Guidelines

Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland aims to be a place where te reo Māori can flourish, where the language is used by everybody, everywhere, every day. The commitments of the University towards achieving this aim are outlined in the University Language Plan for the Revitalisation of te Reo Māori: Te taonga nō tua whakarere, he taonga mo āpōpō: A treasure from ancient times, and for tomorrow. The provision of a kuputaka glossary of Māori terms for use at the University is one of our commitments.

The University of Auckland Kuputaka is the authorised collection of written and spoken te reo Māori text, for a selection of academic and common usage terms, for use at the University.

The Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori is responsible for the Kuputaka. Te Mātanga Reo, the University Māori Language Advisory Committee is accountable for the quality of the text, considering the dialectical nuances of relevance to the University of Auckland located in Tāmaki Makaurau,Te Tai Tokerau and Waikato.

The Kuputaka currently includes text relating to:

• Campus, service and faculty names
• University roles and job titles
• Website terms
• Signage
• University marketing and events
• Student-related terms
• Document headings and sub-headings
• Greetings and sign-offs
• Days, months and University calendar

Translations in the Kuputaka are displayed with Te Reo on top and English below, and ordered alphabetically by English.

The Kuputaka is not a complete glossary of terms. Intentions are that it will develop overtime as new text is added and necessary revisions are made.

Other written and spoken te reo Māori text used at the University can be found in Te Kūaha. Te Kūaha is the University of Auckland app created to support staff, students and alumni to learn, practise and use basic te reo and tikanga Māori. 

Te Mātanga Reo is a group of fluent te reo Māori speakers at the University of Auckland. The group is convened by the University Kaiarataki and sponsored by the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori to ensure consistency and quality of te reo Māori across the University. Their work is central to the implementation of the University’s Te Reo Māori Policy and the University Language Plan for the Revitalisation of Te Reo Māori.

Requests for new translations or amendments to translations within these pages should be made to:

Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori
Email: kuputaka@auckland.ac.nz

Please allow a minimum of three weeks and provide information about the purpose or intention of the translation, as the te reo Māori translation will often depend on the context.

To ensure we have sufficient time for the translation process, we kindly request that you engage with us earlier for your translation needs and provide us with any specific deadlines you may have. This way, we can better plan and allocate resources to meet your requirements effectively.

Note: Interior and exterior building signage translations must first be requested through Property Services who will liaise with the Office of the PVC Māori.
 

• Translations need to be approved by Te Mātanga Reo
• Requests for approval of translations should be made to the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori Te Mātanga Reo
• Use and application of macrons needs to be consistent

Note: These principles do not replace current process and policy relating to naming at the University. Naming of faculties, buildings or departments must still comply with the University Naming Policy.

If te reo Māori and English are used together, the following should be observed unless otherwise approved by Te Mātanga Reo.*

• Te reo Māori and English are treated with the same font style, weight, size and space with no brackets, lines or dashes separating the languages.*
• Be consistent in all signs with the same colour and position for each language
• Apply te reo Māori on top if stacked and on the left if side by side
• If both Māori and English cannot be easily read because both appear visually busy, consider having the Māori text only

*To request an exception approval, please email: Wairemana Phillips

Current approved exceptions:

The 'pipe' symbol or 'vertical bar' (|) is approved on webpages and publications where the words appear side by side.