A new name for the Student Hub

After running a competition amongst our ākonga to find a new name for the Student Hub, a winner has been selected. 

Drum roll please… 

The new look Student Hub launching in February 2023 will be known as Kāpehu. 

Kāpehu means ‘compass’ in Māori. 

Gabrielle Knotts, a student from our Level 4 Health Bridging Certificate programme chose the name. This was the reason behind her choice: 

“Throughout my experience at the Otago Polytechnic, I have used the Student Hub as my compass. It has steered me to my classes, in the right place and at the right times, it has informed me of any other things I needed or might want to attend. 

“It was the link to my email and access to my One Drive, which were monumental assets to my studies. It has offered quick links to find answers to my questions and has held important information that I needed or might have needed.

 I have offered Kāpehu instead of The Compass to honour the vast and many heritages that are supported within the Polytechnic, and to embrace one of New Zealand's official languages.  

“A compass is an important tool for adventurers, and I feel like tertiary education is definitely an adventure, and it is important to make the most of any available tools.” 

We thought this was such a perfect match to the core purpose of the Student Hub. 

It’s also a fairly easy word to pronounce for those at the start of their Te Reo journey, is short and snappy, and will work well as a web address. 

We’ve sent an email out to all ākonga letting them know about the new name and a $50 grocery voucher is winging its way to Gabrielle. 

Work is underway on the development of Kāpehu and we’ll continue to connect with key stakeholders along the way. 

If you have any questions or feedback, please email communications@op.ac.nz