Developments in Academic Audit in New Zealand Universities

Abstract

As in other countries, education at the tertiary level in New Zealand has undergone major organisational, structural and funding changes in recent years. At the same time tertiary institutions have been placed under increasing pressure both to make more efficient use of their resources and to ensure that they provide a “quality” education to their communities. This pressure comes at a time in New Zealand when student numbers, but not resources, have increased substantially. This paper focuses on developments by New Zealand universities to monitor jointly the quality of their academic activities. During 1992, the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee (NZVCC), with assistance from the University Teaching Development Centre (UTDC) of Victoria University, organised three workshops/seminars on the theme of quality assurance in New Zealand universities. This paper provides a synopsis of the discussions and outcomes of the three meetings, including coverage of the pressures for change, the issues that were debated, and the self-examination required of universities as they prepare for the first round of “academic audit”. A summary is also given of developments in British universities because of the strong British influence on New Zealand developments and the similarity between many of the issues confronted in the United Kingdom and those being encountered in New Zealand.