By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

When Peter Englert takes over Aug. 1 as the first full-time chancellor in 16 years at the Manoa campus of the University of Hawai'i, he will be "handed over" in a traditional Maori ceremony.

"It's a protocol from New Zealand," said Englert, who is leaving his position as pro-vice chancellor of Victoria University in Wellington, where he put into effect programs to enhance education for Maoris. His strength, concern and action in this area was one of the strong points of his candidacy.

Englert is being kept in the dark about the exact events of the handing-over ceremony that will include participation by two Maori academic leaders from Victoria University — Piri Sciascia and TeRipowai Higgins — and leaders from the Center for Hawaiian Studies at UH.

"I've never been 'handed over' before," he said earlier this week, anticipating the unique moment.

Sciascia was recently appointed to a position to address issues of concern to Maoris at Victoria University. Englert has worked closely with him and supported his position.

"This has had significant benefits," said Englert, who has a basic understanding of the Maori language.

As he prepares to assume leadership at Manoa, Englert will bring with him both an understanding of Pacific Island concerns and issues and an appreciation of the values of enhanced education for Native Hawaiians. He has already begun looking at statistics comparing levels of higher education in Maori and Native Hawaiian groups, and his administration will give high priority to the improvement of those numbers.

"Native Hawaiians are underrepresented," he said. But his goal is having the numbers at UH not just reflect the population, but also exceed it. "Achieving equity is one thing," he said, "but becoming a Pacific university is different."

At Victoria University, a Maori student support group based on mentoring principles has enhanced enrollment, improved grade-point averages, and increased the number of Maori students moving into post-graduate studies and become more competitive in obtaining scholarships, he said. He will be looking at the need for similar additional supports for Native Hawaiian students, and working with the Center for Hawaiian Studies.

"You have to make it responsive to the needs of Hawaiians," he said.

Englert is also looking into offering several types of teaching and educational environments at Manoa to address student learning in a more comprehensive and holistic way, especially as part of an honors curriculum. For instance, he explains, there could be a highly academic track for the very academically oriented students while those interested in social, ethical or other goals would be in an educational environment more oriented to that learning style.

This would offer colleges not defined by subject areas as much as styles of learning, much like the Oxford system that utilizes tutorials, small seminars and an intense level of personal attention.

But the faculty will be full partners in exploring such options, he said, and nothing will move ahead without their complete participation.

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.