Te Kupenga was formed on January 1 by the merger of Good Shepherd College and The Catholic Institute.

Metuamate attended Hato Paora College. He graduated from Victoria University of Wellington and the Australian National University, where his PhD was in Pacific leadership.

He has held advisory and leadership roles in both the public and tertiary education sectors, most recently as dean of St Mark's College in Adelaide, South Australia.

Metuamate has recently returned to Wellington from Adelaide with his wife, Dr Jessa Rogers-Metuamate, a distinguished indigenous academic, educator and artist from Australia's Wiradjuri peoples.

Her international research has included working with students of St Joseph's Maori Girls' College in Napier.

Te Kupenga has three operating units - Catholic Theological College (for tertiary courses and qualifications), National Centre for Religious Studies, and the Nathaniel Centre for Catholic Bioethics.

Metuamate says he is honoured to have been appointed and excited to be back home after a decade in Australia.

"My wife and I are expecting a son to be born in March, and being based amongst whanau is important for us.

It feels like the right time to return home to bring the learning and experience I have gained after 10 years working in Australian universities and organisations," said Metuamate.

"The opportunity to play a leadership role in shaping Te Kupenga and ensuring it connects and appeals to more of our people is also a key motivation for me."

NZ Catholic Bishops Conference president Bishop Patrick Dunn is delighted with the appointment.

"Dr Metuamate has emerged as the best candidate from a rigorous selection process. He is a personable and capable man, with the vision, energy and relationship skills needed to get the new organisation up and running," said Bishop Dunn.

"Areti's appointment will help drive visibility and growth for Te Kupenga among Maori, Pasifika, younger people and other important communities within our increasingly diverse Church and society," added Dunn.

"He will bring a contemporary style and quality of leadership to a new organisation that seeks to engage the Catholic and wider communities in ways that are authentic and resonant for our time."

Source
Supplied David McLoughlin
Communications Adviser, NZ Catholic Bishops
Te Huinga o nga Pihopa Katorika o Aotearoa

On January 1, The Catholic Institute and Good Shepherd College will merge to become Te Kupenga - Catholic Leadership Institute.

The name has been chosen by the country's bishops after careful thought and consultation with staff and students.

The merged organisation will have three operating units - Catholic Theological College, National Centre for Religious Studies and the Nathaniel Centre for Catholic Bioethics.

Te Kupenga means "the net" or "the fishing net" and harks to the first four disciples of Jesus - Andrew, Peter, James and John.

They were called from their boats and nets to become fishers for Jesus' kingdom with the same care, dedication and skill they brought to their fishing.

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people." (Matthew 4:18-19).

Bishop Pat says the name resonates strongly with Pope Francis' call to the Church to revive its missionary spirit and purpose.

"Te Kupenga will put out into the deep and cast our net wide," said Bishop Pat.

The bishops intend the name to also reflect a contemporary reference to networking, online learning,and linking with others collegially.

They expect Te Kupenga to play a vital role in training, educating and forming Catholic seminarians and lay leaders.

Existing staff, courses and students will carry on from the two existing organisations into the new year.

A new board appoints management and decides the paths taking Te Kupenga forwards.

The Institute will provide a number of degree, certificate and diploma courses.

Source

• Supplied David McLoughlin Communications Adviser, NZ Catholic Bishops
  Te Huinga o nga Pihopa Katorika o Aotearoa
• ctc.ac.nz
• Image: 123rf.com

The Society of Mary has agreed to relinquish co-ownership and governance of Good Shepherd College (GSC).

In a letter to the staff of the merging institutions, establishment board chair Sir Brian Roche said the Provincial Council of the Society of Mary informed the New Zealand bishops that "the society would prefer to withdraw from its current commitments to co-ownership and governance of Good Shepherd College, but retain its commitment to teaching".

The society also confirmed that it supports the bishops' plan to merge GSC with The Catholic Institute (TCI).

The bishops remain fully committed to forming seminarians in New Zealand, with face-to-face delivery of the theology degree and Ratio Studiorum requirements as a vital element of their formation," Sir Brian wrote.

"They [bishops] are also committed to a qualified workforce in New Zealand's Catholic schools, to assure the quality of both Catholic special character and religious education."

GSC acting principal Fr Merv Duffy gave an assurance that the needs of the new students will be met even with the merger.

"NZQA has been very clear that all students embarking on an award must have a pathway to completion. So, the interests of the students will be carefully looked after," he told NZ Catholic.

Duffy noted there is a good intake of new students this semester, with 20 out of 59 studying at GSC for the first time.

He also said that more than half of the students (30 of 59) are studying by distance rather than on-campus.

Seminarian numbers are down with only three new diocesan seminarians studying at the college and no current seminarians from the Society of Mary studying there.

Source

• nzcatholic
• Image: gsc.ac.nz

They appointed Sir Brian Roche to be the chair. He is a former senior partner of PWC New Zealand and has been chief executive of the New Zealand Post Group.

The Board members have a wide range of skills and competencies

• Bishop Charles Drennan (NZCBC)
• Fr Brian Cummings from the Society of Mary
• Kate Kearins of AUT
• John Gallaher from Forsyth Barr
• Tony Murphy, a member of the NZCBC Finance Committee
• Maureen Kerr, an educationalist from Christchurch
• Loraine Elliott, a Maori health specialist from Auckland
• Jeremy Morley, a tertiary education management specialist
• Dame Therese Walsh, a governance specialist

Roche said he thinks Catholic Tertiary education essential for the Church - and of enormous benefit to New Zealand as a whole.

With such a diverse and experienced team, he is confident the Board will successfully revitalise New Zealand's Catholic tertiary education through transparent and robust processes.

They will have a look at the way the new structure would work and plan a pathway for its creation.

To this end they will:

• Assess current educational services
• Direct and set strategy for a work plan
• Ensure effective governance
• Direct the establishment of an organisational structure
• Analyse the financial implications

During initial meetings, they talked about the need to re-examine the vision for Catholic tertiary education.

They are also addressing some of the complexities involved in making changes.

The board will be assisted by the staff of the Catholic Institute (TCI) and Good Shepherd College (GSC).

Roche said he was delighted to have members of the TCI Council and GSC Senate to assist the board's understanding of existing tertiary education being provided by the Church.

Gerald Scanlan from TCI will provide project support to the Board.

Roche said Scanlan will help to ensure a smooth transition because he brings a strong mix of skills and management expertise in working with the Board.

Scanlan will collaborate with Fr Merv Duffy of GSC.

The Board will make sure the needs of students are foremost.

And it will keep NZQA informed about the transition process.

In the course of the transition, the TCI Council and GSC Senate will remain in place to provide oversight of their own institutions during the time of transition.

Source

• Supplied: Amanda Gregan
  NZCBC Communications Advisor
• www.nzcatholic.org.nz
• Image: gsc.ac.nz

The graduate certificate programme is aimed at developing leadership capabilities for people who work, or wish to work, in Catholic organisations.

The paper being presented by TCI examines the development and application of core concepts in Catholic social thought.

Participants will explore the key concepts of social justice and examine the application of these concepts in relation to their leadership roles in Catholic organisation.

The course will be made up of four five-day programmes, taking place in January and July in 2018 and 2019 at the Mercy Centre in Thorndon, Wellington.

The Australian Catholic University is the degree-granting body for GCLCC.

The TCI was established by the Catholic Bishops of New Zealand to support their vision of an informed laity who are supported by qualified people working in ministries and for the mission in the world.

It has been commissioned to provide accessible courses for teachers and trainee teachers to ensure they are qualified to teach religious education in Catholic schools and are able to engage in ongoing Professional Development.

Members of the Catholic Institute of Aotearoa New Zealand Council are appointed by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference. The Council is responsible to the Bishops' of New Zealand.

Appointments are guided by the trust deed that formed the TCI and are for a three year period.

An effort is made to balance appointments from all dioceses, as well as race and gender, having regard to the particular spread of expertise the Council is seeking to help govern the Institute.

TCI has campuses in Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

IT also provides 40 course by distance learning for those who are unable to attend classes because they live too far away or have other commitments, or simply wish to study at home.

Source

• CTI
• Image: 4.bp.blogspot.com

Scanlan will take over from Professor Anne Tuohy.

He will begin as on Wednesday 15 March.

Tuohy notified the Council of TCI last year of her desire to step away from the operational leadership role.

The appointment will allow her to focus solely on her academic leadership role of Academic Dean.

Scanlan's most recent job was general manager of the Catholic Diocese of Dunedin.

Previously he has held advisory, management and executive roles in a range of public sector organisations, including the Office of the Auditor General, State Services Commission, Department of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Women's Affairs.

He has also had a number positions in the private and non for profit sectors.

Scanlan worked with Tuohy on the organisational changes she introduced at TCI in 2013, and facilitated two staff gatherings, as well as a TCI Council strategy conversation.

After an initial period of familiarisation in the Wellington office, Scanlan will work alternate weeks in Wellington and Dunedin, where he lives with his wife, Geraldine.

The press release announcing Scanlan's appointment expressed the Tertiary Institute Council's gratitude to Tuohy for her leadership of TCI over the past six years.

"She has built a highly capable, credible and professional organisation, which is well-placed for whatever changes happen over the next year or so. I am delighted that the Council will retain her academic leadership under the new arrangement."

Source

• Supplied
• seeeye2eye.co.nz
• Image: streamfoundation.org.nz