report of external evaluation and review · moe number: 7286 nzqa reference: c10581 date of eer...

Report of External Evaluation and Review EDENZ Colleges Limited Confident in educational performance

Confident in capability in self-assessment

Date of report: 15 May 2013

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Contents

Purpose of this Report ................................................................... 3

Introduction ................................................................................... 3

1. TEO in context .......................................................................................... 3

2. Scope of external evaluation and review .................................................. 6

3. Conduct of external evaluation and review ............................................... 6

Summary of Results ...................................................................... 8

Findings ...................................................................................... 10

Recommendations ...................................................................... 20

Appendix ..................................................................................... 21

MoE Number: 7286

NZQA Reference: C10581

Date of EER visit: 19 February 2013

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Purpose of this Report The purpose of this external evaluation and review report is to provide a public statement about the Tertiary Education Organisation’s (TEO) educational performance and capability in self-assessment. It forms part of the accountability process required by Government to inform investors, the public, students, prospective students, communities, employers, and other interested parties. It is also intended to be used by the TEO itself for quality improvement purposes.

Introduction

1. TEO in context

Name of TEO: EDENZ Colleges Limited (EDENZ)

Type: Private training establishment (PTE)

Location: 85 Airedale Street, Auckland

Delivery sites: At the above address, with an additional site at 46 Spring Road, Tauranga

First registered: 17 June 1991

Courses currently delivered:

• Diploma of Business (Level 5)

• NZ Diploma in Business (NZDipBus) (Level 6)

• Certificate in Applied Film Making and Television Production (Level 4)

• English as a Foreign Language (General English)

• Diploma in Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (Level 7)

Code of Practice signatory?:

EDENZ is a signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students, including students under 18 years of age. It is also approved for students aged 14-17 and 11-13 not living with a parent.

Number of students: Domestic: approximately six equivalent full-time students (EFTS)

International: approximately 460 EFTS

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Number of staff: 47 full-time equivalent staff (40 in Auckland, seven in Tauranga); nine part-time staff (four in Auckland, two in Tauranga)

Scope of active accreditation:


• NZ Diploma in Business (NZDipBus) (Level 6)

• Certificate in Applied Film Making and Television Production (Level 4)

• English as a Foreign Language (General English)

• Diploma in Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (Level 7)

Distinctive characteristics: EDENZ is a long-established privately owned PTE. The film and television certificate is the only programme funded by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), within a significantly larger international student body studying business and language courses.

EDENZ students enrol from 37 different countries, with the largest cohorts coming from the Philippines, India, Brazil and Thailand. Ninety per cent of the international students hold student visas. The remainder hold visitor visas for short-term study.

Recent significant changes: Significant staff changes since the last external evaluation and review (EER) include the appointment of a new managing director and changes of senior management in pastoral care, in ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and the business colleges at both sites.

A change of registration for the Tauranga campus brought it under the Auckland governance and management structure.

EDENZ recently moved all the Auckland colleges into a purpose-built building with colour-coded floors, each dedicated to a subject area and with an in-house cafe located on the third floor. Accommodation is available for students on the top two floors of the building.

EDENZ has recently entered into a partnership

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with Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT), where a business degree is being offered by EIT at the EDENZ Auckland campus from 2013.

Previous quality assurance history:

EDENZ has experienced two previous EER visits in the last two years, one in March 2011, at which time NZQA was Confident in EDENZ’ educational performance and Not Yet Confident in its capability in self-assessment. A subsequent EER in April 2012 resulted in a poorer outcome, with NZQA being Not Yet Confident in EDENZ’ educational performance and Not Yet Confident in its capability in self-assessment.

In January 2013 the NZQA risk team noted that the EDENZ (Tauranga) site was an entity not registered with NZQA and without any formal subcontracting arrangement with EDENZ (Auckland). This situation was not compliant with NZQA requirements and therefore measures were needed to be implemented to ensure compliance. This has now occurred.

The NZDipBus annual moderation summary letter advised EDENZ that if performance did not improve, an action plan might be requested.

A monitor’s visit in September 2012 noted three focus areas for improvement:

• Reinstatement of the library (since been reinstated)

• Documentation of academic management and good teaching practice

• Compliance with NZQA requirements.

Other: In addition to its core ESOL and TESOL courses, EDENZ has significant activity in recruiting and delivering business diplomas to students who are coming to New Zealand to complete a diploma qualification to enable them to obtain a work visa and ultimately seek permanent resident status.

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2. Scope of external evaluation and review The scope of the EER consisted of the mandatory focus areas:

• Governance, management and strategy

• Student support including international students.

The other focus areas selected were:

• ESOL

The ESOL programme has a large cohort of students and is taught at both the Auckland and Tauranga sites.


This is a local programme containing mainly NZDipBus papers and is taught at both the Auckland and Tauranga sites.

• Diploma in Management (Health Services) (Level 5)

This diploma contains NZDipBus papers and has the highest number of enrolled students at EDENZ. This qualification received some attention at the previous EER with regard to its being used as a stepping-stone for entry into a competency assessment programme at a polytechnic to enable students to seek registration with the Nursing Council of New Zealand.

The lead evaluator and EDENZ management agreed during the scoping exercise that the Certificate in Applied Film Making and Television Production would not be included in the focus areas, but that the evaluators would discuss the programme at some stage during the EER as it is the only TEC-funded programme, with six domestic students. This programme is run differently to the other programmes at EDENZ. It was noted as an excellent programme at the last EER, although there could have been better tracking of student destinations.

3. Conduct of external evaluation and review All external evaluation and reviews are conducted in accordance with NZQA’s published policies and procedures. The methodology used is described fully in the web document Policy and Guidelines for the Conduct of External Evaluation and Review available at: http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/providers-partners/registration-and-accreditation/external-evaluation-and-review/policy-and-guidelines-eer/introduction. The TEO has an opportunity to comment on the accuracy of this report, and any submissions received are fully considered by NZQA before finalising the report.

The EER was conducted in March 2013 by a team of two evaluators. During a three-day visit, two days were spent at the EDENZ site in Auckland and one day at the

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Tauranga site. Following some unforeseen complications at the Tauranga site, a further day was spent at the Tauranga site, and another at the Auckland site.

The evaluation team reviewed a range of documentation and met with the owner, management staff, teaching staff, administration staff, students and external representatives. Phone calls were made to a number of graduates and several of the local advisory committee members, and there was further email correspondence and phone calls with EDENZ staff following the allocated EER visit days.

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Summary of Results

Statement of confidence on educational performance NZQA is Confident in the educational performance of EDENZ Colleges Limited.

EDENZ has made some significant and positive changes to its governance and senior management team since the last EER. Changes have included the addition of a new managing director, a director and two assistant directors of studies for ESOL (at Auckland and Tauranga respectively), a new head of school for the Business College and a new governance board consisting of the president and managing director, with input from their accounting and financial representatives.

As a result of the new appointments, the organisation is functioning well with improved educational performance across all programmes offered, including in the large NZDipBus programme, and a better institutional understanding of learner outcomes.

External relationships enhance the quality of the programmes being delivered. The local advisory committee for business studies, representing a range of local business interests, spoke highly of EDENZ’ credibility, and the most recent NZDipBus monitor’s report, dated September 2012, was positive in its comments.

Feedback from students, including midway and exit student surveys, indicates that EDENZ’ programmes have an appropriate mix of theory and practice and that they are delivered and assessed in a manner that enables the students to understand and apply the material being presented.

EDENZ has effective student support structures which are matched to the needs of the students, and the students interviewed at this evaluation were mostly positive about their experience at EDENZ. All staff members are student-focussed, as evidenced by feedback from the formal peer evaluations as well as student feedback, and are well supported by management. Teachers are enthusiastic and relate well to their students.

NZQA now believes that EDENZ’s systems and resources are likely to lead to sustained learner achievement. Early indicators of positive outcomes include better student results in the TESOL course and in Applied Filmmaking and Television Production. EDENZ’s review processes are now working effectively to capture the causes and effects of patterns and trends over time.

Statement of confidence on capability in self-assessment NZQA is Confident in the capability in self-assessment of EDENZ Colleges Limited.

There have been worthwhile improvements in the management of EDENZ and, as a result of very recent changes at the Tauranga site, it was clear there would be further organisational improvements in the near future. As a result, the EER team was

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convinced that EDENZ now recognises the value of self-assessment and is using it methodically throughout the organisation as a tool to improve its educational performance.

As a result of the previous EER in 2012, and the challenges identified in the report, the new governance and management team has become more systematic in the use of achievement and destination outcomes data. Good use of data could be seen by the evaluators in the ESOL, TESOL and film programmes, although the Business College would benefit from more in-depth data analysis of achievement rates, with specific outcomes noted for any percentage outliers.

The business head of school has, as a result of the previous EER, benchmarked externally with national diploma results and has maintained its practice of benchmarking internally against the college’s own year-to-year performance in the business diplomas, with good results noted against the national average in all but one paper, which requires the further analysis noted above.

EDENZ has been gathering learner and some stakeholder feedback since mid-2012, and in the film and television programme, as already mentioned, graduate and employer input was comprehensive. There is now good practice evident in the wider organisation’s systems for quality improvement. EDENZ is directing its self-assessment efforts towards developing a systematic approach towards gaining a greater level of understanding of educational performance and is beginning to use this understanding to bring about improvements linked to valid and reliable achievement data and valued outcomes for learners. As a result, the EER team was convinced that EDENZ now recognises the value of self-assessment and is using it methodically as a tool to improve its educational performance. The EER team is therefore confident in EDENZ’ self-assessment capability.

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Findings1

1.1 How well do learners achieve?

The rating for performance in relation to this key evaluation question is Good.

The rating for capability in self-assessment for this key evaluation question is Adequate.

Students at EDENZ are achieving well across both sites and in all programmes offered. Good achievement data was seen, showing students achieving well and meeting their goals for the ESOL programmes, with six-weekly and 12-weekly tests being undertaken to monitor student satisfaction and learning progress. Alongside the entry criteria, comprehensive interviews and induction are used for placement into this programme. Students were satisfied with their class placements and felt they were in the right class for their level of language ability.

The TESOL programme had explicit data around the excellent achievements of the students, with most of those enrolled (92 per cent) gaining the TESOL qualification. As seen during the last EER, students studying the Certificate in Applied Film Making and Television Production achieve well and acquire valuable skills and knowledge. Successful completion rates of those enrolled for this programme were consistently above 95 per cent for the 2012 year, with a 100 per cent pass rate for the third trimester. The active participation and moderation by professional film makers and critics ensures the validity and reliability of these outcomes.

As a result of the last EER, EDENZ Business College has now benchmarked itself externally against the national average for the NZDipBus across all courses over the past five years. The 2011-2012 course results comparison shows EDENZ course pass rates to be either above or near the national average in all of the courses offered. A significant exception was the Academic Skills for Business studies course, whose 54 per cent pass rate was significantly lower than the 86 per cent national average. This result has been examined and actions around support for students and a review of the teaching have been initiated as a result.

EDENZ gains a large amount of information through informal discussion with external related organisations around benchmarking, and is now working towards formalising this to cover ESOL, TESOL and business. A process plan for tracking student confidence and academic achievement is underway, along with a new graduate survey.

ESOL classes are well managed in both Auckland and Tauranga, with positive attitudinal changes apparent in students. ESOL is moderated by Trinity College

1 The findings in this report are derived using a standard process and are based on a targeted sample of the organisation’s activities.

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London, with good results. Some ESOL students feed into the diploma class, although this data is not collected and analysed.

Internal moderation for the diplomas offered is occurring regularly and has been upgraded since the last EER, and many changes have been made in preparation for the next round of external moderation.

Self-assessment has become a part of the way of working within the colleges in regard to the progress and achievement of students. In the Business College the new leadership team is still working towards ensuring that comprehensive data collection, analysis and review occur around achievement.

1.2 What is the value of the outcomes for key stakeholders, including learners?


The rating for capability in self-assessment for this key evaluation question is Adequate.

EDENZ has an extensive network of contacts in 20 overseas locations, with agents and teachers located in schools and universities. These contacts are fostered effectively and used as both marketing and evaluative instruments to give EDENZ information on where students come from and where they go following their study, and also to gain valuable feedback on its programmes. Marketers, teachers and managers visit these locations as part of a plan to create face-to-face interactive networks to address and discuss educational needs and outcomes region by region.

A large amount of informal and anecdotal information is already collected by marketers, tutors and management and, while collection in a form enabling analysis and serious contribution to planning is planned, this is still in development in EDENZ’ relationships with external stakeholders. Similarly, information about graduates who are already employed in New Zealand, and which is available on internal communication networks, has not yet been collected. Informal and anecdotal information about graduates progressing to further education, for example Diploma of Business and TESOL graduates, is received and often recorded, but not comprehensively or systematically. Nonetheless, the local advisory committee for business studies, representing a range of local business interests, spoke highly of EDENZ’ credibility. The most recent NZDipBus monitor’s report, dated September 2012, was positive in its comments, with some areas noted for improvement around moderation.

Tutors and marketers retain a large quantity of anecdotal information on postgraduate outcomes for ESOL students, and this material is used in various ways to inform course planning. In the Business College, the Diploma in Management (Health Services), previously deemed irrelevant by a group of overseas registered nurses, was subsequently more carefully prepared and

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introduced. More recently, the current students on this programme were surveyed twice, with an 80 per cent and 70 per cent response respectively. They recorded 90 per cent and 77 per cent confirmation of the diploma’s relevance, which is an example of student feedback used to good effect to endorse changes made.

All current feedback sources, including midway and exit student surveys, indicate predominantly good satisfaction with the relevance of EDENZ’ programmes, and insignificant levels of dissatisfaction. However, in student surveys there is a significant spread of responses from ‘OK’ to ‘Very Good’, providing ample data for analysis and improvement.

Aware of this, the recently established senior and middle management group, both in Auckland and Tauranga, has acknowledged that systematic recording and analysis of student, graduate and other stakeholder outcome data are urgent priorities, and this aim is central to the EDENZ development plan for self-assessment in New Zealand and abroad. So, despite the already lively discussion on relevance and quality between students, graduates and communities, and the engagement with local business through a local advisory committee, work is yet to be done to create the instrument for improvement in the sector that the managing director has in mind. The EER team saw good evidence that she has now created the culture and organisation to achieve this.

1.3 How well do programmes and activities match the needs of learners and other stakeholders?


The rating for capability in self-assessment for this key evaluation question is Good.

The above ratings for this section relate to the quality of design and delivery of the programmes currently available. The ESOL programme tracks students’ progress individually and continually, with daily and weekly interviews, individual learning plans and tutor diaries recording not only the learning path of the student, but also the tutor’s evaluation of the student’s learning style and situation. These matters are discussed both formally and informally with colleagues, and mutual mentoring is commonplace. A new ‘speak out’ format has been adopted to advance students’ confidence in speaking the language, with good results so far. Entry tests are used to ensure students are in the correct programme, and to arrange a transfer to another if it is clearly appropriate to do so.

TESOL and business students are often already employed, including employed EDENZ staff undertaking the TESOL diploma, for whom regular training sessions are a prominent feature. The teachers’ approach to their role, and their written and spoken communication with the students ‒ for example, their adjustable staff training menu and its content ‒ demonstrate, along with a meticulous focus on excellence, the flexibility and adaptability they encourage in their students.

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The NZDipBus is a nationally designed and monitored programme, within which the Business College uses a range of teaching activities appropriate for students with moderate fluency in English. The unanimous, unqualified approval of a group of Tauranga students was a clear endorsement of the college’s approach. Similarly, the advice now given to the Diploma in Management (Health Services) students about the relevance of the programme to New Zealand conditions and regulations demonstrates a concern to inform the students and confirm the value of the learning.

The film training unit delivers a range of courses directly applicable to present needs and fashions in the industry, adapted to the objectives of individual students. This is assured by the use of expert current practitioners to teach, assess and critically review student projects, to moderate assessments and to mentor students. The programme is an authentic experience of film-making with a production team, where skills of communication and cooperation are critical elements, exemplified by and encouraged in every aspect of programme delivery. Students’ career plans and interests frequently change during the programme, and learning plans change accordingly, with ad hoc adjustments to accommodate particular learning barriers and needs. Outcomes are excellent, with all completing students progressing either to employment or further education.

The EER team saw abundant and clear evidence that ESOL, TESOL, business and film courses are delivered with skill and close attention to student needs. What may impair this good performance is the currently somewhat unsystematic manner of collection and analysis of self-evaluation data, a matter that, as already noted, is being addressed as a priority by both middle and senior management.

1.4 How effective is the teaching?

The rating for performance in relation to this key evaluation question is Excellent.


EDENZ employs well-qualified and committed staff across all subjects and at both sites. The tutors are appointed for their skills and knowledge within their area of expertise, as well as their relevant experience in their field. The opportunity for discussing, assessing, reviewing and implementing ideas has been enhanced as a result of EDENZ employing full-time staff rather than contracted staff. This complements other new initiatives for quality improvement, such as formal peer review and the sharing of outcomes information between the marketer/counsellors and teaching staff.

Comprehensive annual performance reviews are undertaken at both sites, including a self-review and a competency review, with goals reviewed and set for the coming year. Staff found the self-review effective as it enabled them to focus on their goals and professional development for the coming year. Ongoing professional development is well supported across all areas, ensuring teaching staff are up to

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date with the latest information and knowledge in their specific areas, and that learners are receiving appropriate delivery methods and information.

EDENZ has put in place a formal peer observation and review process for the business teaching staff, and uses the TESOL staff to provide regular and ongoing training and development, assisting staff with perfecting particular aspects of teaching delivery and assessment. In conjunction with this, EDENZ has put in place a formal teacher observation (TESOL critique) which occurs three times a year with ESOL classes and once a year with the business classes (with a view to extending this). This critique involves comprehensive verbal and written outcomes, suggested actions and feedback loops to ensure ongoing effective delivery of all courses.

Teachers at both sites are encouraged to share good practice and to undertake self-reflection on their teaching and evaluation of the students’ learning styles and situations. They observe each other, become aware of each other’s strengths and use this knowledge to learn from each other. ESOL teachers at both sites are also preparing a programme of teacher self-reflection (already anecdotally done by some and shared) to feed into the inventory of peer review, course evaluations, annual appraisal and professional development planning. The Business College has expressed an interest in teacher self-reflection and, once in place for ESOL, will be rolled out to the Business College.

Feedback from students, both formal and informal (including daily and weekly interviews and individual learning plans) provides teaching and management staff with valuable information which is often used to identify new or alternative learning strategies and to generally improve educational outcomes for students. The student welfare manager completes all student course evaluations to ensure the anonymity of the survey.

Resources for teaching and learning are wide-ranging and are updated regularly. As a result of feedback from students, and to give a change of focus for students and teacher, with the reinstatement of the library new books were ordered for the ESOL classes.

TESOL and NZDipBus courses are moderated by Trinity College and NZQA respectively. Film is moderated by industry specialists, and ESOL by peer moderation and TESOL staff. An external monitor has reported on the NZDipBus courses and was satisfied that the work being done at EDENZ was effective, with some good practice noted.

EDENZ was seen as not meeting national external moderation requirements for the 2012 semester one round for NZDipBus courses. The moderation report from NZQA required resubmissions of two papers and noted the non-submission of materials for one paper with 27 students. This issue has since been addressed by EDENZ by moderation training and ongoing monitoring of assessment and moderation practices.

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1.5 How well are learners guided and supported?

The rating for performance in relation to this key evaluation question is Excellent.

The rating for capability in self-assessment for this key evaluation question is Excellent.

Student guidance and support are still the key features of EDENZ’ concept of family culture, which is widely shared throughout the organisation. EDENZ’ pastoral care and counselling are the particular focus of the marketing and counsellor team, where an innovative approach is in place to involve the marketers in the communication network of parents, homestay families, agents and final destinations.

Students have one of eight allocated marketer/counsellors, each for their own national group, speaking their first language and supporting them from their first enquiry about the programme through to their graduation and future pathway. The activities and availability of these marketer/counsellors are noticeably successful, and EDENZ has seen the benefit of their interacting with the teaching staff to add value and consistency to all-round student learning support. More frequent formal contact between them is planned.

Students interviewed at the EER visit said the information they could access from the EDENZ website was very informative, and the communication they had with EDENZ prior to starting and during the induction process had ensured they were made aware of the organisation’s expectations for learning and that their expectations had been met.

The EDENZ building in Auckland is purpose-built, spacious and well appointed, with a designated floor for each subject, a library, a restaurant, computer rooms, well-defined learning spaces with wireless internet and accommodation for some students on one floor. Cultural festivals for student groups, celebrations and gatherings (birthday cakes included), are encouraged, attended and paid for by EDENZ.

The Business College has been collecting and analysing data for failing students, and as a result has been putting in place effective remedial actions to ensure students are now enjoying and attending their classes.

While overarching student welfare responsibility rests with the manager at the Auckland site, management of pastoral care, including the requirements of the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students, is independently carried out at Auckland and Tauranga. The role of homestay manager has been assigned to a specific person at each site, with the support of senior marketer/counsellors for any visa concerns and of their own campus tutor for homestay issues. The Code of Practice requirement of 24-hour phone/mobile contact with EDENZ is available for students requiring guidance or assistance. This comprehensive coverage of student welfare ensures that students are able to focus fully on their learning.

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The student welfare manager also ensures that all staff are aware of their obligations under the Code of Practice and students are also familiarised with the responsibilities of the college under the code during induction and through the programme handbook. As required by the Ministry of Education, EDENZ annually reviews its practices against the Code of Practice, and specific areas of need are noted, followed up or changed accordingly. The evaluators saw evidence that the small cohort of under-18-year-old international students was closely monitored and supported by a dedicated staff member, and all paperwork was found to be in place.

Self-assessment has been effective in bringing about worthwhile improvements. Examples of this have been the effective division of care across the sites, each reporting to one central manager, and continuous on-site support for the students by the marketing/counsellor staff.

1.6 How effective are governance and management in supporting educational achievement?



The board of directors, who are also shareholders, has a clear direction and strategic plan which all management, teaching and marketing staff are aware of and contribute to during the monthly full staff meetings. The overall vision is a focus on high-quality education for international students, providing an accessible pathway to further study and employment once the qualification is achieved. As the college grows, the board intends to become more governance-focussed, less involved in management, and is proactively building capability with the current staff to achieve this.

So governance and management are now clearly defined, and local advisory boards have been appointed for each department. A third member of the current two-member board would strengthen and broaden its focus. Following discussion with the evaluators, the directors are planning to introduce itinerant members for specific aspects.

EDENZ has recently chosen well-qualified and experienced higher management to replace others or to take up newly established positions for the qualities they bring to the college. These appointments include:

• A new managing director

• A new director of studies for ESOL

• A new assistant director of studies for ESOL at the Tauranga site

• A new head of the Business College.

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First line management changes have also been made:

• A permanent position of new student welfare officer

• A new homestay officer

• A new quality manager employed part-time.

The managing director and the quality manager are the designers and promoters of the strategic vision, and as the first line management structure is new, senior management is hands-on at this stage.

The new staff appointments, especially the managing director, director of studies and assistant director of studies of ESOL, the business manager and the quality manager have been critical choices for the strategic plan. Immediately after her appointment, the managing director set up a process for breaking down the once-prevalent ‘silo’ effect among colleges. This has been a priority as essential preparation for further action on mutual self-assessment company-wide. Much has been done on integration and cooperation between staff units. The aim is to create a shared awareness of performance throughout the organisation, with consistency and cooperation on delivery and assessment methods, i.e. a collection of outcomes data, analysis of data and development of action plans.

As a result, many of the issues noted in previous EER reports are now being addressed. An example is the organisation and collection of data, first advocated in 2011, which is now either in place or being put in place. Since the last EER, the new management team has begun a more systematic approach to the use of existing data. This development could be seen by the evaluators, and EDENZ would further benefit from more in-depth data analysis of achievement rates, postgraduate outcomes and benchmarking.

TESOL’s organisation-wide involvement in quality assurance has been further developed, and interdepartmental meetings have improved communication and data exchange. With the rationalisation of the relationship with the Tauranga site, these changes will widen to include full participation.

The management team now actively seeks feedback and advice from staff on change and development, ensuring that the practices of universal communication and self-reflection across subjects, areas and sites are formalised and effectively managed. Senior management is accessible to staff and students at both campuses. The Tauranga site has become the responsibility of the EDENZ Auckland office under the management of the managing director, and weekly visits to the Tauranga campus by the managing director and a marketing counsellor, along with intermittent visits from the business head of school, allow for continuing dialogue at management level. Staff members are valued, and resources are committed to develop and support areas of strength.

A comprehensive improvement plan and rationale is tracking progress through 2013, and systematic further developments, especially the establishment of stakeholder networks involving marketers, teachers, agents, employers and

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community representatives in countries of origin, are underway. There are already many good, continuous links with local industry for informal dialogue, and a formal advisory board meets twice annually to discuss changes to programmes, input from those industry quarters and feedback from other sources. Plans to complete the EDENZ evaluation scheme exist, with a clear rationale for its completion. However, as already mentioned, the first requirement has been the dissolution of the culture of isolation which has previously been a major impediment.

A recent initiative has been the establishment of a meaningful professional relationship with EIT through a memorandum of understanding as the basis for EIT to offer some of its higher-level programmes.

Self-assessment across a wide range of activities is no longer insignificant or of inconsistent quality, but is being systematically developed and embedded across the organisation, with systems to monitor student achievement, to support staff to improve performance, to enquire how better to meet stakeholder needs, and for the TEO, in all its functions, to reflect on its role in the community.

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Focus Areas

This section reports significant findings in each focus area, not already covered in Part 1.

2.1 Focus area: Governance, management and strategy

The rating in this focus area for educational performance is Good.

The rating for capability in self-assessment for this focus area is Good.

2.2 Focus area: Diploma in Management (Health Services) (Level 5)


The rating for capability in self-assessment for this focus area is Adequate.

2.3 Focus area: ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)

The rating in this focus area for educational performance is Excellent.


2.4 Focus area: International students



2.5 Focus area: Diploma of Business (Level 5)


The rating for capability in self-assessment for this focus area is Adequate.

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Recommendations NZQA recommends that EDENZ:

• Employ a third member of the current two-member board to strengthen and broaden its focus. Consider more diverse input into the governance board – possibly itinerant members with particular expertise.

• Develop more in-depth analysis of achievement rates, postgraduate outcomes and further internal and external benchmarking, especially in the diploma subjects.

• Continue to implement the plans to complete the EDENZ evaluation scheme.

• Continue the tracking of the comprehensive improvement plan and rationale.

• Maintain regular interdepartmental and across-organisation meetings to improve communication and data exchange across colleges and across sites.

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Appendix Regulatory basis for external evaluation and review

Self-assessment and external evaluation and review are requirements of programme

approval and accreditation (under sections 249 and 250 of the Education Act 1989) for all

TEOs that are entitled to apply. The requirements are set through the Criteria for Approval

and Accreditation of Programmes established by NZQA under section 253(1)(d) and (e) of

the Act and published in the Gazette of 28 July 2011 at page 3207. These policies and

criteria are deemed, by section 44 of the Education Amendment Act 2011, to be rules made

under the new section 253.

In addition, for registered private training establishments, the criteria and policies for their

registration require self-assessment and external evaluation and review at an organisational

level in addition to the individual programmes they own or provide. These criteria and

policies are also deemed, by section 44 of the Education Amendment Act 2011, to be rules

made under section 253. Section 233B(1) of the Act requires registered PTEs to comply

with these rules.

NZQA is responsible for ensuring non-university TEOs continue to comply with the rules

after the initial granting of approval and accreditation of programmes and/or registration.

The New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee (NZVCC) has statutory responsibility for

compliance by universities.

This report reflects the findings and conclusions of the external evaluation and review

process, conducted according to the EER process approved by the NZQA Board.

The report identifies strengths and areas for improvement in terms of the organisation’s

educational performance and capability in self-assessment.

External evaluation and review reports are one contributing piece of information in

determining future funding decisions where the organisation is a funded TEO subject to an

investment plan agreed with the Tertiary Education Commission.

External evaluation and review reports are public information and are available from the

NZQA website (www.nzqa.govt.nz).

Information relevant to the external evaluation and review process, including the publication

Policy and Guidelines for the Conduct of External Evaluation and Review, is available at:

http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/providers-partners/registration-and-accreditation/external-

evaluation-and-review/policy-and-guidelines-eer/introduction/

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NZQA

Ph 0800 697 296

E [email protected]

www.nzqa.govt.nz

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