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

Presentation materials

Keynote and concurrent session presentations from the 2018 conference are available from Higher Ed Services' website.

Conference presentation videos

• View Nicholas Saunders's keynote address: A View from TEQSA (opens in YouTube)
• View David Lloyd's keynote address: The Future of Higher Education (opens in YouTube)
• View the panel discussion on Student Perspectives on Excellence and Diversity in Tertiary Education (opens in YouTube)
• View George Megalogenis's keynote address: Shaping the Future - The Risks and Rewards of Diversity (opens in YouTube)
• View the panel discussion on Excellence: Is a Degree Worth it in a Future Workforce (opens in YouTube)
• View Richard Garrett's keynote address: Online Higher Education - Trends, Innovation and Significance (opens in YouTube)
• View the panel discussion on Innovation: Innovative Leadership, Leading to Excellence (opens in YouTube)
• View Nicholas Klomp's keynote address: From What Matters to Who Matters – We're All Counting on the Data (opens in YouTube)
• View Susan Page's keynote address: An Indigenous Student's Excellent Adventure – A Journey Through Innovation in Higher Education (opens in YouTube)
• View Anthony McClaran's keynote address: The Future of Innovation, Excellence and Diversity – How Can Regulation Help? (opens in YouTube)
• View the panel discussion on Innovation, Excellence and Diversity in Higher Education – A View from the Peaks (opens in YouTube)
• View Derfel Owen's keynote address: Inspiring Innovation Through Student Engagement (opens in YouTube)
• View the panel discussion on What's in a Name and What’s in a Qualification? (opens in YouTube)
• View the panel discussion on Excellence and Equity – Reflections on TEQSA's Role (opens in YouTube)
• View the panel discussion on Innovation, Excellence, Diversity in a Joined Up Sector (opens in YouTube)
• View the panel discussion on International Perspectives on Innovation, Excellence, Diversity (opens in YouTube)

Conference photos

• View the photos from our 2018 conference

All registered higher education providers are listed on TEQSA’s National Register.

It is quick, free and easy to check a provider’s registration by searching the National Register on this website.

In addition to a provider’s registration information, the register also lists courses a provider is accredited by TEQSA to deliver if they do not have self-accrediting authority. Please note, Universities and University Colleges are usually able to accredit their own courses. These courses are not listed in the National Register.

Other information on the National Register includes:

• the providers registration category (Australian University, University College, Institute of Higher Education, and Overseas University)
• how long they are registered for (this period cannot exceed 7 years)
• whether they can self-accredit their own courses
• the date courses must be re-accredited
• any regulatory action we have taken
• links to providers' Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching page, which allows you to compare undergraduate and postgraduate coursework, student experience and graduate employment outcomes. 

How to search the National Register

Unregistered entities

Entities that advertise a higher education award when they are not registered with TEQSA are known as unregistered entities.

Unregistered entities undermine Australia’s higher education system, because the quality has not been assured by TEQSA.

These entities can also have detrimental impacts on students who unwittingly enrol and undertake courses, with the expectation of receiving a recognised higher education award at completion.

Students should always check whether a higher education provider is registered with TEQSA by searching the National Register.

To find out more, including a list of known unregistered entities, visit entities that are not registered higher education providers.

Providers delivering courses to international students

Higher education providers can only deliver courses to international students if they are registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). TEQSA assesses applications for inclusion on CRICOS and ensures higher education courses delivered to international students are of high quality.

Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students