Universities

The University of Auckland

• Responsiveness
• Effectiveness
• Capability

The University of Auckland continued its strong educational performance. Auckland remained in a healthy financial position in 2012 and was well placed to advance the TES priorities in 2013.

Responsiveness

In the Annual Report, Chancellor Dr Ian Parton described the progress against the 2005–12 Strategic Plan. Most of the objectives had been met: the university had successfully raised the entry qualifications of students while maintaining student numbers; increased masters’ thesis completion by half, nearly doubled doctoral completions, increased total revenue (including revenue from research), and competed several major building projects. In early 2012, the council approved the draft Strategic Plan 2013–20 for consultation. One aim of the plan was to gain high international rankings, and the focus of the plan was on people – and the need to attract and retain high performing staff together with students of high academic potential who would go on to be successful and influential.

Both the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart McCutcheon highlighted the council’s decision to enter into a conditional purchase agreement for the former Lion’s Breweries site in Newmarket. This development would create an integrated university across City, Grafton and Newmarket campuses and make a significant contribution to the implementation of the new Strategic Plan. The Vice-Chancellor also reported on the composition of the student body, the increasing numbers of post-graduate and international students, and the high percentage of Māori and Pasifika degree graduates who were Auckland alumni. 2012 saw the completion of new student accommodation, and $202 million raised, mainly for the support of undergraduate and post-graduate scholarships, by the ‘Leading the Way’ campaign.

In 2012, Auckland’s domestic enrolments increased by 1 percent. Auckland’s delivery was focused primarily at Levels 7–8 (88%) and Levels 9–10 (11%). The main fields of study were Society and Culture (30%), Natural and Physical Sciences (17%) and Health (11%).

Participation for both under-25-year-olds and Pasifika students was above the university sector average, and for under 25-year-olds increased by 1 percentage point compared with 2011. Māori participation remained below the university sector average but also increased by 1 percentage point. Auckland had 3124 full fee-paying international EFTS (4063 students) in 2012.

EffectivenessTop

Auckland achieved above the university sector average across each of the four educational performance indicators in 2012, and course completion and student retention increased by 1 percentage point compared with the previous year. Qualification completion slipped slightly to 84% but remained above the university sector average of 80%.

For the TES priority groups (Māori, Pasifika and under-25-year-olds) performance was above the university sector average in 2012. Performance indicators for course completion and qualification completion improved in 2012 for each of the three TES priority groups, with one exception, which was Māori qualification completion.

CapabilityTop

Two new Ministerial appointments to the council were made in 2012, Andrew Ferrier and Sir Ralph Norris. The university’s total revenue decreased by $1.6 million (0.2%) from 2011 to 2012, with increased income from tuition fees offset by decreases in dividends from an investee company and donations. Auckland reported a net surplus of $29.1 million (3.1%) in 2012, which was down on the 2011 result of $32.3 million (3.5%). Consolidation of the university’s commercial research subsidiary, Auckland UniServices Limited, had a material impact, with the subsidiary generating in 2012 revenues of $93.5 million (10.0% of total revenue) and expenses of $93.1 million (10.3% of expenditure).

Crown titled assets form nearly 70% of the land and buildings managed by the university and Auckland has applied for their transfer into its own title.

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