Overview
Caroline Freeman College has a dedicated staff team who have the goal of providing an outstanding collegiate experience for everyone who lives here. Collectively, we have years of experience in collegiate life as well as life experience in many other areas.
It is our goal to make your year at CFC the best possible and to prepare you for future success in your studies and living situations.
Management team
Chris Addington
Warden | Tautiaki
As the Warden, Chris is responsible for overall resident welfare and college operations at Caroline Freeman. He has many years' experience in educational leadership and residential college life including being a secondary school principal and 11 years as the Master of University College at Otago. The all-inclusive nature of collegiate life is extremely important for Chris and you will see him enthusiastically involved and engaged in all aspects of the college. He enjoys music, sport, fitness, bicycles, poetry and literature. Chris lives on-site at CFC with his wife, Julia.
Eric Nabalagi
Deputy Warden
Eric is our Deputy Warden. He has a wide range of duties from pastoral care to event management. Eric also manages the sub-warden team. Eric came to New Zealand from Fiji when he was 20 and completed a BCom degree. He has considerable past work experience in a variety of roles ranging from community youth leader, Dunedin Pacific Youth Co-ordinator and University of Otago Pacific Students Transition Officer as well as working at both Cumberland and University Colleges. Eric has strong empathy and understanding concerning the transition of young people from secondary to tertiary study. He lives on-site with his family at CFC East.
Elizabeth Audas
Assistant Warden
Elizabeth is our Assistant Warden and works alongside Chris and Eric, with an overall aim of ensuring student wellbeing, great college events, and academic success. She has a BA from Otago with a double major in English and Theatre Studies.
Elizabeth is originally from Canada but attended secondary school in Dunedin. She was a sub-warden for two years at Hayward College. While passionate about all aspects of residential college life, Elizabeth particularly loves anything and everything to do with the performing arts.
Elizabeth lives on-site at CFC East.
Brent Cowie
Executive Chef
Brent is our hero in the kitchen leading a team who serve up a great variety of food on both a daily basis and for our special occasions.
Brent has a long-standing relationship with Caroline Freeman College stretching back to the early days of the college. Brent and has team can cater for almost any dietary need or requirement to ensure everyone is well-fed at CFC . As well as the day-to-day meals at the College, Brent and his team also do an amazing job with our theme dinners, formal dinners and special occasions.
Robert Strang
Property Manager
Robert is responsible for all our fantastic buildings, grounds and services at Caroline Freeman College. He has a dedicated passion for the College with a goal of making sure CFC is well-maintained and comfortable for everyone who lives here. In his previous life Robert was a certified painting contractor. He has an absolute love for the “beautiful game” (football) as player, coach, manager and supporter.
Fiona Russell
Administrator
Fiona manages all the administrative affairs of the college from fees to maintenance requests, late dinners, parcels, mail, general queries about Otago life and anything else imaginable.
She is a born and raised Dunedinite, with three children, two grand-children and her dog Louie. She enjoys reading, gardening, walking, friends and family. She has 20 years of experience in college administration and is a wealth of knowledge about collegiate life.
Sub-Wardens
Caroline Freeman College has an amazing group of ten senior students who have the title of Sub-Warden. Each sub-warden is responsible for a “stairwell” at the College and keeps a close eye on everyone in their respective area. You can think of your sub-warden as a big brother / big sister, older mentor, etc.
The sub-wardens are your “go-to” people for day-to-day questions about College and Otago life. The Sub-Wardens also do rostered duty at the College, manage activities and events and assist the senior management staff with College matters.
Our Sub-Warden team are very diverse from a wide variety of backgrounds and academic pursuits.
Our Sub-Warden team members are:
- Cat Anderson
- Thomas Anderson
- Meg Barnes
- Brodie Devon
- Lily Heidmann
- Leah Rhee
- Jonty Robertson
- Rhys Spilling
- Amy Whyman
Profiles of our fantastic sub-wardens (PDF)
Kinko the Cat
CFC's famous cat
Kinko lives at CFC West and is a frequent visitor to apartments, bedrooms, lounges and courtyards. We consider her an essential part of the CFC community.
Ringo the Flamingo
College Mascot
Caroline Freeman College has a quirky mascot which makes us quite unique amongst the Otago colleges. We are proud to be the Freeman Flamingos. Throughout the year we have some flamingo-themed events such as the annual “Pink Party” and the mid-year “Order of the Flamingo” awards ceremony and our sporting teams have a “Fighting Flamingos” theme.