3 March 2005
Professor Assures Students of Quality Education
Professor Hirini Mead said today students should be absolutely confident in the quality of teaching and education they
are receiving from Te Wânanga o Awanuiârangi.
Professor Hirini Mead, Chairperson of Awanuiârangi, said he was concerned that some negative comments had been made
about wânanga over the last few weeks and such comments were unhelpful in giving current and potential Awanuiârangi
students confidence in wânanga education.
“Awanuiârangi is being tainted by the negative comments that have been made. I want to assure students, both current and
those contemplating studying with us, that we are a quality and an accredited tertiary institution. Awanuiârangi is
required to teach to national and international standards and that is what we do.”
Professor Mead said a degree proposal had to undergo assessment by an external NZQA panel made up of tertiary sector
experts, including university staff and experts from the relevant fields of knowledge.
A panel sits for several days and then presents a report that is a judgement against a list of benchmarks. Degree
proposals are often amended as a result of the process, and this is but one assurance students can have in the quality
of their chosen course of study.
“On implementing the degree courses, scrutiny is ongoing, with internal auditing by the institution and external
auditing by NZQA every few years,” said Professor Mead.
“Awanuiârangi has passed every NZQA audit since our establishment in 1992. Our teaching is of a very high standard and
we have more Mâori lecturers with doctorate qualifications employed by us, than most comparable indigenous
institutions,” said Professor Mead.
In addition Awanuiârangi has a PHD programme that will begin this year. The programme has this year become known to the
international community of indigenous scholars and interest in the PHD study has been expressed from some indigenous
people overseas.
Professor Mead said Awanuiârangi’s good name was important to the wânanga to the staff, the students, the Council and
the community at large. We will do all we can to maintain that good name.
“Delivering for our students is our absolute priority, we exist to provide them with an academically sound programme of
study and to provide this learning within a culturally attuned environment.
“I am disappointed that some politicians have chosen to make wide-sweeping and negative statements about wânanga. These
comments impact on the morale of our students who are working hard in their programmes and cast aspersions where they
are not due,” said Professor Mead.
ENDS