The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) has established an SRG to provide advice and recommendations to us on operational changes to the design of the Quality Evaluation 2026.

The SRG’s recommendations will be developed as part of a public consultation process. Agreed recommendations will form the basis for the PBRF Quality Evaluation 2026 Guidelines.

The SRG process will run from September 2021 to June 2023, when we will finalise updated Quality Evaluation Guidelines.

SRG Co-chairs

We ran a nomination process for Co-chairs between 14 April and 12 May 2021. We received 19 nominations. We are pleased to announce that following the nomination process we have appointed Professor Wiremu Doherty (Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa) and Professor Wendy Larner as Co-chairs.

SRG members

We ran a nomination process for membership between 15 July and 27 August 2021. We received 59 nominations from across the sector. We are pleased to announce that following the nominations process the following people have been appointed to the SRG:

• Dr Clive Aspin (Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Whanaunga, Ngāti Tamaterā), Associate Dean Māori, Senior Lecturer in Health, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
• Dr Maria Baker, Pouwhakahaere Matua CEO, Te Rau Ora
• Associate Professor Vaughan Bidois, Executive Director Academic, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi
• Professor Craig Bunt (Te Ātiawa), Professor of Agricultural Innovation, University of Otago
• Dr Christine Cheyne, Faculty Research Co-ordinator, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology (Te Pūkenga)
• Dr Donna Hendry, PBRF and Publications Manager, University of Otago
• Professor Robert Jahnke (Ngāi Taharora, Te Whānau a Iritekura, Te Whānau a Rakairoa o Ngāti Porou), Professor of Māori Visual Arts, Toioho ki Āpiti, Massey University
• Professor Bryony James, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato University of Waikato
• Professor Jenny Lee-Morgan (Waikato – Ngāti Mahuta, Te Ahiwaru), Professor of Māori Research, Director of Ngā Wai ā Te Tūī Māori and Indigenous Research Centre, Unitec (Te Pūkenga)
• Professor Kathryn McPherson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Auckland University of Technology
• Dr Sereana Naepi, Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, University of Auckland and Co-chair Royal Society Te Apārangi Early Career Researchers Forum
• Professor Steven Ratuva, Director Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, University of Canterbury
• Professor Karen Scott, Faculty of Law, University of Canterbury
• Associate Professor Yvonne Te Ruki Rangi o Tangaroa Underhill-Sem, Pacific Studies, Te Wānanga o Waipapa, Faculty of Arts, University of Auckland
• Professor Melinda Webber (Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāpuhi, Ngati Kahu), Tumu, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland

SRG Terms of Reference

The Sector Reference Group Terms of Reference (PDF 651 KB) were ratified at the first meeting of the group on 24 September 2021.

SRG 2026 consultations

The SRG will consult with the sector and other stakeholders on a range of implementation issues as part of the development of operational guidelines for the Quality Evaluation 2026.

The consultation papers, decision documents with the SRG’s recommendations to the TEC, and stakeholder feedback summaries will be made available on the TEC website.