New Quality Commissioner Appointed

New Quality Commissioner Appointed

The Quality Commission has appointed a new Quality Commissioner with effect from 1 January 2008.

The new Quality Commissioner is Lani Tupu. He comes with a long career in Public Service with 15 years’ service as an investigator in the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s Office. He also assisted in setting up the Ombudsman’s Office in Samoa as well as spending some time in the Sydney and Melbourne Ombudsman’s offices.

Lani is domiciled in Wellington and the Quality Commission’s Office has accordingly moved from Auckland to Wellington.

The Quality Commission is a scheme established by the New Zealand Association of Private Education Providers. The Commission is an independent body which employs a Quality Commissioner to deal with complaints from students at private tertiary providers who belong to the Scheme. The Commissioner has the power to order full reimbursement of fees, expenses and compensation up to $2000. Around 80% of all students at private tertiary providers who are members of the New Zealand Association of Private Education Providers are covered by the Scheme.

When a Scheme was first considered in 2004, Nadja Tollemache was asked to assist New Zealand Association of Private Education Providers (NZAPEP) in drafting the rules and terms of reference for a Quality Commission. NZAPEP adopted the Scheme and set up the Quality Commission with an independent Chair and two consumer representatives together with two NZAPEP appointees. Subsequently Nadja Tollemache was appointed by the Commission in 2005 as the first Quality Commissioner. After a term of three years Nadja has retired from the position to pursue other interests. The Commission is indebted to her for the outstanding work she has done.

ENDS

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