TEQSA and UNE
TERTIARY EDUCATION QUALITY AND STANDARDS AGENCY (TEQSA)
On 29 January 2012 the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), created under the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency Act 2011 (Cth), assumed full regulatory functions for monitoring and assessing the performance of all Australian higher education providers (HEPs), including Universities, for compliance and quality. TEQSA’s primary aim is “to ensure that students receive a high quality education at any Australian higher education provider”, and a key to ensuring this is the requirement that all HEPs are registered on the National Register of Higher Education Providers.
The University of New England is registered, under the TEQSA Act, as a Higher Education Provider until 31 July 2016, and will undertake the re-registration process for submission to TEQSA by 31 January.
All HEPs have reporting requirements, including notification of Material Change, mandated by legislation under the TEQSA Act.
HIGHER EDUCATION STANDARDS FRAMEWORK
The Higher Education Standards Framework, which came into effect from 4 January 2012, is a series of standards made by the Commonwealth Minster for Tertiary Education on the advice of the Higher Education Standards Panel. These standards provide the basis by which TEQSA monitors compliance and assesses quality, and HEPS must address these adequately for registration.
ESOS ACT (EDUCATION SERVICES FOR OVERSEAS STUDENTS ACT) AND CRICOS
From 1 July 2012, TEQSA became the designated authority for HEPs registered under the TEQSA Act and assumed regulatory responsibility for their compliance with the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000(Cth) (ESOS Act) framework, including the National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2007 (The National Code 2007) and for registration on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).