COVID-19 response: Monday 20 April

Update on COVID-19: Our plan for delivery online for our tauira

We know adjusting to a different way of learning, working, and life in general has not come without challenges. We hope the information below helps provide some degree of certainty for what the future holds when it comes to your studies.

Our focus over the past four weeks has been on developing plans to deliver online teaching and learning experiences that will enable you to continue your studies with us during the COVID-19 Alert Level restrictions. Today, we are in a good position to be able to formally communicate to you what the next few months will look like for the programme of study you are enrolled in, and for us as Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi.

Aotearoa is moving into Alert Level 3 from 11.59pm on Monday 27 April, for a period of two weeks, or until the Government announces otherwise. This still means that all teaching and learning will take place online only, and all campuses are to remain closed until the risks of COVID-19 are low enough to allow us to physically welcome you on-campus again.

• From Thursday 23 April 2020, we will start online delivery of those programmes that have been identified, as being able to do so. This applies to most of our undergraduate programmes, and all our postgraduate programmes.
• For those programmes unable to start online delivery on 23 April, we will aim to do so from mid-May instead. This provides more time to address the unique needs of these programmes and establish the best delivery options.
• Only one programme, our level 3 Te Pōkaitahi Reo (Rāngai) offered to the DHB sector, has been deferred to a Semester 2 start in July 2020. This decision has been made to accommodate students currently working in essential health services

We will be in touch

Your kaiako will be in touch with you soon with revised timetables for your programmes. Teaching timetables will either be extended, or catch-up sessions will be scheduled to ensure all teaching and learning that was halted during the COVID-19 response is still provided. We know online teaching and learning is a new concept for many of our tauira, and our kaiako too, so time and support will be factored in to allow you to adjust to this new environment.

For those programmes that are unable to begin again until mid-May, it is important that you stay connected with us – we will be providing revision materials or other resources during the next few weeks. We urge you to also stay enrolled – there is no need to withdraw from study. StudyLink payments are continuing, and the Government’s Tertiary Education Support Package has been extended to eight weeks.

I am sure you will have many pātai. We have put together a comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to answer some of your queries. These are available here.

If you have any additional pātai, please contact your kaiako, or our COVID-19 Response Team at ssc@wananga.ac.nz.

Why our campuses are remaining closed until further notice

Over the next few months there is a risk that Aotearoa will be moving up and down Alert levels. A considerable amount of work and disruption goes into opening and closing entire campuses at short notice if the Alert Level were to go up again. Keeping our campuses closed until the COVID-19 situation reaches a safe and stable point is the most practical decision and ensures that we avoid any additional disruption for our tauira and kaimahi.

While the Government has indicated that in theory, some campus-based activities may be able to resume at Level 3 (depending on group size and physical distancing measures), we consider this to be too risky and our priority is always to put the health and safety of our tauira and kaimahi first.

So, until our Awanuiārangi COVID-19 Response Team considers it safe to do so, no-one is permitted on-campus. Online delivery needs to be the new normal in the meantime.

Awanuiārangi at different Alert Levels

Here is a simple breakdown of what the different Alert Levels mean for Awanuiārangi:

• Alert Level 4: Campuses are closed, online delivery only.
• Alert Level 3: Campuses are closed, online delivery only.
• Alert Level 2: Campuses to be re-opened, if the COVID-19 situation is stable enough to allow us to remain at Alert Level 2 for a sustained period of time. Physical distancing and other health and safety measures to apply.
• Alert Level 1: Level 2 measures still apply.

We know that when we started the academic year, this was not how we thought our teaching and learning would take place. What we do know is that we remain committed to ensuring you are able to continue your studies with us. We do not yet have all the answers, and we will work with all our kaiako and tauira over the next few months on any issues that come up. Stay connected with us and don’t hesitate to ask questions.

Further updates will continue to be communicated with you as these are available. Please continue to check your emails and follow the Awanuiārangi website and Facebook page for all the latest Awanuiārangi-related updates. 

Thank you for your continued and committed support. He waka eke noa.

Professor Wiremu Doherty

Chief Executive Officer

Visit main COVID-19 Response Page