The Australian Quality Assurance Agency (AUQA) has published its final audit report of the University of New South Wales (UNSW), finding that the institution had improved substantially over the recent years.

 

The Agency found that UNSW had taken significant steps to implementing improvements and claity in governance, management and academic leadership. The audit found that the university had further embraced the essential messages of the UNSW’s strategic planning document.

 

“During the audit it became clear that UNSW places great importance on the student experience, including international students’ experiences, and on research training,” the report found.

 

AQUA commended the university on its achievements prior to the audit, and only made a small number of recommendations in the 2011 audit.

 

The Agency also expressed its admiration for the university’s ‘performance-based meritocracy’, while saying the university will need to maintain vigilance if it is to maintain the consistency of quality.

 

The report also praised the university’s research school, saying that the institution substantially built on its already pre-existing reputation as a quality research centre.

 

“AUQA commends the Graduate Research School (GRS) on the excellent services it provides for higher degree by research (HDR) candidates, supervisors and programs. Over the past few years the senior staff within the GRS have developed some very effective strategies for linking this University-level unit with faculty HDR committees. This provides a good information flow in both directions and an opportunity for sharing good practice,” the report continued.

 

The full report can be found here