Turns out Vic is just a short walk from my hotel. I met just about everyone on the international staff and learned that, appropriately, they comprise a variety of nationalities. My tour (meetings with staff, faculty, academic buildings, library, residence halls) took about five hours. Below is a summary of what I saw/what makes Vic unique, as well as photos. In addition to my campus tour, I met with my mother-in-law’s delightful NZ penpal Gladys Pickford (to whom she’s written faithfully for the past 50 years, but never met) and attended a bawdy musical entailed “Rome” at the harborside Circa Theatre. Read on!

Highlights of campus tour:

1) Student support: Vic International – All international (yep, American included in that) student recruitment, admissions, and support services are in this “one stop shop”, allowing staff to focus on the unique needs of these students . It feels like CIS – one big family. They mentioned that no other NZ uni has this structure, i.e., international student admissions is rolled into the regular admissions team. Vic Int’l runs a mandatory on-campus orientation where students learn the nuts and bolts of living and learning in Wellington, and meet other international students.
2) Integration: Vic has accommodations where students are matched with a “kiwi host” (kiwi = New Zealand native) and thus have a local guide to the city and the university. Also, there is a new leadership program (offered to call undergrad students, free of charge) where students attend speaker events, participate in experiential activities, etc., and earn a special certificate. It’s a great way for U.S. students to integrate with kiwi students. There is also a program called Campus Coaches, talked about in student orientation, which matches new students with current students.
3) Academics: Most U.S. students take courses in the humanities at Vic, including many fascinating courses in Maori studies and New Zealand culture and history. I met with a Dean in biological sciences and was mightily impressed (being an environmental science major) by the offerings in conservation biology (NZ has a unique ecosystem that is immediately accessible and explorable), environmental studies, development studies, and geology (earthquakes and active volcanoes abound here). I was impressed that world-renown faculty teach intro levels courses as well as advise PhD students. Almost all these courses are taken at the Kelburn campus, a short and lovely cable car ride up the hill (giving it the look and feel of what I imagine certain parts of San Francisco are like).
4) Housing: Many U.S. students live at Stafford residence hall in apartments with 1-2 roommates. The apartments were clean, modern, and right in downtown Wellington. Stafford is 2/3 international students, 1/3 kiwi. While not luxurious, Stafford has a common area with a wide screen TV, as well as a music room (with padded walls for you drummers out there), a workout room, and bike storage.

Meeting Gladys:

Gladys Pickford, my mother in law’s penpal, was just lovely. A native of Scotland, she and her husband Mike moved to New Zealand in the late 70’s for work. They raised their children here and live outside of Wellington. Gladys was in her 60’s, had lovely purple and white hair, and laughed easily. We had coffee in an old bank building, under which was preserved the creepy remains of an old ship (lit up in museum fashion under the floor). The ship washed ashore during an 1850’s earthquake that raised the land above sea level and created Wellington harbor as it is today. We could have talked forever, but alas, I had tickets to the theatre.

Circa Theatre: Rome

Rome, an original NZ musical about the greed and decadence that led to Caesar’s demise, was just awesome. The singing was superb (especially the baritone who played Mark Antony) and the costumes were quite flamboyant. I especially enjoy the 50+ year old male dancer who played a servant and swirled around in chains and a long skirt.

What a day!