Charter of The University of Waikato

Tēnei te Whare Wānanga o Waikato e whakatau nei i ngā iwi o te ao ki roto i te riu o te awa e rere nei, ki runga i te whenua e hora nei, ki raro i te taumaru o ngā maunga whakaruru e tau awhi nei.
Nau mai, haere mai, haere mai.

Mission

To combine the creation of knowledge through research, scholarship and creative works with the dissemination of knowledge through teaching, publication and performance.

Our Special Character

The University of Waikato/Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato offers a uniquely New Zealand model of university education. Our motto, 'Ko Te Tangata', which means 'For the People', reflects our philosophy that we are in, of, and for the community.

We are defined by

• a genuinely diverse, participative and free-thinking learning environment, which inspires and affirms academic excellence
• our readiness to push back conventional boundaries and develop new approaches to familiar issues
• our commitment to sustainable and inclusive social, economic and environmental development
• our ability to create new New Zealand ideas through our global networks and connections
• our capacity to use science and technology in innovative ways that benefit the nation and ensure environmental sustainability in New Zealand
• our commitment to partnerships with Māori, as intended by the Treaty of Waitangi
• our commitment to kaupapa and tikanga Māori within our campus environment and community
• our commitment to build and enhance the Pacific dimensions of our special character, in the interests of both New Zealand-born and Island-born Pacific people
• our commitment to academic freedom and to public accountability for the exercise of that freedom
• our respect for staff and students and our commitment to their wellbeing
• our commitment to equity of access as a true expression of our respect for the inherent importance of higher education in the personal and professional lives of people individually and collectively.

Our Role and Contribution

The University of Waikato/Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato plays an essential leadership role in the prosperity of our region and our country. Though we are heirs to standards, values and traditions that have evolved over centuries, we are not limited by the past. Our gaze is firmly on the present and future needs of this nation.

We are a New Zealand institution that looks at the world from a New Zealand perspective. We sit at the heart of a community of strong regional partnerships and take pride in the extent to which we reflect and serve the strengths and interests of our region. We embody the spirit of our region - of Waikato.

We are also an international university. We consciously measure our performance against internationally established criteria, and our teachers, researchers and students inspire, and are inspired by, an international community of scholars.

We are committed to the recruitment and retention of world-class staff who excel at teaching, research and management in areas that are of particular strategic value to New Zealand. We pursue a research and research-management strategy that supports our country's nation-building policies and promises a generous return in terms of our nation's identity and the wealth and wellbeing of New Zealanders.

We are committed to the generation of knowledge for its intrinsic value in intellectual and social terms, and because knowledge is an essential driver in the improved performance of the New Zealand economy, the creation of new industries and the sustainable development of our environment. Our research strategy acknowledges our location in the heartland of New Zealand's dairy and forestry industries and the need for innovative research, in collaboration with other research providers, to add value to the output of our primary industries.

We adhere to the concept of a university education that is, by definition, research-led. Through sustained research intensity and the attraction of high levels of external research funding from public sector and industry sources, we aim to maintain a highly competitive research profile which is measured by the quality and productivity of our academic staff.

We are committed to meaningful partnerships under the Treaty of Waitangi and to providing leadership in research, scholarship and education relevant to the needs and aspirations of iwi and Māori communities. We value our relationship with Tainui as mana whenua, and we are committed to the iwi forum of Te Rōpū Manukura as a partner of the University. We are dedicated to supporting our Māori student and staff communities with a focus on leadership and academic excellence.

We are committed, in partnership with our Pacific Island stakeholders, to the establishment of more concerted strategies in support of increased access, participation and achievement by Pacific peoples, for the benefit of Pacific economic aspirations as well as New Zealand's social wellbeing and economic development.

Our focus on our local communities is balanced by our commitment to a culture of internationalisation, which is measured through the diversity of our student and staff profiles, the support and celebration of that diversity, a long-standing pride in our reputation for the pastoral care of our international students, and the measures we take through curriculum, programme design and global networks and connections to expose our students to international influences.

We are committed to the proactive management and stewardship of our resources and assets, through robust planning, strong quality management processes, effective risk identification and consistent performance monitoring and assessment.

Through an organisational culture that is characterised by strong leadership and through effective and harmonious arrangements for governance and management, we ensure proper standards of integrity, conduct and concern for the public interest.

Through the provision of a beautiful and safe campus environment, a culture of optimism, passion for learning, mutual respect, inclusiveness, and fair and equitable work-sharing and rewards, we strive to provide all our staff with opportunities for challenging and professionally rewarding careers.

We will constantly expand our modes of teaching and our links and connections with regional, national and global networks in order to provide varied and flexible learning pathways and support the increasingly diverse learning needs of our students. Our approach to learning is focussed on learning outcomes that enable students to be critical, productive and ethical citizens. We aim to inspire them with Aotearoa - New Zealand understandings of our connected world.

Approved by the University of Waikato Council
10 September 2003

University Vision