Accreditation 29 June 2016

Course accreditation

Report on accreditation of two higher education courses of study offered by South Metropolitan TAFE

A delegate of TEQSA has accredited, under section 49 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (the TEQSA Act), the following higher education courses of study offered by South Metropolitan TAFE for a period of seven years until 29 June 2023:

• Associate Degree of Fashion Business
• Associate Degree of Aviation (Operations Management)

TEQSA has, under subsection 53(1) of the TEQSA Act, imposed the following condition on the accreditation of the above courses of study.

• That by 31 December 2016, South Metropolitan TAFE provides evidence that it has recruited a senior academic leader for the fashion discipline, with experience in higher education, scholarship and professional practice.
• That by 31 December 2016, South Metropolitan TAFE provides evidence that it has recruited a senior academic leader for the aviation discipline, with experience in higher education, scholarship and professional practice.

The course accreditation covers delivery at all Australian sites.

Main reasons for decision

TEQSA considers that the decision to apply a condition to South Metropolitan TAFE's application for accreditation of two courses of study is consistent with the basic principles for regulation in Part 2 of the TEQSA Act, as South Metropolitan TAFE is at risk of not complying with a number of the Threshold Standards. TEQSA considers that the risks of non-compliance with the Threshold Standards involve a number of matters that may affect South Metropolitan TAFE's capacity to manage and deliver its higher education awards.

• The broad issues which relate to the Associate Degree of Aviation (Operations Management) and Associate Degree of Fashion Business is the lack of a senior academic leader of the disciplines to:

  (i) provide input into course documentation to ensure that the course is delivered at the appropriate AQF level

  (ii) ensure that staff who teach the students in the course of study:

  a. have a sound understanding of current scholarship in the discipline that they teach

  b. engage students in intellectual inquiry

  (iii) ensure that course assessment tasks present the required level of intellectual engagement and critical reflection of material and issues pertinent to the field of study

  (iv) develop higher education teaching and learning approaches.