Supporting and engaging with Pacific learners: a higher education development workshop for tertiary staff

Abstract

Student support and staff professional development are key to learner success in higher education. In Aotearoa (New Zealand), much of this support has focused on perceived ‘equity groups’–learners with heritage to the Pacific Islands (‘Pacific learners’) are one such group. The University of Otago, in support of culturally inclusive education practices, has established a professional development workshop to support university staff to appreciate Pacific cultures and better support Pacific students. This article reflects on this workshop, conceived in 2018 and first offered in 2021, in the broader context of professional development and inclusive education. Grounded in relationality, the workshop is facilitated by Pacific staff and students and delivered in two parts: on the mat and at the table. In this article, we focus on the genesis of the workshop and its impact on participants. We conclude with reflections on the workshop and how it supports the broader institutional aspiration of catering to the diverse and varying cultural realities of students. We argue that the workshop offers a foundation where relationality can be demonstrated and delivered in a gracious, gentle, and respectful way.