New Tauranga campus coming to life

An outside view of one of Tauranga’s newest buildings. Supplied photos.

The carpet is being laid and tradies are now working on the interior of the University of Waikato's new Tauranga campus.

And while others will lay down their tools for Christmas, work will continue on the university site for the opening early next year.

Much of the focus on the new campus has been on the state-of-the-art facility and the way it's transforming the CBD. But the University's Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Alister Jones sees it as more than a building.

'It's a high quality research and teaching institution that will open up better access to tertiary education for communities throughout the Bay.

'It's not just about the people who come to study with us next year. Universities have a long vision, so it's about the next generation, and the generations that follow.”

Alister is spending a lot of time in Tauranga, in the community and around the campus itself as work progresses.

He's now starting to be recognised and stopped on the street to chat about the project.

'There is a real sense of energy from people.

'They're curious about progress, but I'm also becoming very aware of how important the new campus is for individuals and quite diverse communities across the Bay.”

The major contractor is Hawkins Construction.

Alister says Hawkins has championed the project, which is now due to open a year earlier than initially planned.

He also acknowledges the sub-contractors and local tradespeople working on the development.

'I was speaking to one of the tradesmen on the new site, and he told me he was proud to be working here because he believes his children will be studying here when they are older.”

The interest in people wanting to study at the Tauranga Campus is starting to become tangible.

At the moment about 40 Tauranga-based PhD students have enrolled, across a wide range of subjects from Education through to Marine Science. It reflects the bigger suite of courses being offered.

The University is getting in behind schools leavers as well. While scholarships are still being finalised, Waikato has had over 160 applications from students from schools around the Bay of Plenty for places at both its campuses.

Significantly, it has been able to offer 11 Tauranga Campus First-in-Family scholarships. They are for students who are the first members of their immediate family/whānau to attend university, enrolling full time in the first year of an undergraduate degree in Tauranga.

They open the door to tertiary education not just to individuals, but to families/whānau and wider communities.

In December, University of Waikato staff who had been based at the Windermere Campus will effectively carry out a large scale desk-swap, moving to the Bongard Centre in the CBD, with Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology moving its team to consolidate at Windermere.

Alister is grateful to Toi Ohomai for making it happen, as it will allow Waikato staff to have a more seamless transition to the new campus.

The University is continuing with to work on the regional bus and shuttle service to allow better access to students from across Bay of Plenty.

It's also secured a number of accommodation options for students in Tauranga.

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