SDG 4 – Quality Education , Kia Kounga te Mātauranga

Massey University celebrates 60 years of global distance education

In 2022, the university marked 60 years of delivering study via distance to people of all ages, backgrounds and locations worldwide.

Massey's extensive history means its name goes hand in hand with distance learning, with more than half of Massey's student cohort now enrolled to study via distance.

In 2021 and 2022, two-thirds, 66.7 per cent, of Massey students studied one or more courses by distance.

• An increase of 4.0 percentage points – compared to 2020, where 62.7 per cent of our students studied one or more courses by distance.
• In 2018 and 2019, 57.2 per cent and 59.5 per cent of students, respectively, studied one or more courses by distance.

The percentage of Māori and Pacific students who study by distance is even higher. This result underscores the critical role of distance education in promoting inclusivity in education. The flexibility inherent in distance education enables students to pursue their studies while juggling work and family responsibilities.

• In 2022, 82.9 per cent of Māori students studied one or more courses by distance.
• In 2022, 83.0 per cent of Pacific students studied one or more courses by distance.

Pūrehuroatanga: Advancing Equity, Access and Excellence

Pūrehuroatanga is a strategic initiative which emphasises equity, access, and excellence. Massey launched the collaborative approach in 2021. Aligned with the University Learning and Teaching Strategy, Paerangi, Pūrehuroatanga aims to eliminate institutional barriers and provide targeted, proactive, and data-driven support for all learners, including priority learner groups.

Specific areas of emphasis include enhancing the success of Māori and Pacific students while fostering disability inclusion. The principal goal is to improve student success using comprehensive strategies.

Furthermore, Massey University has recently developed a Disability and Inclusion Action Plan to further engage with and support the disabled student voice.

Find out more about Pūrehuroatanga

Find out more about Massey’s Disability and Inclusion Action Plan

Toro Mai online courses in high demand

Massey's Toro Mai courses continue to be popular. The two free introductory courses, one on te reo Māori and one on tikanga Māori are offered online and are self-paced.

In 2022, the university had 7,827 enrolments. This result represents a return to expected numbers following a peak during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 18,106 enrolments in 2020 and 10,577 in 2021. In 2019, there were 6,433 enrolments.

Find out more about Massey's Toro Mai courses

Partnerships and milestones in the Pacific Islands

Massey's academics contributed to the reprinting of the 1986 Tokelau dictionary. The focus of the reprint was on keeping the language alive for the Tokelauan diaspora, of whom many cannot speak the language.

“Talanoa Ako: Pacific talk about education and learning” is a collaboration with the Ministry of Education. Integrating Pacific cultural concepts and knowledge with classroom learning and reporting to parents is at the heart of this project and is designed to bolster Pacific student achievements.

The university's Institute of Education was part of a project with researchers from the United States and Australia to make maths contextually relevant for school children in the Cook Islands and Niue.