We engage across the higher education sector to help foster a shared understanding of our role and regulatory approach, encourage a culture of provider self-assurance and increase our transparency.

We collaborate with a range of stakeholders to:

• build a common understanding about our role, how we regulate and what to expect from us
• help providers understand and maintain their responsibilities under the standards
• gain input into changes to our regulatory approach
• gather intelligence to inform our understanding of regulatory risk
• design regulatory approaches that are well-informed and provide clear support for providers to self-assure and continuously improve.

This engagement is an essential part of our regulatory approach.

Our stakeholders

Our approach focuses on building long-term relationships with stakeholders including:

• Australian, state and territory government departments and agencies
• individual higher education providers
• peak body representatives for higher education providers
• professional accreditation bodies
• students
• TEQSA external experts
• international partners

Our stakeholder engagement activities

Annual TEQSA Conference

Our annual conference brings together stakeholders from across the higher education sector to explore emerging issues, share knowledge and support quality assurance across the sector.

Consultations

TEQSA regularly consults with stakeholders about a range of regulatory and quality assurance matters.

Surveys

TEQSA undertakes surveys to seek feedback on our work and regulatory, including our Stakeholder Survey for Higher Education Providers.

Presentations

TEQSA regularly attends and presents at a range of events and forums each year. Our presentations cover a broad range of popular topics impacting the higher education sector.

Please use this form to request a presentation or speaker from TEQSA.

International engagement and projects

We work closely with international higher education quality assurance and regulatory agencies and participate in global forums. TEQSA is presently developing a new international engagement strategy. To find out more, please email comms@teqsa.gov.au.

International engagement

26 November 2019

This half-day workshop focused on promoting a culture of academic integrity within higher education institutions.

Graphic recordings from the forum are available below:

Accrediting body, graduate employer and regulatory perspectives

Academic integrity research

Academic integrity charter

I am writing to advise you of steps that TEQSA is taking to reduce regulatory burden while you grapple with the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

We are committed to supporting your efforts as you respond and adapt to these challenges, and seek to minimise their impact on your students, staff and operations.

TEQSA has a range of strategies to support you, including:

• ongoing flexibility with regard to limitations on online delivery to international students (requirements 8.19 and 8.20 of the National Code 2018); and similar flexibility in attendance requirements related to ELICOS and Foundation Program providers.
• supporting providers moving to online delivery of courses to students in Australia or offshore through provision of advice, guidance and access to material relating to maintenance of quality of learning and student wellbeing in an online setting.
• extending the period of provider registration and course accreditation, thereby deferring the need for renewal applications.
• extending the timeframes for: lodgement of applications (by shortening the 6 month before expiry requirement); responses to proposed decisions or other actions; and reporting against conditions currently imposed.
• minimising and deferring requests for information and notifications.

Clearly not all these options will be relevant to your situation or circumstances, and undoubtedly there will be additional suggestions you will have for TEQSA to consider. 

Please be assured that we will engage directly with you over the next few weeks to discuss and develop options relevant to your context and cycle of regulatory assessments. In the meantime, please speak with your case manager if you have immediate questions you wish TEQSA to address. TEQSA will establish and continually update FAQs on its website based on the common questions received from providers.

TEQSA is working closely with other government agencies to seek to maximise the effectiveness of your response and to support your efforts to remain registered, open and compliant with the Higher Education Standards Framework, National Code, ELICOS Standards and Foundation Program Standards.  We are pleased to be meeting with your peak bodies in the next few days to explore what more we can do to support the higher education sector. We will also be working with professional accreditation bodies in an effort to minimise your administrative burden.

Please continue to monitor and follow the latest advice from government via www.australia.gov.au. The latest information and updates from TEQSA are on our website at www.teqsa.gov.au/covid-19.

We look forward to constructive engagement and open discussion with you.

Yours sincerely

Professor Nick Saunders AO
Chief Commissioner and Acting Chief Executive Officer
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency

TEQSA and industry professional accreditation bodies with links to the higher education sector have a mutual interest in maintaining and improving quality in the provision of Australian higher education.

We have agreed that the following principles should guide our engagement with industry professional accreditation bodies:

• the development of a complementary approach to course accreditation processes and requirements
• the use of professional bodies as a source of expert advice
• the sharing of information with professional bodies to inform our regulatory activity and to protect the interests of students and the higher education sector
• encouraging alignment of professional outcomes with learning outcome requirements of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
• fostering communication between TEQSA and professional bodies regarding each other’s respective roles.

We are currently working with a sample of bodies responsible for regulating and/or accrediting TEQSA-accredited programs. Our primary aim will be to explore the possibility of complementary and streamlined accreditation processes.

Additionally, we are building relationships with a broad range of bodies that have a statutory responsibility for:

• regulating a profession
• accrediting related professional programs.

For example, professional registration and accreditation bodies in medical or engineering fields.

As a first step in this process, we have prepared a set of Information Guidelines that specify the Commonwealth, State or Territory authorities we may share higher education information with under Sections 189 and 194 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act).

Industry Professional Accreditation Quality Assurance Agency agreements

TEQSA has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with the following industry professional accreditation bodies, to facilitate the sharing of information and reduce regulatory burden on higher education providers through joint and streamlined approaches to assessment.

To speak to us about our MOUs, contact: comms@teqsa.gov.au

Departments, agencies and peak bodies

 Education

Health 

Industry 

The graphic recordings of each plenary session from the 2019 TEQSA Annual Conference are available below.

Day 1 (27 November 2019)

State of the Sector 2019

Anthony McClaran, TEQSA CEO

State of Australia 2019

George Megalogenis, Journalist

Diverse Partnerships Driving Quality

Chair: Craig Robertson

Partnerships and Regulation

Professor Jane den Hollander, AO

The Higher Education Standards Panel: Partnerships with the Sector in Driving Quality

Emeritus Professor Ian O’Connor, AC

Professor Kerri-Lee Krause

Day 2 (28 November 2019)

Students as Partners

Chair: Julie Moss

Partnerships and Quality in Rural and Remote Higher Education

Chair: Professor Helen Bartlett

Industry Professional Partnerships Driving Quality Accreditation

Chair: Dr Christine Ewan

Quality Partnerships with Students and Academics Driving Academic Integrity: Contract Cheating

Chair: Dr James Adonopoulos

On Trust

Emeritus Professor Jamil Salmi

TEQSA's Regulatory Landscape and Partnerships

Chair: Dr Lin Martin

Day 3 (29 November 2019)

Partnerships and Quality: A Chancellor's Perspective

Peter Varghese, AO

Minister for Education Address

The Hon Dan Tehan MP

English Language, ELICOS, CRICOS and the National Code Driving Quality

Chair: Brett Blacker

Case Managers and Questions

Chair: Dr Michael Tomlinson

TEQSA is committed to the appropriate handling of public interest disclosures and to the provision of appropriate support for those who make a disclosure. Our procedures for disclosures under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 are available below:

• TEQSA's procedure for public interest disclosures 

A public official who is not satisfied with the outcome of an internal investigation or believes that TEQSA did not appropriately deal with a disclosure may pursue a complaint with the Commonwealth Ombudsman. The Ombudsman may also investigate matters referred directly to the Ombudsman.

TEQSA acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to their Cultures, Country and Elders past, present and emerging.

Application for registration and course accreditation

Application for registration and course accreditation