University of Auckland

The School of Theology at the University of Auckland will offer a course in Islamic studies next year.
The university added the course because of “a growing interest in Islamic religion and its role in the contemporary world”.

The University of Auckland is running free parenting programmes for parents of pre-teens and teenagers as part of a research study comparing the effectiveness of two parenting programmes.

University of Auckland’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon, blames the low level of investment in the NZ university sector for universities’ slippage in world rankings.

McCutcheon told The Press he is not surprised that NZ universities are continuing to fall behind their rival overseas institutions.

Research from the University of Auckland has shown “friendship bullying” is common among female high school students with nearly half of Kiwi girls saying they have been picked on by their friends, The NZ Herald reports.

Dr Ro Lange, researcher and school counsellor, said 44 per cent of the 1300 Year 10 girls involved in the study had been bullied by friends.

The PPTA request for conducting a literature review of fast-track teacher education schemes last month has caused debate among educators.

The proposed Teach First NZ scheme fast-tracks top graduates into teaching jobs in low decile schools, after completing a six-week summer school programme.

Protecting the quality of teaching and research may cost academic staff at the University of Auckland a pay rise but they are prepared to make this trade-off and use industrial action to achieve it.

At meetings across every campus at the University of Auckland, academic staff are exasperated at their employer for trying to take away conditions crucial to doing their job well. The university is offering a 4 per cent pay-rise, which academics have said they would rather not take if it means they lose key conditions from their employment agreements.

Twelve associate professors at The University of Auckland have been promoted to professor, which is a mark of distinction, recognising professional and academic eminence at an international level.

Six New Zealand students with dreams of pursuing careers in environmental research have been given the chance to do this with the help of a BayerBoost scholarship grant.

The secondary school and tertiary students from Christchurch, Lincoln, Auckland, Whakatane and Wellington have each been granted financial assistance to undertake projects in their area of interest, under the guidance of a nominated host organisation.

 Philanthropic support totalling $120 million has been given for research and learning at The University of Auckland since 2006, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon, announced two weeks ago.

The University’s “Leading the Way” fundraising Campaign aims to raise $150 million by the end of 2012 – an achievement that would make it as successful as any campaign in Australasian university history. Originally set at $100 million, the Campaign target was raised as philanthropic funds given through the University’s advancement, research, and scholarships offices were pooled.  

 Researchers at The University of Auckland have discovered that students attending Alternative Education (AE) have much higher rates of dangerous driving, smoking, drinking, unprotected sex and suicidal behaviours than mainstream students – yet they have the most difficulty accessing the services they require.