A window to the future.

Throughout 2022, conversations have taken place at all levels of Te Hautū Kahurangi about what our new rules should look like.

Most recently, there was a long session at the Branch Presidents’ Hui where fruitful discussions were had about some of the headline areas that will impact on how we all participate in our union for the foreseeable future.

Topics up for debate included, how should we organise locally, what should (and shouldn’t) happen at annual conference, what national committees and huis should we have, what would Council look like with a co-governance structure?

Areas of broad agreement have included a proposal to hold an online national AGM to allow greater participation by any member. Annual conference could then alternate between focussing one year on rules and policy and the next on goal setting, training, and networking.

The Branch Presidents’ Hui also supported proposals to move to co-governance of Council. This will mean a new make-up of TEU’s Council, with equal numbers of Māori/Tangata Whenua positions mirrored by Pākehā/Tangata Tiriti, including a Co-President Māori joined by a Co-President Pākehā.

Branch committees are proposed to be re-named as ‘Site Committees,’ elected to two-year terms and including co-site presidents to honour and reflect Te Tiriti. Site committees are also proposed to feed into four Sub-Sector Committees – one each for universities, Te Pūkenga, wānanga, and PTEs – that will coordinate strategy and meet with national tertiary education leaders on issues of importance to members in the subsector.

From here, these proposals and more will be further developed via Zoom calls, throughout national networks and reference groups, at a further Branch Presidents’ Hui in February, in branch meetings, and ultimately at annual conference in May.

Stay tuned for further details but if you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to contact Sandra Grey.