TEQSA Registration and Material Change Processes Senior Management Summit 15 February 2012 Professor Merran Evans, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Planning and Quality

New Federal Government Framework  Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) requirements and instructions backed by legislative force from January  Senior staff can be held to account for non-compliances.  Based on multiple forms of evidence of compliance.  Conducted by TEQSA staff not academics as for AUQA audits.  Decision on registration will be made by the TEQSA Board of Commissioners.  Federal Court only avenue of appeal.  Academic Board may not accredit the awards of other tertiary institutions. 15 February 2012 Senior Management Summit 2

Provider Registration Standards (Legislative Instrument)  Provider standing;  Financial viability and safeguards;  Corporate and academic governance;  Primacy of academic quality and integrity;  Management and human resources;  Responsibilities to students;  Physical and electronic resources and infrastructure. 15 February 2012 Senior Management Summit 3

Provider Category Standards (Legislative Instrument)  “Higher Education Provider” Category;  “Australian University” Category;  “Australian University College” Category;  “Australian University of Specialisation” Category;  “Overseas University” Category;  “Overseas University of Specialisation” Category. 15 February 2012 Senior Management Summit 4

Provider Course Accreditation Standards (Legislative Instrument)  Course design is appropriate and meets the Qualification Standards;  Course resourcing and information is adequate;  Admission criteria are appropriate;  Teaching and learning are of high quality;  Assessment is effective and expected student learning outcomes are achieved;  Course monitoring, review, updating and termination are appropriately managed. 15 February 2012 Senior Management Summit 5

Qualification Standards (Legislative Instrument)  Higher education awards delivered meet the appropriate criteria;  Certification documentation issued is accurate and protects against fraudulent use;  Articulation, recognition of prior learning and credit arrangements meet the appropriate criteria. 15 February 2012 Senior Management Summit 6

Other Standards (Yet to be developed)  Teaching and Learning Standards;  Research Standards;  Information Standards. All standards are subject to some form of audit. 15 February 2012 Senior Management Summit 7

TEQSA Powers  Must inform TEQSA of any material changes.  TEQSA has ESOS regulatory powers over the sector.  Can impose conditions on a provider’s registration such as: –Maintain a particular staffing profile; –Provide particular facilities or support services; –Restrict or remove authority to self-accredit courses; –Restrict or remove ability to provide a course; –Restrict the number of students in a course. 15 February 2012 Senior Management Summit 8

Material Change Notification  Must notify TEQSA of: –Events that could affect ability to meet the Threshold Standards; –Changes to key information on National Register of higher education providers.  No later than 14 days after the day we have become aware of the event.  Points of contact with TEQSA will be the Vice-Chancellor and Pro Vice- Chancellor (Planning and Quality) only.  TEQSA may investigate and instruct following material change notification based on perceived risk.  Guidelines at: 15 February 2012 Senior Management Summit 9

Examples of Material Change  Changes to legal status, form of control, ownership or shareholding: –Involvement in any merger, acquisition or takeover.  Changes to key personnel (Council members / senior officers).  Adverse findings or conditions by a professional body or association: –Accreditation or registration on a provisional basis; –Adverse findings or recommendations made by a government agency.  Financial sustainability (severe financial difficulties). 15 February 2012 Senior Management Summit 10

Examples of Material Change (cont.)  Changes to premises where ‘higher education services’ are provided: –Establishing / disestablishing a campus / new premises inside or outside Australia.  Third party, agent and / or partner arrangements for delivery of ‘higher education services’: –Establishment / expiry / termination of agreements or contracts with third parties, agents and / or partners, the formation of companies etc; –Failure of a third party, agent and / or partner to adequately deliver ‘higher education services’ on our behalf. 15 February 2012 Senior Management Summit 11

Examples of Material Change (cont.)  ‘Higher education services’ that need to be reported are: –delivery of teaching and learning services; –student learning support (library, academic and English learning support); –student support services (career services, advocacy, counselling, accommodation, health and welfare services); –admission services; –teaching and learning facilities; –student complaint management; –research supervision. 15 February 2012 Senior Management Summit 12

Examples of Material Change (cont.)  ‘Higher education services’ that do not need to be reported are: –student exchanges; –maintenance of, and/or access to, electronic resources and/or websites to support higher education operations; –credit agreements; –marketing or promoting course(s) of study, student recruitment; –overseas study programs; –work-integrated learning involving practical placements. 15 February 2012 Senior Management Summit 13

Risk Profile  Registration informed by risk assessment in Feb / March  High level “red flags” that may lead to “targeted engagement” - unclear what this would entail.  Factors that may raise an institution’s risk rating include: –Drop in semester one commencing students; –High / volatile international student population; –High student attrition rates; –Delivery of courses offshore; –Increasing student to staff ratio; –Low operating profit margin.  TEQSA determine the level of regulation based on the institutional risk rating. 15 February 2012Senior Management Summit14

TEQSA Registration 2012: Key dates  Threshold Standards publishedJanuary 2012  TEQSA regulatory powers in effect29 January 2012  Material Change reporting introduced29 January 2012  TEQSA provider scan based on riskFebruary - March 2012  Registration template released1 March 2012  Monash submits registration application1 October 2012  Current Monash registration expires31 December February 2012Senior Management Summit15

Questions? 15 February 2012Senior Management Summit16