Unitec New Zealand

Infobox University
name = Unitec New Zealand


image_size =
motto =
mission_statement =
established = 1976
president= Dr. Richard Ede
vice_chancellor=
city = Auckland
country = New Zealand
students=
type =
campus=Mt Albert, Henderson and Takapuna
affiliations= International Association of Universities
website= [http://www.unitec.ac.nz www.unitec.ac.nz]

Unitec New Zealand (Māori: Te Whare Wānanga o Wairaka) is a Government-funded institute of technology in Auckland, New Zealand.

The main campus is situated in Mt Albert, Auckland City, while a secondary campus is situated in Henderson, Waitakere City, and a third campus in Takapuna, North Shore City. Unitec offers degree programs in arts, business and technical subjects at the bachelors, masters and doctoral level. Unitec is a member of the International Association of Universities.

History

Unitec was founded on the Mt Albert site in 1976 and was originally called "Carrington Technical Institute". The name changed to "Carrington Polytechnic" in 1987 and then to "Unitec Institute of Technology" in 1994. The name changed again in March 2004 to "Unitec New Zealand". [" [http://www.unitec.ac.nz/?B8F6A6BE-4E9C-49BD-8750-AF508A580E28 History] ", Unitec New Zealand.]

Unitec applied for university status in 1999, as Auckland Institute of Technology (AIT) had done. However, while AIT gained approval and became the Auckland University of Technology, the Government ruled in 2005 that Unitec did not meet the academic criteria of a university and would remain an institute of technology. [Dye, Stuart. " [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10340234 Unitec set to fight Government denial of varsity status] ". The New Zealand Herald. August 11, 2005.] Legal action by Unitec in 2006 against the decision process was unsuccessful. [" [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10412166 Appeal by Unitec over status fails] ". The New Zealand Herald. August November 24, 2006.]

Campuses

The Mt Albert campus on Carrington Rd has 55 hectares of grounds and is the location for the Unitec marae, which is currently being developed by marae-builder and artist Lyonel Grant. Acting, dance, and writing and directing students from the Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts have regular performances of dance pieces and plays at the theater and dance studios on campus.

The area on which Unitec's main campus is located was formerly home to the Whau Mental Hospital, later known as Carrington Hospital. The hospital building, an imposing brick Italianate-Romanesque structure, is located at the northern end of the Unitec campus. The hospital building was the largest building in New Zealand when it was built in the 1860s. The hospital was decommissioned during the early 1990s, and the building is now part of Unitec.

In 2006, Unitec opened its new Waitakere campus in the center of Henderson. The campus has recently been extended to include a new state-of-the art learning center and library. The campus is a joint development with the Waitakere City Council and includes the new Waitakere Central Library. Unitec’s Waitakere campus offers mainly business, language, and health and community studies programs.

tudent achievements

Every November graduating students from the design, architecture and landscape architecture programs have an exhibition of their work in teaching and exhibition spaces and galleries in the former Carrington Hospital building, now called Building 1.

Students of the School of Performing and Screen Arts create short films annually, two of which have won the "NZ Kodak Filmschool Competition" for 2005 and 2006. In 2008 a film school graduate won the Audience Choice Award at the recent "Beijing Film Festival".

Courses

tudy areas

* Applied Technology and Trades * Architecture and Landscape * Business Studies * Communication Studies * Computing and Information Technology * Construction and Engineering * Design and Visual Arts * Education * Health and Community Studies

* Language Studies * Management and Entrepreneurship * Māori Education * Natural Sciences * Performing and Screen Arts * Sport * Travel and Tourism * Foundation Studies

Qualifications

* 2 doctorate degrees
* 15 masters degrees
* 17 postgraduate and graduate diplomas and certificates
* 21 bachelors degree programs with 28 majors
* 72 diploma and certificate programs

References

External links

* [http://www.unitec.ac.nz/ Unitec New Zealand official website]
* [http://www.usu.co.nz/ USU - Students' Association at Unitec]