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 by 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 2023 and 2024, nearly two-thirds, 65.4 per cent, of Massey students studied 1 or more courses by distance each year.

• An increase of 5.9 percentage points – compared to 2019, where 59.5 per cent of our students studied 1 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 2024, 83.7 per cent of Māori students studied 1 or more courses by distance. This is 5.9 percentage points higher than in 2019.
• In 2024, 83.2 per cent of Pacific students studied 1 or more courses by distance. This is 8.0 percentage points higher than in 2019.

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 2 free introductory courses, 1 on te reo Māori and 1 on tikanga Māori are offered online and are self-paced.

Course enrolments peaked in 2020 during the pandemic, with 18,106 students. Since then, more than 30,000 students have enrolled in the Toro Mai courses including 6,339 in 2023 and 4,373 in 2024.

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.

Celebrating 20 years of Te Mata o Te Tau: Advancing Māori Research and Scholarship

Te Mata o Te Tau, the Academy for Māori Research and Scholarship, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023. Highlights include supporting Dr Taiarahia Black in completing the first doctorate entirely in te reo Māori and implementing a coordinated approach to increasing the number of Māori doctoral students.