Student/Māori Support Services

Whaia te pae tawhiti kia tata Whaia te pae tata kia maua Whakamaua kia tina tina! Hui e, Taiki e! Pursue the distant dreams so they become closer, Pursue the close dreams so they can be embraced, Embrace those dreams and live them, Amen.

Ko Tainui te waka Ko Taupiri te maunga Ko Oraka te awa Ko Ngāti Mahana te hapu Ko Raukawa te iwi

Kia ora,

My name is Layna Armstrong. I coordinate the general student services at the University of Waikato, Tauranga which includes our Māori mentor unit “Te Toka”. I am a graduate of Waikato, having completed a Bachelor of Social Sciences majoring in Psychology and am currently studying part-time towards my Honours in Psychology, aiming for a post-graduate diploma in Clinical Psychology. 

I have a good knowledge of student life and can help you with any issues that you may have in relation to your study. The University of Waikato offers a comprehensive range of services from financial to advocacy and everything in between. This means that if you need help with any aspect of “university life”, I can either help you or point you in the right direction to keep you on track as I have an extensive range of networks. As part of the student services division, it is our aim to ensure that you complete your qualification.

Being a uni student is hard work! It takes a truckload of commitment and perseverance. There may be times in your academic journey when you have assignments coming out your ears, you may be behind in your coursework, you have personal stuff going on that is impeding your ability to study, you have no money to pay the power bill or buy food, and you may even wonder if you are doing the right course! Stuff happens! It is our aim to support or help you through life’s curve balls so that you can pass your papers!
We can help you access the appropriate service for almost anything that affects your ability to successfully complete your coursework. If we can’t help you then we can refer you to the people who can. You can reach me on the contact details below.

Te Toka: Maori Students Support Group

What is Te Toka?

Te Toka is a rōpū tautoko at the Tauranga campus and includes kaiāwhina Māori from the schools of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) and Education. The mentors are senior students who can give specific course content advice in their areas of study, guide you if you are stuck on your assignment or general information about being a uni student.

The kaiawhina (mentoring) programme is a service that aims to provide comprehensive and coordinated support to Māori students, be it academic, pastoral or procedural at the Tauranga campus. This service is aimed primarily at increasing the retention rates of Māori students in tertiary education and although its targeted at Māori, Te Toka is open to all students!

This is a drop in service, or you can book an appointment with a mentor. For any enquiries email te.toka@waikato.ac.nz.