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The Waikato Institute of Technology
The Waikato Institute of Technology (WINTEC) is the largest Polytechnic outside of the four main cities, with some 15,000 full-time and part-time students, 1,200 full-time and part-time staff, more than 150 programmes and 2,500 courses. It is based in the rapidly growing city of Hamilton (population 110,000) and serves the major catchment area of the greater Waikato, from Coromandel Peninsula to Te Kuiti. In addition to the main city site, WINTEC has a campus at the Avalon Centre on the northern outskirts of the city, and a horticultural campus at Hamilton Gardens. The $13.5 million Avalon Campus includes a new $4 million Sport and Exercise Science complex, which offers some of the most up-to-date sports training and testing facilities in the country. The third Hamilton campus, the Horticultural Education Centre, is situated amidst the 58 hectares of Hamilton Gardens.
WINTEC formerly the Waikato Polytechnic, grew out of the Waikato Technical Institute, which was formed in 1968 on the site of the old Hamilton Technical College. The Hamilton Technical College was founded in 1924, and sited on a hill above Hamilton City's Garden Place. This dominant position close to the central part of the city remains one of WINTEC's strategic advantages to this day. It was during the 1960s, which saw a huge increase in the range of technician courses and a corresponding increase in student numbers, that the The Waikato Technical Institute, later renamed as The Waikato Polytechnic, was born. In 1968, The Waikato Technical Institute opened its doors for the first time, with its prospectus stating the institution aimed to provide "vocational training for farming, industry and commerce." The institution continued to grow and prosper, and in September 1987 the decision was taken to change the name to The Waikato Polytechnic to reflect the increased scope of its educational activities. In line with current practise in the education sector, the name of the institute changed in June 2001 to Waikato Institute of Technology. |
