The audit, part of the external quality assurance arrangements for universities in Aotearoa New Zealand, is conducted by the Academic Quality Agency (AQA), the body with responsibility through Universities New Zealand for quality assurance of New Zealand universities.

Academic audits are conducted every seven to eight years. The AQA Audit Report—Cycle 6: Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington was published in March 2023.

In August 2024, we submitted our one-year update on this report to the AQA Board.

Cycle 6 AQA audit final report—March 2023

In March 2023, the AQA audit panel completed their Cycle 6 report on Te Herenga Waka. This report provided the University with seven commendations, 11 affirmations, and 12 recommendations.

The panel affirmed many of the University’s programmes of work to support students and made recommendations for further work, which the University will implement and review.

Included in the commendations was the work undertaken by staff during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Special mention was made of the University’s dedicated services for supporting Māori students and Pasifika students during the pandemic and the support system developed in the change programme for learning and teaching infrastructure.

Read the AQA Audit Report—Cycle 6: Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

One-year update report—August 2024

The one-year update report documents the progress being made on the affirmations and recommendations from the March 2023 report. The update accounts for significant developments that have taken place at the University since the report was submitted in March 2023, including changes in University leadership, operations and strategic context, and wider challenges that have impacted the entire sector.

Key areas of progress identified in our one-year update include the development of the Ngā Kīwai o te Kete—Student Engagement Framework, the University’s work to implement a new learning management system, and the development of Tītoko, a holistic model to support student success.

Overall, our work on most of the audit report’s affirmations and recommendations is either complete or well-advanced. Key areas where we are still seeking to make improvements include University-wide work on a curriculum framework, supporting Pasifika Student Success and implementing the recommendations that emerged from the University’s own Te Tiriti o Waitangi audit.

Read the academic audit one-year update report for Cycle 6—August 2024.

The audit process

The audit process, undertaken in 2022, involved two broad stages including a self-review, followed by an audit panel visit to the University.

Over 18–24 months, a working group engaged with student groups, faculties, schools and central service units to gather responses and evidence for the development of the self-review report that the audit panel used as background for their visit. A steering group oversaw the process and provided strategic guidance.

As part of the report, the University was expected to consider the whole of institution, including all students, all delivery, and all staff who teach, supervise, or support teaching or supervision.

The report responded to 30 guideline statements outlined in the audit framework. These reflect good practice expectations of academic quality covering:

• leadership and management of learning and teaching and academic quality
• student lifecycle, support, and wellbeing
• curriculum, assessment, and delivery
• teaching quality
• supervision of postgraduate research students.

As part of the review, the panel met twice before undertaking an in-person site visit to the University in September 2022.

The audit panel

Audits are undertaken by a panel of peers comprising senior academics or academic managers in Aotearoa New Zealand, a Māori panel member, a Pacific panel member (where possible), an international panel member and a student or recent graduate. Each university in New Zealand is audited by a different panel of experts.

They examine evidence provided by the university and conduct meetings with university staff and students to evaluate the academic quality of the university and present their findings in a public report.

Background

You can find more information about the background of the Cycle 6 audit (PDF).

Read the University’s 2023 Cycle 6 AQA Audit Report.

Academic audits are conducted by the Academic Quality Agency (AQA) for New Zealand Universities.

General information about the academic audit process is available on the AQA website.