Equity, diversity, and inclusion

This is how Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington enacts equity, diversity, and inclusion through our people, policies, and practices.

What is Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

Equity enables our differences to be recognised, diversity is the mix of our differences, and inclusion is getting the mix to work well together

Our commitment

We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment that enables every member of our community to thrive. We hold equity, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our operations, including our teaching, learning, research, and engagement. Since 2018, we have used this framework (PDF) to improve our practises and inform our work.

Our values

Our core ethical values are respect, responsibility, fairness, integrity, and empathy With, and as, tangata whenua, we value:

• Te Tiriti o Waitangi,
• rangatiratanga (leadership),
• manaakitanga (the generous fostering of knowledge),
• kaitiakitanga (responsibility for, and guardianship of, knowledge),
• whai mātauranga (intellectual curiosity),
• whanaungatanga (collaboration and collectiveness) and akoranga (collective responsibility for learning).

These values are manifested in our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Our people

Our diverse student population is provided with specialist support from a range of experts at every stage of their student journey. Our university is a place where learning flourishes and where people are helped to transform society. We engage with diverse perspectives and world views, and actively provide opportunities to broaden people’s experiences.

Our staff recruitment policies centre equity, diversity, and inclusion. Current members of staff are given opportunities to upskill in a range of areas including tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and te reo Māori through our Te Hāpai training programme. We enable our diverse workforce to thrive through our responsive HR practices and training programmes.

Our goals

We aspire to be a university that lives the values of the marae at its heart. As kaitiaki, we have an active duty to protect and nurture those entrusted to our care. We consciously build our university to be a place that everybody feels included and welcome, where they can receive a world-class education or employment experience and set themselves up for success—not just in their career, but as global citizens.

We will embed equity, diversity, and inclusion across all our work. By 2025, we will ensure the composition of our university students, staff, and leaders fully reflect the gender, ethnic, and cultural diversity of Aotearoa New Zealand.

We will encourage and support inclusive behaviours amongst all our staff and students. We will continue to develop policies and practices to support and value the activities of all our staff and students.