AUT 2023 Orientation a success
AUT’s 2023 Student Orientation took place at all three campuses over five days last week, with the start of each day marked by a powerful pōwhiri to welcome the university’s newest students.
AUT Student Transition Manager, Hans Tommy, says “This year, we wanted to conceptually establish the Orientation event as the ‘Pōwhiri’ of the AUT student experience, in order to be more inclusive and reflective of our commitment and belief in Mātauranga Māori.”
Each day AUT staff and existing students – as well as 130 Student Ambassadors – came together to welcome hundreds of new students onto our North, South and City Campuses.
The aim of Orientation is to provide new students with a smooth transition into university life and to help them get set up for the beginning of the semester.
It is also the chance to make that everlasting first impression and to reassure new students that they have made a good decision to come to AUT.
The Pōwhiri was followed by a full day of orientation activities, including tours of the campus, programme information sessions, support services workshops and student life zones which will have a range of support services, activations, and student clubs.
The programme sessions included an introduction to AUT student life, facilitated by AUT Student Ambassadors and then handed over to academic staff to prepare them for week one classes. Workshops were also delivered by IT, Te Mātāpuna - Library and Learning Services and the Graduate Research School.
A tailored orientation experience was also offered to postgraduate and international students, including academic workshops, kiwi culture and international student support sessions, understanding how to connect with other students, support services and how to get ongoing support at AUT.
In the lead up to Orientation, our new Māori students were welcomed to AUT with AUTaia. This event is created for Māori tauira and their whānau to formally welcome them to AUT and the AUT marae, Ngā wai o horotiu. It includes a Pōwhiri, workshops, information sessions and kai, and supports AUT’s commitment to empowering the identity of Māori students, and supporting their student experience, here at AUT.
Student Transition Programme
Orientation is followed by an 8-week programme for new students called ‘Getting Started: your first eight weeks at AUT’. New students will receive weekly communications on important dates in the academic calendar, events, resources, and other information from key stakeholders at AUT. Learn more about Student Support.
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