Accreditation 12 October 2018

Course accreditation

Report on accreditation of one higher education course of study offered by Eastern College Australia Incorporated

On 12 October 2018, a delegate of TEQSA:

• accredited, under section 49 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act), the following course offered by Eastern College Australia Incorporated, for a period of seven years until 12 October 2025:
  • Bachelor of Applied Social Science
• imposed, under section 53 of the TEQSA Act, three conditions on the accreditation of the Bachelor of Applied Social Science.

Condition 1: Learning Outcomes and Assessment and Course Design

ECA must not commence delivery of the Bachelor of Applied Social Science until TEQSA notifies the provider that TEQSA is satisfied that:

1. the expected learning outcomes for the course have been informed by national and international comparators
2. the teaching and learning activities are arranged to foster progressive and coherent achievement of expected learning outcomes
3. the assessments within units of study have been scheduled to enable ECA to provide students with timely feedback that assists in their achievement of the learning outcomes.

Condition 2: Learning Environment

ECA must not commence delivery of the Bachelor of Applied Social Science until TEQSA notifies the provider that TEQSA is satisfied that:

1. the specialist teaching facilities for the counselling stream will provide students with the opportunity for counselling skills observation beyond standard classrooms

Condition 3: Tuition Assurance

At least one month prior to commencing delivery of the Bachelor of Applied Social Science, ECA must provide TEQSA with evidence that it has tuition and financial safeguards to mitigate disadvantage to students who are unable to progress in a course of study due to unexpected changes to the higher education provider's operations. This evidence must include:

1. the mechanism by which ECA will facilitate students to transfer to a comparable course of study, with full credit or (where this is not possible) with an explanation of why particular units are so specialised in nature that full credit is not possible; and
2. either:
1. the mechanism by which ECA will ensure that it has the capacity to provide refunds for any amounts paid by students in respect of units that the students have not completed; or
2. evidence that ECA has a "tuition fees in arrears" arrangement in place.

Main reasons for the decision

TEQSA made these decisions in light of risks that the course submitted by Eastern College Australia Incorporated may not meet, or continue to meet, the following provisions of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015:

1. Section 1.4 of Part A, in relation to learning outcomes and assessment
2. Section 3.1 of Part A, in relation to course design
3. Section 2.1 of Part A, in relation to learning environment
4. Section 6.2 of Part A, in relation to corporate monitoring and accountability

TEQSA's assessment considered Eastern College Australia's arrangements for delivery at all Australian sites.