The Standards and Accreditation Board (SAB)

• Overseeing all aspects of the accreditation of New Zealand engineering qualifications using international benchmarks (Washington Accord, Sydney Accord and Dublin Accord)
• Determining the standards required for different classes of Engineering New Zealand Membership and CPEng registration
• Overseeing the professional development Partner programme
• Monitor strategic issues impacting on engineering education in New Zealand
• Ensuring that Engineering New Zealand satisfies all responsibilities under international Accords and Agreements

Strategic Priorities

Ongoing Strategic Priorities

• Engineering Education Accreditation: Continue addressing requests for engineering programme accreditation (including developing accreditation of postgraduate programmes in engineering)
• Professional Standards: Ensuring that New Zealand Government’s Occupational Regulation legislation support and enhances (or at least does not detract from) the professional standards and competencies of practicing engineers

2023-2024 Strategic Priorities

• Improving constructive alignment of programme design, delivery and assessment with Graduate Attributes
• Development of a roadmap and plan to adopt the 2021 version of the IEA Graduate Attributes and Professional Competencies*
• UK Masters / NZ BE (Hons) alignment
• Developing Lessons learned from the pandemic, including consideration of virtual and hybrid approaches to accreditation visits (including learning from international organisations)
• Completing our review of accreditation documentation and incorporating updates based on experience of its use during 2020/21
• Addressing impending challenges to maintain our international educational accord signatory status, including:

1. Resolution of continuous versus periodic review model
2. Advent of Te Pūkenga and the single service provider model

• Innovation in engineering education

2024 and beyond Strategic Priorities

• Support Engineering New Zealand’s review of the SAB terms of reference
• Implementation of the plan for adopting the 2021 version of the IEA Graduate Attributes and Professional Competencies*
• Consider development of model for accreditation of Engineering Geology qualifications?
• Review / redesign of Engineering New Zealand’s Professional Development Partner model

Note: * Endorsed by SAB as a key priority

SAB Board Members

Chair
Craig Price, DFEngNZ, CPEng, IntPE, CFInstD, BE(Hons)

I am a Chartered Professional Engineer, Distinguished Fellow and Past President of Engineering New Zealand. As Chief Technical Officer for Beca Group Ltd, I am responsible for leading the professional practice of Beca and guiding the development of Beca’s technical capability globally, across eight countries, 23 offices and more than 3,500 staff. I am strongly committed to the engineering profession and passionate about supporting the advancement of engineering education and professional standards through my work on the Standards and Accreditation Board. I support the objectives of the International Engineering Alliance to achieve internationally bench-marked standards for engineering education and competence for engineering practice through my role as the Deputy Chair of the International Professional Engineers Agreement. I am a Chartered Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Directors and my governance experience includes commercial entities, industry and professional associations.

Board Members

Jan Evans Freeman, PhD, DistFEngNZ, FInstPhys, CMInstDir

I am a Professor of Engineering and my speciality is in semiconductors and microelectronics. I was the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the College of Engineering at the University of Canterbury (UC) from 2009 until 2021, and after that I was the Pro-Vice-Chancellor Sustainability at UC until 2025. I am a Distinguished Fellow of Engineering New Zealand, an Engineering New Zealand McClean citation winner, and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors.

I have contributed to Engineering NZ over the last 10 years by being on the Board, and recently I was the President for two years. I am passionate about the link between tertiary education providers and industry and introducing STEM to younger students at school. I have been a professor for 22 years and have seen these links grow stronger over that time. I have considerable experience upholding educational standards and working in collaboration with industry to deliver education that is timely, relevant and meets the standards of international accords.

Enda Crossin, CMEngNz, MIEAust, CPEng (Australia), PhD

I started my career in industry, working as a materials engineer in the consulting, design and rail sectors. My academic career spans Australia and New Zealand, and I am the Head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Canterbury. I am a Chartered Professional Engineer (Australia) in Mechanical Engineering, Leadership and Management, and Project Management, and a Chartered Member of Engineering New Zealand. I currently serve as Vice President of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education and will be President of the Association in 2027–2028. I also serve on the editorial board for the Australasian Journal of Engineering Education. My research interest is engineering practice, focussing on career pathways. This research supports my commitment to aligning engineering education with the realities of engineering practice. I am passionate about preparing future engineers for evolving professional work by integrating industry experience, engineering fundamentals, and project based learning into my teaching, mentoring, and supervision.

Dale Carnegie, FEngNZ

I'm a professor in the Faculty of Engineering at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington. I initially joined the University in 2005, and within a few years became the founding professor of Electronic and Computer System Engineering in the newly established Engineering Faculty. Since then I have served as Deputy Head of School, Head of School, and most recently, 8 years as the Faculty’s Dean. I hold adjunct positions with the University of the South Pacific and the University of Waikato and am on the Engineering Stakeholder Advisory Group for the Open Polytechnic.

My research interests are multidisciplinary, spanning Engineering Education, Mechatronics, Sensors, Optics, and an engagement with the New Zealand School of Music that has resulted in us developing a world-leading research group in musical mechatronic devices. I'm passionate about the student learning experience and have been awarded multiple teaching awards including the Ako Aotearoa Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award for sustained excellence in tertiary teaching and learning.

Julie Nottage, FEngNZ

I’m a Chartered Civil Engineer and a Fellow of Engineering New Zealand. I’m the Past Chair of Engineering New Zealand, Auckland Branch – only the 3rd woman in 100 years to hold this position. I’ve worked in the engineering industry for over 30 years in the UK and Middle East. My discipline is traffic and transportation, including highway design, and I specialise in tenders and procurement. I’m heavily involved with Engineering New Zealand – I’ve been on the Auckland Branch committee for 10 years, the Fellowship Panel for 5 years, I’m on the Standards and Accreditation Board and a supporter of Engineering New Zealand wellbeing and mental health initiative during COVID. I was also the winner of the Auckland Luminary Award 2022 for exceptional contribution to engineering in Auckland. I’m an advocate for the Diversity Agenda and as a professional speaker, I speak and train across the engineering and contractors’ industry on diversity, leadership, networking, communications and presentation skills.

Garry Miller, FEngNZ, FICE, MAPM, CEng(UK) BSc, MBA, PhD

I’m the Director of the Graduate School of Engineering at the University of Auckland, with responsibilities for our postgraduate programmes. I’m a Civil / Structural Engineer, and started my career as a design engineer in one of the structures teams for consulting engineering firm Arup. I've had a varied career in public and private sectors, for contractor, consultant and client-side organisations. My focus is now on advancing engineering education and enabling people with an interest and aptitude for engineering to embark on learning pathways for entry into the profession. This includes the ongoing development of knowledge and skills for working professionals. I’m passionate about teaching, student learning, and enabling every student to achieve their full potential. I believe in the importance of professional standards, in diversity and inclusion, and in the value of education as means for advancement of society.

Mathew Thomas, PhD (Engineering), MBus (Management), MSc (Civil), B.E (Hons), MEngNZ

I earned my civil engineering degrees and worked for five years. Then, in 2010, I started teaching and researching. In 2022, I helped develop the Bachelor of Engineering Technlogy (Civil Engineering) (BEngTech) programme at the Open Polytechnic. This model focuses on part-time students in civil contracting and consulting. I'm now teaching in the program. I'm a Principal Academic Staff Member in Civil Engineering. Before joining, I developed online learning for underrepresented part-time students in the industry. My role was to ensure the program met industry needs. We used an approach that combined different engineering fields, which helped industry learners. I also designed a curriculum and materials to keep learners engaged. This work was part of my PhD in Engineering Education at the University of Waikato from 2012 to 2017. I'm driven by my passion for teaching road and highway engineering and sharing my knowledge. My research covers part-time delivery models. It also covers responsive engineering curriculum, technology and engineering education, engineering literacy and discourse development, and STEM outreach and planning. I am passionate about equity for all learners and the need to develop and explore the integrative nature of engineering aligned with international accords

Glen Mitchell, FEngNZ, CPEng, IntPE, B.E. (Mech) (Hons)

I am a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and a Fellow of Engineering New Zealand, with extensive experience across the commercial construction, industrial, mining, and water sectors. Currently, I serve as the Maintenance Manager at Downer, overseeing the City Rail Link (CRL) maintenance contract, where I am responsible for delivering asset management services to Auckland Transport for their central Auckland rail facilities.

Previously, I worked as a Services Manager for Hawkins and, prior to that, as a consultant with MWH (now Stantec), taking on a range of delivery roles that span a broad spectrum of technical expertise within the infrastructure and built environment sectors. I am passionate about fostering the development of the next generation of engineers and am actively involved in Downer’s graduate and intern programmes, helping to shape the careers of emerging professionals.

In parallel with my professional roles, I have contributed to Engineering New Zealand through my involvement on their Governing Board, Competency Assessment Board, Emerging Professionals Group, and as a Practice Area Assessor. I have also participated in various accreditation panels for the Standards and Accreditation Board across tertiary institutions in New Zealand. My commitment to ensuring alignment between engineering practices and industry requirements drives my ongoing support for the important initiatives led by Engineering New Zealand.

John Hare, DFEngNZ, CPEng, IntPE, BE(Hons)

I am the Managing Director of Holmes, a Chartered Professional Engineer, Distinguished Fellow and Past President of the Structural Engineering Society; and also a Licensed Professional Engineer in California. In addition, I am a past chair of the University of Canterbury Civil Engineering Advisory Board.

In my career as a structural engineer (almost all of it with Holmes) and over my time with SESOC, I have had a keen interest in educational standards and professional development. New Zealand trained engineers have a well-deserved global reputation built on practicality and a sound understanding of engineering principles; and it is vitally important that we protect and enhance that through the quality of our education and the learning that follows. Meeting these requirements in the changing educational environment will be challenging but critical and I hope to use my experience of governance and leadership to assist the Standards and Accreditation Board in steering toward this outcome.