Unitec Institute of Technology

Maia Māori Development Centre

Kia kaha, kia toa, kia maia, kia manawanui

Maia Māori Development Centre is a "one-stop" support and development centre for Māori students, their whanau and staff at Unitec.

The centre promotes and maintains an awareness of Unitec's programmes in the Māori community and provides:

• Course advice for new and prospective students
• Enrolment advice for new students – Kura Po night class enrolments
• Assistance with the acknowledgement of prior learning applications
• Financial advice, including assistance with student loans and allowances, Manaaki Tauira applications and information, and other Māori grants and scholarships
• Academic learning support, including one-to-one, small group and workshop sessions in course-related mathematics, study skills and word processing
• A counselling service
• Specific social and cultural support for Māori students and their whanau
• Advocacy service and administration
• A base for Māori staff support via Te Roopu Mataara.
• Study space, drop in centre, computer support, kai space
• Information – where to go? What to do?

The strength that Maia provides for students and staff encompasses manawanui, love and compassion, as well as toa, physical strength, maia, spiritual strength, and kaha, emotional and intellectual strength.

Maia has a strong developmental and proactive focus and works closely with other Unitec support services and Puukenga: School of Māori Education. While Maia's services are particularly oriented toward Māori, all Unitec students are welcome.