ITP Academic Harmonisation/Purpose

Academic Harmonisation: TEC funded project undertaken by TANZ.

PROJECT OUTLINE The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) awarded funding to this project, which was specifically to develop the following six deliverables.

1. Shared Glossary of academic terms used in institutional academic statutes, qualifications regulations and other formal academic documents.

2. An agreed process for implementation and review of the glossary.

3. Documented process for qualification development and quality assurance body approval including templates, guidelines and academic board resolution for partner quality assurance.

4. A set of shared academic values and principles for teaching and learning that includes differences in academic practice (for example, around intellectual property, open entry, sustainability) that may need to be identified.

5. A generic Academic Statute that includes common understandings of Academic Board and sub-committee functions, and academic regulations (including admission and enrolment, fees, academic requirements, withdrawals from courses, assessment matters, examinations, grading systems, special assessment circumstances, notification of results, programme regulations and course information; and institutional Awards). Statute areas that are specific to institutions and or programmes will be identified.

6. Documented collaborative self assessment practices for quality assurance, including shared survey tools, checklists, development of benchmarks, guidance information and good practice scenarios.

The project was intended to develop these deliverables for implementation by the TANZ members, but it was also envisaged that they would offer a framework that may be useful for other collaborative activity across the sector.