Tertiary Education Reforms

The Tertiary Education Reforms are all about improving the sector's ability to deliver on government priorities, and meet the education and training needs of stakeholders such as students, employers and communities on a regional as well as national basis.

Key to the Reforms is a new way of investing in tertiary education, that aligns planning, funding, and quality assurance and monitoring.

The TEC is leading policy development and implementation of the Reforms.

Video download on the tertiary education reforms

Chief Executive Janice Shiner has recorded a DVD about the Tertiary Education Reforms and the major shifts implicit in them for providers and the sector as a whole.

Part 1: download WMV (7 Mb)
Part 2: download WMV (6 Mb)
Part 3: download WMV (8 Mb)

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)
Address to the ITF Annual Conference: Tertiary Reforms: The Next Steps by Hon Dr Michael Cullen (PDF, 48 Kb) (27 July 2006)
Address to the ITF Annual Conference: Tertiary Reforms: The Next Steps by TEC Chief Executive Janice Shiner (PPT, 241 Kb) (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
Archive - Tertiary Education Reforms