Re-registration 20 December 2018

Provider: Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd

Renewal of registration

Report on renewal of registration of Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd

On 20 December 2018 TEQSA:

  • renewed, under section 36 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act), the registration of the Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd in the category of Higher Education Provider, for a period of four years until 20 December 2022.
  • imposed, under section 32 of the TEQSA Act, six conditions on the registration of the Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd.

Condition 1:

Prior to the beginning of each academic year for the period of registration, the Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd must provide to TEQSA:

  1. copies of the policies and procedures that have been reviewed and approved in the previous 12 months by the Board of Directors and the Academic Board
  2. a report evaluating the effectiveness of the academic quality assurance framework policies and procedures
  3. minutes of meetings of the Board of Directors and the Academic Board which demonstrate:
    1. effective corporate and academic governance processes.
    2. the extent to which discussion took account of external advice and input.

Condition 2:

By 30 June 2019 and by 30 June of each subsequent year for the period of registration, the Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd must provide TEQSA with a copy of:

  1. a comprehensive diagnostic analysis of the probable causes of observed rates and trends for student attrition, progression, minimum time completion rates and absent failure rates, for each accredited higher education course it offers. The analysis must include accurate data on student attrition, completion, progression, grade distribution and absent failure rates and include analysis by:
    1. entry path (comparing students admitted under each entry pathway)
    2. credit awarded
    3. referral to, and uptake of, student support including participation in formal study support programs
    4. student achievement in similar courses at other higher education providers
  2. a review of the diagnostic analysis at paragraph (a) by the Academic Board which includes consideration of the quality of teaching and learning at the Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd in light of the diagnostic analysis required by paragraph (a), as well as any recommendations necessary to address concerns about the quality of teaching and learning
  3. evidence that the diagnostic analysis at paragraph (a) and the Academic Board's report at paragraph (b) have been reviewed by the Board, including minutes of a meeting at which the Board provides its response to the analysis, the review and any recommendations in the review.

Condition 3:

At the beginning of each academic year for the period of registration the Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd must provide to TEQSA:

  1. a review of the academic workforce of the Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd which includes the number of academic leaders (expressed as FTE) across all fields, resourcing for academic support to students outside of timetabled classes (expressed as FTE), student to staff ratio and mixture of academic staffing (expressed as ongoing / casual) for the previous year
  2. the Board of Directors' response to the review of the academic workforce
  3. a current organisational chart which indicates vacant positions across the whole of the organisation.

Condition 4:

At the beginning of each academic year for the period of registration the Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd must provide to TEQSA:

  1. a report on the scholarly activities undertaken by each academic staff member in the preceding 12 months.
  2. the Board of Directors' response to and any actions arising from the report.

Condition 5:

Each application for accreditation of a course of study or renewal of accreditation of a course of study made to TEQSA during the period of registration must be accompanied by a report that sets out:

  1. each step in the approval process
  2. all staff, external consultants, or industry or academic experts involved in the process
  3. all advice received and how the advice was incorporated or why it was not acted upon
  4. all stages in the approval process documented by minutes of the relevant committees and boards.

Condition 6:

The Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd must provide to TEQSA

  1. by 31 March 2019, revised financial projections reflecting the student to staff ratio (SSR) as per its Strategic and Workforce plans, that is, a SSR of 30:1, and an explanation of how it would be financially viable with that SSR rather than the SSR its financial projections are based on.

    2. On that same date, the Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd must also provide TEQSA with its financial outcomes for the financial year 2018

  2. by 28 September each following year for the period of its registration, financial projections for the following five years as well as preliminary estimates of its financial outcomes for the preceding financial year.
  • renewed, under section 56 of the TEQSA Act, the accreditation of the following courses offered by the Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd, for a period of four years until 20 December 2022:
  1. Bachelor of Accounting
  2. Bachelor of Business
  3. Bachelor of Business Information Systems
  4. Associate Degree of Business Information Systems
  5. Diploma of Business Information Systems
  • imposed, under section 53 of the TEQSA Act, one condition on the accreditation of the Bachelor of Business Information Systems, Associate Degree of Business Information Systems, and Diploma of Business Information Systems offered by the Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd.

Condition 1: Course Review

By 20 December 2019, the Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd must provide TEQSA with a response to the concerns raised in the expert opinion report (Expert Report) obtained by TEQSA in relation to the courses.

Main reasons for the decision

TEQSA made these decisions in light of risks that the Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd may not continue to meet the following provisions of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015:

  1. Section 1.1 of Part A, in relation to admission
  2. Section 3.1 of Part A, in relation to course design
  3. Section 3.2 of Part A, in relation to staffing
  4. Sections 5.1 and 5.3 of Part A, in relation to course approval and accreditation and monitoring, review and improvement
  5. Section 6.1 - 6.3 of Part A, in relation to corporate governance, corporate monitoring and accountability and academic governance

TEQSA's assessment considered the Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd's arrangements for delivery at all Australian sites.