But student service director David Richardson said on Thursday "it was only a matter of time" before the virus arrived in Dunedin.
"Australia is our risk. With so many cases being reported there and talk of schools closing, it is only a matter of time until it gets here."
The university has Dunedin's highest concentration of people in close proximity, catering for about 22,000 students and staff on its north Dunedin campus.
Included in that total are more than 3200 students living in residential colleges.
The university's pandemic planning group, which had been meeting regularly since the first suspected cases of swine flu were reported in New Zealand about six weeks ago, met again this week.
The group includes health sciences pro-vice-chancellor Prof Don Roberton, staff from key departments such as health and safety, student health, accommodation services and the international office, and a representative from Otago Polytechnic.
It maintained close links with Public Health South.
Mr Richardson, who heads the group, said it was "business as usual" for the university so far.
"We are taking a common sense approach... At the moment [we are doing] nothing different than we would for a normal winter flu."
The group was continuing to monitor events as they unfolded globally, nationally and locally, and continuing to advise staff and students on infection prevention, overseas travel and what to do in case of illness.
It was important the university monitored the spread of swine flu, he said.
"We have a large number of students and staff travelling all the time... We estimate 50 staff have travelled through affected areas in the past month and an unknown number of students."
"A handful" of staff and students had been self-quarantined after travelling back to Dunedin from overseas, on the advice of Ministry of Health and border security staff.
