Four tertiary institutions have launched an alliance they claim will improve educational opportunities and support services for students.
The Tertiary Accord of New Zealand (TANZ) is an alliance between Manukau Institute of Technology, Otago Polytechnic, Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology and Universal College of Learning in Palmerston North.
The accordcomes just days after the Government announced that educationist Norman Kingsbury would chair the new Tertiary Education Advisory Commission. One of the commission's aims is to examine ways to create greater collaboration between tertiary institutions.
The chief executive of the Christchurch Polytechnic, John Scott, said education should be cooperative rather than competitive and one of the alliance's key focuses would be the joint development and delivery of academic programmes.
"I am confident that TANZ will demonstrate cooperative ventures such as this can be more effective than mergers, which diminish the identity of the institutions within the local community."
Other initiatives included cooperating on programme audits, evaluation and appraisal, staff and student exchanges, joint conferences, professional development and joint research, he said.
Universal College chief executive Dr Paul McElroy said the accord could see huge benefits for staff in terms of academic support and research, while students would be offered a greater range of programmes and more flexible delivery.
A series of working groups would look at specific issues such as information technology, modern apprenticeship programmes and opportunities, and e-commerce.
Each of the four institutes would remain autonomous in operation and the new alliance would have no impact on existing relationships with other tertiary institutions.
