Improving performance in tertiary education

Governance will be improved at polytechnics alongside a more flexible interventions framework in a Bill being introduced to Parliament today, Tertiary Education Minister Anne Tolley has announced.

“Polytechnics are extremely important to their communities and for the economy of the country as a whole,” said Mrs Tolley.

“The sector has told me that governance is unwieldy at the moment. We are ensuring that in the future polytechnics have strong, skilled Councils which will make them easier to govern, more effective and responsive to their communities.”

Currently, Councils can have up to 20 members, but the Bill proposes that this be reduced to eight, to include four Ministerial appointees, the Chief Executive, one student representative, one member nominated by the Academic Board and one member appointed by the Council.

“We need strong institutions that are financially sound and responsive to the needs of their communities and local economies. This includes meeting the changing needs of employers, communities, iwi and others who need high quality vocational education.”

The Education (Polytechnics) Amendment Bill will also allow the Crown to respond more effectively where institutions may be at financial or educational risk, through a more flexible interventions framework.

“This will enable us to act more quickly and in a less intrusive way to support Councils,” said Mrs Tolley.

“Under these proposals we want to see many more highly skilled people who have successful experience in the governance of organisations putting their names forward, as we fulfil our commitment to raising skills and productivity.”

Q and A

What are the proposed changes?

For governance this includes:

• reducing the size of polytechnic Councils from between 12 to 20 members to 8
• allowing the Minister for Tertiary Education to continue to appoint four members
• ensuring that Ministerial appointments are made on the basis of relevant skills and experience, particularly governance experience
• having a member appointed by each of the student representatives and academic boards
• having the Chief Executive be a member of the Council
• enabling the Council to appoint one further member
• enabling the Minister for Tertiary Education to appoint the Chair and Deputy Chair
• enabling the Minister for Tertiary Education to remove an appointed or elected Council Member from office for just cause

For interventions this includes enabling:

• the Chief Executive of the Tertiary Education Commission to require a polytechnic Council to obtain specialist help
• the Chief Executive of the Tertiary Education Commission to require a polytechnic Council to prepare and give to him or her a draft performance improvement plan for its polytechnic
• the Minister to appoint a Crown manager for a polytechnic
• Why is the chief executive of the TEC being given two new intervention powers?

The two new interventions provide an opportunity for the TEC to engage and work with polytechnics at the earliest opportunity to resolve matters that may place the polytechnic at financial risk or the educational outcomes of students at risk.

When will the changes come into effect?

The Government’s intention is that the Bill would be passed before the end of this year, that the new framework for interventions would be in place for the 2010 academic year and that the new Councils would be in place by May 2010.

What happens to current Councils?

Current Council members’ terms will finish on 1 May 2010.

What options will Councils have to be innovative and flexible under this proposal?

Under these proposals, the Minister for Tertiary Education would be empowered to combine the Councils of two or more polytechnics and two or more polytechnics would be empowered to establish a combined Academic Board. Councils can also establish representative bodies to ensure that they are connected to their communities.