University of Otago

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University of Otago
Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo
Motto: Latin: Sapere aude
("Dare to be wise")
Established: 1869
Type: Public
Chancellor: John Ward
Vice-Chancellor: David Skegg
Students: 19,853 (2006)
Location: Dunedin, New Zealand
Campus: Urban
Website: www.otago.ac.nz

The University of Otago (Māori: Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo) in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 20,000 students enrolled during 2006. It is the South Island's largest employer and claims to have the world's second longest continuously running annual student revue (the Capping Show) and New Zealand's oldest ballet company (the Selwyn Ballet).

The University is known throughout the country for its unique student lifestyle and particularly its flatting culture, where students generally share semi-dilapidated housing units with a unique name and "character building" domestic life. Throughout the history of the University the student community of Otago has been notable for student protest, with Otago students having contested the contentious issues of many different decades[1]. The nickname Scarfie applies to the students after the cold weather and traditional habit of wearing a scarf for most of the year.

Otago graduates are known to be among the most dispersed alumni in the world, due in part to New Zealand being considered a relatively good value destination for many Asian students seeking a high-quality Western education, and with the greater variety of jobs, opportunities, and salaries on offer overseas (for domestic students), many graduates ultimately settle in Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, the United States, China, Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Japan or elsewhere in New Zealand.

The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality, and is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers employed,[2] and topped the New Zealand Performance Based Research Fund evaluation in 2006.[3].

Founded in 1869 by a committee including Thomas Burns,[4] the university opened in July 1871. Its motto is "Sapere aude" ("Dare to be wise"). (The University of New Zealand subsequently adopted the same motto.) The Otago University Students' Association answers this with its own motto, "Audeamus" ("let us dare").

Between 1874 and 1961 the University of Otago was a part of the University of New Zealand, and issued degrees in its name.

The University clocktower, looking east.

Contents

[edit] History

Dunedin founders Thomas Burns and James Macandrew urged the Otago Provincial Council during the 1860s to set aside a land endowment for an institute of higher education.[5] An ordinance of the council established the university in 1869, giving it 100,000 acres (400 km2) of land, and the power to grant degrees in Arts, Medicine, Law and Music.[6] Burns was named Chancellor, but he did not live to see the university open on 5 July 1871.[5][4]

The university issued just one degree, to Alexander Watt Williamson, before becoming an affiliate college of the federal University of New Zealand in 1874. With the dissolving of the University of New Zealand in 1961 and passage of the University of Otago Amendment Act 1961, the university regained authority to confer degrees.[6]

Originally operating from the future stock exchange building on Princes Street, it relocated to the Clocktower and Geology buildings in 1878 and 1879.[6]

Otago was the first university in Australasia to permit women to take a law degree,[7] Ethel Benjamin graduated LLB in 1897, and later that year became the first woman in the British Empire to appear as counsel in court.[8]

Professor Robert Jack made the first radio broadcast in New Zealand from the physics department on 17 November 1921.[9]

[edit] Faculties

Administratively, the university is divided into four divisions: Commerce, Health Sciences, Humanities, and Sciences. For external and marketing purposes, the Division of Commerce is known as the School of Business, as that is the term commonly used for its equivalent in North America. Historically, there were a number of Schools and Faculties, which have now been grouped with standalone departments to form these divisions.

In addition to the usual university disciplines, the Otago Medical School (founded 1875) is one of only two in New Zealand (with constituent branches in Christchurch and Wellington), and is the only university in the country to offer training in Dentistry. Other professional schools and faculties not found in all New Zealand universities include Pharmacy, Physical Education, Physiotherapy, Medical Laboratory Science, and Surveying. It was also home to the School of Mines, until this was transferred to the University of Auckland in 1987. Theology is also offered, traditionally in conjunction with the School of Ministry, Knox College, and Holy Cross, Mosgiel.

[edit] Students[10]

Enrolment By Qualification Type 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003
Doctoral 1,074 935 829 755 723
Masters 1,048 1,052 1,108 1,060 994
Bachelors Honours 750 736 769 771 763
Bachelors Ordinary 13,136 12,868 12,939 12,711 12,186
Postgraduate Diplomas and Certificates 1,435 1,507 1,378 1,353 1,345
Graduate Diplomas and Certificates 494 204 392 314 298
Undergraduate Diplomas and Certificates 265 216 239 318 344
Intermediates 1,084 965 991 1,003 909
Miscellaneous 1,246 1,235 1,326 1,291 1,186
Sub-degree 133 135 86 98 96
Total 20,665 19,853 20,057 19,674 18,844
Ethnicity of Students 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003
European/Pakeha 68.4% 68.3% 69.1% 69.5% 71.8%
Māori 6.9% 6.4% 6.2% 6.1% 6.3%
Asian 15.6% 16.5% 16.1% 15.2% 13.5%
Pacific Islanders 2.6% 2.6% 2.5% 2.5% 2.4%
Other / unknown 6.5% 6.2% 6.1% 6.6% 5.9%

[edit] Campuses

In addition to the main Dunedin campus, the University has small facilities in Auckland and Wellington (based at Westpac Stadium).[11] The medical schools have larger campuses near Christchurch and Wellington Hospitals. Additionally, the University has the Portobello Marine Laboratory on Otago Harbour.

180° view of Dunedin shot from the hills on the west. The University can be seen in front of the large hill to the left.
180° view of Dunedin shot from the hills on the west. The University can be seen in front of the large hill to the left.

[edit] Merger with Dunedin College of Education

The University and the Dunedin College of Education (a specialist teacher training institution) merged on 1 January 2007. The University of Otago College of Education is now based on the College site, and includes the College's campuses in Invercargill and Alexandra. Staff of the University's Faculty of Education relocated to the college site. A merger had been considered before, however the present talks progressed further, and more amicably, than previously.

[edit] Student Lifestyle

[edit] O-Week

Participants in the annual clocktower race lining up, ready to go.

'O-Week' or Orientation Week is the Otago equivalent of Fresher's Week. While the new students are sometimes referred to as 'freshers' the label of 'first years' is more common. O-week is organised by the Student's Association OUSA and involves competitions such as 'Fresher of the Year' whereby several students volunteer to carry out a series of tasks throughout the week before being voted to win. All tasks are related to the O-Week theme. The OUSA also organise events each night including various concerts, a comedy night, hypnotist plus busses to Carisbrook (at the other end of Dunedin) where the Highlanders usually schedule a game.[12] Local bars organise events also with a range of live music and promotional deals including the Cookathon and a Miss O-Week competition hosted by The Outback.[13] The Cookathon is held by a local pub (the Cook) with the premise that your first drink costs you about $20 which gives you a t-shirt, three meal vouchers and reduced price on drinks then you spend the rest of the day binge drinking and telephoning the occasional jug with mates.[12]

[edit] Traditions

Each year the first years are encouraged to attend the toga parade and party dressed in white sheets wrapped as togas. Retailers called for an end of the parade after property damage and disorder during the 2009 event.[14] A clocktower race also occurs, in the style of Chariots of Fire. Students must race round the tower and attached building, beginning on the first chime of the clock at noon and completing before the chimes cease. Unlike Chariots of Fire the task is possible with a couple of students completing each year.

The gutted remains of a burnt out couch on Queen Street

[edit] Themes

Each year a theme is chosen for the O-week festivities, usually based on a recent movie or TV show. The week is then branded with altered posters depicting the theme plus all events are somehow linked to this (except for 2008).

[edit] Couch burning

Couch burning is a frequent, illegal, problem with partying students in the student neighbourhood surrounding the campus. In 2007, a pub owner was charged with sedition over a pamphlet offering O-Week students the prize of a fuel-soaked couch.[15]

[edit] Student protest

Otago students are notable for protesting contentious political issues in nearly every decade. In the 1960s students at Otago who were involved with the Progressive Youth Movement led protests against the Vietnam War. In the 1970s mixed flatting (males and females were prohibited from sharing housing up to that time) was contested in various creative ways by Otago students.[16] On 28 September 1993 Otago students protested against a fee increase at the university, going as far as occupying the University Registry (Clocktower Building), which ended in a violent clash with police.[17]. Since 2004, the Otago University NORML club has met twice weekly on the Otago campus to protest what they term 'New Zealand's unjust cannabis prohibition laws', an action which precipitated the first on-campus arrests of students since the Registry occupation.[18][19] Additional issuses protested during 2008 included student debt,[20] civil unrest in Tibet,[21] and a protest against the legalise cannabis demonstrations.[22]

[edit] Distinctions

Interior of Central Library, University of Otago.

Many Fellowships add to the diversity of the people associated with "Otago". They include:

In 1998, the physics department gained some fame for making the first Bose-Einstein condensate in the Southern Hemisphere.

The 2006 Government investigation into research quality (to serve as a basis for future funding) ranked Otago the top University in New Zealand overall, taking into account the quality of its staff and research produced. It was also ranked first in the categories of Clinical Medicine, Biomedical Science, Law, English Literature and Language, History and Earth Science. The Department of Psychology received the highest score for any nominated academic unit. Otago had been ranked fourth in the 2004 assessment.

In 2006, a report released by the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology found that Otago was the most research intensive university in New Zealand, with 40% of staff time devoted to research and development.[2]

Journal "Science" has recommended worldwide study of Otago's Biochemistry database "Transterm", which has genomic data on 40,000 species.

Otago was recently ranked 79th from a listing of top 200 institutions in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings [1][2] and within 201-300 in the Shanghai Jiaotong rankings of world top 500 universities. (PDF)

[edit] Residential Colleges

The vast majority of first year ("fresher") students at the University of Otago stay in one of the many Residential Colleges. These provide food, accommodation, social and welfare services. Some of the colleges have developed a strong institutional personality over the years. This becomes self-perpetuating as applicants choose the college most suited to their own personality.

Quiet, conservative St Margaret's College is next to the largest College, University College (Unicol) in the heart of the campus, which houses approximately 550 residents during the academic year. It is the most central hall on the campus, situated beside the university's original buildings.

Aquinas College, being the smallest and perhaps farthest of the halls, has developed a more tight-knit community than many of the others. City College is influenced by two-thirds of its students coming from the Dunedin College of Education or the Otago Polytechnic, and Toroa International House is almost exclusively filled by international students. It provides accommodation that is welcoming and supportive yet allows residents to live, eat, study and socialise in an environment that meets their individual needs.

Residential Colleges affiliated with the University of Otago select students based on their marks, extracurricular activities and high school testimonials. However, some colleges are more selective than others. Although their order varies from year to year, the most selective colleges are consistently Knox College, Selwyn College and Carrington College. Arana College received the most placement request for 2007. Unsuccessful applicants are referred to other colleges.

St Margaret's College has similar entry standards, but the reputation of the college as quiet, religious and hard-working tends to attract a self-selected small group of highly-qualified applicants.

Otago's Residential Colleges are not as significant in the life of the University when compared with the Colleges and Halls of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Some halls seek to imitate Oxbridge colleges (occasional tutorials, "fellows", chapels etc) but students' primary affiliation is to the University rather than the hall, and the bulk of formal education does not take place within the college.

College Founded
Selwyn College 1893 Website
Knox College 1909 Website
St Margaret's College 1911 Website
Studholme College 1915 Website
Arana College 1943 Website
Carrington College 1945 Website
Aquinas College 1952 Website
University College 1969 Website
Salmond College 1971 Website
Cumberland College 1989 Website
Hayward College 1992 Website
Toroa International House 1996 Website
City College 2000 Website
Abbey College 2008 Website

Official list

[edit] Notable people

[edit] Faculty

[edit] Alumni and alumnae

(with Hall of Residence, if any, in parentheses where known)

[edit] Rhodes Scholars from the University of Otago

Main article: Rhodes Scholarship

(College at Oxford in brackets)(Source: List of NZ Rhodes Scholars)1 two of Dan Davin's novels are set at Otago University.

  • 1904 d James A Thomson (St John’s)
  • 1906 d Robert A Farquharson (St John’s)
  • 1907 d Colin Macdonald Gilray (University)
  • 1913 d Prof. Frederick Fisher Miles (Balliol)
  • 1921 d Rev. Hubert James Ryburn (Lincoln)
  • 1923 d Rt Hon. Lord Arthur Espie Porritt (Magdalen)
  • 1924 d Sir Robert Stevenson Aitken (Balliol)
  • 1928 d Charles Andrew Sharp (St John’s)
  • 1929 d Dr Wilton Ernest Henley (New)
  • 1930 Prof. James Campbell Dakin (Trinity)
  • 1931 d Dr John Edward (Jack) Lovelock (Exeter)
  • 1932 d Sir Geoffrey Sandford Cox (Oriel)
  • 1934 d Norman Davis (Merton)
  • 1935 d The Hon. Sir Lester Francis Moller (Brasenose)
  • 1936 d Daniel Marcus Davin1 (Balliol)
  • 1947 Dr Robert Owen Davies (Oriel)
  • 1950 Dr John Derek Kingsley North (Magdalen)
Peter Selwyn O’Connor (Balliol)
  • 1952 Prof. Graham Harry Jeffries (Magdalen)
Hon. Hugh Templeton (Balliol)
  • 1954 Dr Kenneth Alfred Kingsley North (Magdalen)
  • 1956 Dr Colin Gordon Beer (Magdalen)
Rev David George Simmers Victoria (Balliol)
  • 1957 Em. Prof. Graeme Max Neutze (University)
  • 1959 Graeme Francis Rea (Balliol)
  • 1960 Dr James Julian Bennett Jack (Magdalen)
  • 1966 John Stephen Baird (Merton)
  • 1968 Christopher Robert Laidlaw (Merton)
  • 1970 Dr Murray Grenfell Jamieson (Merton)
  • 1972 Prof. David Christopher Graham Skegg (Balliol)
  • 1973 Dr Anthony Evan Gerald Raine (Merton)
  • 1975 Dr John Alexander Matheson (Worcester)
  • 1976 Dr Derek Nigel John Hart (Brasenose)
  • 1981 Justice Christine Ruth French (Worcester)
  • 1983 Dr Nancy Jennifer Sturman (New)
  • 1985 Dr David Kirk (Worcester)
  • 1988 Dr Ceri Lee Evans (Worcester)
  • 1990 Dr Prudence Anna Elizabeth Scott (Lincoln)
  • 1992 Prof. John Navid Danesh (Balliol)
Susan Reta Lamb (Balliol)
  • 1993 Dr Jennifer Helen Martin (Lady Margaret Hall)
  • 1995 Jennifer Sarah Cooper (Magdalen)
  • 1995 Dr Simon John Watt (Oxford)
  • 1996 Andrew Norman Benson Lonie (selected, not taken up)
  • 1998 Dr Jane Larkindale (New)
  • 1999 Dr Damen Andrew Ward (University)
  • 2000 Clare Beach (Merton)
Sally Virginia McKechnie (Hertford)
  • 2002 Dr Rachel Sarah Carrell (Balliol)
Christopher John Curran (Merton)
  • 2003 Thomas Marcel Douglas (Balliol)
  • 2004 Glenn Fraser Goldsmith (Balliol)
  • 2006 Nicholas Douglas (St Catherine's)
  • 2007 Holly Walker (University)
  • 2008 Jesse Wall





[edit] References

  1. ^ "Poisoned Ivory". Critic Te Arohi Magazine. August 10, 2008. http://www.critic.co.nz/about/features/145. Retrieved on 2008-09-20. 
  2. ^ a b Research and Development in New Zealand: A Decade in Review. (2006) Ministry of Research, Science and Technology.
  3. ^ "Media release: Performance-based Research Fund results". Tertiary Education Commission. http://www.tec.govt.nz/templates/NewsItem.aspx?id=1925. Retrieved on 2007-07-04. 
  4. ^ a b King, Michael (2003). Penguin History of New Zealand. p. 209. ISBN 0143018671. 
  5. ^ a b McLintock, A. H. (ed) (1966). "Burns, Thomas". Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/B/BurnsThomas/BurnsThomas/en. Retrieved on 2008-09-20. 
  6. ^ a b c "History of the University of Otago". University of Otago. http://www.otago.ac.nz/about/history.html. Retrieved on 2008-09-20. 
  7. ^ "Ethel Rebecca Benjamin". New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/ethel-rebecca-benjamin. Retrieved on 2008-09-20. 
  8. ^ Mayhew, Judith (2001-09-04). "5th Annual Ethel Benjamin Commemorative Address". New Zealand Law Society. http://lawyers.org.nz/wcg/files/Ethel%20Benjamin%20Address231001.htm. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. 
  9. ^ "Dashing heroes of a harbour crossing". Otago Daily Times. 6 September 2008. http://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/magazine/21143/dashing-heroes-a-harbour-crossing. Retrieved on 2008-09-20. 
  10. ^ "Quick Statistics 2007". University of Otago. http://www.otago.ac.nz/about/quickstats.html#student. Retrieved on 2008-03-31. 
  11. ^ "University of Otago Stadium Centre Wellington". http://www.otago.ac.nz/stadiumcentre/. Retrieved on 2007-07-04. 
  12. ^ a b varsity.co.nz:A Student aimed webpage
  13. ^ Seen in Dunedin
  14. ^ "Call for end of toga parade after rampage". New Zealand Herald. 26 February 2009. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10558836. Retrieved on 2009-02-26. 
  15. ^ "Dunedin pub manager off hook after police drop sedition charge". NZ Herald. May 3, 2007. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=202&objectid=10437504. Retrieved on 2008-02-17. 
  16. ^ "Graduation Address 16 December 2006". M.J. Grant. December 16, 2006. http://www.otago.ac.nz/alumni/graduation/16december2006/address.html. Retrieved on 2008-09-20. 
  17. ^ "Dissertation of Kyle Matthews". University of Otago. December 5, 2000. http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~jits/diss/chapter_four_september_28_1993.html. Retrieved on 2008-09-20. 
  18. ^ "Norml Dissapointed At University's Change Of Heart". Channel 9 Television, Dunedin. July 25, 2007. http://www.ch9.co.nz/content/norml-dissapointed-university%2526%2523039%3Bs-change-heart. Retrieved on 2008-09-21. 
  19. ^ Rudd, Allison (19 July 2008). "University stays mum over trespass orders". Otago Daily Times. http://www.odt.co.nz/on-campus/university-otago/14019/university-stays-mum-over-trespass-orders. Retrieved on 2009-02-04. 
  20. ^ "Students protest as debt passes $10 billion mark". Otago Daily Times. 11 April 2008. http://www.odt.co.nz/campus/university-otago/3214/students-protest-debt-passes-10-billion-mark. Retrieved on 2009-01-19. 
  21. ^ Stevens, Sam (20 March 2008). "Bodies on lawn in Tibet protest". Otago Daily Times. http://www.odt.co.nz/campus/university-otago/2195/bodies-lawn-tibet-protest. Retrieved on 2009-01-19. 
  22. ^ Porteous, Debbie (2 August 2008). "Protest groups clash at university". Otago Daily Times. http://www.odt.co.nz/on-campus/university-otago/16015/protest-groups-clash-university. Retrieved on 2009-01-19. 
  23. ^ Herszenhorn, David M. (May 4, 1997). "John C. Eccles, 94, Nobel Physiologist, Dies". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE6D81430F937A35756C0A961958260. Retrieved on 2007-11-14. 
  24. ^ "Hon Dr Michael Cullen". New Zealand Parliament. http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/MPP/MPs/MPs/6/4/d/48MP601-Cullen-Michael.htm. Retrieved on 2007-12-05. 
  25. ^ "Hart still NZ's richest person". stuff.co.nz. 17 August 2007. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4167400a10.html. Retrieved on 2007-12-15. 

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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