Structure of the University

The University’s governing body is the Council, a mixture of elected staff, students and graduates, and outside appointees. The Vice-Chancellor, the University’s chief academic and administrative officer, is also a member. Council is chaired by the Chancellor who is a lay member of the Council.

On academic matters, Council is bound to consult the Senate which the Vice-Chancellor chairs. This body includes all the professors, some non-professorial staff and student representatives. The Senate takes advice from the Education and Research Committees, and from specialist committees, dealing for example with the Library and the Faculties.

The Vice-Chancellor is the head of the University: its chief academic and administrative officer and the employer of all staff. The Vice-Chancellor is responsible for providing academic leadership along with effective management, and for leading strategic planning and directing resource allocation.

The Provost is the senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University with responsibility for leading the academic mission.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research is responsible assisting and advising the Vice-Chancellor and University Council on research policy, research management and performance.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Strategic Engagement is responsible for the University’s Sustainability Strategy, Communications and Engagement, Marketing and Communications, Alumni Relations and Development and for ensuring that the University develops, maintains and grows the key national and international relationships that will enhance and enable its ability to perform as a leading university.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Operations and Registrar is responsible for Finance, IT, Property, Student and Academic Services, Organisational Performance, Planning and Information, Libraries and Learning Services, Campus Life, Legal and Risk functions.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori has responsibility for developing a positive Māori profile, engaging with tangata whenua and other iwi. They champion the University’s plan for the Revitalisation of Te Reo Māori, Te Taonga Nō Tua Whakarere, He Taonga Mo Āpōpō; as well as Waipapa Tangata Rau, the Māori staffing plan, and the Māori student cohort plan.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor Pacific has responsibility for developing a positive Pacific profile, engaging with Pacific communities, leading the Tai Tonga Campus and assisting in the development of Pacific programmes in liaison with the Vice-Chancellor, Pacific staff, students and the community.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor Equity has responsibility for advising, monitoring, reporting, and developing policies and programmes that support our diverse students and staff to experience equitable access, participation, and success.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor Education, contributes to the oversight of cross-University academic matters, ensuring the quality of its academic policy and offerings, and excellence in learning and teaching approaches.

Each faculty is a sub-committee of Senate and is headed by a Dean who is supported by a Deputy Dean, Associate Deans, a Director of Faculty Operations and other administrative staff. The Dean is responsible for leading the academic and research activities of individual schools, departments and research centres and liaises with both the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and the Senate committees on academic programmes, staff appointments, buildings, research funding, library facilities, timetabling etc.

Each Large Scale Research Institute (LSRI) is headed by a Director, supported by a Deputy Director and administrative staff. The Director is responsible for co-ordinating the research activities of LSRI staff, including postgraduate research supervision, and liaises with both the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and the Senate committees on regulations, staff appointments, buildings, research funding, library facilities etc. Information is available on LSRI websites.

Day-to-day central administration and service provision is performed by the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, Student and Academic Services, Alumni Relations and Development, Campus Life, Communications and Engagement, Marketing and Recruitment, Finance, Human Resources, International Office, Digital Services, Te Tumu Herenga Libraries and Learning Services (including the University Library), Office of Research Strategy and Integrity, Organisational Performance and Improvement, Property Services and the School of Graduate Studies.