Rate My Professor Caroline Hepburn-Doole

Caroline Hepburn-Doole is the Head of College and Tautiaki Te Kāreti o Knox at Knox College, University of Otago, appointed on May 3, 2021. She is the first woman to hold this leadership position, following eight previous male Masters. Prior to her appointment as Head, she served five years as Deputy Master of College at Knox since 2016. Her career is rooted in secondary school teaching and leadership, including her tenure as Assistant Principal at Bayfield High School in Dunedin. Hepburn-Doole earned a Bachelor of Science (BSc) and a Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) (BTchg(Sec)) from the University of Otago.

In her role at Knox College, home to around 260 undergraduate and postgraduate students, Hepburn-Doole focuses on strengthening pastoral care, academic support, and cultural development while upholding the college's traditional ethos amid a modern, diverse community. Under her leadership, Knox hosts extensive student engagement activities, such as Orientation Week events including Quad HoP, movies, games, quizzes, cupcake decorating, TeaTimes, BBQs, Toga Feasts, paint and sip sessions, Garden Parties, and the Annual Birthday Party Community Dinner. Additional programming encompasses chapel services and reflections, sports like the Cameron Shield and Nevill Cup competitions, arts initiatives including Open Mic Nights, Karaoke, College Band performances, Larnach Castle Ball, zine-making, and sock tag games, as well as Easter egg hunts, Quiz Nights, Academic Receptions, student leader elections, Concert in the Stairwell, Welfare Day with bouncy castles, candy floss, and backyard games. The college has also welcomed delegations such as NASA representatives. Hepburn-Doole previously authored the 2016 teaching resource 'Who is a New Zealander?', part of the Curious Minds 'Africa to Aotearoa' project exploring human genetic origins and migration aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum in Science and Social Sciences. In 2017, she co-authored 'Is Teaching in your DNA?', a backgrounder for science teachers. She spoke as guest at the University of Otago Staff Women's Caucus International Women's Day event on March 8, 2023.