Opening the doors: Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Crawford says Community Open Day is an opportunity for the public to share in the University’s 50th celebrations.
The University of Waikato will be opening its doors to young and old on Saturday 17 May as it hosts its first Community Open Day.
As part of the University’s 50th celebrations this year, the Saturday afternoon event is a family-friendly public showcase of the University’s facilities, campus, research and history. It takes place the day after University’s annual recruitment Open Day for prospective students and their families (Friday, 16 May).
Welcoming the public
Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Crawford says Community Open Day is an opportunity for the public to see first-hand what the University offers.
“This initiative is a great opportunity for us to bring people on campus and to have them share in 50 years of teaching and research excellence.
“We are a university that is for the community and often the public don’t realise that our doors are always open to them,” says Professor Crawford.
“Our impact and contribution to the local economy is significant. We are the third largest employer in Waikato with more than 2,000 staff, and we generate nearly $1 billion for the Waikato region each year with $280 million of that being from student expenditure.”
Professor Crawford says the day will provide the community with a much better insight into the University and what’s available to them.
“We expect that the day will inform, enlighten and entertain people, and hopefully we’ll see much more of the community at our other public events throughout the year.”
A day for the community
Community Open Day will see the campus sectioned off into ‘themed hubs’ which will feature a variety of activities, interactive exhibits and demonstrations. Mini lectures and tours around the campus will also be available on the day.
Community Open Day is on Saturday 17 May from 11am to 4pm. Meanwhile, the University’s annual Open Day will take place on Friday 16 May, and is intended to provide information around study options for those seeking to enrol at Waikato University. There will still be recruitment information available on the Saturday event for those who miss Friday’s Open Day. More information about Community Open Day will be available on the University’s website www.waikato.ac.nz/50