Academic Unit Review and Implementation Plan
Every 10 years the University requires academic units to undergo a thorough and intense review process of every aspect of the unit’s activities and function including teaching, research, staffing, wellbeing, and outcomes for graduates. The School of Optometry & Vision Science report was submitted towards the end of 2024. The review panel commended the school and made only a few recommendations for change, which are primarily related to wider programme structure developments planned within the faculty and University over the next two or three years. The school’s Implementation Plan outlining how these recommendations will be approached was presented to the university Education Committee in November 2025 and received by Council in December.
OCANZ Accreditation
External accreditation of the BOptom programme by the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand (OCANZ) is required for graduates to register as optometrists in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. The school’s last accreditation was for the maximum period of eight years and is due for renewal in 2026. A comprehensive report was submitted to OCANZ in July 2025. The Accreditation panel visited for three days in early August, and the final letter of outcome was received in late October, with the BOptom programme receiving accreditation for 8 years (the maximum period) with no conditions.