Report of External Evaluation and Review New Zealand Career College Limited Highly Confident in educational performance Confident in capability in self-assessment Date of report: 7 February 2013
Contents Purpose of this Report... 3 Introduction... 3 1. TEO in context...3 2. Scope of external evaluation and review...5 3. Conduct of external evaluation and review...5 Summary of Results... 6 Findings... 9 Recommendations... 19 Appendix... 19 MoE Number: 7640 NZQA Reference: C08594 Date of EER visit: 23 25 October 2012 2
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: Type: Location: Delivery sites: New Zealand Career College Limited Private training establishment (PTE) 75 Karangahape Rd, Auckland 75 Karangahape Rd, Auckland 8 Puhinui Road, Manukau, Auckland 17 Lambie Drive, Manukau 3047 Great North Road, New Lynn, Auckland 15 Walker Street, Christchurch First registered: 28 January 2004 Courses currently delivered* Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Out of School Care (OSCAR) (Youth Guarantee) National Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 3) Certificate in Education (Learning Support) (Level 4) Diploma in Early Childhood Education (Pasifika) (Level 5) Diploma in Advanced Business Management (Level 6) Certificate in Health Care Support (Level 4) 3
National Certificate in Motor Industry (Foundation Skills) (Level 1) Automotive National Certificate in Motor Industry (Entry Skills) (Level 2) Automotive National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering Technology (Level 1) *Source: http://www.nzcc.ac.nz/programmes/ Code of Practice signatory: Number of students: Number of staff: Scope of active accreditation: Distinctive characteristics: Recent significant changes: Previous quality assurance history: Yes, for international students 18 years and over. Career College has about 10 per cent international students. In 2012, Career College will have approximately 800 students. 65, including administration and support staff A large assortment of subfields, domains, and unit standards to level 7 in the Business, Core Generic, Humanities, Sciences, Service Sector, Social Sciences, Community and Social Services, Education, Engineering and Technology, Health, and Planning and Construction fields. Career College is a provider based in Auckland with multiple sites and nationwide coverage. It engages in a range of programmes. There have been significant management changes in recent times with the appointments of a general manager, academic manager, and programme leader for the Certificate in Health Care Support (Level 4) and the Diploma in Early Childhood Education (Pasifika) (Level 5). At the previous quality assurance visit by NZQA, an audit in 2008, Career College met all the requirements of the then quality standard. NZQA Tertiary Assessment and Moderation reports for 2010 and 2011 show a number of discrepancies in moderation of sample unit standards. A further concern is the number of unit standards omitted from the 2012 assessment plan. The area of concern relates to the business programmes and has largely been addressed. 4
2. Scope of external evaluation and review Governance, management, and strategy is a mandatory focus area, as is international student support. Other focus areas selected are: Certificate in Health Care Support (Level 4) Diploma in Early Childhood Education (Pasifika) (Level 5) National Certificate in Motor Industry (Entry Skills) (Level 2) Automotive The selected programmes provide an appropriate cross-section of the programmes offered by Career College. These selections allowed the evaluators to see how well a range of programmes are managed and facilitated. Three of the five delivery sites are covered by this selection. 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-andaccreditation/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. An NZQA lead evaluator conducted the evaluation visit with an external lead evaluator over three days at the nominated sites. The evaluators met with the managing director, general manager, academic manager, campus managers, international student support managers, tutorial staff, and students. Some employers, industry training organisation (ITO) representatives, and graduates were interviewed by telephone. A large number of documents was sighted by the evaluators during the visit. These included correspondence regarding a Government moratorium on early childhood education courses at all PTEs, memoranda of understanding with Whitireia Polytechnic and Auckland University of Technology (AUT), staff personal improvement plans, quality management systems, in-house managers reports, external moderation reports, internal moderation forms, programme summary statistics, letters of endorsement from employers, student handbook, teacher observation form, programme review form, student practicum handbook, moderation timetable, electronic student management system, student enrolment documents, and student workbooks. 5
Summary of Results Statement of confidence on educational performance NZQA is Highly Confident in the educational performance of New Zealand Career College Limited. New Zealand Career College students perform very well generally. In comparison with other funded private tertiary establishments they exceed the New Zealand national median percentage for achievement in completion of qualifications, completion of courses, student retention, and numbers of students who staircase to higher-level programmes. Career College operates from campuses at five different addresses at present. Some of these sites were once PTEs in their own right and were purchased by Career College. In these cases, Career College kept the successful programmes running at these sites, so it has developed a portfolio of varied programmes requiring specific skills depending on the discipline involved. This is the case with the Christchurch campus, which delivers unit standards towards national automotive qualifications to second-chance learners in Youth Guarantee and Targeted Training-funded programmes. A positive feature of Career College s governance is that each campus is allowed to adopt and maintain its own teaching style depending on the type of programme. The teaching style for the Certificate in Health Care Support is specialised and each teacher teaches their speciality area to all of the cohorts in turn. In the Diploma in Early Childhood Education (Pasifika) programme, the emphasis is on the nurturing of children, and so an interactive and encouraging learning environment is sought so that the teacher stays with their class through the programme to encourage a family-like atmosphere in a Pasifika way. The National Certificate in Motor Industry (Entry Skills) Automotive programme in Christchurch, and the same programme in Christchurch Men s Prison, are taught by highly skilled and experienced mechanics who have teaching qualifications and experience. A strength of Career College is its adherence to personal improvement of the students as well as academic and vocational success. The students interviewed for the evaluation said they all developed as people. The teachers noted that students gained in confidence, self-worth, and communication skills as a result of attending the programmes. This attitude of encouraging self-improvement is further exemplified by the attitude of the Diploma in Early Childhood Education (Pasifika) teachers, who have observed during the teaching of the programme that some of their students are not best suited to early childhood teaching. The teachers have used the format of the programme to allow these people to become the best they can be, in terms of gaining assurance and enhancement of skills. In Christchurch, this is more apparent with the automotive skills providing a practical medium for the enhancement of personal attributes in order for the students to gain confidence leading to jobs and, possibly, apprenticeships. A successful adjunct to the automotive programme is a programme run by Career College at Christchurch Men s Prison. The prison programme has been popular and effective in giving the 6
participating prisoners work skills and a focus in life. Career College has shown that it takes the issue of literacy and numeracy enhancement seriously with the engagement of a skilled teacher on a part-time basis in Christchurch. An indication of the way in which Career College continues to grow is the steady increase in funding gained in the period from 2006 to today. Career College continues to bolster its effectiveness by engaging in partnerships with other tertiary institutions, particularly a number in the state sector. The welfare and success of international students is a priority for Career College, and it was noted by the evaluators that the care of these students was well managed, with a number of skilled and experienced managers supervising the students in the Auckland region. It is impressive that the international student agents are specifically trained for the job of student recruitment by Career College. This is a way of ensuring selection of students that match Career College graduate profiles, binding the agents loyalty to the provider. Statement of confidence on capability in self-assessment NZQA is Confident in the capability in self-assessment of New Zealand Career College Limited. Career College has a highly developed system of data management based on its systematic collection of student achievement and attendance results in the electronic student management system. The data is entered by the teachers and programme managers in the various campuses, whereupon it becomes available to the management at the head office for collation, analysis, and comparison. Detailed graphs and charts are produced from the data for comparison with other PTEs engaged in similar programme delivery. This allows Career College to benchmark its progress against other providers to gauge the rate of improvement in performance. Feedback is another important tool for Career College. Students are encouraged to give feedback on the programmes they enrol in and the nature of the environment and the teaching. This feedback is collated and analysed and the results inform ongoing course development. This is evident in the decision to facilitate a study day for the Certificate in Health Care Support programme as a result of student and staff feedback. Career College maintains very good networks in industry and with other providers. Senior management is very actively involved in tertiary education peak bodies, and at a campus level managers and teachers are involved in local communities and industries, primarily in the subject areas in which they teach. Career College has a systematic advisory structure, with advisory committees for each of the subject areas. There is an overarching advisory committee made up of representatives of state education institutions (institutes of technology and universities), among others. The influence of this committee is important to maintaining a high standard of academic rigour in the programmes. 7
A recent development was the Minister of Education lifting a Government moratorium in order to allow Career College to develop a Bachelor s degree in early childhood education. This is a big step for Career College and an endorsement of the perceived quality of the educational outcomes that it achieves. Career College is currently enhancing its staff research environment to assist in gaining approval for the degree programme from NZQA in the near future. There is significant evidence that Career College provides valuable skills for the various industries that its graduates train for. Funding agencies require that graduates are tracked for a while after they graduate and Career College does this. Not all students enter the same industry they trained for, and this is accepted at Career College as there is an ethos that preparation for employment and the future is also very important, especially when dealing with learners who are retraining or second-chance. The evaluators contacted graduates and employers and the feedback was generally very positive. The evaluators noted that in those programmes that provided training leading directly to a specific industry, as in early childhood education and automotive skills, the management and staff have strong links with local industry businesses and early childhood education centres. Career College has an effective self-assessment system which appears to work well in most circumstances. However, a few areas of inconsistency are evident. In some cases the assessments and teaching materials appear to be purchased from ITOs or online brokers. Many of these materials are pre-moderated by the authoring organisation. For some programmes, it was difficult to find records showing that assessment and teaching material is pre-moderated by Career College before use, to ensure the appropriateness of the material. The provider s post-assessment moderation is questionable in the health care support programme where the AUT external moderator stated more than once that the marking of assessments is too lenient. This leniency in marking was remarked upon by two students independently. This is a matter of concern given that one purpose of the level 4 programme is to act as a feeder course to AUT s Bachelor s degree programme. The readiness of the students to make the transition to the degree programme could be in doubt if they are treated leniently at Career College, as one of the students pointed out. 8
Findings 1 1.1 How well do learners achieve? 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. In 2011, Career College achieved 84 per cent (national median, 77 per cent) successful course completion and 87 (77) per cent completion of qualifications. Seventy-eight (68) per cent of students were retained in study and 68 (34) per cent progressed to higher-level study. The figures for Career College exceed those of the national tertiary education median figures (shown in brackets). These figures are provided by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) to compare funded providers and may influence future funding decisions. The TEC has a mandate to encourage increased success by Māori, Pasifika, and students less than 25 years of age. Career College had 10 per cent Māori students in 2011, 20 per cent Pasifika trainees, and 24 per cent of its trainees under the age of 25. The Māori achievement was a little under the national median, and achievement for Pasifika and under-25s was around the same as the median. The TEC figures for Career College show a steady improvement in performance since 2008. There is evidence that Career College is responding to the need to increase the intake of Māori and under-25-year-old trainees, and the evaluators heard of a number of initiatives that are underway to facilitate this, such as the intensified relationships that have been established with local secondary schools. The acquisition of the Certificate in Health Care Support from AUT, which is being taught at Career College s Auckland central and Manukau sites in 2012, is an attempt to prepare students (with a B average) for the transition to university studies by staircasing into AUT's degree programme on graduation from Career College. As a sign of commitment to the level 4 heath science feeder programme to the AUT degree, Career College has employed the original programme manager from AUT to administer the programme and provide continuity in the expected standard of delivery. International trainees generally achieve better than their New Zealand counterparts, and international students are suitably integrated into the general stream classes. Career College also achieves well in numeracy and literacy education, at the appropriate level of programme. In the National Certificate in Motor Industry (Entry Skills) programme in Christchurch, the evaluators saw that second-chance learners have literacy and numeracy learning embedded in their studies. The students are 1 The findings in this report are derived using a standard process and are based on a targeted sample of the organisation s activities. 9
tested using the TEC online tool before and at the end of the programme, and they consistently show improvement in these skills. Career College management engages in the tracking of student course and qualification completions and compares these with the results from institutions that it considers to be its main competitors and that offer similar programmes or qualifications. These comparisons provide a benchmark that shows Career College s development and improvement in performance over the last two years. A similar graphing exercise is performed with the results of student feedback questionnaires to collate the feedback and identify common threads of information that can be used for improving the learning experience for the trainees. An example of this is the use of feedback to make adjustments to the delivery of the health care support programme. The evaluators learned of the value of the automotive course in Christchurch in turning around the lives of at-risk and second-chance learners. As well as gaining skills in automotive repair work, the trainees gained improved life skills, confidence, work-readiness, and stability. The tutors noted that advancements have been made and that many of the trainees are gaining employment, some in automotive areas and others in unrelated occupations. Gaining employment and the enhancement of personal characteristics are seen as positive outcomes by Career College. In keeping with TEC labour market outcome targets, the trainees are tracked after they leave the campus, with a check after one month. Informal tracking of the students occurs for as long as possible, with students coming back to visit the campus they studied at and keeping in contact through Facebook. The completion rate for the Diploma in Early Childhood Education (Pasifika) is very good, with only a few trainees withdrawing from the course for personal reasons. It was observed that not all trainees are suitable for early childhood education, with a few completing the course and pursuing other careers. It is felt that these trainees achieve by showing a boost in self-confidence, study habits, communications, and group interaction skills which they can use to follow their dream in other occupational pursuits. 10
1.2 What is the value of the outcomes for key stakeholders, including learners? 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. For students of the Certificate in Health Care Support, there is real value in the Career College arrangement with AUT, in that this course is designed (by AUT) to be a foundation course for the Bachelor in Health Science. The certificate prepares students who do not quite meet the entry criteria for the degree programme. It is a testament to the integrity of Career College's outcomes that AUT has selected it to continue teaching this course. The challenge for Career College is to maintain delivery standards to an appropriate level so that the student can make a smooth transition from this course to level 5 of the degree programme at AUT, with a B grade average. In this programme there has been a need for students to learn how to learn independently, conduct research, and develop their academic writing skills. A Friday study day has been established to accommodate these factors. Career College campuses operate under one central governance and management mantle. However, as there is variation as to the type of programmes being run and the locations of the campuses, the campuses have different ways of operating to suit the nature of the learning. The managing director explained this as a system of consistency without uniformity. At the Auckland central campus, the evaluators saw that the teachers are specialists, with each concentrating on a subject, which they taught to all the student cohorts in rotation. In Manukau the early childhood education teachers were managed differently, with each teacher having responsibility for the same cohort in all subject disciplines so as to foster a 'family feeling' which is appropriate when dealing with young children. A small number of students have been engaged by Career College as staff members after they graduate, and in some cases after they have spent some time in the field. This shows that the provider has faith in its ability to educate and in the quality of the graduates. In some cases, Career College tracks its students one month after they leave to gauge whether they have retained their employment. There is informal tracking of students after this, with some students visiting the campus many years after leaving to keep in touch. In Christchurch the evaluators heard that some employers consider Career College trainees before those from other providers. 11
1.3 How well do programmes and activities match the needs of learners and other stakeholders? 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. The application process at the Career College Manukau campus acts as a means to filter out unsuitable applicants. A police check is carried out to ensure that the entrants to the early childhood education programme do not have any criminal convictions. Across the various programmes, entrance tests are carried out to learn about the students learning styles, abilities in reading and writing, and any learning problems or other disabilities. This ensures that the students learning needs are identified early. There is an English language test available for those who do not present evidence that they meet the appropriate English language requirement. The evaluators witnessed a large computer section at the Auckland campus for student use, and heard that some internet sites that may constitute a distraction have been blocked. Career College employs a full-time practicum coordinator for the early childhood education programme who operates across the Auckland campuses and organises the three-week work placements for students in a number of early childhood education programmes. There has recently been a new initiative in the field of literacy and numeracy with the engagement of an appropriately qualified teacher on a part-time basis at the Christchurch campus where there is an identified need. This is a well-motivated initiative and it is envisioned that it will be extended to the other campuses in due course. Career College campuses have varying academic policies depending on the programmes, but generally, extensions, resubmissions, and re-sits are permissible under specific circumstances. These policies are listed in the relevant student handbook. Liaison with local high schools, along with open days and participation in education expositions, has helped boost numbers in the health science support programme. At Auckland central campus, the health science support students are directed to the Auckland public library for their reference needs as there is a limited resource on campus. The students that were interviewed said they received most of the reading material as copied handouts, and did most of their research online. Given the changing nature of the electronic media, this may be appropriate. There is a plan to link the students with the AUT library in the future, if possible. AUT refers students to Career College to engage in the health science support programme and currently there is a waiting list to enter the programme. Career College is very conscious of the quality of its educational outcomes. It subjects its courses to an annual review to assess currency and relevance and how improvements may be made. Class sizes are kept small to give the students more individual teacher attention in class time. 12
The admission interview and test allows learning styles and any special learning needs to be assessed so that the student can be accommodated quickly into the learning situation. Literacy and numeracy tests are done online at the same time to assess the student s educational level so that progress in these areas can be charted through the course. In the early childhood education programmes there are three practicums of three weeks each, and these are well supported by the industry. The practicums allow the student to consolidate classroom learning in a practical setting. Career College is attempting to lift the levels of achievement through tightening recruitment. Entry interviews have been aligned to the type of programmes being offered and are different at the various campuses. The PTE is aware of the shock suffered by some of its students as they step up academically and matriculate to AUT, and is assessing this situation. 1.4 How effective is the teaching? 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 Good. Career College is very responsive to the differences in the types of programmes being offered. Feedback is collected from students twice a year, or at the end of shorter courses. This feedback is collated and analysed and the evaluators were shown graphs showing trends of student responses. This feedback is used to inform further course development. Teaching staff performance is carefully monitored and the outcome influences the type of professional development for individual staff members. Professional development is tailored along educational and subject-specific requirements, as determined through staff appraisals. Staff observations are carried out by the programme managers and the academic manager. Professional development is usually in areas of educational advancement and maintaining currency in the subject area being taught. The evaluators heard that staff members are encouraged to attend conferences, symposiums, and workshops at the provider s expense to gain extra skills. Staff members who have a level of performance that could be improved engage in a performance improvement plan. The teaching styles vary according to the type of programme, so the type of professional development will vary accordingly. The evaluators heard that Career College management is receptive to allowing staff members to engage in external events such as conferences. The staff members complete an online performance survey which allows for them to offer comments on professional development preferences relative to their teaching. As described earlier, the teaching styles vary to suit the type of course. This is appropriate to take into account the nature of the subject being taught and the needs of the students. The teachers are well qualified and skilled in the subject material and have received adult teaching training and achieved unit standard 4098 Use standards to assess candidate performance. The automotive tutors in 13
Christchurch are all experienced mechanics and the early childhood education teachers all have degrees in related disciplines and early childhood education training. There are a number of processes in place to encourage consistency of teaching practice throughout the organisation. For example, teachers of the early childhood education programme rotate their two-weekly staff meetings through the three Auckland area branches so that a level of consistency of teaching practice can be encouraged. In some instances, Career College uses assessment materials provided by ITOs or purchased from recognised online providers. There is an assumption that these materials are fit for purpose, but sometimes these are given further informal scrutiny and Career College staff members make suggestions for improvements to the owners of the material. However, this type of pre-assessment moderation is informal and Career College would be advantaged by instituting a formal system of pre-assessment moderation with documented outcomes. Forms for such a system have been designed, but there is little evidence, except for the early childhood education programme, that a systematic pre-moderation regime has been implemented to determine whether courses and assessments are appropriate. 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 Good. Career College has very good support systems for its students and staff. One of the most enlightened steps is the engagement of part-time trained counsellors at Manukau and Christchurch. The counsellors are on site for a short time every week and are available free to staff and students alike for private consultations. The Christchurch-based counsellor is trained in drug and alcohol abuse issues, and this is appropriate for some of the problems that trainees bring with them. In Christchurch, the evaluators saw the application forms designed to glean information about the prospective students learning styles. Some of the programmes encourage the pairing of a new student with a buddy to help with induction and study practices. Those students who have below-standard achievement or poor attendance engage in individual learning plans to help them plot their progress. The student handbook is comprehensive and gives support information as well as the provider s academic rules, and also has a section on plagiarism and cheating. Student suggestion boxes are used in some of the campuses for students to communicate anonymously with management. Career College staff communicate with graduates after they leave by way of Facebook. A strong point of Career College is the way the agents for international students are managed. Agents are carefully selected and trained by the provider. The agents are carefully supervised to ensure there are no dealings that could disadvantage the students or the college. International students at Career College are well looked after, with separate management that understands the international student 14
market very well. The college does not directly provide accommodation for these students, but will offer guidance in the types of accommodation available. The international students have an additional orientation when they arrive to help them acclimatise to a different country. They have 24-hour access to help via telephone if they require advice after hours. The students are familiarised with the responsibilities of the institute under the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students. The code responsibilities are reviewed annually by Career College as required by the Ministry of Education. International students also enjoy guest speakers and seminars on such matters as the Treaty of Waitangi and New Zealand road and water safety. Some questions remain as to whether it is appropriate not to have a library resource at some of the campuses for the heath science support programme. Students at the Auckland central campus are directed to the Auckland public library and also find resources on the internet. They are given a familiarisation tour around the Auckland library which also has a digital library reservation system. The students from this programme also mentioned that the on-site computers respond slowly at times. 1.6 How effective are governance and management in supporting educational achievement? 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. Career College has well-qualified and experienced higher management who have been hand-picked for the qualities they bring to the college. A number of recent appointments appear to have enhanced management capability. The managing director is the source of the vision on which the college was founded. He has a passion for education and his energy and enthusiasm permeates the organisation. A recent initiative at Career College has been its response to the lifting of the moratorium on the development of the proposed Bachelor of Early Childhood Education. In addition, the college has established meaningful professional relationships through memoranda of understanding with Whitireia Polytechnic and AUT, and cooperation with the Open Polytechnic. Career College closely compares its performance with that of a number of similar tertiary institutions to benchmark its performance and improvement in the sector. The managing director and managers are active in a number of peak bodies and educational interest groups in the sector. The academic manager is involved in some Targeted Review of Qualifications committee discussions. At the time of the evaluation visit, the managing director had just returned from a visit to India with a delegation, including the Minister of Tertiary Education, for the inaugural meeting of the India-New Zealand Education Council. 15
Student progress and attendance is measured on an electronic student management system which is used across the campuses and allows centralisation of data at the head office in Auckland, where it is disseminated and collated. The evaluation team saw files that contained the analysis and comparison of the data and were shown how this information is used to make management strategy decisions as shown in the Capacity and Growth Plan and Marketing Goals for 2013-2014. Close tracking of student performance and the data from this for informing future business directions has borne good results. An example is the decision to close the North Shore campus in 2012 for under-performance. There has been a steady increase in TEC funding over 2006-2012. Career College fosters the belief that the PTE sector in general will be improved by the further dissemination and sharing of knowledge. It has no hesitation sharing its performance figures with other institutions, if asked. The managing director has his own professional development plan and was engaged in a business planning course at the time of the evaluation. Career College realises the importance of advisory committees and has created one for each of the subject areas. Overarching these is a lead advisory body comprising members from AUT, University of Auckland, Open Polytechnic, and Waikato Institute of Technology, among others. There are good, continuous links with industry for informal dialogue. Healthy competitive academic rivalry between the campuses is encouraged in the form of an annual inter-campus award (currently held by Manukau campus). Senior management is accessible to staff and students across the campuses, and weekly visits to most campuses allows for dialogue and interaction at this level. Senior management is hands-on and reflective, but not obtrusive. Senior management engages in a short meeting every week. The managing director holds a twice-yearly staff meeting with all staff to discuss progress. Good use is made of communications technology in maintaining links between the campuses, as the information on student cohorts in one campus is available to be accessed by authorised personnel at another campus. A further indication of strong management is the manner in which the recruitment agents for international students are managed. The agents undergo training in the way they should handle the recruitment process on behalf of Career College. Although some agents may be reluctant to undergo such specified training, Career College also sees the training as a means of assessing the motivation and professionalism of the agents. 16
Focus Areas 2.1 Focus area: Governance, management, and strategy The rating in this focus area for educational performance is Excellent. The rating for capability in self-assessment for this focus area is Excellent. 2.2 Focus area: International student support The rating in this focus area for educational performance is Excellent. The rating for capability in self-assessment for this focus area is Excellent. The support for international students at Career College is of a very high standard. This is due in part to their relatively small share of the student body (approximately 10 per cent). They are also concentrated in the Auckland area and are all aged 18 years or above. Several designated managers and staff members are available to provide advice and assistance to international students. Some of these staff members have been international students or agents themselves. Most of Career College s international students reside with family members in New Zealand, which minimises accommodation problems. The international students at Career College generally achieve better academic results than the domestic students. 2.3 Focus area: Certificate in Health Care Support (Level 4) The rating in this focus area for educational performance is Good. The rating for capability in self-assessment for this focus area is Good. The performance of the students in the health care support programme is yet to be put into a long-term focus as the programme is still quite new at Career College. There are questions to be answered regarding the external moderation by AUT staff, who previously owned the programme. Several moderation statements from AUT indicate that the assessment is being marked leniently. This was also stated by two students independently. There have only been three graduates from this programme so far, so it is hard to draw conclusions as to the possible ramifications of these moderation statements. 2.4 Focus area: Diploma in Early Childhood Education (Pasifika) (Level 5) The rating in this focus area for educational performance is Excellent. The rating for capability in self-assessment for this focus area is Excellent. 17
2.5 Focus area: National Cert. in Motor Industry (Entry Skills) (Level 2) Automotive The rating in this focus area for educational performance is Excellent. The rating for capability in self-assessment for this focus area is Excellent. 18
Recommendations To assist this provider to add further value to its programmes, the evaluators recommend that Career College: Continue to improve and document its systems of internal moderation, particularly moderation that occurs before an assessment or teaching tool is used. Continue to work with external moderators, especially in regards to any programmes that provide staircasing opportunities for students into higherlevel programmes for which compatibility and continuity may be issues. Investigate the best way of providing resources for the health care support students. 19
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/externalevaluation-and-review/policy-and-guidelines-eer/introduction/ NZQA Ph 0800 697 296 E qaadmin@nzqa.govt.nz www.nzqa.govt.nz 20