M@D still missing a Māori representative

Massey at Distance (M@D) could be missing a Māori representative on its board for another few months, at least, until the next election.  

Since the resignation of the previous Māori representative earlier this year, the position has been vacant. M@D Co-President Jacalyn Clare says having a Māori representative is part of M@D’s constitution. “Even if it wasn’t, we would still want to have a designated Māori representative on our board as distance students make up the largest percentage of Māori students within the University,” she said.  

However, she says with M@D elections only a few months away, it may not be worth opting in a candidate. “We have to consider if there is a point in opting in someone to be on the board for just a few months before they have to run for elections to retain their seat. It’s for this reason we are considering other options such as getting input from our Massey Māori associations and Māori distance students.” 

The search to fill vacant positions a couple of months ago failed to find a suitable candidate for the position, despite several others being inducted into other roles only a few months before elections. 

While there is currently no Māori representative on M@D’s board, Co-President Jax Watt has Ngāpuhi whakapapa. “I cannot burn the candle at both ends and hold a [dual role] as co-pres and a distance student rep for tangata whenua at Massey,” Jax said. 

With distance students making up the largest percentage of Māori students within Massey, the need for proper representation remains a pressing issue, both within M@D and the distance community in general. Currently, there is no Māori association for distance students. Te Waka o ngā Akonga Māori is the Māori association for Albany, Kōkiri Ngātahi for Wellington students and Manawatahi for those on the Manawatū campus.