New Tertiary Education Policy and Accreditation Procedures

After a robust and lengthy consultation with the 5 participating universities and PAC, the Board approved the TEPAP at the meeting on 20 September.

The newly titled ‘Tertiary Education Policy and Accreditation Procedures’ (TEPAP) brings a change in NZPI’s approach to the accreditation of universities. TEPAP replaces the previous Education Policy and Accreditation Procedures and is more permissive and outcomes-focused placing greater responsibility on the universities to substantiate the nature and excellence of their teaching and learning programmes.

The policy includes the requirement that the content of planning courses must demonstrate that they recognise New Zealand’s bicultural mandate for planning, including the partnership relationships established by the Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi, and New Zealand’s increasingly multicultural society as a context for planning and its implications for planning practice; resource and environmental law and treaties; plan development; and management of resources.

TEPAP provides both a collaborative and an enabling framework for accreditation that is aligned with the NZPI’s strategic vision, is outcomes-focused and is based on the recognition that advancing and renewing a robust, reputable and highly regarded planning profession, will require a constructive and responsive partnership between the NZPI and universities.

TEPAP comprises three sections:

• Section 1 provides a contextual statement on planning as a profession and the role of tertiary education.
• Section 2 records the major substantive elements of the accreditation policy.
• Section 3 details procedural and logistical aspects of the accreditation process.

Click here to view the NZPI Tertiary Education Policy & Accreditation Procedures

The document has been sent to all participating universities and is now operative-the Otago University re-accreditation review will be the first carried out under the new policy.