The government is now operating in accordance with caretaker conventions, pending the outcome of the 2025 federal election.
TEQSA has published a range of frequently asked questions regarding the sector’s return to compliance by 30 June 2023.
All providers are encouraged to review this information about their obligations under the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 and the ELICOS Standards 2018.
The Sixth Annual TEQSA Conference was held on 23–24 November 2022 at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins and online.
The theme was Fit for the Future: Leadership, Quality, Integrity.
Videos of the sessions are available on our YouTube channel.
The Hon Jason Clare MP, Minister for Education, has announced TEQSA as a member of the Universities Accord Ministerial Reference Group.
The group, chaired by Minister Clare, includes representatives of higher education institutions, business, staff, students and other experts.
The Universities Accord is the first review of Australia's higher education system in over 12 years, and is an opportunity to review the sector's funding and access, affordability, transparency, regulation, employment conditions and how higher education and vocational education and training can work together.
The Universities Accord Panel is led by Professor Mary O'Kane AO.
TEQSA has strengthened its level of protection in the provider portal to protect users against digital data attacks.
The agency implemented the security enhancements in light of the heightened threat environment globally, and in response to specific advice received from the Australian Cyber Security Centre about data breaches.
This means next time you need to access the provider portal, you will need to send an email to crm@teqsa.gov.au requesting access.
TEQSA takes data security seriously. We thank all portal users for their patience to support this system upgrade to keep our cyber security levels high.
TEQSA wishes to remind providers of the importance of maintaining clear and contemporary academic integrity policies and procedures. Academic integrity is fundamental to the reputation and credibility of Australia’s higher education sector. Providers’ policy frameworks should highlight their commitment to academic integrity and their expectation that all staff and students uphold, and act with, academic integrity.
Academic misconduct generally refers to a breach of academic integrity through acts such as cheating, plagiarism, and fabrication or falsification of data. The Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 Part A, Section 5.2 sets out four broad requirements regarding academic and research integrity, which state that a provider must:
To ensure appropriate action can be taken where breaches of academic integrity are identified, institutional policies and procedures need to reflect the evolving risks to academic integrity. Consideration of emerging forms of academic misconduct, such as file sharing and the use of artificial intelligence writing tools, will support institutions and staff to uphold the integrity of their awards.
Providers should regularly review and update their academic integrity policies and procedures to ensure they address new and emerging forms of academic misconduct. In 2022, TEQSA reviewed all providers’ policies and frameworks and identified that:
Practical ways institutions can facilitate an ongoing culture of academic integrity within their staff and student communities include:
A strong policy and procedure framework and ongoing commitment to a culture of academic integrity is the basis for consistent decision making. TEQSA has developed a variety of good practice resources to support institutions to uphold academic integrity:
As part of our continuing work to enhance the quality of TEQSA’s guidance notes, we’ve published a guidance note on Research Requirements for Australian Universities.
The new guidance note outlines TEQSA’s approach to assessing research quality and quantity when registering Australian Universities.
TEQSA released a draft version of this guidance note in July 2022 for consultation, and the published version incorporates feedback from the sector.
TEQSA Chief Commissioner Professor Peter Coaldrake AO has written to all registered higher education providers about academic integrity risks facing the sector in 2023.
In addition to the ongoing threat posed by commercial academic cheating services, Professor Coaldrake reminded Australia’s higher education sector that it needs to be proactive in responding to advancements in generative artificial intelligence (AI).
“Institutions must balance the best way to leverage these potential benefits while mitigating the risk that generative AI presents to academic integrity,” Professor Coaldrake said.
“The power of generative AI tools requires a deep rethink of approaches to teaching and learning and assessment practices and how higher education institutions are ensuring that students have attained the skills and knowledge they need to graduate with their awards.”
To support providers to respond to these risks, TEQSA is developing new resources in partnership with the sector including an online masterclass to deter and detect contract cheating.
TEQSA is also working with Deakin University’s Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning on developing a series of webinars exploring the challenges and opportunities for the sector posed by AI.
More information about the webinars and online masterclass will be shared via TEQSA’s website and social media channels shortly.
The Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Framework is a body of legislation that provides protection for international students studying in Australia, protects and enhances Australia’s reputation for quality education, and supports the integrity of Australia’s student visa program. The Department of Education administers the ESOS framework, including all relevant legislation, the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) and the Provider Registration and International Student Management System (PRISMS).
All providers delivering courses to overseas students in Australia must apply for registration under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act). Under the ESOS Act, overseas students are defined as students who hold a student visa to study in Australia. The ESOS Act protects all overseas and intending overseas students studying at Australian schools, registered training organisations, and higher education providers.
Providers that are approved to deliver courses to overseas students are published on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). In addition, all courses approved for delivery to overseas students are published on CRICOS.
Under the ESOS Act, TEQSA is the ESOS agency for:
Any provider seeking to deliver education in these areas is required to apply to TEQSA for CRICOS registration.
For these providers, TEQSA is responsible for:
For more information on the ESOS Act and associated legal framework visit our ESOS Act page.
CRICOS and ELICOS