TEQSA Registration and Material Change Processes

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

2. New Federal Government Framework • Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) requirements and instructions backed by legislative force from January 2012. • 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. Senior Management Summit

3. 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. Senior Management Summit

4. 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. Senior Management Summit

5. 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. Senior Management Summit

6. 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. Senior Management Summit

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

8. 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. Senior Management Summit

9. 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: http://www.teqsa.gov.au/material-changes Senior Management Summit

10. 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). Senior Management Summit

11. 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. Senior Management Summit

12. 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. Senior Management Summit

13. 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. Senior Management Summit

14. Risk Profile • Registration informed by risk assessment in Feb / March 2012. • 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. Senior Management Summit

15. TEQSA Registration 2012: Key dates • Threshold Standards published January 2012 • TEQSA regulatory powers in effect 29 January 2012 • Material Change reporting introduced 29 January 2012 • TEQSA provider scan based on risk February - March 2012 • Registration template released 1 March 2012 • Monash submits registration application 1 October 2012 • Current Monash registration expires 31 December 2012 Senior Management Summit

16. Questions? Senior Management Summit