Rate My Professor Viola Huch

Viola Huch serves as the Hauora Connector Pacific at the Pacific Islands Centre, University of Otago. Appointed in 2023, she holds the distinction of being the first individual in this role in Aotearoa, working alongside the Hauora Connector Māori to advance hauora outcomes for Māori and Pacific students. The Pacific Islands Centre functions as a welcoming 'aiga' or family for Pacific tauira, striving to ensure their university experience is enjoyable, stress-free, and supportive.

Huch's core responsibilities revolve around safeguarding the wellbeing and mental health of Pacific students navigating the demands of tertiary education. She conducts routine check-ins to evaluate student coping mechanisms and facilitates referrals to suitable hauora services, whether on-campus or external. Central to her practice is the cultivation of enduring relationships that empower students to voice their concerns and feel genuinely cared for. By posing insightful questions, Huch facilitates discussions that uncover nuanced aspects of student life often overlooked elsewhere. She actively promotes collaboration by inviting all university staff—Pacific and non-Pacific alike—to seek her expertise in aiding Pacific tauira, buoyed by the widespread institutional commitment to their success. Huch underscores the unique Pacific style of interaction, featuring enthusiastic greetings, sharing of kai and drinks, and comprehensive care that replicates the warmth of home. She thrives in the collaborative team setting at the Pacific Islands Centre, where staff support one another to better serve the students.

In addition to her connector role, Huch coordinates the FOFOA Accommodation Programme, assisting with housing arrangements for Pacific students. She contributes to community-building events such as the annual Pacific Welcome and pōhiri at Te Tumu – School of Māori, Pacific and Indigenous Studies. Huch earned her Bachelor of Social and Community Work from the University of Otago.