2021 Graduation Ceremonies next week

We’re looking forward to our Graduation Ceremonies next week

Tēnā koutou,

We are really looking forward to celebrating the achievements of our tauira, kanohi ki te kanohi at our Graduation Ceremonies next week.

Graduation is a very special part of the Awanuiārangi calendar of events. It is a time to celebrate the achievements of our tauira, and an opportunity to participate in the formal ceremony and associated ritual, that dates back centuries and has been adapted from the time of ancient whare wānanga.

We were saddened to not be able to hold a formal Graduation Ceremony last year, due to the restrictions posed by COVID-19. However, we are pleased that next week, we will be able to acknowledge and celebrate in person our 2020 graduands, as well as our 2019 graduates.

Graduation dates

• Graduation Ceremony 1 will take place on Thursday 25 March for those graduates whose ceremony was cancelled in 2020.
• Graduation Ceremony 2 will take place on Friday 26 March for those graduands scheduled to graduate in 2021.

Tauira and Kaimahi can read more about our Graduation Ceremony here. Please note that due to the restricted numbers at the marae, and associated COVID-19 precautions, we are unable to extend an invitation to this graduation ceremony to those who are not registered guests of a 2020 graduand or 2019 graduate.

What happens if there is a change in Alert Levels?

As previously communicated, graduation will only be able to be held if all of Aoteraoa is under Alert Level 1. If Aotearoa, or individual regions, moves up to Alert Level 2 or higher, graduation may need to be postponed as we have whānau who come from all over the country for this big event and it may not be practical to hold graduation, given the limits on gathering numbers and COVID-19-related health and safety concerns.

For this reason, we need to be prepared to postpone or cancel graduation at very short notice, should there be a change in Alert Levels over the coming week. We appreciate that, if this has to happen, this may cause some frustration and disappointment, however rest assured we are committed to acting in the best interests of the health and safety of our communities. We sincerely hope, of course, that all of Aotearoa stays under Alert Level 1 and that our Graduation Ceremonies will be able to go ahead as planned next week.

Updates will be communicated as needed via email, the Awanuiārangi website, and our Facebook page.

If you have any questions regarding graduation, please contact our Graduation team at 0508 WANANGA (0508 92 62 64) or graduation@wananga.ac.nz.

Nākū noa, nā

Professor Wiremu Doherty

Chief Executive Officer