Mission
Special Character
Contribution to New Zealand's identity and economic, social, and cultural development
Contribution to the tertiary education system as a whole
Approach to collaboration and cooperation with other tertiary education providers and organisations
Approach to fulfilling Treaty of Waitangi obligations
Approach to meeting the needs of Pacific peoples
Approach to meeting the educational needs of learners
Approach to ensuring that the organisation develops and supports a staff profile that reflects its mission and special character
Governance and management structure and principles

1. Mission
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Edenz Colleges mission statement is that "The school exists to provide innovative quality education worldwide".

The school was established and developed with a strong entrepreneurial culture, starting with the founders Tim and Rosemary Cooper in 1987. This entrepreneurial culture is seen in how the company has diversified over the years according to the demands of international education. Edenz is a leader in innovation design of new programmes for international education in the age of a knowledge based and globalized economy.

Edenz Colleges is accredited to provide education and training for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), training for teachers of English for speakers of other languages (TESOL), business and computing Certificate and Diploma level programmes, and film and television production training. In the TESOL and Business and Computing Departments we joint deliver in partnership with Trinity College, London and Victoria University, Melbourne respectively.
Edenz Colleges predominantly serves the international educational market. Local students can enrol on all our programmes. However, local students are presently predominantly enrolled on our TESOL courses and on our film and television production courses. 

2 Special Character
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As an entrepreneurial organisation the school has dynamically shifted to meet the ever changing international education market. To do this we have developed a networking culture where departments adapt and work across boundaries as a flexible way of responding to necessary changes. Staff are encouraged to show assertive initiative along with a determined caring culture and to provide the highest level of customer focused education and professional services.

Edenz Colleges was established as a school for teaching English to speakers of other languages and typically drew students from the Pacific Rim economies and beyond. Students from these markets typically sought a native English speaking environment to study in. Over the years this market has shifted due to changes to our market and evolving internal educational provisions.

Typically young adults seek English language study internationally in order to gain competitive employment in their home countries. As economies mature high school aged students travel overseas as part of study tour groups during their school holidays. The College maintains agent contacts around the globe. International educational trends have affected the balance of programmes provided. In more recent times pathway options for international education have dominated international educational provision. The College has responded by building dual delivery diploma programmes in partnership with the Victoria University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.

As markets develop and change Edenz Colleges has also looked to diversify. The department of the College which offers film and television training was established within the context of the New Zealand film industry gaining an international profile - notably, through the trilogy 'Lord of the Rings' by the producer Peter Jackson. As such we believed there to be a potential opportunity for international education within the context of the film industry.

Edenz is also looking to diversify by exploring opportunities to expand overseas through establishing partnership programmes or overseas schools. Presently Edenz Colleges has an associate school in Bulgaria.

Edenz has a history of relationships with overseas agents and with working with students from diverse nationalities. Pastoral care involvements of staff are characteristic of the good will and caring values which Edenz provides. Relations with our partners, Trinity College, London and Victoria University of Technology add to a quality controlled educational environment. These partners are significantly involved in international education and so our values are shared in offering programmes designed for the International marketplace.

3. Contribution to New Zealand's identity and economic, social, and cultural development
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Edenz is committed to international education and the continuing improving quality and developing capacity of export education in New Zealand. It is for this reason Edenz has strategic partnerships with overseas institutions. Our joint delivery relationships with Trinity College, London and Victoria University of Technology, Melbourne help Edenz provide robust globally attuned quality education. These institutions wrestle with the issues of global education and as we participate with them we are under a constant process of transformation to meet the needs of globalized international education.
Edenz is committed to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students, which asserts commitment to meet the pastoral care needs of our students. Internally Edenz has a Student Council and a Student Welfare Manager and Committee so that focus is kept on student welfare as a holistic measure of international education provision. Teacher student relations are fostered in the way Edenz holistically manages the concerns of our student body. At Edenz students are well able to develop their learning styles in the process of adapting to studying in a western cultural environment.
Edenz has for many years been a leader in teacher training for ESOL and many Edenz graduated teachers are dispersed globally and within the New Zealand language teaching sector. This in turn is one way in which Edenz contributes to the New Zealand economy.
Homestay provision also enables many families a more robust opportunity to gain cultural awareness of other nationalities and the financial benefits of hosting students help many families economically. The international student base provides significant economic benefit to New Zealand and is a way New Zealand.
The innovative nature of the department of the New Zealand Film Academy demonstrates Edenz Colleges' contribution to education in New Zealand. By marketing the course for international recruitment, Edenz demonstrates how entrepreneurial educational development can benefit New Zealand's identity. On the one hand a niche film and television production industry is supported by a pool of trained talent and on the other hand, New Zealand talent is released across the globe adding to New Zealand's status in the field.

4. Contribution to the tertiary education system as a whole
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Edenz is strategically committed to extending its educational pathway options for international students. Our partnership with Victoria University of Technology, Melbourne, provides an avenue for international students to progress to higher educational opportunities with our Australian partner. Through cross credit arrangements which we establish with other New Zealand tertiary education providers we also determine to provide the opportunity for students to choose their own pathway of study beyond Edenz Colleges and Victoria University of Technology, Melbourne. In this way Edenz embraces choice for students in an ever increasingly diversified and globalized educational environment. Because Edenz is a specialist in English language education and managing the pastoral care of international students within their study environment, we pride ourselves on providing graduate students who are adjusted and prepared for the western style of tertiary education.

5. Approach to collaboration and cooperation with other tertiary education providers and organisations
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Edenz has established links with other tertiary providers both overseas and within New Zealand. These links enable informal collaborative networking, opportunities for pathways, educational diversifications, moderation and quality assurance measures. Victoria University of Technology, Melbourne, partner with us in dual delivery and are involved in helping Edenz establish cross credit pathways to other tertiary institutes in New Zealand. It is expected that these cross credit arrangements become formalised and pathway traditions become more established. Presently a mutual moderation arrangement exists with the Auckland Institute of Studies. A resource development agreement exists with our associate school in Bulgaria, and we are exploring dual delivery options with overseas partners such as with the University of Celaya, Mexico, with whom we have an agreement for the encouragement of academic research and cultural development.

Edenz Colleges is committed to forming regional and national collaborative ventures. This intention is directed at course developments, which compliment the specialist provisions of other educational entities.

Edenz is planning to develop a research strategy along with our Business and Computing Department offering higher level courses. This research will focus on outcomes for improvement of our holistic and targeted educational provision and identifying current and future skills needed for our student body, governing the international range of employment markets our graduates meet.

6. Approach to fulfilling Treaty of Waitangi obligations
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Edenz Colleges' film and television production department offers the greatest potential for improving access and opportunity to traditionally underrepresented groups and learners. This creative yet technical field of learning propels the potential of these students to critique the cultural landscape of New Zealand society. The potential for cultural critique through the short films students produce provides one avenue that Edenz Colleges can support the Treaty of Waitangi.

The film and television field of learning provides an opportunity for Maori and Pacific Island people to play a significant part in the future of the New Zealand film and television production industry. In this endeavor Edenz hopes to align with Maori entities interested in this field and thereby be more supportive, engaged and consultative with Te Ao Maori (The Maori world).

7. Approach to meeting the needs of Pacific peoples
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Edenz Film department, known as the New Zealand Film Academy offers the greatest potential for the College to directly impact Maori and Pacific Island students. Edenz hopes to establish links which support Maori television. Students complete a short film on the course and Edenz ensures these short films are given maximum exposure within the industry and internationally, through film festivals.

Edenz film and television production courses are designed with a hands on emphasis, which gives credit for the multifaceted skill sets developed. Through this department in particular we seek to offer educational opportunity for those who are sometimes less inclined to succeed in formal educational settings, yet nevertheless are suited to the creative disciplines.

8. Approach to meeting the educational needs of learners
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At Edenz Colleges we pride ourselves on helping students through a cultural adaptation period. International students have experienced significantly different educational systems. As Edenz is often a pathway through to other western educational platforms, Edenz sees itself as offering an opportunity for students to adapt to learning in a western environment. This environment requires a wider range of learning skills and self autonomy as learners. Self directed learning requires additional support in this culture change period.

At Edenz we pride ourselves on our experience in the teaching of English to speakers of other languages. English is a foundational skill required to gain access into the globalized knowledge economy where English remains the first language of business. For students enrolled on our business and computing programmes we provide additional language support and communication skills training which caters for non native speakers. In addition our tutors from our TESOL teacher training department observe our Diploma teachers, to provide feedback and support in managing the additional demands of non native speakers. In this way the transition to learning in a university environment is nurtured so that students graduating from Edenz will have the best opportunities to succeed in their future studies.

9. Approach to ensuring that the organisation develops and supports a staff profile that reflects its mission and special character
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Edenz is committed to ensuring that our staff have the skills, knowledge, and attitudes required to achieve our mission. We provide the opportunity for staff to pursue subsidized external professional development as well as running internal professional development workshops.

In the modern networked workplace within the context of a knowledge based and globalized economy, communication is critical. Edenz has supported masters level research into its organizational culture and developed a communicative participant centered Intranet as one mechanism to support cross departmental open dialogue and organizational cultural identity.

10. Governance and management structure and principles
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The structure of Edenz is governed by its four departments.

Edenz has a Council which meets regularly for academic, pastoral and strategic quality assurance and management matters. This is designed on a collaborative ratification model. Management and committee meetings also cover the schools management focus.

A student council made up of members from all departments provides one mechanism for students to represent their interests and concerns to the College.

Management positions focus on areas such as business, academic, development, human resource, registration, operations and student welfare.

While the management structure has line management accountability, according to a networked organisational paradigm, Edenz Colleges supports an organic evolution of role definition. Working across departments in a collaborative way is a feature of Edenz Colleges' innovative team working culture. This culture is a model for a networked organisational culture, which is the predominant international organisational trend in an ever changing globalized and knowledge based economy. In this way Edenz is a leader in private tertiary international educational sector. Edenz is committed to best practice in strategic and business planning, according to its charter and its unique organisational culture.