Your Feedback: Ākonga/Student Voice
Ākonga/Student Voice is your voice. Here are some of your latest suggestions, and our responses:
| You said | We did |
| Make it easier for us to get our student ID cards. | We set up ID photo stations at each of our Regional Campuses, and posted on Toi Ohomai student social media platforms about how to get your student ID card. |
| Further use of Te Reo Māori in the application process. | Changed the hard copy and electronic application processes to be Te Reo Māori led. |
| Provide consistent advice about APA referencing. | APA 7th edition is the standard referencing style at Toi Ohomai. The APA Referencing Guides, available on the library website, provide a standard source of examples for consistency. Learning Facilitators, Faculty Librarians and course staff have been reminded of the importance of consistent advice based on these guides. |
| More nursing textbooks. | Most required nursing textbooks are available online through Clinical Key. However, we’ve reviewed the print collection and added extra copies where possible. |
| More journals about infection prevention and control. | There are several journals about infection prevention and control in the library databases and good coverage across other journals. We are looking into the possibility of additional titles. |
| More hairdressing books and magazines at Windermere. | More books were added to the Windermere collection. We have five hairdressing magazines (three at Windermere and two at Mokoia). We’d love suggestions for new titles. |
| More books about fashion philosophy. | Print books about fashion philosophy are shelved at 391 in libraries and we have a great collection of e-books on this topic. |
| More IT books, including design techniques and principles of formatting, managing and producing better code. | There is some coverage of this topic in our e-book collection and online databases, and we’d love suggestions for specific new titles. |
| More access to online research papers such as Wiley online journals. | We’d love to receive requests for specific journals and if they are affordable we may add them to the collection. If there are articles that the library doesn’t hold, you can request that we get them from another library for you, at no charge. |
| Access to Google Scholar. | Our library holdings can be found when searching Google Scholar. Ask your Faculty Librarian to show you how. |
| Less noise, more quiet space in the library. | We recognise the need for quiet study. In addition to the quiet rooms/spaces already available we are currently working on creating further quiet spaces. Please don’t hesitate to let staff know if noise is disturbing you. Ako Ātea and Te Wairere are intended to be social learning environments, where discussions are encouraged, so some noise is inevitable. |
| Can books be delivered to my home? | If you’re feeling unwell or self-isolating at home, you can still access library resources. We have a wide range of electronic resources, and we can courier books to your home address free of charge. |
| More training on how to use the library catalogue and databases. | We recognise that navigating these online tools can sometimes be tricky. To help, we provide in-class training sessions, and Faculty Librarians can provide one-on-one or small group sessions on request. Online help guides are also available. |
| Extended library opening hours. | Computer labs are open until the late evening, and the libraries are open until 6pm Monday to Thursday and 5pm on Fridays, as well as on Saturday mornings. Unfortunately, we don’t have the capacity to extend opening hours further at this stage. |
| Temperature in the library – at times too hot, or too cold. | Please let the staff know and we can do our best to adjust the temperature for you. |
| Learning Support should be promoted more effectively to off campus courses to ensure ākonga are aware of the support available. | This year there has been more information shared via Toi Ohomai Facebook pages, as well as student e-newsletters and on campus posters advising ākonga of support services. Going forward, Facilitators will also try to introduce their teams to all new classes - including online and after hours. |
| More quiet spaces and somewhere for disabled students to feel comfortable and interact. | Accessibility Facilitators are working on identifying a great location and plan for this going forward. |
| Better support for people with a disability or health conditions in pre-enrolment process. Find ways to make class time work for all people no matter their condition. | This year we’ve updated the enrolment notification process so Accessibility Facilitators can contact any ākonga prior to their course starting. They can work with kaiako and ākonga to explore what options are available prior to start dates for each individual. |
You can make your own suggestions using the Student Voice boxes on campus, or online using the feedback form.
If you want to let us know about something that's concerning you please use the complaints form.
Thank you for sharing your ideas to improve Toi Ohomai – your voice is being heard.