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PROFESSIONS AUSTRALIA - UNIVERSITIES AUSTRALIA WORKSHOP ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE PROFESSIONS 2011 AND BEYOND 8 APRIL 2011. ESTABLISHING TEQSA. EMERITUS PROFESSOR DENISE BRADLEY AC. OVERVIEW. TEQSA. Why do we need a national regulator? A new approach to regulation Current projects
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PROFESSIONS AUSTRALIA - UNIVERSITIES AUSTRALIA WORKSHOP ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE PROFESSIONS 2011 AND BEYOND 8 APRIL 2011 ESTABLISHING TEQSA EMERITUS PROFESSOR DENISE BRADLEY AC
OVERVIEW TEQSA • Why do we need a national regulator? • A new approach to regulation • Current projects • International implications?
WHY A NATIONAL REGULATOR? TEQSA • Recommendations of 2008 Review of Higher Education • move to a more open and competitive system in 2012 • “growth on one side of the coin, quality on the other” • response to concerns about the evident problems with mutual recognition and fragmented nature of regulatory interventions • support in the sector for an independent regulator with teeth to protect national reputation and ensure students get a fair deal
PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS AND A NEW APPROACH TO REGULATION TEQSA • Should not entrench the status quo • Transparent • Regulation based on prevention • Standards based approach • Regulatory process has real consequences but is light touch on high quality providers • Be able to act at course, cohort, institution or sector level • A shift in direction to: • greater power to intervene and enforce compliance • combining regulatory and quality improvement activities
CONSULTATION PROCESSES CLOSE TO CONCLUSION TEQSA Provider Standards: consultation on 2nd draft undertaken – 30 submissions received and 80 attendees at the February workshop; 3rd draft to be released for public comment shortly Qualifications Standards: based on AQF, which was subject to a 20 month review and agreed by Ministers in March 2011 Legislation to establish TEQSA: legislation was introduced to Parliament and referred to Senate Committee on March 23; submissions to Senate Committee by April 13 and Committee will report by May 10.
CURRENT PROJECTS: RISK MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK TEQSA • A new approach: • Institutions will be continuously assessed against a risk framework which employs both quantitative and qualitative indicators • Move to a 7 year cycle of registration and accreditation • TEQSA will take into account a range of factors, including the provider’s history of scholarship, teaching and research, its students’ experiences, its financial status and capacity, and its history of compliance • The institution’s risk rating will determine the level and frequency of regulatory activity • TEQSA’s risk model is under development. Consultation with stakeholders will occur once a draft has been produced.
OTHER PROJECTS UNDERWAY: CONSULTATION TO BEGIN SOON TEQSA • Teaching and learning standards – draft discussion paper being developed. Focus on getting agreement on what we mean by standards and a workable approach to regulating them. Major consultation with senior sector representatives planned for HERDSA conference in July • Research standards – general approach agreed and project underway. Constructed around the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research
OTHER PROJECTS UNDERWAY: CONSULTATION TO BEGIN SOON TEQSA • International students – ESOS regulatory responsibility will transfer to TEQSA and details of transfer being clarified • Common dataset – project begun- aim will be not to increase reporting burdens for Universities but will have implications for other providers • Regulation of dual sector providers – work on commonalities between two systems and a more coherent approach to regulation for these providers is underway • Approach to conducting thematic reviews – project begun.
TRANSITION TO NEW ARRANGEMENTS TEQSA • Legislation to proceed through Parliament • Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) will transition into TEQSA on 1 July 2011 and AUQA’s current Cycle 2 audits will continue into 2012 • State and Territory responsibilities will transfer on 1 January 2012
INTERNATIONAL IMPLICATIONS TEQSA • Australian approach is new • Considerable interest already from other countries - particularly Japan and UK • General consensus is Australia is now at forefront of international attempts to apply effective regulatory interventions