Te Rōpū Whakamana Tangata

Te Rōpū Whakamana Tangata leads our collective efforts to maintain respect for the mana and tapu of all students and staff in the faculty, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexuality, or status.

Our aim is to protect the personal, cultural, and academic integrity of everyone in our faculty, and to provide support for any student or staff member whose wellbeing has been diminished by acts of harassment, bullying, or other behaviours that infringe on the mana and tapu of individuals or groups.

The work of Te Rōpū embeds and reinforces our Faculty values, Ō Tātou Mātāpono. We seek to affirm the Faculty’s role as a place of shelter (he tōtara whakamarumaru) and protection (he toka tūmoana), a safe place to speak, be heard, and supported by the voices of others (he kākā tarahae), and a recognition that no member of our faculty is alone in their journey (he waka eke noa). At the heart of these values is the Faculty’s aspiration – kia whakamana i te tangata – to uphold the mana and tapu of others through our actions and relationships.

There are many different situations where people might find it helpful to contact Te Rōpū. For example:

• Staff or students who feel they are being bullied by a colleague, teacher, or peer
• Staff or students who have experienced sexual harassment or harm on campus or in the halls of residence
• Staff or students who are concerned about the behaviour or wellbeing of a colleague, teacher, or peer

Te Rōpū Whakamana Tangata is not a formal group for investigating complaints, but is part of the Faculty’s broader efforts to support people’s health, safety, and wellbeing. We offer Faculty students and staff an empathic and supportive first point of contact if they wish to raise issues and concerns. We can provide advice about processes available for formalising your complaint if you wish to do so, and we can suggest consideration of more informal routes that may lead to resolution and reconciliation.

Any Arts staff member or student can contact Te Rōpū Whakamana Tangata. All communications are treated in confidence, and we will touch base with everyone who gets in touch with us.

If you wish to raise an incident or express a concern in confidence with the group, please email trwt@auckland.ac.nz.

• Dr Maxine Lewis (Co-Chair, Assistant Dean – Equity)
• Associate Professor Caroline Vercoe (BA/MA Programme Director)
  
• Associate Professor Neal Curtis (Associate Dean – Postgraduate)
• Dr Rebecca Phillipps (Assistant Dean Academic and Programme Director for the Bachelor of Arts)
  
• Associate Professor Vivienne Elizabeth (Sociology)
• Leanne Tamaki (Kaiārahi for the Faculty of Arts)
• Niel Burger (Human Resources Manager, Faculty of Arts)
• Stacey Giles (Student Development and Engagement Manager)