Lots of news today, so a late delivery of this. Monday had our biggest site visits and page views ever, with the earthquake, but yesterday surpassed visits by 1 and page views by 39%, with quake and performance stats coverage.

1. Educational Performance Information
   • TEC released education performance information yesterday – there was also a TEC media release and one from the Minister. I liked the Minister’s ending statement: The Minister reaffirmed that, over time, the government wants to see publication of performance indicators and performance-linked funding to include employment outcomes for students. ”Ultimately the vast majority of students are studying to improve their employment prospects.  It’s important that we develop timely ways of showing them which pathways through study are best at achieving that.”
   • Sector groups have responded to the release. The TEU takes the view that any low performance is simply a matter of the students targeted and delivery style and the government should support providers to improve. Universities New Zealand noted the high level of uni performance. NZUSA noted data gaps and seems to want more, and more coherent info. NZ ITP suggests that the data will help improve performance.
   • Of course, providers have also responded to the release. MIT is the best because it is “the only institute ranked in the top five across all indicators of success” (they have done well, but their measure might be a bit creative!). Whitireia Community Poly brings together their recent EER report and the stats to argue that their teaching is great.  WelTec said they did well and that lower course completions were a 2009 aberration. The Open Polytechnic has defended its extramural delivery mode in the face of some poor qualification completion stats – at the link they also have links to more info. They state that many students just enrol to do one or a few courses. Massey made a similar case about its stats. Massey extramural students felt that the numbers mislead and confuse (no, they expose the lower results of extramural study – what is done about is is a different matter). UCOL is committed to improvement after some poor completion rates and puts out a lot of detail. Unitec welcomed the results and also provided extra detail.
   • The ODT has good coverage of TEIs in the surrounding area while the Timaru Daily Herald covers Aoraki.
   • The Greens’ Gareth Hughes thinks we should spend more money. Grant Robertson made what I think is the most constructive media release I’ve yet seen from him. He says that some polys and PTEs have some explaining to do, while more detailed info would be useful – he also thinks we should spend more money. 
2. Quake Update
   • The University of Canterbury has pushed off the student start date to 20/9, with staff back on 13/9 – their FAQ is great and includes no central library access for the rest of the semester due to the collapse of shelving.
   • CPIT closed until further notice after yesterday’s big aftershock but is now planning to open to all on 13/9.
   • SIT will be back on 13/9.
   • Avonmore staff are back today.
   • The beautiful 7-storey high rise brick building Manchester Courts, which is likely to be demolished, is the home of an ITO’s Chch office – the Retail Institute. Careerforce ITO got back to work on Monday, while I hear BCITO staff have been offered time off to help older people secure their homes.
   • UC Accommodation Student Village has made a great offer, putting up 50 free places for Civil Defence approved quake victims until 20/9, plus 50 places for UC approved quake victims, plus study space for students. Good work Darel!
   • Canty Uni’s Mark Quigley writes about aftershocks.
   • Otago Uni had a lecture on the earthquake and check out the picture here of a row of trees that has ben shifted out of alignment.
   • The Reverse Undie 500 will happen,with the OUSA van bringing up water and food – pity the water came back on today!
   • Some students have helped in the cleanup.
3. Nice Canty News A UC associate professor, Chris Cree Brown, has won 2010 SOUNZ Contemporary Award, the most prestigious annual award for ‘classical’ composition in New Zealand.
4. Fee Increases Massey’s fees rises are not welcomed by students, while NZUSA has blamed the government for fee increases.
5. Uni Rankings The QS World Rankings have been released, and the University of Auckland is the only one in the top 100 and it dropped 7 spots (they put out a release). The ODT covered Otago Uni’s ten places drop.
6. Software Split Waiariki is going for a Tribal student management system, moving on from Artena. Tribal is a UK company that runs the ITP benchmarking software.
7. Bits and Pieces Bay of Plenty Poly music students are doing a showcase. A Waiariki BFA student is exhibiting in Melbourne soon and may also do so in the US (PS she helped design the tino rangatiratanga flag). Here’s another story on the Dyson Award finalists. Otago Uni researchers want top replicate some Aussie research on the effetciveness of public health measures. NMIT is a finalist in the Tourism Industry Awards. An AUT academic comments on Samoan IP rights. Grant Robertson used World Literacy Day to challenge government funding policy. SIT CE Penny Simmonds has been slightly dragged into the mayoral campaign in Invercargill.
8. Aquaculture Local dignitaries visit Bay of Plenty Poly’s new aquaculture centre, building on their long-term involvement in marine studies. NMIT yesterday announced that they had launched NZ’s first aquaculture diploma - I don’t care who is first but both ITPs seem to be responding well to the coming aquaculture boom.