1:30 – 2:30
TEQSA: A New Regulatory Agency
for Australian Higher Education
Marian Thakur
Regulatory Risk and Information
A new world
On 29 January 2012, TEQSA assumed its full regulatory powers.
What has changed?
 nine government regulators’ powers now assumed by a
single, independent, national regulator
 all higher education providers to be regulated by TEQSA,
including universities
 AUQA operations ceased at the end of 2011
A Snapshot of TEQSA
• One national scheme
▫ broad coverage (n=170+)
▫ common rules (Threshold
Standards)
• Commission model
• Regulation AND quality
improvement
• Up to 7 year cycle
• Continuous disclosure of
material changes
• Annual cycle of risk
assessments and data
collections
• Unscheduled reviews
• High stakes consequences
– cancel, suspend, restrict
• Scaled process and
response – proportionate,
risk-based and necessary
regulation
• Reviewable decisions
Basic Principles of Regulation
• Standards-based approach
• Regulation is based on the principles of:
 Regulatory Necessity
 Reflecting Risk
 Proportionate Regulation
Standards Framework
Threshold Standards
Other Standards
• Provider Standards
• Provider Registration
• Provider Category
• Course Accreditation
• Qualifications Standards
• Teaching and Learning
Standards
• Research Standards
• Information Standards
Regulatory Risk Framework
• TEQSA’s Regulatory Risk Framework will underpin TEQSA’s
regulatory and quality assurance activities.
• It is a regulatory tool to assess risk to quality higher education
and guide regulatory action in response.
• TEQSA is taking a holistic approach to risk assessment,
balancing quantitative and qualitative information to develop
‘Risk Profiles’, and is committed to two-way dialogue with
providers.
TEQSA’s REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
TEQSA Act
Threshold Standards
Regulatory principles - reflecting risk, proportionate regulation and regulatory necessity
INPUTS
ANALYSIS
Information and Data
Collection
- Scheduled and
non-scheduled reviews
Scheduled Reviews
Regulatory Risk
Management
Non-scheduled
Reviews
- DIISRTE data collections
- Other national and
international sources
Provider Case
Management
- Material change
notifications
- Providers
- Other
MODES OF
FORMAL INQUIRY
Quality Assessments
(Sector and Provider)
External Expert
Advice
COMMISSION
ACTIONS
Regulatory Decisions
- Register
- Accredit
- Impose conditions
Regulatory Actions
- Monitor
- Inquire
- Investigate
- Enforce
Non-regulatory Activities
- Disseminate Information
- Advise Ministers
- International Cooperation
Public Disclosure
- National Register
- CRICOS
Sector and Provider Profiles
Information flow
Risk assessment methodology
• The overall risk assessment focuses on 3 priority risk areas:
▫ Risk to students
▫ Risk of provider collapse
▫ Risk to national reputation
• 46 risk indicators in 7 risk categories based on the Threshold
Standards
• Risk thresholds applied across sector, traffic light approach
• Weighting applied
Risk assessment methodology
• Risk to students
Priority risk
area
Risk category
(Threshold
Standard)
• Responsibilities to students (Provider Registration Standard 6)
• F6 – Unit satisfaction
• F7 – Graduate course satisfaction
Risk indicators • F8 – Graduate employment /Further study
Provider Information Request 2012
• To carry out its regulatory functions, TEQSA requires access
to complete and up-to-date provider information
• TEQSA proposes to
▫ rely on data in the public domain or reported to other
agencies or departments, e.g. DIISRTE and GCA
▫ ask for information directly from those registered
providers:
 that currently do not report to DIISRTE and GCA; and
 where the reported data does not fully meet TEQSA’s
requirements.
Provider Information Request 2012
Table A, B and C
Providers
Providers Registered
for FEE-HELP
Providers Registered
Other Providers
for CRICOS
TEQSA Questionnaire
TEQSA Data Collection
TEQSA Annual Data Collection aligned to national data
collections where possible, and only requiring subset of
elements reported
on whichTEQSA intends to rely
Existing National Data Collections & Reporting
HE Research Data Collection
HE Finance Collection
HE Staff Collection
Australian Graduate Survey
HE Student Collection
CRICOS PRISMS Database
Provider Information Request 2012
Student Surveys
• will only be collected from providers that do not currently
participate in the Australian Graduate Survey (AGS) via
Graduate Careers Australia (GCA) with the exception of:
• All providers are asked to provide existing internal reports
of the outcomes and process of unit evaluations.
Provider Information Request 2012
Student Surveys
• Providers are asked to provide existing internal reports of
the outcomes and process of student surveys conducted
with respect to unit evaluation, course evaluation, student
experience and graduate outcomes.
• TEQSA will not specify standard statistical parameters for
surveys in the 2012 request.
Working with the sector
▫ TEQSA will continue to work closely with DIISRTE and other key
stakeholder groups to establish a comprehensive data sharing
capability in order to minimise the reporting burden on
providers.
▫ TEQSA will establish in the near term an Expert Reference
Group on data. Membership will be on the basis of expert
knowledge and comprised of nominees from the four peak
bodies and other expert members.
▫ TEQSA will continue to work with DIISRTE and the Advancing
Quality in Higher Education Reference Group for the
development of performance measurement instruments in
higher education.
Further information and updates
www.teqsa.gov.au
QUESTIONS