All documents come from a place and a time. Just as the sun rose and set on previous Programme Accreditation Frameworks, the time has arrived for a new Accreditation Framework to guide future speech-language therapy practice. This framework is based on what is needed to unite the profession in its current landscape and guide speech-language therapy practice in Aotearoa New Zealand for the foreseeable future.
The 2025 Programme Accreditation Framework (PAF) is a guiding document for our profession. The PAF is NZSTA’s way of saying: this is what high-quality speech-language therapy preparation looks like in Aotearoa New Zealand. It sets expectations for university programmes, guides NZSTA's accreditation and support of programmes, and helps strengthen public trust in our profession.
Programme Accreditation Committee
The Programme Accreditation Committee (PAC) oversees programme accreditation and the monitoring of quality within the accredited Programmes. PAC is an NZSTA operational committee reporting to the executive director.
PAC membership includes a Māori academic, an NZSTA Board member and members from each Programme and sector in the profession.
Our current committee is:
Fiona Cook and Professor Suzanne Purdy (co-chairs), Dr Marie Jardine (Māori academic), Aoife O'Reilly (Health), Loren Walker (Education), MaryBeth Williams (Private Practice), Associate Professor Mershen Pillay (Massey University), Professor Clare McCann (University of Auckland), Gina Tillard (University of Canterbury), and Jane McKinnon (NZSTA co-president).
