Compulsory Te Tiriti paper replaced with Project Management

During Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, a student posted on the Massey@Distance Facebook page angered that their Te Tiriti paper had been replaced with Project Management.  

The paper called, The Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand Society, has been retired as a compulsory paper for students majoring in Health Promotion through the School of Health Sciences. The class is still available as an elective.  

The student’s Facebook post stated, “This doesn’t feel right!” sparking kōrero about integrating Te Tiriti into classes, or having separate courses for it.   

Former student, Lace Cat, commented on the post saying the treaty paper was fundamental for her degree.  

She wrote, “I can’t imagine that ‘project management’ would be a suitable replacement for that kind of knowledge.”  

When approached to elaborate, Cat said the content taught in the treaty paper revealed a side of Aotearoa’s history that “shocked” her as it was so different from what she’d been taught before starting university.   

Health Science lecturer, Angelique Reweti, was asked how the management paper would adequately replace the content taught in the treaty paper.

She said the university is taking a more integrated approach when it comes to Te Tiriti content in health courses. 

“While 152.252 Project Management does not replace the specific Te Tiriti content from 150.201, its inclusion addresses a different but complementary set of competencies that are critical for health promotion work.” 

She said Te Tiriti content has been included across nearly all courses in the Health Promotion major.  

“This approach allows students to engage with Te Tiriti o Waitangi throughout their learning journey, reflecting the real-world application in health promotion work where Te Tiriti is central to all areas of public health in Aotearoa New Zealand.”  

Reweti said three of the majors' compulsory courses are from Te Pūtahi-a-Toi (The School of Maori Knowledge).  

To provide context within the flurry of opinions in the Facebook comment section, associate professor in Public Health Christina Severinsen, acknowledged concerns.  

Severinsen wrote, “While we have removed 150.201 as a standalone course, we have expanded the integration of Te Tiriti o Waitangi learning across nearly all courses in the Health Promotion major. This approach ensures that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is not isolated in a single course but woven throughout your learning journey.”  

Severinsen told Massive that the changes have been led by the College of Health Tiriti mentors team, and that by next year, 15 out of 20 compulsory courses will have Te Tiriti-focused learning outcomes.   

Both figures in the College of Health maintained that the changes reflect both the college and Massey’s commitment to delivering an inclusive education that prepares students to thrive and recognise Te Tiriti o Waitangi.