Writing in a New Zealand Tertiary Context: WAC and Action Research

Abstract

In order to understand WAC in New Zealand, it is necessary to sketch in some background information. First colonized by the Maori and then primarily by English and Scottish settlers in the early nineteenth century, New Zealand is, in many ways, a young country. The first higher education institution, Otago University, was established in 1869. Less than two hundred years later, higher education is firmly established through eight universities, which are the main degree-granting institutions, many more polytechnics, which are similar to community colleges in the US, and private institutions. In 2001, the country had a population of approximately 3.8 million people, and a higher education rate of 14%, 2% below the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development mean of 16%. While the official languages of New Zealand are English and Maori and students have the right to be examined in either language, English remains the almost universal language of New Zealand higher education, for course delivery, information acquisition, and student assessment. University undergraduate degree structures are generally three years long, although for specialist courses (e.g. engineering, technology, and medicine) a fouror five-year degree is not uncommon. Degrees are based on a number of courses, with a certain number of courses in a specific subject required for a specific major (for example, a student majoring in sociology might be required to do 24 courses for their degree, of which 10 might have to be sociology courses). Some degree programs will specify not only the number of courses in a particular discipline required for a major but also specific courses which must be taken. However, some choice is generally allowed to meet the needs of students with particular