During 2016, Pukeahu ki Tua involved:
A campus-wide staff and student feedback process titled 'Fly us your ideas' was launched with participants writing their feedback onto paper planes and flying them into nets around the campus. The aim was to find out what was happening on campus in relation to the Pukeahu ki Tua themes (The 3Es). What we discovered from the survey process was that, as well as being focussed on the 3Es, staff were also struggling with internal communication and wanted more opportunities to collaborate with their colleagues.
Two masters students researched internal communication methods at the Wellington campus. At the end of their research, they identified ways to improve communication on campus.
The students were from the School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing.
In June we installed a screen in the Pyramid to trial an event and information feed. Staff and students contributed through Twitter using #Pyramidscreen.
In the first month, 20 Twitter accounts were contributing to the feed.
Following the success of the trial, we plan to expand the initiative across the campus.
This initiative was based on feedback from Student Communication Research.
Pukeahu ki Tua trialed SharePoint with students as a collaboration tool.
Trials continue with other collaboration tools, including Office365 and Hunchbuzz.
We realised some staff were conducting their own student surveys. They weren't aware of the data collection process at Massey.
We have begun analysing the data collected from the annual Student Experience survey. Our goal is to improve awareness of this data source and the results of the survey to staff and students.
In September Pukeahu ki Tua held a lunch for campus administration staff. At the lunch we talked about our projects and got feedback on ways to improve communication.
The outcome of the lunch was the establishment of the Administration Staff Network. The group co-ordinates social events and supports new staff.
The launch of the Pukeahu Pathway took place during Mental Health Awareness Week: "Connect with Nature". Over 70 staff and students participated in a series of mindfulness activities. Discovering the garden spaces around campus was a popular activity. Participants received a goody bag with information about mental health services AND chocolate!
Pathway maps are available from Facilities Management.
We received 21 Contestable Fund applications from staff and students across the campus. Applications included everything from performance nights to Pasifika student resource-building. Ten projects received funding totaling $29,900.
The Cindy Sherman Effect is an exhibition of Cindy's photography at City Gallery.
We held a symposium based on the themes Sherman explores in her photography and showcased Massey research and innovation. The focus was on women, identity, gender and age.
Cindy Sherman is a leading artist from the late 20th century. She uses imagery from popular culture to construct elaborate and evocative scenarios. Her work has influenced young artists globally for generations.
The Create1World conference is for high school students and their teachers. The conference focus is for students to help people understand complex global problems using their creative talents.
Over 200 high school students and teachers attended the 2016 conference. Industry leaders, including Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown also attended the conference.
The Selekā Project is a joint venture between Massey and Tonga's Selekā Club. The Club was set up by Tevita Lātū and is the an artistic home for more than 100 young people.
Club members spent time working with Massey staff to develop an art curriculum. The project ended with an exhibition of artworks by Club members and Massey students.
Creative Ecologies students held two sustainability research events at the Wellington campus.
The Take2 event raised awareness of the waste created on campus and ways to reduce it. The team collected disposable coffee cups from the Pyramid and surveyed students. All promotional material and giveaways were from recycled materials.
The Occupy and Unify event team took over the Co-Lab space. They held workshops on up-cycling clothing and how to make eco-friendly cleaners. The keynote speaker at the event was Green MP, Gareth Hughes. The event wrapped up with documentary screening and dinner.
Pukeahu ki Tua is undertaking foundational research into interdisciplinary studies and experiential learning to support Massey's aim to create education experiences for students that meet the evolving needs of 21st century learning.
Background research into contemporary interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary pedagogies and practices, resulted in two recommendations for Massey’s wider interdisciplinary studies strategy:
A group of Massey staff organised a series of cross-college lectures and debates. The theme for the four-part series was “Uncertainty, Creativity and Innovation”.
The first event in September 2016, attracted over 100 participants to the Pyramid. The speakers were from a variety of creative backgrounds and included:
Co-Lab: Create your Massey is a project incubator for ideas on improving campus life. A trained facilitator helps each project team made up of staff and students.
Co-Lab initiatives from 2016 include:
This initiative resulted in the consideration of a similar incubator for staff projects.
The analysis of data from the Student Engagement Survey is ongoing. The results of this survey will guide how we can produce better outcomes for students.
Pukeahu ki Tua projects improve students experiences and wellbeing. Positive feedback will provide the opportunity to share the initiative across the University.
Student uptake of study and career development programmes for postgraduate students is low. Further research identified students want more offerings. The three step approach to improving the student experience involved developing:
The first Open Mic Night on campus attracted over 60 staff and students. The event gave students the opportunity to showcase their musical and theatrical talents. This successful initiative was a collaboration between students from across campus.
Open Mic Nights are now a regular campus event, held in the Tussock Cafe.
Student research identified that visitors enter the Wellington campus through the Pyramid atrium. And, a lot of those visitors travel between the Executive Seminar Suite and Te Ara Hihiko.
Staff and students worked together to improve the visitor experience on campus. The atrium and pathway spaces now promote the achievements of students. They showcase Massey as a professional university. Read the section titled Campus way-finding below to learn how this was achieved.
This student initiative promotes Massey research and innovation at the Wellington campus. Over the next three years, a series of exhibition banners around campus will show the work in these areas.
The exhibition launched in July and profiled the work of three students. These students received a scholarship to travel to India and develop a fashion line. They collaborated with students from Indian universities to create the line.
Four students received a research and development scholarship to prototype a way-finding solution. The prototype would help visitors move from the Pyramid atrium to the rest of the campus.
The students' solution:
During Orientation 2016, we asked new students how they found their way around campus. We also talked to the staff who help new students find their classrooms and lecture theatres.
There were two outcomes from the survey:
We resolved the signage issue through the Pyramid project. We updated the map of the Wellington campus on the app and sponsored a student to geo tag locations on campus. This information was then added to the app.
The Pukeahu Pathway encourages the use of the campus green space. Along the pathway you will discover sculptures and learn about the history of the land.
Danielle Carden, a visual design honours student, designed the pathway and Massey staff created the garden spaces.
Koha Coffee is a collaboration between Co-Lab, MAWSA and Chaplaincy. The student run service provides tea and coffee to students. Sponsors include People's Coffee and T.
A team of students led the development of the cart and marketing of the service. It has brought together students from across colleges into the campus shared spaces.
Koha Coffee provided refreshments for campus visitors during Open Day.
Students, along with Tussock Cafe, are looking at ways to reduce the use of takeaway coffee cups on campus. This initiative is a result of the earlier work completed by Take2 and Occupy and Unify.
The Pukeahu Pathway takes walkers around Pukeahu (Mount Cook), and is being added to the Welly Walks app. The first "Welly Walk" in the Mount Cook area of Wellington.
Welly Walks is an app produced by the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA).
Co-Lab is trialling a co-op for students and staff to access affordable fresh fruit, vegetables and free-range eggs on campus. Small scale trials are taking place now ready for a full launch with staff in January and students in March.
Plans are underway for an online university TV station. Quality content for the Massey community will include profiling student life and experiences.
This project is a cross-college, staff-student collaboration.
We started creating a collaborative, accessible, cross-college space for Student Life staff to work in. Phase 2 has already started and will be completed in 2016.
A student wellbeing PhD project is exploring how data in the university can improve student services.
A campus-wide staff and student feedback process titled 'Fly us your ideas' was launched with participants writing their feedback onto paper planes and flying them into nets around the campus.
A part-time project manager role was created in March; and was expanded to full-time in November.
We established core themes based on Massey’s seven big goals, an external report on Massey University and the campus feedback. Our core themes have become a 'filter' for establishing the viability of our project shortlist.
We converted unused campus space into an exhibition and events hub. Phase 2 starts of the makeover project will start in December and will be completed in 2016.
We extensively researched to find out what existing initiatives and projects were already underway on the Wellington campus.
Three summer school scholarships have been set up for FabLab students to develop an innovative 'way finding' solution for staff, students and visitors navigating across campus spaces.
You can find the latest Think Differently Wellington project news on our Sharepoint site, and blog.