Key Findings

The main findings from the project are presented as a series of case studies of good practice that show:

• All New Zealand tertiary education organisations have some form of enrolment document that includes a declaration signed by students. However, codes of practice and policies regarding reciprocal relationships and practices where organisations view students as partners are not common across the sector.
• Many of the current codes of practice are designed to regulate student behaviour only, and are driven by the need of organisations to manage risk to them.
• Few organisations explicitly commit themselves to standards of service performance (although this is an emerging trend amongst leading organisations).
• Many leading organisations are exploring increased student reciprocity and 'democracy' in their policy development, and there seems to be a growing realisation of its importance.

Key Recommendations

The key recommendations from the project included:

Develop value-based Codes | Tertiary organisations should consider developing value-based codes or contracts that position the student as a learning partner in the organisation.

Ensure the relationship with students is consistent | Large tertiary organisations must ensure the relationship with students is consistent across the whole organisation. Ensuring consistency is particularly important where third-party agreements are involved in delivery.

Signed declarations on enrolment forms | Signed declarations on enrolment forms should only relate to the material on the form and its purposes. If agreement with terms and conditions is a course requirement, the terms should be included on the enrolment form or on a separate document requiring agreement before enrolment is completed.

Promote reciprocal policies and solutions | Where possible, organisations should promote reciprocal policies and solutions, and foster increased student involvement and representation, at the level of policy and practice.

Provide a range of supports | Organisations should work to provide a range of supports using technological resources and shared services to reduce barriers to disability support.

Investigate an integrated tertiary review and appeal authority | Given recent developments internationally, there may be value in investigating the possibility of an integrated tertiary review and appeal authority that has a broad sector focus and powers of decision-making and advocacy across the sector.

Suggested review process | A review process may consider: (a) the quality, coherence and expertise of external appeal and review systems in the sector; (b) whether there is a need for an overall agency with a systems and legal expertise to hear and respond to appeals; and (c) whether domestic appeals should be integrated with the International Education Appeal Authority.