1. Quality Assurance in Higher Education
Rebecca Liebel
AEI Germany
18th September 2006

2. Presentation Overview
The Higher education sector
The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
Quality assurance processes

3. Higher Education Sector
The National Protocols for Higher Education Approval
Processes that guide State and Territory legislation processes.
AQF registers
States & Territories
Responsible for regulation of non-university higher education providers.
Comply with The National Protocols for Higher Education Approval Processes

4. Higher Education Sector
The Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA)
A) university audits conducted on a 5 year rolling cycle; assessing universities against their own missions & objectives.
B) auditing the State & Territory bodies that regulate the accreditation of other higher education providers.
C) Strengthening audit function of Australian offshore higher education provision by 2005
Universities
- External examiners - The Australian Vice Chancellor’s Committee (AVCC)  Code of Practice for academic quality  Guidelines for course development

5. The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
forms the foundation for the regulation of qualifications
brings together the qualifications issued by the different sectors of the Australian education and training system into a nationally consistent, comprehensive structure of educational awards
plays an essential role in defining the standards of qualifications
helps students and families understand the available pathways across the sectors
Institutions in each sector wishing to award AQF qualifications or offer courses leading to an AQF qualification must meet certain registration and course accreditation criteria. These measures are underpinned by Commonwealth, State and Territory legislation. The institutions and accreditation authorities on the AQF registers have the full endorsement of Australian Commonwealth, State and Territory education ministers and the registers therefore help to safeguard the integrity of Australian education and training by identifying bona fide institutions and accreditation authorities. The registers are publicly available at

6. The Australian Qualifications Framework
The Framework comprises:
agreed national guidelines for each of the current thirteen national qualifications
principles for articulation and credit transfer;
protocols for issuing qualifications
registers of authorities empowered by State / Territory governments to accredit qualifications and providers and to issue qualifications.
The Australian Qualfications Framework is the key national policy instrument to protect the quality of Australian education and training.

7. Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
Schools Sector
VET Sector
Higher Education Sector
Senior Secondary Certificate of Education
Doctoral degree
Masters degree
Graduate Diploma
Graduate Certificate
Bachelor degree
Advanced Diploma
Advanced Diploma, Associate Degree
Diploma
Certificate IV
Certificate III
Certificate II
Certificate I

8. Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)

9. Quality assurance processes operating in each sector
National policy frameworks
State and Territory legislative frameworks
Robust tradition of self-regulation and continuous improvement at institutional level

10. Regulations and Legislation
The international study sector is regulated by the following:
The Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000
The National Code of Practice
The Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS)

11. ESOS Act
The primary Federal legislation regulating education provided to students studying on a student Visa in Australia
It is the responsibility of the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST)

12. ESOS Act
The Act:
establishes the National code which sets standards of conduct for providers and their agents;
Contains consumer protection provisions;
Establishes the Tuition Assurance Scheme; and
Establishes the ESOS Assurance Fund

13. ESOS Act
Provides that registered education providers are responsible for their agents regarding:
the provision of marketing and student information;
and
the recruiting and placing of students in a course
Hence Agents must:
understand the Act and the National Code; and
take clear instructions from the institution they represent

14. Consumer Protection under ESOS
The provisions come into play should a school close suddenly for any reason (fire, financial distress etc)
According to the provisions a provider must:
provide the student a refund if the course doesn’t begin when agreed or ceases to be provided after commencement; or
Place the student in a new, alternative course after obtaining the student’s consent

15. Tuition Assurance Scheme
most providers belong to such a scheme
scheme members will provide an alternative course place at no extra cost if a refund cannot be provided to the student

16. ESOS Assurance Fund
an additional level of consumer protection when a student’s institution ceases to exist
all non-exempt private institutions must contribute
a student’s claim is referred to this fund after all other options have been exhausted
If the fund manager can’t place the student in an alternate course a refund may be provided

17. Exempt Providers
The following providers are exempt. Students are assured that they will receive tuition or a refund.
Government funded schools
Publicly funded institutions
TAFES

18. Agent Responsibility
If approached by students regarding an institution’s closure, agents are to refer students to the provider’s Tuition Assurance Scheme
Agents should be aware that a student’s failure to accept a suitable alternative course may result in his/her ineligibility for a refund.

19. Tourist Visas and Study
Students may partake in a short course of study up to 3 months duration on a tourist visa.
The ESOS Act does not regulate provision of services to these students.

20. The National Code A set of standards with legal force
Regulates the conduct of educational institutions that enrol international students
The Code places clear responsibilities on all educational institutions
The Code makes an Agent’s behaviour the direct responsibility of the education provider

21. Agent Responsibility under the Code
Under the National Code an agent must act responsibly towards prospective students.
Examples of Agents’ responsibilities (non-exhaustive):
Honest marketing of education and training services
Provision of accurate information
Not engaging in misleading comparisons of institution
The provision of accurate and responsible advice on Visas

22. The key paragraphs of the Code for agents are:
Marketing and student information (para 19-25)
Student recruitment and placement (para 26-30)
Unethical agent behaviour (para 49)

23. Other important provisions
The following are also important provisions in the Code:
Full time courses
20 Contact hours a week (on average), unless the accrediting authority determines otherwise.
Students may study on a part-time basis in their final semester to complete a course.
Maximum Number of students
Each institution has a maximum number of students they are permitted to enrol. The figure is not made public.

24. Other important provisions
Length of Operation
An institution may not use their facility for more than 14 hours a day
Facilities and Resources (para 18)
adequate teaching resources
suitably qualified staff
secure premises
adequate space for students

25. Other important provisions
Student Records (para 34-40)
adequate student records regarding academic history, attendance and various other areas must be kept.
Repeating Study (para 40)
students are only allowed to repeat a subject/course once if doing so requires that they take less than a full-time study load
Other relevant paragraphs:
Student refunds (42-44) and Student support services (45-46)

26. Registered Provider Responsibilities
The provider is responsible for their agent’s behaviour, hence it must refuse to accept international students if it believes the recruiting agent:
has engaged in dishonest practices
engages students who don’t comply with their visa requirements
engages in false or misleading practices
uses the Provider Registration and International Student Management System (PRISMS) to create electronic Confirmations of Enrolments (eCoEs)

27. Further Agent Responsibilities
para 19-24:
certain features of courses must be described accurately
para 26-30:
the provider is responsible for certain recruitment and placement acts, whether undertaken by the provider themselves or the agent.

28. Further Agent Responsibilities
An agent must not make false or misleading comparisons with other courses or institutions (i.e. comparisons must be substantiated)

29. Further Agent Responsibilities
An agent must be accurate regarding information it provides students including:
General descriptions of the institutions and courses provided by the institution
Details of the entry requirements, including English language, academic or work requirements
Details of any other institutions involved in the course delivery
Details of the fees payable
Indications of the costs of living expected during study
Information that the student must study full-time and comply with the conditions of their student visa.

30. CRICOS
is the register of all education institutions and courses that are offered to international students studying on a student visa in Australia (i.e. not short courses)
the ESOS Act specifies the information that CRICOS must record
Providers have a provider number and courses have a course code

31. CRICOS
The provider number clarifies who is responsible for provider obligations under the Act
This is important in cases where there is more than one provider responsible for delivering a service

32. Agents’ Responsibilities
To know that it is impossible to gain a student visa to study in Australia if the course or institution is not registered on CRICOS
Not to make an offer to a student to apply for a course that isn’t registered on CRICOS
To provide the CRICOS code in all marketing material
To use the correct CRICOS course code to ensure that relevant course information is being referred to

33. Thank You