Salient final response International students.pdf

13 December 2024

Salient Magazine

By email: [FYI request #29209 email]

Tēnā koe Salient Magazine

Official information request regarding international student issues

I refer to your request for information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act)
dated 15 November 2024:

1.
Pass and Success Rates of International vs Domestic Students For each of the
last five academic years, please provide the pass rates and overall
completion rates of international and domestic students, broken down by:
−
Undergraduate programmes
−
Honours programmes
−
Master’s programmes
−
PhD programmes

Are there any significant differences in academic performance trends
between international and domestic students? If so, please provide analysis
or data on the factors that may contribute to these disparities.

2.
International Student Enrolment Policies and Academic Readiness What
specific admission requirements or assessments are required for
international students applying to undergraduate, honours, master’s, and
PhD programmes? This includes any mandatory language proficiency tests,
academic readiness assessments, or prior qualifications verification.

Has the university implemented any testing or pre-admission evaluations
aimed at determining an international student’s likelihood of success in a
New Zealand tertiary environment? If so, what are these evaluations, and
how are they factored into the admission process?

Does the university have policies or guidelines that outline differences (if
any) in the enrolment criteria between domestic and international students?

3.
Support for Transition from International to Western Academic Systems
What resources or support services does the university provide to assist
international students transitioning from non-Western education systems?
This includes any orientation programmes, language support, academic

workshops, or mentorship initiatives specifically designed for international
students.

Are there specific policies, plans, or documents outlining the university’s
strategies for supporting international students’ transition academically
and socially? If so, could you provide copies of these documents?

Has the university conducted any evaluations or studies on the effectiveness
of its support systems for international students? If such evaluations exist, I
request a summary or copy of any findings from these assessments.

4.
Scholarships for International Students For each of the last five academic
years, how many international students were offered scholarships, and how
does this compare to the number of domestic students offered scholarships?

Of the international students who were awarded scholarships, how many
completed their degrees under those scholarships, and how many were
removed from their scholarship programme before completion? Please
provide comparative data for domestic students as well.

What are the criteria and processes for awarding scholarships to
international students, and are there any differences compared to the
processes for domestic students?

5.
Complaints by International Students
In the last five academic years, how many complaints have been lodged by
international students regarding lack of support, particularly in academic,
language, social, or mental health services?

If possible, please provide a general summary of the nature of these
complaints, ensuring that all responses comply with privacy standards and
do not disclose individual information. Specifically, I would like to
understand any recurring issues or systemic concerns raised by
international students regarding the university’s support services.

6.
Long-term Tracking of International Student Success and Retention Does
the university track the retention rates of international students as
compared to domestic students? If so, could you provide these rates for the
last five years?

Are there any reports or analyses related to the long-term academic or
employment outcomes of international students post-graduation? If
available, please share insights or summaries.

On 3 December you agreed to refine question 1 to the GPA of domestic and international
students in their first year of a qualification from the 2019 – 2024 academic year and
which new domestic and international students enrolling in the last 5 years have been
placed on academic hold

I have renumbered your questions for clarity in answering:

1.
GPA of domestic and international students 2019 – 2024 and academic
holds.

Average GPA (Calculated)
2019

Domestic
4.69
International
5.34
2020

Domestic
5.20
International
5.55
2021

Domestic
4.93
International
5.13
2022

Domestic
4.78
International
4.99
2023

Domestic
5.00
International
5.73
2024

Domestic
5.16
International
5.96

# Students with Academic
% of Students with Academic

Hold
Hold
2019

Domestic
285
5.69%
International
28
1.66%
2020

Domestic
461
8.86%
International
25
2.16%
2021

Domestic
707
12.41%
International
49
7.73%
2022

Domestic
803
15.88%
International
33
5.38%
2023

Domestic
620
13.68%
International
41
3.14%
2024

Domestic
327
6.87%
International
10
0.65%

2.
Are there any significant differences in academic performance trends
between international and domestic students? If so, please provide
analysis or data on the factors that may contribute to these
disparities.

The University does not hold analysis or data on the factors that may contribute to
significant differences in academic performance trends between international and
domestic students. Therefore, this aspect of your request is refused in accordance
with s18(e) of the Act as the document alleged to contain the information requested
does not exist.

3.
What specific admission requirements or assessments are required for
international students applying to undergraduate, honours, master’s,
and PhD programmes? This includes any mandatory language
proficiency tests, academic readiness assessments, or prior
qualifications verification.

International admissions criteria is country specific. Information regarding
language and academic entry requirements for international students is publicly
available on the University website at
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/international/applying/entry-requirements.

Domestic admissions requirements can be found at:
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/study/apply-enrol/admissions

The University’s Admission and Enrolment Regulations can be found at:
www.wgtn.ac.nz/documents/policy/academic/admission-and-enrolment-
regulations.pdf

Information regarding entry criteria for a particular course or programmes is
available on the publicly available on the relevant course or programme page on the
University website.

As such, this aspect of your request is refused in accordance with s18(d) of the Act
as the information is already publicly available.

4.
Has the university implemented any testing or pre-admission
evaluations aimed at determining an international student’s
likelihood of success in a New Zealand tertiary environment? If so,
what are these evaluations, and how are they factored into the
admission process?

The University does not implement testing or pre-admission evaluations aimed at
determining an international student’s likelihood of success in a New Zealand
tertiary environment. Therefore, this aspect of your request is refused in accordance
with s18(e) of the Act as the document alleged to contain the information requested
does not exist.

5.
Does the university have policies or guidelines that outline differences
(if any) in the enrolment criteria between domestic and international
students?

Information regarding language and academic entry requirements for international
students is publicly available on the University website at
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/international/applying/entry-requirements.

The University does not hold policies or guidelines that outline differences in the
enrolment criteria between domestic and international students. Therefore, this
aspect of your request is refused in accordance with s18(e) of the Act as the
document alleged to contain the information requested does not exist.

6.
Support for Transition from International to Western Academic
Systems What resources or support services does the university
provide to assist international students transitioning from non-
Western education systems? This includes any orientation
programmes, language support, academic workshops, or mentorship
initiatives specifically designed for international students.

The International Student Support Team (ISST) offers several tailored resources to
assist international students in adapting both academically and socially, including:
•
Orientation Programmes: Dedicated international orientation sessions
covering cultural adjustment, academic expectations, and university
resources.
•
Mentorship Initiatives: While we do not have a formal mentorship
programme, we provide an International Buddy Programme that allows new
students to connect with domestic students or senior international students.
More details can be found here: International Buddy Programme
For Academic Workshops:
•
Sessions on essay writing, referencing, critical thinking, and study techniques
led by the Learning Support Team.
•
The ISST works closely with Titoko and SLSS to provide academic support to
international students through the Academic Monitoring Program
For Language Support:
•
English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses are available to enhance
language proficiency and academic communication skills. More information
can be found here: EAP Course Details.

All information held by the University related to supporting international students
to western academic systems cannot be made available without substantial collation
or research. Therefore this aspect of your request is refused in accordance with
s18(f) of the Act. However we can provide the following information which will
provide an overview of our activities:
•
Orientation Deskfile,
•
Trimester 3 2024 Orientation Programme
•
Trimester 3 2024 Orientation presentation
•
Academic Monitoring Deskfile.

Please, note some information contained in these documents has been withheld in
accordance with s9(2)(a) of the Act in order to protect the privacy of natural
persons.

Further information relating to support for international students is available at
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/students/support/international.

7.
Are there specific policies, plans, or documents outlining the
university’s strategies for supporting international students’
transition academically and socially? If so, could you provide copies of
these documents?

The University has documented strategies to support students in several policies
and plans, including:
•
The Student Engagement Framework: Engagement Framework PDF
•
Student Wellbeing Outcomes Framework: Wellbeing Framework PDF
•
Disability Inclusion Action Plan set by the Disability Service: Disability
Inclusion Plan

However, there are no policies, plans or documents specifically regarding outlining
the strategies for supporting international students’ transition. Therefore, this
aspect of your request is refused in accordance with s18(e) of the Act as the
document alleged to contain the information requested does not exist.

Further information can be found on the University’s website at:
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/about/governance/policy/policies

8.
Has the university conducted any evaluations or studies on the
effectiveness of its support systems for international students? If such
evaluations exist, I request a summary or copy of any findings from
these assessments.

ISST conducts evaluations through a number of different platforms, including:
•
Orientation Surveys.
•
Focus Groups: Conducted based on Faculty requests.
•
Monthly Meetings: Held with student group representatives, including V-ISA,
PGSA, and the Pacific Student Group.

All information held by the University related to evaluations or studies on the
effectiveness of its support systems for international students cannot be made
available without substantial collation or research. Therefore this aspect of your
request is refused in accordance with s18(f) of the Act. However we have provided
the most recent Orientation survey results from Trimester 3, 2024.

9.
Scholarships for International Students For each of the last five
academic years, how many international students were offered
scholarships, and how does this compare to the number of domestic
students offered scholarships?

Scholarship Offers
Academic Year
Domestic
International
2020
2573
574
2021
2793
502
2022
2831
560

2023
2315
606
2024
1931
378

Please note the following in relation to this data:
•
The information is grouped by the year the application was received. The year
of study the scholarship was awarded for may differ from the year the
application was received.
•
The table only contains information where students have identified their
International or Domestic status (this is not a requirement for all scholarships
- it is estimated that only 50% of applicants include this information on their
application forms).
•
The information includes Doctoral scholarships and Prizes
•
The table records offers made, including offers that may subsequently have
been declined.
•
2024 data has been provided as at 10 December 2024.

Further information regarding scholarships, including all scholarships available to
international students can be found on our website at
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/scholarships/find-scholarships?category=international. If
there is a particular scholarship you would like further details about please contact
us.

10.  Of the international students who were awarded scholarships, how
many completed their degrees under those scholarships, and how
many were removed from their scholarship programme before
completion? Please provide comparative data for domestic students as
well.

This information cannot be made available without substantial collation or
research. Therefore this aspect of your request is refused in accordance with s18(f)
of the Act.

11.  What are the criteria and processes for awarding scholarships to
international students, and are there any differences compared to the
processes for domestic students?

Information regarding the criteria and processes for awarding scholarships is
specific to each scholarship. This information is publicly available on the relevant
scholarship page which can be found via the Scholarship Database at
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/scholarships/find-scholarships. As such, this aspect of
your request is refused in accordance with s18(d) of the Act as the information is
already publicly available.

12.  In the last five academic years, how many complaints have been
lodged by international students regarding lack of support,
particularly in academic, language, social, or mental health services?

The University has not received any formal complaints from international students
in the last five academic years regarding lack of support. Therefore, this aspect of
your request is refused in accordance with s18(e) of the Act as the document alleged
to contain the information requested does not exist.

13.  If possible, please provide a general summary of the nature of these
complaints, ensuring that all responses comply with privacy
standards and do not disclose individual information. Specifically, I
would like to understand any recurring issues or systemic concerns
raised by international students regarding the university’s support
services.

This aspect of your request is refused in accordance with s18(e) of the Act as the
document alleged to contain the information requested does not exist.

14.  Does the university track the retention rates of international students
as compared to domestic students? If so, could you provide these rates
for the last five years?

Domestic
International
Next year
Within year
Next year
Within year
retention %
retention %
retention %
retention %
2019
88.3
95.6
84.8
97.4
2020
88.4
92.1
89.9
93.3
2021
85.7
94.4
92.2
95.2
2022
84.1
92.5
91.0
93.8
2023
87.3
95.5
89.5
93.1

15.  Are there any reports or analyses related to the long-term academic or
employment outcomes of international students post-graduation? If
available, please share insights or summaries.

The University does not hold reports or analyses related to the long-term academic
or employment outcomes of international students post-graduation. Therefore, this
aspect of your request is refused in accordance with s18(e) of the Act as the
document alleged to contain the information requested does not exist.

We do hold general information about the types and location of employment, salary
ranges, and further study opportunities graduates may take up after completing
their qualifications via the Graduate Destinations Survey. This information is
available at https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/careers/resources/graduate-destinations

Further information on this subject may also be available from the Universities New
Zealand Graduate Outcomes Tool and the Education Counts website.

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of the
decisions made regarding this request. Information about how to make a complaint is
available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact me at
[VUW request email].

Ngā mihi nui

Blair Doherty
Senior Advisor, Official Information and Privacy
Legal Services
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington