Tertiary education reforms

The tertiary education reforms were concerned with:

• improving the sector's ability to deliver on Government priorities
• meet the education and training needs of stakeholders (ie. students, employers and communities) on a regional and a national basis.

Key to the reforms was a new way of investing in tertiary education that aligned planning, funding, quality assurance and monitoring.  

We led policy development and implementation of the reforms. 

Cabinet papers

• Cabinet paper and minutes: Proposals to Manage Overlapping Provision of Industry Training in the Tertiary System (PDF, 1 Mb) (released 7 November 2007)  
• Cabinet paper and minutes: Changes to Forecast Baseline Funding for Tertiary Education Institutions (PDF, 1 Mb) (released 7 November 2007)
• Cabinet paper and minutes: Quality Assurance and Monitoring System to support tertiary reforms (PDF, 1 Mb) (released 18 October 2007)
• Cabinet paper and minutes: Quality Assurance and Monitoring System to support tertiary reforms (PDF, 1 Mb) (released 2 April 2007)
• Cabinet paper and minutes: Tertiary Reforms: Changes to support a New Tertiary Investment System (PDF, 2 Mb) (released 19 December 2006)
• Cabinet paper and minutes: Tertiary Education Reforms: Overview Paper (PDF, 1 Mb) (released 19 December 2006)
• Cabinet paper and minutes: Tertiary Reforms: Further Design of the Investment System (PDF, 3 Mb) (released 19 December 2006)
• Cabinet paper and minutes: Tertiary Education Reforms Overview Paper (PDF, 2 Mb) (released 27 July 2006)
• Cabinet paper and minutes: Tertiary Education Reforms: Paper 1: Distinctive contributions of Tertiary Education (PDF, 2 Mb) (June 2006)
• Cabinet paper and minutes: Tertiary Education Reforms: Paper 2: Investing in a Plan (PDF, 1 Mb) (June 2006)
• Cabinet paper and minutes: Tertiary Education Reforms: Paper 3: A New Tertiary Funding System (PDF, 3 Mb) (June 2006)
• Cabinet paper and minutes: Tertiary Education Reforms: Paper 4: Quality Assurance and Monitoring System (PDF, 2 Mb) (June 2006)
• Cabinet paper and minutes: Tertiary Education Reforms: The Next Steps (PDF, 2 Mb) (March 2006)

Media releases, speeches and other communications

• Minister’s speech: Towards a more vibrant university sector (PDF, 40 Kb) (May 2007)
• Media Release: Driving higher quality university education (PDF, 31 Kb) (May 2007)
• Questions and answers (PDF, 28 Kb) from Hon Dr Michael Cullen's address to universities (May 2007)
• Minister’s speech: Tertiary funding reforms - the next steps (PDF, 48 Kb) (April 2007)
• Media Release: Funding support for tertiary education reforms (PDF, 35 Kb) (April 2007)
• Questions and answers (PDF, 46 Kb) from Hon Dr Michael Cullen's address to wananga (April 2007)
• Letter to the tertiary education sector: Tertiary Reforms update (PDF, 124 Kb) (sent 7 December 2006)
• Joint presentation from the Tertiary Education Forums: Tertiary Education in New Zealand: Investing in the Future (PPT, 825 Kb) (26 October 2006)
• Media release: Key decisions to improve tertiary performance (PDF, 142 Kb) by Hon Dr Michael Cullen (27 July 2006)
• Letter to the tertiary education sector: Initial consultation provides a platform for the remainder of 2006 (PDF, 134 Kb)
• Speech to stakeholders: Ensuring quality and relevance - future directions for funding tertiary organisations by Hon Dr Michael Cullen (PDF, 36 Kb)
• Media release: Ensuring quality and relevance - future directions for funding tertiary organisations by Hon Dr Michael Cullen