Auckland University has removed a signboard that had designated public areas specifically for Māori and Pasifika students.

An image circulated online showed an official-looking sign at the entrance of what seemed to be a study room at the university saying “This is a Designated Area for Māori and Pasifika Students. Thank You.”

In a comment section a student defended the sign and added context. “Student at UoA here, who has actually been inside room. It’s a room literally the size of a walk in closet that belongs to a co-curricular club for Maori and Pacific students. There are multiple clubs like so for different groups of people in the business school. They all have assigned rooms like this.”

However, ACT Tertiary Education spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar said “blocking access to spaces based on ethnicity has an ugly past and has no future in New Zealand.

“Universities owe the Kiwis who pay their bills an explanation. ACT has seen similar accounts from other universities. If true, this is nothing short of segregation.

“Universities must front up and be open about whether they are engaging in these practices.

“Kiwis pay to keep their doors open with taxes, and deserve an explanation. It is disappointing that it even needs to be said, but ACT’s position is that blocking people from spaces based on their ethnicity is unequivocally wrong.”

On Tuesday evening, an Auckland University spokeswoman confirmed the authenticity of the signboard and said it had since been removed.

The University would be releasing a statement on Wednesday she told Chris Lynch Media.