Getting back on to campus for staff and students at EIT | Te Pūkenga Tairāwhiti has provided a welcome sense of normality in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, says campus manager Waata Shepherd.

Staff and students were ready to come back by the time they re-opened on February 27.

“We had a whakatau when we reopened, and it was a real positive experience for all the students and all the staff to just be together. The students were really glad to be able to continue their studies, and likewise with staff.”

Waata says they have encouraged everyone to share their stories, and their particular experiences with Cyclone Gabrielle as a way to offload and understand “they’re not alone”.

“In 12 months, we have had eight weather events and three declarations of a state of local emergency. So, with all that, staff and students were really glad to get back on campus and get into work.”

The campus, along with the Rural Studies Unit, suffered minimal damage, with a few leaks and some ceiling panels needing to be replaced.

Across all locations in Tairāwhiti, most programmes are being delivered on campus. Those that need co-delivery from the Hawke’s Bay campus in Taradale are either being delivered in-person or online.

“A lot of our programmes are delivered with the assistance and support from Taradale, but with Taradale’s situation,

we had to review that as well,” Waata said.