Otago Ranks Top In All TEC Performance Indicators

Otago Ranks Top In All TEC Performance Indicators

The University of Otago is ranked top of all New Zealand universities in the latest annual Educational Performance Indicators (EPIs) released by the

Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) today. It is the first time any university has topped all four measures since the EPI system was introduced four years ago.

Otago is placed first for all four EPIs, which measure course completion, qualification completion, student progression and student retention for 2012.

“This outstanding result affirms the excellence of our teaching, which is a defining feature of our University,” says Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International, Professor Vernon Squire.

“These results are a real tribute to our exceptional staff and the ability and diligence of our students.  The consistent high quality of teaching at the University of Otago has once again been underscored by independently-assessed factual data,” he says.

Otago has always rated very strongly according to the TEC’s Educational Performance Indicators, in previous years ranking: first for student retention in every year; second for course completion in 2009 and 2010, and first in 2011; and first for qualification completion in 2009 and 2010, and second in 2011.

This is the first time Otago has been included in the progression measure, which measures progression from sub-degree study (at Levels 1-4 on the NZQA register) to higher levels of study.  

Otago’s involvement in Level 1-4 qualifications centres on the programmes run by its Foundation Studies subsidiary, including innovative new transition programmes that support Maori and Pacific students moving to degree level study, especially in the health sciences.

“These intensive, innovative, small scale programmes have been hugely successful in increasing the number of Maori and Pacific students proceeding to Health Sciences First Year, and from there into our competitive entry health sciences programmes,” says Professor Squire.

Otago appears in this measure for the first time as the University now has Foundation Studies students recorded in its main student databases and their performance is reported to the TEC as part of its main student data returns. This now allows the progression indicator to be measured for Otago.

ENDS

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