Rate My Professor Hannah Steiner-Mitchell

Hannah Steiner-Mitchell serves as Group Leader of Student Development within the Student Experience leadership team in the Administration division at the University of Otago. In this capacity, she oversees a team of 20 student advisers dedicated to empowering students, referred to as tauira, to achieve their university goals and future aspirations. The team's core mission involves delivering expert programme information and advice on course planning, helping students navigate complex university systems. Steiner-Mitchell notes, “University systems can sometimes seem complicated to students and even to staff.” Her leadership ensures advisers provide comprehensive support on degree structures, majors and minors, academic regulations, and terminology. The service also guides students applying to professional programmes such as LLB or Health Sciences, planning global exchanges, exploring extracurricular opportunities, and managing paper selections or degree changes.

The Student Development team under Steiner-Mitchell adopts a holistic approach, connecting students to campus support services for social, emotional, physical, or other wellbeing needs. Advisers assist students facing academic setbacks, including those who have failed papers or received poor results, reassuring them of available options and flexibility within Otago's regulations. For instance, during the first week of Semester 2, the team conducted in-person consultations with over 600 students, focusing on semester setup and support connections. Steiner-Mitchell emphasizes informed decision-making: “We can’t tell students what to do, but we can present all their options and help them make an informed decision.” Access to services includes drop-in sessions at AskOtago Central Hub and Te Huka Mātauraka, one-on-one appointments via phone, Zoom, or face-to-face, outreach to residential colleges, and email or callback requests. She recommends first-year students engage early and check in annually to stay on track. Additionally, Steiner-Mitchell is listed as Manager in the course advice team, supporting senior advisers and student advisers in academic guidance.