Dr Fehoko and Pole-Fehoko were warmly welcomed by the University's Pacific community. Left to right: Tagiilima Feleti, Dr Michelle Schaaf, Sela Pole-Fehoko, Dr Edmond Fehoko, Rosalie Ivala, Dr Telesia Kalavite & Esmay Lemalu-Eteuati.
There is much to celebrate about two kaimahi who recently joined the University, not least that the pair will be the first Pacific staff members to step into their respective roles.
Sela Pole-Fehoko and Dr Edmond Fehoko journeyed down from Auckland to join Otago's Pacific community.
Dr Fehoko is the first Pacific lecturer to work in the Department of Human Nutrition, and his hope is to both offer fresh perspectives on human nutrition through a Pacific lens and to support staff in understanding Pacific worldviews.
His ambitions for his first year at Otago are simple: he wants to learn, listen and open doors for more Pacific tauira.
Making history as the first Pacific lecturer is an achievement Dr Fehoko largely accredits to his father, who passed away due to COVID-19 last year.
“I wish he was here to see the fruits of his hard work,” he says.
“My hope is that the greatest good I can do for Pacific students is not to share my riches but to reveal to them their own.”
Acting Head of Department Christina Hulbe is “thrilled” to welcome Dr Fehoko and his family to Ōtepoti.
“Edmond's expertise with qualitative and Pacific research methods will complement and extend our research strengths and we're looking forward to the new opportunities and new directions in both teaching and research,” she says.
Sela Pole-Fehoko will be the first to step into the Pacific Engagement Advisor role in the library and sees it as her responsibility to help build a bridge between the library, Pacific students and academics.
She says the existence of her recently established role marks a milestone for the University, as “it means that the library is acknowledging that we can do better in how we cater to our Pacific students”.
“When our students enroll at the University that means this whole campus becomes their home, so we need to make all areas of the University feel accessible and open to them.”
The pair were drawn to Otago when they learned of the Pacific Strategic Framework, a document outlining the strategic aspirations of the University, paired with an action plan to help create equitable opportunities and outcomes for Pacific at Otago.
“When you know the people who sit at the decision-making table are prioritising Pacific needs and values- it means the organisation is for us,” Pole-Fehoko says.
“One less battle for me having to justify the need for Pacific-specific services and more of my energy and time can be put towards my work.”
Pole-Fehoko says that since working at the library, she has learned about the plethora of services available and hopes to increase Pacific engagement with Otago's library services.
“Now that I am in this space, I am in awe of the work that goes into running this place and the services that we offer, and more of our Pacific people need to know,” she says.
“We are here too for our academic staff - publishing research and also acquiring and helping with their course resources.”
Prior to coming to Otago, Pole-Fehoko completed a thesis investigating the graduate experiences of Tongans and the quarter-life crisis.
“This has absolutely nothing to do with the library but you can tell my passion is about the experiences of our young people.
“I take on roles not because of their job title but more because the role aligns with my 'why'. This is probably why my career over the years has been in so many areas, but the one thing that remains constant is my purpose.”
Associate University Librarian Shiobhan Smith says “it is really exciting to have Sela bring her extensive engagement experience to the University of Otago Library team”.
“The role of Library Pacific Engagement Advisor is a key position helping strengthen relationships and respond to the aspirations of our Pacific communities,” Smith says.
“Sela will be active in connecting Pacific staff and students to Library collections, services, and spaces across the Dunedin campus.”
Kōrero by Keilah Fox