Annual Report 2005

THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND Private Bag 92019 THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND Auckland 2005 2005 New Zealand www.auckland.ac.nz ANNUAL REPORT Annual Report Annual Report The University of Auckland The University of Auckland CONTENTS CHANCELLOR’S INTRODUCTION 1 VICE-CHANCELLOR’S REVIEW 3 AIMING HIGHER 6 KEY FACTS AND FIGURES 8 UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCE 10 UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE 13 COUNCIL MEMBERS 14 FOCUS ON TEACHING AND LEARNING 16 TEACHING, LEARNING AND RESEARCH REPORTS 18 ARTS 18 BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS 20 CREATIVE ARTS AND INDUSTRIES 22 EDUCATION 24 ENGINEERING 25 LAW 27 MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES 28 SCIENCE 29 SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY 31 TAMAKI CAMPUS 31 THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND AT MANUKAU 32 AUCKLAND UNISERVICES LTD 32 DEVELOPING TEACHING AND LEARNING 34 STATEMENT OF SERVICE PERFORMANCE 36 PEOPLE 36 TEACHING AND LEARNING 38 RESEARCH AND CREATIVE WORK 41 TREATY OF WAITANGI 43 RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST 44 INTERNATIONALISATION 47 EQUITY 48 ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT 49 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE 50 STATEMENT OF RESOURCES 51 TEACHING AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT 52 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 55 STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY 56 STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES 57 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE 60 STATEMENT OF MOVEMENTS IN EQUITY 60 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION 61 STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS 62 NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 63 COST OF SERVICE SUMMARY 75 REPORT OF THE AUDIT OFFICE 76 CHANCELLOR’S INTRODUCTION The University’s new Strategic Plan was a major item on the Council’s agenda in 2005. We discussed successive drafts on several occasions, and approved the final version in August. We were impressed with the diversity and quantity of input provided by members of the University community, and appreciated the amount of insight and careful thought that was evident. Their input was very useful indeed, and it had a major impact on the final product. The Strategic Plan 2005-2012 starts with a simple and clear statement of intent – to be a world-class university in New Zealand – and then sets out a range of strategies and quantifiable indicators of performance that we believe will see us achieve that end. It is vital to New Zealand that we do so. A world-class University of Auckland will assist our country to meet its national goals and to contribute to the advancement of the Asia-Pacific region and the wider world. Our engagement with this ideal will help provide all New Zealanders with greater opportunities and a better future. (Strategic Plan, p.1) ‘World-class’ is an appellation that can be too lightly or carelessly used, and there is a risk that our framing of our aspirations that way will be seen as empty rhetoric. We must therefore maintain a close focus on what it means to be a ‘world-class’ university. We must ensure that our actions and our achievements demonstrate that our vision has substance. Our thinking at the moment focuses on five key characteristics of a world-class university. The first is excellence in research. It is through research that leading universities make their greatest contributions to the world, and excellence in research is almost certainly the foremost defining feature of world-class universities. We already have the strongest cohort of researchers in New Zealand, and our international ranking suggests we sit amongst the top handful of universities in Australasia, but to be world-class we must do better. That means attracting the brightest researchers and research students locally and internationally, and continuing to invest heavily in libraries, laboratories and cutting-edge scientific equipment to support their work. The second, and it is inextricably linked with the first, is top quality academic staff who are not only leading researchers but whose brilliant teaching will attract the best students. We must engage our students in a rich and meaningful learning experience. They are making a major commitment in spending several years here, and doing so must be rewarding for them, in every sense. Top quality research and inspiring teaching come together in the third characteristic of a world-class university, which is an atmosphere of intellectual excitement. This is hard to define and measure, but it might be best explained as the spirit that unites a university as a scholarly community. It is evident in the public sharing and collegial debate of each other’s work, the common thrill of new discoveries, curiosity-driven inquiry, the celebration of 1 knowledge for its own sake and the phenomenon and not merely a cease-fire. item for Council during 2005, but because collaborative nature of so much scholarly The final key factor defining a world- it is such an important document now and endeavour. class university is also an enabling one. It in the future for the University and its The fourth characteristic, institutional is consistent and long-term public and stakeholders and supporters. There is no autonomy and academic freedom, is an private financial support. New Zealand clearer statement of what we can achieve, essential enabler of the first three. The has established world-leading and why we must be enabled to achieve freedom of the scholar to research and arrangements for the financial support of it. teach, without outside interference in the tertiary students, but treats its institutions subject or methods of their scholarship, is woefully. Government funding for tuition necessary for the proper functioning of a has, as a proportion of the University’s university, but it is also an important revenue, halved since 1990, and continues cornerstone of a liberal society. The to fall in real terms. This trend has to be concepts are embedded in statute in New reversed. Government must invest more Zealand, but universities have frequently in universities, and must direct its Hugh Fletcher perceived them to be honoured more in investment more effectively than it does Chancellor the breach than in the observance. currently. At least on the second point, During 2005, however, there was a distinct we are in agreement. Gaining acceptance pause in the recent trend of increasing of the first is now critical to progress on political and bureaucratic encroachment almost every front. on the University’s autonomy and the I have concentrated on the new academic freedom of its staff. We Strategic Plan in this statement not only fervently hope that this is a continuing because it was such an important agenda 2 VICE-CHANCELLOR’S REVIEW After leaving office as US Secretary of Professor Brookfield and Professors international competitions, mainly in State, Henry Kissinger served a term as Bellamy, Curnow and Hunt were made business cases and mooting, this year President of an Ivy League university. He Companions of the New Zealand Order taking honours in Washington, Sydney, summed up his experience of university of Merit. Emeritus Professor Garner and Hong Kong, and Seattle. In two rounds of leadership by saying how much it made Professors Crosier, Lennon, Faull and Top Achiever Doctoral Scholarships, him yearn for a return to the relative Hughes and Associate Professor Havill students from this University won just simplicity of Middle East diplomacy. were made Officers of the Order. Many under 40 per cent of all awards nationally. While I understand Dr Kissinger’s point, academic honours were achieved by staff Work was completed on restructuring my first year at The University of Auckland and are detailed in the Faculty reports on all of the University’s degree programmes has left me with an altogether more pages 18 to 33. Particularly significant and on preparation for the introduction of positive outlook. The University takes the were the admission as Fellows of the General Education to undergraduate legal form of an incorporated body, but in Royal Society of New Zealand of Emeritus degrees from 2006. The year was a busy substance it is a community, a group of Professor Sharpe and Professors one for professional accreditations, with people who have come together for Khoussainov and Sneyd, and the Society’s programmes in Medicine, Nursing, common scholarly purposes. The people awards of the Liley medal to Professor Pharmacy, Engineering and Accountancy all who comprise The University of Auckland Faull for his outstanding research receiving important accreditations. have made an enormous impression on contribution to health and medical Particularly notable was the achievement me. Every day their energy and creativity sciences and the Pickering Medal to of the Business School in being the first at are apparent in countless different ways, as Professor Boys for his work in the a New Zealand university to receive all is their shared commitment to achieve practical application of technology. three of the major international genuine excellence in international terms. Congratulations are also due to Professor accreditations for business schools – It has been a pleasure and a privilege to Gao for his James Cook Research AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA – and also become a member of this community, and Fellowship, and to Dr Colin Quilter for being the first to receive Australian CPA to work alongside so many talented and winning a Sustained Excellence Award in accreditation. Also notable was the dedicated colleagues. the National Tertiary Teaching Excellence achievement of the Faculty of Medical and The growing international recognition of Awards. The outstanding contributions Health Sciences in securing accreditation the University’s standing, and its leading made by support staff must also be of the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor position locally, were confirmed by the recognised, and General Staff Excellence of Surgery programme from the Australian Times Higher Education Supplement 2005 Awards were made to Gay Brennan Medical Council for the maximum time World University Rankings. The University (Student Administration), Andrew Phipps possible. ranked 52nd overall in the world, up from (Human Resources) and Rob Burrowes Research revenue, at $144 million and 67th in 2004.

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