Rate My Professor Abby Spronken

Abby Spronken holds the position of Tautiaki-Piki and Deputy Warden at both 192 Castle College and Hayward College at the University of Otago. In this capacity, she contributes to the Campus and Collegiate Life Services by supporting the pastoral care and activities for residents in these residential colleges. The Tautiaki roles are integral to the staff team, ensuring students receive the necessary support during their university experience. Her professional contact details are mobile phone +64 21 220 3522 and email abby.spronken@otago.ac.nz.

Abby Spronken's academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Education and Communication from the University of Otago, completed around 2020, and a Master of Higher Education endorsed with Distinction, focusing on First-Year Student Experience and Residential Hall Pastoral Care, from the University of Otago between 2021 and 2023. Her career at the University includes Sub-Warden from February 2021 to November 2022 at colleges such as Caroline Freeman College, and Assistant Warden at Hayward College early 2023, where she was praised for creating a welcoming home-like atmosphere for residents before leaving for overseas opportunities. In 2022, she led a TERNZ conference workshop on pastoral care implementation in residential colleges, examining sub-warden and first-year student perspectives under the 2021 Education Pastoral Care Code. Using qualitative methods—semi-structured interviews and focus groups from three colleges—preliminary findings showed sub-wardens' limited Code knowledge and mismatched student expectations, aiming to inform Code application in New Zealand tertiary housing.