Polytechnic farewells popular retiring Director Academic

Polytechnic farewells popular retiring Director Academic

Bay of Plenty Polytechnic fondly farewells retiring Director Academic, Dr. Terry Fulljames, this week after a career in education spanning nearly 50 years.

In the last eight years Dr Fulljames has worked at the Polytechnic he has been at the forefront of some significant achievements for Polytechnic staff and students. These have included greatly enhancing the capability of academic staff as teachers and significantly improving systems and processes to provide a strong focus on supporting students in achieving both their qualifications and vocational goals.

Dr Alan Hampton, Polytechnic Chief Executive, has nothing but praise for his Academic Director. “Terry has had a key influence in the development and performance of the institution in the past eight years,” said Dr Hampton. “He has been a consistent and powerful advocate of the power of tertiary education and training, its ability to change lives and create futures, and the right of all to access this opportunity.”

Renowned for his passion and enthusiasm for education, Dr Fulljames is the inaugural chair of the Tertiary Partnership’s Joint Academic Planning and Development Committee, helping to shape how the partner institutions (Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, the University of Waikato and more recently, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi) work together. A key achievement of the Committee includes the extension of diploma to degree pathways, enabling students to complete degree qualifications in Tauranga.

Dr Fulljames was also involved in the project to assess regional tertiary needs working in conjunction with the Tertiary Partnership, APR Consultants and Priority One resulting in the Regional Tertiary Action Plan from which a new partnership education plan is now being finalised.

“I have had a lifelong passion for education,” says Dr Fulljames. “Having worked in tertiary for 25 years, it has really shifted my focus to school leavers and mature students entering tertiary study.

“I am delighted with the changes that I’ve seen within the Polytechnic and through working with the University of Waikato and other stakeholders to set up the Bay of Plenty Tertiary Partnership. It’s been exciting being part of this critical development for Bay of Plenty Polytechnic and I will watch with interest as the partnership with the University of Waikato and Awanuiārangi develops further over the next few years and the tertiary campus is completed in the CBD.”

Dr Fulljames has been the Chair of the TANZ Academic Committee (Tertiary Accord of New Zealand, which comprises seven ITPs across the country), he is an External Evaluator for NZQA Quality Assurance (covering the PTE, ITP, ITO and Wānanga part of the tertiary sector), Deputy Chair for the Aotearoa Region of the Association for Tertiary Education Management, and a member of an international panel of reviewers for the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority.

Locally Terry sits on the Secondary-Tertiary Curriculum Advisory Committee which, along with support from ITO’s and Priority One, has been working to gain a Trades Academy for the Western Bay in 2013. He also sits on the Regional Tertiary Providers’ Forum and Priority One’s Instep Steering Group (representing the tertiary sector).

In his spare time, Dr Fulljames is heavily involved with Holy Trinity’s music programme, having been a keyboard player in the band for several years. He is a regular Sunday morning organist and leader of a choral group. In wider musical circles Dr Fulljames is a member of the Oriana Singers and the new Scholars ProMusica Chamber Choir.

Retirement is not likely to slow Dr Fulljames down any. As well as spending time with wife Jenny and children and grandchildren, he’s planning on taking on a wide range of consulting positions within the tertiary education sector, renovating his home and finding some time to catch up on his music and reading.

Dr Hampton summed up Terry’s influence at the Polytechnic; “Terry’s professionalism, dedication and passion has been valued by all fortunate to work with him and he will be sadly missed. All the Council and staff of Bay of Plenty Polytechnic wish Terry and his wife Jenny a long, happy and rewarding future.”

ENDS

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