Rate My Professor Rhonda Bryant

Rhonda Bryant is the Acting Interim Director of the Office of Māori Development (OMD) at the University of Otago, a position in which she provides leadership as a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Affiliated with the iwi of Kāi Tahu, Ngāpuhi, and Ngāti Hine, Bryant contributes to the strategic direction of the University. The OMD, situated within Te Tari o Te Pou Koko Māori or the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori, delivers cultural support and encourages cultural engagement across the University. It strengthens Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnerships and supports the University in becoming Te Tiriti-led, following the endorsement of the Māori Strategic Framework in 2007. As Acting Interim Director, Bryant plays a pivotal role in advancing these objectives, fostering an environment that honours Māori aspirations and promotes te ao Māori throughout the institution.

In October 2024, Bryant organised the formal launch of Te Aka Matua 2030, an ambitious strategic plan charting the path to embedding Te Tiriti principles. The event featured a performance by Kaimahi Rōpū Waiata and a panel discussion with the SLT. She noted that discussions with the SLT allowed exploration of the strategic direction, divisional plans, and key priorities. Bryant acknowledged the leadership of OMD staff, including those who have since departed, in developing the document. She described Te Aka Matua 2030 as building on previous iterations of the Māori Strategic Framework, with goals more directly aligned to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Bryant stressed the challenge to the University to uphold true partnerships, acknowledge its colonial past, and move forward in recognising partnership and honouring Te Tiriti. Previously, she held the role of Executive Assistant to the Director of the Campus and Collegiate Life Services Division, editing the division's annual reports in 2018 and 2019. In 2022, she served on the organising committee for the Matariki Night Market, described as a way for the community to come together.