Māori student support: Pou Māori – Māori Centre

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e te iti, e te rahi, e ngā mātāwaka o ngā tōpito o te ao. Ngā mahuetanga iho e kawe nei i ngā moemoeā o rātou mā, tēnā koutou katoa. Piki mai rā, kake mai rā, nau mai, haere mai ki tēnei o ngā wānanga. Whakatau mai i raro i te korowai āhuru o Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau.

Ko wai mātou? | Who are we?

Pou Māori – Māori Centre is an iwi Māori-focused support service. We partner with ākonga Māori to provide support that embodies manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and kotahitanga. We offer a wide range of services and kaupapa designed to awhi and tautoko personal, cultural and academic success of ākonga Māori. Our Pou Āwhina are not only kind and approachable but are trained, culturally competent and qualified kaimahi who support or connect ākonga with the people or services they need to succeed in their studies and to make the most of their time at AUT.

team photo

We are here to tautoko – from before you arrive at AUT through to graduation and beyond. Contact us before you start your studies or while you're at AUT. Nau mai, haere mai.

Whakapā mai I Contact us

Hariata Mareroa
(Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa)
Pou Mua - Manager
Waihorotiu I City Campus
WB304C, WB building
+64 9 921 9790
maori@aut.ac.nz

Margaret Mehana
(Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kuri, Te Aupouri)
Pou Āwhina ki Manukau
Manukau I South Campus
Room ME101, Level 1, ME building
+64 9 921 9903
maori@aut.ac.nz

Jana Nee
(Te Rarawa)
Pou Āwhina ki Waihorotiu
Business & Law, Science, Design & Creative Technology
Waihorotiu I City Campus
WB303, WB building
+64 9 921 9614
maori@aut.ac.nz

Talia Wiapo
(Ngāti Whātua, Ngai Tahuhu)
Pou Āwhina ki Waihorotiu
Culture & Society, Te Poutama
Waihorotiu I City Campus
WB304B, WB building
+64 9 921 9569
maori@aut.ac.nz

Cheyenne Thomas
(Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tūhoe)
Pou Āwhina ki Akoranga
Akoranga I North Campus
AE113, AE building
+64 9 921 9905
maori@aut.ac.nz

Ratonga awhi I Support services

Study and tutorial support
Financial and scholarship assistance
Oranga support/wellbeing initiatives
Resourced whānau spaces: WB302, AE101a, ME101
Kaupapa Māori events and activities
Connections to ākonga Māori groups and networks
Special Consideration Application assistance

O tātou tauira I Our students

Mackenzie Blucher

Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kuri
Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts in International Studies

“I was the first person in my family to go to uni, and I didn’t know anyone at AUT. The support systems in place for first-year Māori students really set me up for success, particularly the taura kaiwhatu tutoring programme. I had a fantastic tutor in my first year, and was a tutor myself for several years afterwards.”

Jamee Miles

Te Arawa
Bachelor of Laws (Honours)

“I’d make a special thank you to Pou Māori – Māori Centre and in particular Margaret Mehana. Whaea Margy has really supported and encouraged me so much during my time at university. This has made such a significant and positive difference in my university experiences.”

Sueann Wichman-Yukich

Ngāpuhi
Bachelor of Arts in Māori Development

“The best part about my studies at AUT was the sense of whānau that is built through Pou Māori – Māori Centre, the Te Ara Poutama faculty, the Office of Māori Advancement and Titahi ki TUA. Without the sense of belonging created through these avenues, my university experience would have been a lot more daunting.”

Manawaru Broughton

Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Te Aitanga a Mahaki
Bachelor of Business

“Moving to Auckland from Gisborne was pretty scary at first. I didn’t know what to expect. Hariata Mareroa from AUT’s Pou Māori – Māori Centre made me realise that there’s a big Māori community at AUT. Pou Māori has really helped me settle in, helped with finances and gives us extra support if we need it."

Kei hea mātou? | Where are we?

campus location

Waihorotiu I City Campus
WB304. level 3, WB building
69 Wellesley Street, Auckland

Support hours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8am-4.30pm
Wednesday: 10am-4.30pm

campus location

Akoranga I North Campus
AE113, level 1, AE building
90 Akoranga Drive, Northcote

Support hours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8am-4.30pm
Wednesday: 10am-4.30pm

campus location

Manukau I South Campus
ME101, level 1, ME building
640 Great South Road, Manukau

Support hours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8am-4.30pm
Wednesday: 10am-4.30pm

Ngā Karahipi Māori I Scholarships for Māori students

There’s a wide range of scholarships and awards available to AUT students at all stages of their study, including the following AUT scholarships for school leavers:

Find Your Greatness Scholarships – Kiwa: for academically able students who are Māori or Pacific
Accommodation Scholarship – Office of Māori Advancement: supporting tauira Māori in approved AUT accommodation
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Community Partnership Scholarship: to support Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei descendants

You can search the AUT scholarships database for even more scholarships you may be eligible for.

FIND SCHOLARSHIPS

Other support services

Disability support services

If you're Deaf, neurodiverse, or if you have a disability or medical condition, we'll support you so you can participate as fully as possible in your learning.

Pacific student support

Our Pacific student wellbeing and success team offers guidance and advice – from Pacific people for Pacific people.

Rainbow student support

At AUT, our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, takātapui, queer, intersex, asexual or ace (LGBTTQIA+) communities are known as the rainbow community.

International student support

Find out more about how AUT will support you throughout your studies and learn more about starting your life as an international student in Auckland.

Postgraduate research student support

As a postgraduate research student at AUT you have access to a range of support and resources, including postgraduate study spaces, events and researcher development activities.

Follow us on social media

You can follow us on our social media channels.

The gateway to AUT: our marae

photo of marae

Ngā Wai o Horotiu marae is a whānau, cultural and spiritual centre. Located on the City Campus, it welcomes the diverse cultures at AUT.

NGĀ WAI O HOROTIU

Download our Whānau Guide

Read more about what it’s like to study at AUT, get practical information about what to expect from university study and hear from other Māori students at AUT.

DOWNLOAD BROCHURE

Accommodation

AUT's accommodation buildings
^{Jason Mann Photography}

Living on campus can be a great option for students – they will only be minutes away from AUT and it’s an easy way to meet other students.

Find out more

Join Tītahi Ki TUA – AUT Māori Students Association

Titahi Ki TUA offers tauira Māori a place where they can come to share ideas, share identity, draw support, meet other Māori students, and practise culture through kapahaka; all in a marae environment.