Chancellor Neil Paviour-Smith says University Council members will be considering the letter received from the Minister before any comment is made and before any discussion of next steps.
In September, the University Council recommended to the Minister of Education that University of Wellington be approved as the new legal name for the University, and that a new Māori name of Te Herenga Waka be adopted.
The Council’s decision followed well over a year of research, seeking advice from experts and discussion with staff, students, alumni and stakeholders, including a consultation period during which close to 2,500 submissions were received.
Information about the reasons underpinning the University Council recommendation to change the name can be found on the University’s website.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Guilford says that in the meantime, it will be business as usual at the University.
“We have had a very successful 2018 with strong growth in research quality, quantity and impact, and a significant lift in enrolments in response to the high-quality student experience at the University and in Wellington.
“In addition, the passion our alumni feel for their alma mater has been very evident. Overall alumni engagement has increased this year with more alumni attending events, donating and signing up to provide mentoring of current students—support that, now more than ever, is very important to the institution’s future.”