Staff Reporter
Wellington based New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has ranked the Auckland Institute of Studies (AIS) as ‘Category 1’ education provider.
The rating comes at a propitious time as the Institution (which has two campuses in the Mt Albert Western Springs area) celebrates its Silver Jubilee this year.
EER Rating
The rating is based on a report by ‘External Evaluation and Review (EER), an independent body that assesses registered educational institutions and reports based on a number of factors aimed at providing quality assurance to all stakeholders and guarantee improving standards in the tertiary education sector.
The EER team visited AIS in November 2014 for several days and assessed the extent to which AIS delivers quality and value to learners and the community.
The team also evaluated how AIS uses self-assessment to understand performance and bring about continual improvement.
High Achiever
It rated AIS as “Highly Confident in Educational Performance” and “Confident in Capability in Self-Assessment.”
AIS President Dr Richard Goodall attributed the achievement to sustained efforts.
“AIS focus is on self-assessment as a part of its daily operations and we are continually striving to improve the quality of our programmes, student services and relationships with key stakeholders. Export education is now the fifth largest export industry in New Zealand and is becoming highly competitive. We are therefore delighted to receive this endorsement from NZQA. Our staff are thrilled with this result and morale has never been higher,” he said.
Growing students
With about 1000 students on its rolls, AIS is stated to be one of the largest private education institutions in New Zealand, providing undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications.
According to Dr Goodall, AIS has been registered steady growing in the number of international students pursuing various programmes and courses at AIS.
Photo :
File Photo of NZQA Chairman Dr Karen Poutasi at AIS graduation in 2013
