New Zealand universities are gearing up to remove the Academic Quality Agency (AQA) by the end of 2024.
Academic Quality Assurance
For more than thirty years, the Academic Quality Assurance (QAA) has carried out audits at universities. It was first founded as the Academic Audit Unit in 1994 and underwent a rebranding in 2013 as reported by Shiksha. Universities are choosing to switch despite the long-standing service because of the cost difficulties related to the present audit approach.
Professor Cheryl de la Rey, Chair of Universities New Zealand, acknowledged the AQA's contributions while emphasising the financial strain. "The cost of our current academic audit model is substantial," she said, pointing out the expenses universities bear for self-review portfolios and reporting.
The AQA is currently in its sixth audit round and will conduct its final two audits as per Shiksha reports. It will visit the University of Otago in July 2024, with the report due in October, followed by a visit to Auckland University of Technology in September 2024, with the report expected in December.
To ensure continuity during this transition, a sub-committee of the Learning and Teaching Committee, chaired independently for objectivity, will oversee the completion of ongoing audit requirements.
Recognising the risks involved in transitioning to a new quality assurance model, Vice-Chancellors have committed to managing these risks effectively. They also expressed gratitude to the AQA Board for maintaining confidence and trust in academic audit processes over the years, both within the sector and among external stakeholders.
