Three of Canterbury's largest tertiary education providers have come together to form the Canterbury Tertiary Alliance (CTA) with the aim of coordinating the development and provision of tertiary education in the Canterbury region.

The Alliance comprises Christchurch College of Education, Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT) and the University of Canterbury.

Heads of the three institutions, Vice-Chancellor Daryl Le Grew (Canterbury), Principal Ian Hall (College of Education) and CEO John Scott (CPIT) formed the Alliance in response to Tertiary Education Minister Steve Maharey's call for greater co-operation and less competition in tertiary education.

The CTA aims to ensure members work together in areas such as minimising the duplication of courses while providing greater choice for students. Services to students will be improved through the cooperative development of teaching programmes, the provision of joint degrees, and a smooth cross crediting system.

For further information contact:
Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology
John Scott, CEO, Phone: + 64 (0) 3 940 8350