educational attainment for Māori and Pasifika tertiary students is stated as a key objective in nearly all of the universities’ mission statements or charters, and equity committees have been set up to ensure equitable outcomes. These committees are generally made up of junior academic or administrative staff members. In contrast, managing the university's equity plan is the role of those in senior academic positions within the university. This article investigates the perspectives of six equity leaders at an urban university in one of the country's largest cities on the objectives and characteristics of equity committees and the influence of the dominant paradigm in achieving equity.

Notes

1. Indigenous people of Aotearoa/New Zealand.

2. Used collectively to refer to the people or students from the islands of the Pacific who have identified as coming from, or having their ethnicity originate from, there; used in Statistics New Zealand Census reports.

3. Māori word for New Zealand.

4. Māori word for white (British European) New Zealander.

5. Related departments and schools are grouped together into faculties; for example, the Schools of Education, Social Sciences, and Tourism and Hospitality are grouped within the Faculty of Applied Humanities.

6. Māori word for support person.

7. “Black” refers to the wider diaspora of those that are not categorized as white. Rather than using the term non-white, the term “black” is used to give presence to the person and its intended use here is positive. Although many people of Pasifika heritage in Aotearoa/New Zealand use the term brown when self-referencing (the author herself is “brown-toned,” of Carib, African, Lebanese and Scottish descent) in no way is the use of the term black intended to cause offense. The term “black” instead of “brown” is used the way in which it is conceptualized by Brah (1995) who proposed that “the term ‘black’ does not have to be construed in essentialist terms. It can have different political and cultural meanings in different contexts. …As a social movement, black activism has aimed to generate solidarity” (pp. 128–129).

8. Auckland University of Technology Equity and Diversity Framework.

9. Tertiary education in New Zealand covers all post-school education from adult and community education, literacy and numeracy skills, and industry training (including Modern Apprenticeships) to certificates and diplomas, bachelor degrees and postgraduate qualifications. These various tertiary education opportunities are delivered by many types of TEOs. (Tertiary Education Commission, 2009).

10. The New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) (n.d.) contains a comprehensive list of all quality assured qualifications in New Zealand. The NZQF has ten levels of qualification. Each level is based on the complexity of learning, with Level 1 being the least complex and Level 10 the most. Each level has a designated credit value and qualification type (Levels 1–4: Certificates; Levels 5–6: Diplomas; Level 7: Bachelors degrees, graduate diplomas, and certificates; Level 8: Postgraduate diplomas and certificates, and bachelor's degrees with honours; Level 9: Masters degrees; Level 10: Doctorate degrees).

11. By 2026, the Māori and Pacific populations will average annual growth of 2.4% and 1.4%, respectively. The total New Zealand population is projected to increase by an average of 0.8% a year between 2006 and 2026 (Statistics New Zealand, n.d.).

12. Although not of Pasifika heritage, I was invited onto the Pasifika Staff Network because I had lived and worked in the Pacific, my partner and children are Samoan, and I am involved in and carry out research with Pasifika communities in New Zealand.

13. The five faculties are Applied Humanities, Business and Law, Design and Creative Technologies, Health and Environmental Sciences, and Te Ara Poutama.

14. It is expected that applicants (to a lecturer's position) will provide a learning environment to address the diverse needs of students and enhance their academic achievement (AUT Academic Promotions Policy, n.d.).

15. Academic Staff refers to a person employed as a Lecturer, Senior Academic Staff Member, Associate Professor, or Professor.