OIA Directory Entry

Entry last updated on 7 July 2025

Governing statutes

The University of Waikato is a university, as defined in the Education and Training Act 2020, established by the University of Waikato Act 1963.

Functions and responsibilities

The functions and responsibilities of the University are the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination and maintenance thereof by teaching and research.

Structure

The Vice-Chancellor is the chief executive of the University, responsible to the Council for managing the academic and administrative affairs of the University. A range of specific responsibilities are delegated to the Deputy Vice-Chancellors, the Pro Vice-Chancellors, the Chief Operating Officer and the Director of People and Capability who are responsible for the main academic and operational activities of the University.

The University has campuses in Hamilton and Tauranga and shares Joint Institutes with Hangzhou City University in Hangzhou, China, and the National Economics University in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Some courses are delivered online and by distance education.

Council

The Council is the governing body of the University. The detailed functions, duties and powers of the Council are set down in the Education and Training Act 2020.

Academic Board

The Academic Board is established under the Education and Training Act 2020. Its primary function is to advise the Council on matters relating to courses of study and other academic matters. It has a range of powers delegated by Council. It has established a number of sub-committees.

Academic divisions

Divisions are essentially groups of academic schools responsible for teaching and research within particular disciplines. Each is headed by a Pro Vice-Chancellor who reports to the Vice-Chancellor. The University of Waikato division are:

• The Division of Arts, Law, Psychology and Social Sciences
• The Division of Education
• The Division of Health
• The Division of Management
• The Division of STEM

Each Division has a Board which is responsible for academic matters relevant to the Division and which reports to the Academic Board. A Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies, headed by a Dean, reports to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori and shares administrative infrastructure with the Division of Arts, Law, Psychology and Social Sciences.

Non-academic divisions

The non-academic divisions are the major administrative units of the University. They are

• Finance
• Information and Technology Services
• International
• Library
• Marketing
• People and Capability
• Property Services
• Student Services

Documents relating to decision-making processes

Documents held by the University include:

• Strategy
• Investment Plan
• Annual Report and Financial Statements
• Official Minutes of Committee Meetings
• University Calendar
• Student Records
• Student Handbooks, Paper Outlines and Graduate Profiles
• Directory of Committees and Rules of Procedures

A range of policies which are published on the University 's website (Index of Official University Information)