The University of Canterbury’s CUP is an option for students who have not yet met university entrance requirements or are keen to build more confidence before beginning degree-level study.

It is a full-time, one semester, non-NCEA pathway to university study. Enrolments are through the UC website: Certificate in University Preparation | University of Canterbury | University of Canterbury

From 2022 Hagley will no longer deliver the Academic writing and study skills (TRNS001) course at UC as part of the CUP certificate, but we are able to offer a semesterised Academic writing and study skills course at Hagley College with UC credit transfer for TRNS001. This means that students could opt to do this paper (TRNS001) with us and to complete the full certificate at UC at a later date.

Farewell

The change in 2022 to the university teaching CUP in-house has come as part of wider changes to the University of Canterbury’s transitions and first-year approaches. While we continue to work closely with the university to offer Catch Up College, TRNS001, 13EPS and Fast Path courses, the change has sadly meant for us the end of our CUP Teachers team.

In 2014 Marie Stribling and Mike Fowler led Hagley through negotiations to take on the teaching of the UC Certificate in University Preparation’s core course in Academic writing and study skills. Teaching began in 2015, with an innovative approach including small groups and mentoring, and five intrepid teachers quickly learning metacognitive approaches to reading and the intricacies of academic writing. At this stage BRDG006 (as it was known) was taught on-site at Hagley in O block and Hagley House, with the uni students making their own way to campus or catching the CUP minivan two days a week. In 2018, we moved across to the UC campus, this time with teachers and Hagley students who were doing the course making the trek twice a week.

In the last seven years we’ve had the privilege of working with over 1150 students in the course, heading into a wide range of disciplines both within and beyond the university. We have learnt so much from those students, as well as UC staff members and colleagues. It has been a unique opportunity to work collaboratively across disciplines and institutions in a space straddling the secondary and tertiary sectors.

The conclusion of the CUP contract leads to some of us moving across to other areas at Hagley and some leaving the college. So, with both sadness and appreciation, a huge thank you to Sandi Harrison, Rebecca Morris, Paul Dearsley, Jo Guthrie and Liz McNeill for your dedication and commitment to this mahi, and for your extraordinary collegiality. And to Jo, Rebecca and Sandi, we wish you all the very best for your endeavours beyond Te Puna Wai o Waipapa.