Academic Quality Agency and New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations sign Memorandum of Understanding
After working together for several years, the Academic Quality Agency for New Zealand Universities (AQA) and the New
Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) have agreed a formal partnership to enhance student voice and the
engagement of students in the academic audit process.
AQA and NZUSA share an objective of having an authentic, enduring, diverse and effective student voice that contributes
to academic quality and quality assurance in New Zealand universities. The MoU also supports a specific objective to
include students, or recent graduates, as auditors in the sixth cycle of academic audit for New Zealand Universities.
Sheelagh Matear, Executive Director of AQA, says “the MoU creates a framework in which AQA and NZUSA will work together
over the coming years. We have set out what each of our commitments are and how we will contribute to shared
objectives”. Jonathan Gee, President of NZUSA says “students are engaged closely in the core operations of a university,
and their representatives often have an insight into the highest levels of governance, through representation on
University Councils and Academic Boards. This MoU seeks to build on these structures and embed student voice as a key
feature of quality assurance.”
The MoU includes a joint work programme between the two organisations to train up student representatives and to share
information about international best practice of student voice in academic quality.
ENDS