Academic audit

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington undergoes a regular audit that involves a self-review and external evaluation of our academic quality.

The audit, part of the external quality assurance arrangements for universities in Aotearoa New Zealand, is conducted by the Academic Quality Agency, 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 University has just completed Cycle 6

Audit panel final report

The AQA Audit Report - Cycle 6: Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington was published on 28 March 2023. The report includes commendations and affirmations of the work undertaken or initiated by the University since the Cycle 5 audit and makes recommendations for further enhancement of student outcomes.

Acknowledging the impact of COVID19, the audit panel commended the University on significant work undertaken to maintain teaching, learning and support for staff and students during this period. Special mention was also made on the dedicated services instrumental in supporting Māori students and Pasifika students during the pandemic and the support system developed in the change programme for learning and teaching infrastructure. The panel affirmed the University programmes of work underway to support student advising and made recommendations for further work, which the University will review and implement.

The audit process

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

Over the past 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.

The panel found the self-review, submitted in May 2022, to be comprehensive and well-supported by evidence. The panel met twice before undertaking an in-person site visit to the University in September 2022. During the site visit, the panel held 22 interview sessions and met with 78 members of staff and 35 students. Information gained through the interviews supplemented that contained in the self-review portfolio and the panel drew on both sources to reach its findings.

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).

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.