University of New Zealand

The University of New Zealand was New Zealand's sole degree-granting university from 1874 to 1961. It was a collegiate university embracing several constituent institutions at various locations around New Zealand. After it was dissolved in 1961 New Zealand had four independent degree-granting universities and two associated agricultural colleges: the University of Otago (Dunedin), University of Canterbury (Christchurch), University of Auckland (Auckland), Victoria University of Wellington (Wellington), Canterbury Agricultural College (Lincoln) and Massey Agricultural College (Palmerston North).[1]

This article is about the former, federal university. It is not to be confused with the extant New Zealand universities.

University of New Zealand
New Zealand University shield
MottoSapere aude (Have courage to be wise)
Established1870, dissolved 1961
Location
Campuses all over New Zealand, Senate located in Wellington
,
New Zealand

History

The University of New Zealand Act set up the University in 1870.[1] At that time, the system's headquarters was in Christchurch, Canterbury Province.[2]

The University of Otago negotiated to keep its title of "university" when it joined the University of New Zealand in 1874, but it agreed to award degrees of the University of New Zealand.[1] The colleges in Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington were known as "university colleges" rather than "universities" throughout most of the history of the University of New Zealand.

The Universities Act of 1961 dissolved the university and granted degree-conferring powers to the former constituent colleges.[1] The New Zealand Vice-Chancellors' Committee assumed certain administrative functions exercised by the University Grants Committee[3] which in turn assumed some functions of the University of New Zealand on its demise.[1]

Entrance to the University

The University set its own entrance examination and awarded scholarships to provide financial assistance for students.[4][5] When the university was dissolved matters concerning entrance to New Zealand universities became the responsibility of the Universities Entrance Board, a subcommittee of the University Grants Committee.[1] The Universities Entrance Board was in turn merged into the New Zealand Qualifications Authority in 1990.[6]

Other use of the name

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, founded in 1984, used "The University of New Zealand" as an English translation of its name, although it had no connection with the former University. After objections from bodies such as the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors' Committee (the heads of the universities) and the Ministry of Education over illegal use of a protected word (in this case, "university") and thus possibly misleading advertising,[7] the effective co-branding of the wānanga was phased out. The institution is now formally registered as a wānanga, one of five types of Crown-owned tertiary institutions under New Zealand law, the others being universities, colleges of education, specialist colleges and polytechnics.[8]

See also

References
  1. McLintock, A. H., ed. (1966). "Education, University–University of New Zealand". Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 21 June 2006.
  2. "Canterbury" , Encyclopædia Britannica, 9th ed., Vol. V, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1878, pp. 30–31.
  3. "About NZVCC". New Zealand Vice-Chancellors' Committee. Retrieved 21 June 2006.
  4. Thomas, W.; Beeby, C. E.; Oram, M. H. (1939). Entrance to the University. New Zealand Council for Educational Research (1939). p. 25. Dewey 378.931. The Entrance or Matriculation Examination has been a 'standard' examination given by the University to make certain that its entrants are ready, in its opinion, to pass into the University.
  5. Parton, Hugh (1979). The University of New Zealand. University Grants Committee, New Zealand (1979). pp. 85, 98. ISBN 0-19-647973-8. A universal matriculation examination conducted by the University was a natural part of its external examination system and was introduced in 1879. … While it was the entrance examination of the University which influenced most strongly the curriculum of the secondary schools … the entrance scholarships which the Senate established in its earlier years had at least as great an influence.
  6. "Breaking new ground". QA News: Ten Years On—The Work of The Qualifications Authority. October 2000. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2006. External link in |work= (help)
  7. Milne, Jonathan (23 January 2005). "Wananga Faces Lecture Over University Claims". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 March 2006.
  8. "Education Act 1989 No 80 (as at 01 February 2011), Public Act. Part 14: Establishment and disestablishment of tertiary institutions, Section 62: Establishment of institutions". Education Act 1989 No 80. New Zealand Parliamentary Counsel Office/Te Tari Tohutohu Pāremata. 1 February 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2011.

Further reading
  • Alphabetical Roll of Graduates 1870-1961(Wellington: Whitcombe & Tombs, 1963) (List of Alumni) scanned PDF
  • The University of New Zealand: An Historical Study by J. C. Beaglehole (Wellington: New Zealand Council for Educational Research, Educational Research Series no. 3, 1937)
  • The University in New Zealand : Facts and Figures (G.A Currie & E.G. Kedgley, [1960].)

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