The University of Waikato began in 1956 after Hamilton locals launched a petition for a university to serve the needs of the South Auckland region. The group was led by Douglas Seymour, a barrister, and subsequently Anthony "Rufus" Rogers, a Hamilton GP and brother to long-time Mayor of Hamilton, Denis Rogers. Their campaign coincided with a shortage of teachers in the 1950s that prompted the New Zealand government to consider plans for a teachers’ college in the region. In 1960, the newly established Hamilton Teachers’ College opened its doors, and combined with the fledgling university, began a joint campus on farmland at Hillcrest, on the city's outskirts. In 1964, the two institutions moved to their new home, and the following year the University of Waikato was officially opened by then Governor-General Sir Bernard Fergusson. At this time the university comprised a School of Humanities and a School of Social Sciences. In 1969 a School of Science was established. This was followed by the creation of Waikato Management School in 1972, Computer Science and Computing Services in 1973, and the establishment of the School, now Faculty, of Law in 1990. From the beginning, it was envisaged that Māori studies should be a key feature of the new university, and the Centre for Māori Studies and Research was set up in the School of Social Sciences in 1972. A separate School of Māori and Pacific Development was formally established in 1996. In 1999, the original Schools of Humanities and Social Sciences were merged to form the School of Arts and Social Sciences. In 2010, the tertiary partnership was widened to include Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. In 2014, the university became smoke-free, disallowing smoking on campus and in university-owned vehicles.
The Faculty of Law was founded in 1990 and is one of seven faculties that make up the University. The Faculty is located on the southeast side of the Hillcrest Campus in Hamilton, accessible from Hillcrest Road. The Law Faculty is also located at the Tauranga campus. The Law Faculty adopted the principles of professionalism, biculturalism and the study of law in context. One of the key founders of the Waikato Faculty of Law was the 27th Speaker of the HouseMargaret Wilson who returned to the faculty as a professor in January 2009.
General information
Divisions, faculties, schools and research institutes
Structure and governance
The chief executive of the University of Waikato is the Vice-Chancellor, currently Professor Neil Quigley. The University is governed by a council, headed by the University's Chancellor, who is currently former New Zealand Governor-GeneralRt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand GNZM, QSO, KStJ. The University Council works with Te Rōpū Manukura, made up of representatives of the 16 iwi authorities in the University's catchment area. Te Rōpū Manukura is the Kaitiaki of the Treaty of Waitangi for the University of Waikato, and acts to ensure that the University works in partnership with iwi to meet tertiary needs and aspirations of Māori communities. The following list shows the university's chancellors:
The University of Waikato operates from two campuses, Hamilton, and Tauranga. Undergraduate degrees are also offered through a satellite location on the campus of Zhejiang University City College in Hangzhou.
Hamilton
The main Hamilton campus is spread over 64 hectares of landscaped gardens and lakes, and includes extensive sporting and recreational areas. Originally farmland, the campus was designed by architect John Blake-Kelly in 1964. The open space landscaping contains extensive native plantings, including a fernery, centred around three artificial lakes, created by draining marshy paddocks.
Tauranga
The University of Waikato previously shared two campuses with Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology in Tauranga: Windmere and the Bongard Centre. In 2018, it was announced that the University would be moving all of their Tauranga operations to the Bongard Centre, with Toi Ohomai conversely moving their Bongard students to the Windmere campus. In April 2019, the Tauranga campus was opened to the public. The Student Centre officially opened in 2011 by Waikato alumnus Governor-General Jerry Mateparae.
Rankings
In the latest 2020 QS rankings, The University of Waikato leapt more than 100 places in six years to 266th place – in the top five percent of the world's 26,000 universities.
The Waikato Students' Union represents all students on campus, and publishes the student magazine Nexus. Law students are represented by the University of Waikato Law Students' Association, Te Whakahiapo, and the Pacific Law Students' Association, The University of Waikato's Women In Law Association https://www.waikato.ac.nz/law/student/waikato-women-students-in-law-association, Management students are represented by the Waikato Management School Students' Association, Management Communication Students' Association, Pacific Islands Management Students Association, and Te Ranga Ngaku.
