Student Rep Elections
Become a Student Rep!
We are on the hunt for our 2025 team of Student Representatives!
Student Reps represent the interests of students at Massey University, and proactively look for opportunities to improve student life and address student needs. They collaborate with Massey to recognise and directly involve students’ ideas, experiences, questions and concerns into decisions at all levels from course development to service delivery. Student Reps are paid at living wage rate with full training and support provided.
Student Representatives are chosen via a mixture of appointments (for Presidents and Vice-Presidents) and elections (for all other Student Rep positions). Nominations for elected positions and applications for appointed positions are open from Friday 23rd August until 5pm Wednesday 18th September.
All current students are eligible to be nominated. You can run for a maximum of two Student Representative positions.
You can find information on how to get nominated for elected roles or apply for appointed roles below, as well as job descriptions for all of the positions.
Elected Roles
The following roles are those that are via nominations and elections. As a Te Tiriti led organisation, we expect all those running for positions identify as a member of that cohort or community. E.G., only Māori tauira should be nominated to become Kaiwhakahaere and represent the needs of other Māori tauira. All roles are for 44 weeks, during semester time.
How to get nominated:
You can either self-nominate with another current student member seconding your nomination, or have three student members nominate you (with your permission).
To get nominated, please complete our Nomination Form linked here.
As part of your nomination, you will need to include a 200 word blurb to introduce yourself, tell us why you want to be a Student Rep, and what you would hope to achieve in your term. You will also need to send through a photo of yourself to elections@tetiraahupae.ac.nz, as well as an optional video. Your photo, video and blurb will be added to our website and voting forms, so that students can get to know who you are and make an informed vote.
Role descriptions for all of the elected positions have been included below. If you have any questions, please email elections@tetiraahupae.ac.nz.
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10 Hours Per Week
General and Distance Student Representatives are integral for ongoing engagement and consultation with students from their cohorts on a variety of matters. This information is then shared with the Association and University, through Boards and Committees, working parties, and other projects. This helps to ensure student voice is heard and considered at all levels of decision making within the University. It’s important that student reps have good communication skills, to be able to engage with both their peers and University stakeholders alike.
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10 Hours Per Week
The Kaiwhakaere role plays a vital role in representing and supporting tauira Māori needs and interests. They engage with their location whānau, collaborate with university bodies, and participates in consultation and events to enhance student life. This position involves advocating for Tauira Māori concerns, attending meetings, sitting on boards, and working groups, and promoting inclusivity and diversity. Responsibilities include effective communication, consultation, and contributing to the improvement of the university experience for tauira Māori, whether studying on campus or via distance learning. As Kaiwhakahaere they take this consultation to their Whānau Kaihāpai and operations staff or Massey University to advocate for these requests to be fulfilled. The four Kaiwhakahaere together create Te Mana Whakahaere, as a part of Te Tira Ahu Pae’s co-governance model Te Mana Whakahaere is responsible for honouring Mana Whenua representation and the Kaiwhakaere shall on a seat on the Te Tira Ahu Pae Board.
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10 Hours Per Week
The Pasifika Student Representative role plays a vital role in representing and supporting Pasifika students' needs and interests. They engage with students, collaborate with university bodies, and participates in consultation and events to enhance student life. This position involves advocating for Pasifika student concerns, attending meetings, sitting on boards, and working groups, and promoting inclusivity and diversity. Responsibilities include effective communication, consultation, and contributing to the improvement of the university experience for Pasifika students, whether studying on campus or via distance learning.
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15 Hours Per Week
The International Student Rep is a national role which makes connections and provides engagement and consultation between a diverse range of communities. By understanding the challenges faced by international students, the International Student Rep can support this community and advocate for positive change. They will also sit on Boards and Committees within Massey’s broader governance structure, giving them the ability to create real change within the institution. To ensure the International Student Rep understands the unique needs and difficulties faced by international students, you are required to be an international student to be eligible for nomination.
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15 Hours Per Week
This national role is an opportunity to represent all students studying at Massey University at a postgraduate level. The Postgrad Student Rep engages and consults with other postgrad students, to understand the needs of this cohort and filters this information to the Association and University. They will also sit on a Boards and Committees within the larger university governance structure, giving you the ability to create real change within the institution. To ensure you understand the needs and experiences of postgrad students, you must be currently studying at postgraduate level at Massey University to be eligible for this role.
Appointed Roles
Roles with more duties and leadership responsibilities go through an appointment process. This ensures that those leadership roles have both the understanding and capability to be in such a complex role. Only the Presidents roles (General/Distance, Manawhakahaere, and Pasifika) and Campus VPs (Auckland VP, Manawatū VP, Wellington VP, and Distance VP) are by appointment with all other positions on the student executive being filled through elections. All elected and appointed Student Representatives are paid the living wage.
How to apply for appointed roles:
To apply for an appointed role, please email elections@tetiraahupae.ac.nz and include a CV. Role descriptions can be found below.
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37.5 Hours Per Week, 52 weeks
The General/Distance President works in partnership with the Manawhakahaere and Pasifika President. This full-time role entails a broad range of responsibilities, including, governance of the Association through the Te Tira Ahu Pae Board, leadership of both General and Distance Student Representatives, and ongoing active participation in student engagement and consultation to ensure that student voice is heard, understood, and conveyed to the University. It is the responsibility of the University to strive for parity between the Distance and General cohorts, ensuring all students feel part of the Te Tira Ahu Pae and Massey University community.
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37.5 Hours Per Week, 52 Weeks
The Manawahakahere role of Te Tira Ahu Pae, is responsible for holding together and supporting the four Kaiwhakahaere and which create Te Mana Whakahaere ō Te Tira Ahu Pae. As a key member of the Tripartite Presidentship, you will collaborate alongside the General/Distance and Pasifika President. This full-time position entails a range of responsibilities, including governance through the Te Tira Ahu Pae Board and active participation in student engagement. Your role involves consultation, support, and advocacy on tauira Māori matters, contributing to initiatives that promote parity for Tauira Māori at Massey University. Te Mana Whakahaere (Inclusive of Kaiwhakahaere) are all responsible for ensuring that throughout the Te Tira Ahu Pae and that the actions for the Students’ Association honour our commitments to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The Manawhakahaere, ensures that all the Kaiwhakahaere of Te Tira Ahu Pae can perform as seamlessly as possible.
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37.5 Hours Per Week, 52 Weeks
The Pasifika President is a key member of the Tripartite Presidentship. This full-time position encompasses a range of responsibilities, including governance through the Te Tira Ahu Pae Board, leadership of Pasifika student representatives, supporting and advocating on Pasifika matters, and continuous participation in student engagement and consultation. As part of this role, you will be promoting parity for all Pasifika students at Massey University, by embedding Pasifika perspectives across the University and enhancing awareness, capability, and understanding of Pacific cultures. This leadership position aligns with Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles and emphasises diversity, inclusion, and promoting student welfare.
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20 Hours Per Week, 44 Weeks campus based, 52 Weeks distance based
Vice President (VP) within Te Tira Ahu Pae is a vital role, involving representing and providing services to students based on their represented campus. As a VP, you will work collaboratively with the Tripartite Presidentship, composed of General/Distance, Māori, and Pasifika Presidents. Your role includes student representation, leadership, and governance components, contributing to the Te Tiriti-led approach of the association. You would be responsible for supporting all SR on your campus, meeting with them regularly to ensure students from your campus are engaged with, consulted with, and supported by the Association. This role is a steppingstone to higher levels of leadership and representational roles within the Association.
Structure
Te Tira Ahu Pae has a tripartite leadership, with the General/Distance President, Manawhakahaere (Māori President), and Pasifika President. All the Presidents have equal oversight and work in partnership, leading all Student Representatives, to ensure the voices of all Massey University tauira are heard and represented. Each President is self-determined to lead their cohorts, ensuring cultural practices are embedded throughout their work and within the Student Reps. The Tripartite leadership model ensures Māori and Pasifika tauira are valued as equal, to ensure equity between all the cohorts.
Each campus, Albany (Ōtehā), Palmerston North (Manawatū), Wellington (Pukeahu), and Distance (Pāmamao), have a Vice-President who supports the student reps on each campus. On each campus, there is also a General Student Rep, Kaiwhakahaere (Māori Student Rep), and Pasifika Student Rep, to ensure diverse representation of student needs. The Distance campus has an additional two General Distance Student Reps (making three total), in recognition that Distance is the largest campus, making up approximately 60% of students studying at Massey University. All 23 elected and appointed Student Representatives make up the Student Executive for that year.
All the Student Reps are provided with training and ongoing support by the Representation Manager, who provides continuity between each Student Executive year on year.