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Richard Jefferies 

About Richard Jefferies:

Richard holds a Bachelor of Management Studies Degree and Diploma of Teaching (Sec) from the University of Waikato. He has worked as a Māori development consultant for numerous years and has experience in the areas of Māori education, strategic management, environmental management, project management, Māori language revitalisation, indigenous business, Māori land development and research. He has worked with a number of Māori provider organisations, iwi, Māori landowners and whānau trusts - helping to develop their capability and capacity. Born in Tokoroa, Richard lives in Ōpotiki amongst his wife's whānau - Whakatōhea, Te Whanau-ā-Apanui and Ngāti Awa. Richard has six children.

As Provost, he focuses on the day-to-day management of the wānanga in his role as deputy to the CEO. He is also responsible for leading the development of the Indigenous Business curricula at Awanuiārangi.

Richard is currently enrolled in a PhD at Awanuiārangi - his kaupapa addresses the need for renewal of Māori medium education in order to meet the needs of the next generation. "I am commited to ensuring kaupapa Māori and mātauranga Māori is recognised and promulgated at all levels of society - one of Awanuiārangi's important functions. Awanuiārangi's new vision for the future has attracted me here and I am excited to be a part of helping to grow this institution to meet its potential. The key outcome is lifting Māori retention in tertiary education and thereby generating larger numbers of Māori graduates at Bachelors, Masters and PhD levels. As we continue to build our academic and research capability, I hope to see Awanuiārangi recognised internationally as a high quality, indigenous, teaching and research institution."

Teaching Responsibilities

• Indigenous Business IDNB 101 - The programme introduces social, legislative, and economic influences that affected indigenous business economies pre and post European contact. Students study indigenous business tradition, history and culture in order to gain a general understanding of the issues that have shaped and continue to influence the dynamics of indigenous business.
• Kaitiakitanga MAO412 - This course examines the possible definitions and issues surrounding the concept of Kaitikitanga for Māori peoples and how these issues are managed in the modern day. Students present a point of view and debate the varying perspectives Māori may have about Kaitiakitanga.
• International Politics for Indigenous Peoples IND404 - The aim of this course is to provide students with the skills to examine, analyse, and discuss the challenges of globalisation as faced by indigenous peoples, and critically examine and analyse how it impacts on their social, political and economic structures and practices.

Current Research Projects

• Whakapiki i te Reo -  Ministry of Education funded professional development project for teachers in Māori medium primary schools - kura and immersion units. The purpose of Whakapiki i te Reo is to strengthen teachers' capability to teach through the medium of te reo Māori, by providing a high quality professional programme that improves teachers' language proficiency and increases their knowledge, skill and application to support students' language achievement.

Publications

• Jefferies, R. and Kennedy, N., "A Report to Iwi on the Kaupapa Māori Environmental Outcomes and Indicators Kete" , International Global Change Institute (University of Waikato) and KCSM Consultancy, 2009.
• Kennedy, N., and Jefferies, R., "Māori Outcome Evaluation (MOE): A Kaupapa Māori Environmental Outcomes and Indicators Framework and Methodology", International Global Change Institute (University of Waikato) and KCSM Consultancy, 2009.