Information Guide for New Staff
Essential information to get you started working at the University of Waikato. Read this before you start your new job and you should be better prepared for your first few weeks. If you need any further assistance contact your HR Advisor.
A very brief history of the University (2020)
Welcome from the Vice-Chancellor
On behalf of all your new colleagues, I welcome you to the University of Waikato. We are looking forward to working with you and hope that you will find your work to be rewarding, challenging, and meaningful.
The University of Waikato holds a special place in the New Zealand university system. Since its inception in 1964, when it was created by the demands of the local community, the University has shown a commitment to innovation and to serving the needs of its community.
We are proud of our innovative, forward-thinking approach and I look for people who have the same ethos. Since I began in the role of Vice-Chancellor, I have focused on refining our strategic direction and identifying opportunities for investment and growth. In addition to updating our existing qualifications and developing new programmes to meet the changing needs of our students and stakeholders, we have invested in new campuses in the Tauranga CBD and in Hangzhou, China.
We are constantly responding to the challenges of a changing higher-education sector by increasing the quality of our teaching, research and external engagement, and building on our distinctive character and identity. We are committed to recruiting staff who can assist us in turning these challenges into opportunities, and who see the constant search for quality, efficiency and new opportunities as our highest priority.
Our motto, Ko te Tangata (For the People) is at the heart of everything we do. It is our people who make this University distinctive and it is our ability to continually find new and better ways to serve the communities around us that sustains our distinctiveness. I am constantly impressed by the enthusiasm that our staff show, and by their commitment to the University.
As a work environment, the University of Waikato has a lot to offer. We are committed to excellence across all our activities – teaching and learning, research, postgraduate supervision, commercialisation and administration – and to serving the needs of our local, national and international communities. We are at the forefront of work-integrated learning and place emphasis on continued professional development while providing the tools and support necessary to succeed. These aspects of the University make it a challenging, exciting and fulfilling place to work.
Thank you for making the commitment and choosing the University of Waikato for the next phase of your career. Once again I wish you a warm welcome and every success in your new role.
Professor Neil Quigley
Vice-Chancellor
University of Waikato