Victoria University of Wellington Academic audit report - AQA

62 Pages·2009·0.39 MB·English

Victoria University of
Wellington
Te Whare Wānanga o
Te Ūpoko o Te Ika a Māui
Academic audit report

Cycle 4 November 2009

New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit
Te Wāhanga Tātari

Victoria University of Wellington
Te Whare Wānanga o
Te Ūpoko o Te Ika a Māui

Academic audit report

Cycle 4

November 2009
This audit report is the third report of Cycle 4 academic audits to be administered
by the New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit-Te Wāhanga Tātari during the period
2008-2012
Cycle 4 academic audits are whole of institution reports, and follow Cycle 1 audits on whole of
institution in 1995-1998; Cycle 2 audits on research, research students, and research-teaching
nexus in 2000-2001; and Cycle 3 audits on teaching quality, programme delivery, and the
achievement of learning outcomes in 2003-2006.
The hardcopy printed version of this report is the version authorised by the Board.
An electronic version of the report is posted on the Unit’s website as a portable document
format (PDF) file.

© 2009 New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit-Te Wāhanga Tātari

Postal address:
P O Box 9747
Marion Square
Wellington 6141
New Zealand

Location:
Level 3
West Block
Education House
178 Willis Street
Wellington
New Zealand

Website:
http://www.nzuaau.ac.nz

ISBN 978 – 0 – 9582872 – 3 – 4

Q:NZUAAU\040\07\Report\VictoriaReportFinal
Preface

Background
The New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit was established in 1993 to consider and review New
Zealand universities' mechanisms for monitoring and enhancing the academic quality and standards
which are necessary for achieving their stated aims and objectives, and to comment on the extent to which
procedures in place are applied effectively and reflect good practice in maintaining quality.1 Since its
establishment, the Unit has administered three complete cycles of academic audit.
▪ Cycle 1 academic audits were full institutional audits of the then seven universities; they were
conducted during the period 1995-1998.
▪ Cycle 2 academic audits focussed on research policy and management, the research-teaching
nexus and the support of postgraduate students, as well as a theme specific to each university;
they were conducted during the period 2000-2001. In 2001, a full institutional academic audit
was conducted at the eighth New Zealand university - the newly-created Auckland University of
Technology.
▪ Cycle 3 academic audits focussed on teaching quality, programme delivery, and the
achievement of learning outcomes; they were conducted during the period 2003-2008.
The present cycle of academic audits – Cycle 4, of which this is the third – are full institutional audits,
and are being administered over the period 2008-2012.2

The process of audit
The process of audit requires a self-assessment which informs an audit Portfolio (structured with respect
to the Cycle 4 indicative framework) in which the university evaluates its progress towards achieving its
goals and objectives related to the focus of the audit, identifies areas for improvement, and details
intended plans, strategies and activities with respect to enhancement initiatives. After examining the
Portfolio, and seeking further information if necessary, the audit panel conducts interviews in a site visit
to the university to seek verification of materials read, and to inform an audit report which is structured in
accordance with the framework for the conduct of Cycle 4 audits as set down in the Unit's 2007 Academic
audit manual.3 The report commends good practice and makes recommendations intended to assist the
university in its own programme of continuous improvement of quality and added value in the activities
identified by the Unit as the focus of Cycle 4 audits.
Soon after the publication of the audit report, the Unit discusses with the university the preferred
procedures to be used in the follow-up to audit and the monitoring of follow-up activities.

Victoria University of Wellington academic audit
The Victoria University of Wellington agreed to an academic audit site visit in August 2009, requiring the
submission of the self-review Portfolio by early June 2009. The panel appointed to carry out the
academic audit of the University met in Wellington on 9 July 2009 for a preliminary meeting at which it
evaluated the material it had received, and determined further materials required. The Chair of the panel
and the Director of the Unit undertook a Planning Visit to the University on 22 July 2009 to discuss the

1 See Appendix 2 for the Unit's complete terms of reference, its vision and its objective with respect to academic
audit.
2 See Appendix 3 for the framework for Cycle 4 academic audits.
3 John M. Jennings (compiler), Academic audit manual for use in Cycle 4 academic audits by the New Zealand
Universities Academic Audit Unit, Te Wāhanga Tātari, December 2007, Wellington, the Unit, 2007.

New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit – Te Wāhanga Tātari iii
Victoria University of Wellington academic audit report, Cycle 4, November 2009
supply of the further materials requested as well as arrangements for the site visit. The four-day site visit
by the whole panel to Victoria University of Wellington took place on 11-14 August 2009 hosted by the
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Pat Walsh. During the site visits, the panel interviewed 141 people –
members of Council, staff, students and stakeholders.
The findings of the panel as expressed in this report are based on the written information supplied by the
University and on the information gained through interviews conducted during the site visit.

John M. Jennings
Director
November 2009

iv New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit – Te Wāhanga Tātari
Contents

Preface iii

Summary vii

Commendations, recommendations and affirmations xi

Preamble xv

1 General
1.1 Victoria University of Wellington 1
1.2 Strategic plan 2
1.3 Management structure 3
1.4 Devolution 5
1.5 Equity 6

2 Learning and teaching
2.1 Goal and commitment 9
2.2 Learning and teaching plan 10
2.3 Curriculum development 10
2.4 Learning environment 11
2.5 Learner support 14

3 Research environment
3.1 Goal and commitment 17
3.2 Research quality and performance 17
3.3 Research students and research supervision 18
3.4 Teaching and learning within a research environment 19

4 Te Tiriti o Waitangi
4.1 Commitment 21
4.2 Stakeholder engagement 21
4.3 Māori students 22
4.4 Māori staff 22
4.5 Māori research 23

5 University staff
5.1 Goal and commitment 25
5.2 Workload allocation 25
5.3 Professional development 25
5.4 Staff appraisal 27
5.5 Leadership 27

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Victoria University of Wellington academic audit report, Cycle 4, November 2009
6 Institutional quality assurance
6.1 Quality assurance framework 29
6.2 Student evaluations 31

7 Community engagement
7.1 Goal and commitment 33
7.2 Engagement with the community 33
7.3 Value of graduates 33

8 External academic collaborations and partnerships
8.1 Goal and commitments 35
8.2 Educational collaborations 35
8.3 Internationalisation 36
8.4 Offshore delivery 36

Acknowledgements 38
Audit Panel 38

Appendices
1 Victoria University of Wellington enhancements 39
2 New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit 42
Te Wāhanga Tātari
3 Cycle 4 indicative framework 43

vi New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit – Te Wāhanga Tātari
Summary

Summary

General
Victoria University The University conducts research and delivers its academic programmes on four
of Wellington campuses in Wellington City. There has been considerable change over the past
four years, some of it driven by the recommendations in the 2005 Cycle 3
academic audit report. The 2009 audit site visit was at a time when the University
was in the middle of a long-term change project. The University is commended
for the evidence of positive change in confidence since the 2005 cycle 3 academic
audit.
Strategic plan The Strategic plan 2009-2014 provides a clearer identity for the University, and
the University is commended for the alignment of the Strategic plan with
planning documents and for the extent of understanding and acceptance by the
University community. The Strategic plan lacks targets or measures of progress,
and the panel recommends that key performance indicators and targets be
developed and a more robust regime to monitor and measure progress be
developed and embedded.
Management The management structure appears rather complex and it is recommended that the
structure Faculty and School management and administrative structures and responsibilities
and the balance of tasks between the ‘centre’ and the Faculties and Schools be
reviewed.
Devolution The University is aware that devolution is resulting in variability of practices and
interpretations of policy, and the University seeks to centralise some processes
with pan-University approaches to implementing policies and plans in research,
learning and teaching and administration in order to align practices without losing
the strengths of devolution.
Equity The University is considering the framework and infrastructure around equity
issues, and the University’s intention to co-ordinate current endeavours to
improve Māori and Pacific student retention is affirmed. It appears that strong
leadership for Pacific students and staff is required, and it is recommended that
the Strategic plan includes objectives and associated targets for Māori under Te
Tiriti o Waitangi, and for Pacific under equity. The ‘women in leadership’
programme was noted.

Teaching and learning
Learning and The implementation of Pathways to success had involved considerable curriculum
teaching plan changes. The University’s attention has now turned to continuous improvement
in learning and teaching to gain more consistency in the learning experiences of
students. It is recommended that the Learning and teaching plan includes a
clearly defined process to monitor the implementation of the plan and to measure
the effectiveness and impact on the student learning experience.
Curriculum Curriculum changes have impacted greatly on several degree programmes with
development some agreement on point values of courses, and have prompted reviews of the
content and delivery in a number of courses. Changes have also required the
successful embedding of graduate attributes. The attributes of leadership and

New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit – Te Wāhanga Tātari vii
Victoria University of Wellington academic audit report, Cycle 4, November 2009
communication are being highlighted in the Victoria Plus Award and the Victoria
International Leadership Programme which are both commended, as is the
recognition of extra-curricular activities in preparing graduates for leadership
positions in society.
Learning Course information. The University intends to improve students’ access to
environment information and course planning.
Teaching quality. The University recognises the challenges to teaching quality
arising from factors such as the growth in class sizes and associated workload, and
coping adequately with the diversity of students’ abilities. The University
recognises the need for the development and adoption of a set of defined
responsibilities in teaching, and the fostering of reflection on teaching and
innovative practice.
The Library. The University is commended for the positive comments by those
interviewed about the effectiveness and positive impact of the investment in the
Library since the 2005 Cycle 3 academic audit with enhancements to facilities,
resources and services.
Information technology. Improvement to access to the internet, provision of self-
service kiosks, the development of flexible delivery and learning spaces, and the
collaborative access to teachers were noted, although it was not clear whether
there has been enough strategic thinking around learning technologies generally.
Learner support The Student Services Group brings together all agencies that provide support for
students during their time at the University, and they are proactive in seeking to
work with Faculties and students given the devolved nature of the University.
The high quality of student learning support with Student Services is commended
as evidenced by the high regard in which they are held by staff and students.
Student Learning Support Services provides assistance in developing academic
learning strategies, and the programmes in place to assist Māori and Pacific
students and the outreach programme into schools to provide Māori and Pacific
students with skills and support were noted.

Research environment
Research quality an The University has set itself the goal of a ‘dramatic’ improvement in overall
performance research performance and the Research Office is central to the institutional drive
in research. The University is commended for the reported success of the
establishment and administration of the Research Trust Victoria which manages
funds acquired for and committed to research and scholarship. Research reviews
and an internal Performance-Based Research Fund round are providing guidance
to further practical steps to be undertaken in research activities across the
University.
Research students The University has created a ‘virtual’ faculty, the Faculty of Graduate Research,
and research to bring consistency to the administration of PhD candidates and to ensure
supervision efficiency and effectiveness of services to students, and it is recommended that in
support of high-level co-ordination and co-operation among faculties and Central
Service Units, the work of the Faculty be monitored to ensure it assists Faculties
and Schools to improve consistency in administration and to strengthen a student-
focussed approach to PhD students and their progress.

viii New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit – Te Wāhanga Tātari