Rate My Professor Tagiilima Feleti

Tagiilima Feleti is the Manager of the Pacific Islands Centre at the University of Otago. Born in Samoa as the fifth of seven siblings, he was the last to be born there before the family migrated to New Zealand, where he grew up in Dunedin. Upholding Fa’a Samoa traditions, he speaks Samoan at home and English at school. Feleti earned a Bachelor of Education (Teaching) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education Leadership from the University of Otago. His entry into education was spurred by the late Eti Ivala Laufiso, a family matriarch and Pacific education advocate, after he initially worked in a factory. He advanced through roles as a teacher, lecturer, and Review Officer at the Education Review Office, working nationwide on educational policy development, review, and evaluation, with emphasis on Pacific education. In 2021, prompted by the late Dr Tasilele Teevale, former Director of the Pacific Development Office, and his wife Rosalie, Feleti joined the Pacific Islands Centre upon returning to Dunedin for his son's 16th birthday. Married to Rosalie, who is Tongan, Samoan, and Chinese and serves as Pacific Projects Lead in the Pacific Development Office, they raise four children, placing aiga (family) at the heart of their lives.

In his fifth year leading the centre, Feleti oversees a team delivering holistic support to Pacific students, encompassing mentoring, community outreach, cultural events, family engagement, study spaces, supplementary tutorials, pastoral care, drop-in clinics for StudyLink and course advice, a foodbank, and a Hauora Connector. Transition officers aid first-year students, while collaborations with the Māori Centre and Pacific Development Office enhance services. The centre has expanded to a larger Castle Street location and forged stronger ties with schools and families throughout Aotearoa, with outreach to areas like Nelson and Marlborough. Adopting a 'village mentality,' Feleti prioritizes resource investment, mentor development, and staff growth to sustain quality amid rising enrolments. Aligned with the University’s Pacific Strategic Framework, the Pacific Islands Centre functions as a home away from home—a vā (sacred space)—offering academic, social, spiritual, and pastoral guidance where students can access kai, speak their languages, and thrive culturally. His committed leadership fosters Pacific student success and positions Otago as a University of the Pacific.