Waiariki to offer Uni degrees

By KRISTIN MACFARLANE
Waiariki Institute of Technology is continuing its bid to keep Rotorua's talented young people in the city.
It has joined forces with the University of Canterbury to offer year one of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Commerce degrees from the beginning of next year. Students will then do years two and three at Canterbury University with the first year being cross-credited.
The degree courses will be on offer at all Waiariki campuses at Rotorua, Whakatane, Taupo and Tokoroa and are expected to bring in at least $1 million a year in extra revenue for Waiariki.
Waiariki's chief executive Dr Pim Borren said it would save students thousands of dollars by allowing them to stay home for the first year of study.
Last year Waiariki introduced a new scheme which allowed 2006 secondary school leavers to study programmes at Waiariki free of charge for their first year. The Free Fees Scheme will continue in 2008, which will also help students.
"This programme will provide a major financial advantage in terms of free fees and not having costs of living away from home for the first year," Dr Borren said.
The cross-credit partnership is being seen as a commitment to improving the Central North Island's economic and social development. It was also about providing better access to quality tertiary education, supporting the region's youth and continuing to create a fun and vibrant Waiariki campus life.
"From my perspective, it encourages students to stay here in Rotorua at least one year longer before they go off to university," he said. "Our focus is to attract a high calibre of young people by offering this option to study locally for the first year of their BA and BCom degrees."
Dr Borren said Waiariki would target at least 100 full-time students for the programme in 2008. Each student is worth around $10,000 meaning Waiariki would expect to grow its revenues by at least $1 million a year.
This new initiative builds on the relationship the two institutes established 10 years ago in teacher education.
It sits very closely with Government's priorities for tertiary education providers to collaborate with each other and create better pathways for learners.
Dr Borren hoped to see further partnership spin-offs in the future in forestry, early childhood education, sport science and academic quality and review procedures.