International Benchmarking

The University encourages benchmarking not only with comparator institutions within Australia but also with institutions overseas.

Selection Criteria for International Benchmarking Partners

The current criteria for selection of the University’s international benchmarking partners are as follows:

• Universities with which the University of Adelaide has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or other agreement, preferably including a reference to benchmarking
• Universities which have English as a primary language
• Universities which are research intensive
• Universities which are comprehensive, preferably including medicine
• Universities which are of comparable size to the University of Adelaide

International Benchmarking Partners

In July 2008, the University of Adelaide and the University of Canterbury (New Zealand) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate collaboration between the two universities. This included agreement to engage in an ongoing benchmarking relationship and an initial series of benchmarking projects were agreed.

The University sees the relationship that has been developed with the University of Canterbury as a pilot of an international benchmarking approach for the University, with the emphasis being a qualitative one. A series of projects have been initiated around:

• student experience,
• performance reporting,
• sustainability, and
• Faculty of Sciences assessment practices.

Regular management meetings are held via videoconferencing. The Vice-Chancellor, the then Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Quality) and Director, Strategy and Planning visited the University of Canterbury from 6-10 July 2009 to further progress benchmarking activities. This was followed by a site visit to Adelaide in November.

These projects are seen as pilots, providing a template for application to collaborations with other disciplines and other universities and are all ongoing, with continuing communications between relevant staff.

During 2011, the Quality Enhancement Committee agreed to a broad approach which includes active initiation of informal benchmarking opportunities and reporting best practice, and the development of specific benchmarking guidelines to facilitate and increase in Faculty and School benchmarking initiatives.  It was also agreed that a second benchmarking partnership be initiated with one of the Universities identified by the Quality Enhancement Committee for this purpose.

International Benchmarking Measures

The tables below show the indicators, measures and associated data definitions for research, learning and teaching, and financial performance.

Research

Learning and Teaching

Indicator	Measure	Data Definition
Graduate Satisfaction	% of graduates satisfied with their course experience	Percentage of graduates overall satisfied with their course experience (Equivalent for each partner of the Graduate Careers Australia Course Experience Questionnaire).
Employer Satisfaction	% of graduates employed	Percentage of graduates employed of those available for work in the year after graduation (Equivalent for each partner of the Graduate Careers Australia Graduate Destination Survey).
Learning Performance	Undergraduate retention rates	The number of undergraduate students retained as a % of the total from the previous year less the students that have completed.
Learning Performance	Undergraduate progress rates	The number of undergraduate course enrolments with a grade of pass or more as a % of the total undergraduate course enrolment.

Financial Performance