Re-registration 26 February 2015

Provider: Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd

Renewal of registration

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

TEQSA has renewed the registration as a higher education provider, under Section 36(1) of the TEQSA Act, of Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd (AIH) for a period of three years to 26 February 2018 in the provider category of Higher Education Provider.

TEQSA has, under subsection 32(1) of the TEQSA Act, imposed three conditions on the registration of Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd as a higher education provider.

Condition 1

Within three months of the date of notification of this decision, AIH is required to:

a) provide TEQSA with a workforce plan. At a minimum the workforce plan must identify recruitment strategies, discipline needs, academic and career development strategies incorporating scholarly activity, appropriate full-time to sessional staffing ratios and key implementation dates for the plan.

Condition 2

AIH is required to:

a) provide TEQSA, within three months of the date of notification of this decision, with a comprehensive diagnostic analysis of the probable causes for observed rates and trends for student attrition, progression and minimum time completion rates and failure rates, for each accredited higher education course it offers and each year, for the period 2011 to 2014 inclusive. The analysis must include accurate data on student attrition, completion, progression and grade distribution and include analysis by:

  1. entry path (comparing students admitted under each entry pathway);
  2. credit awarded (comparing students admitted with no credit awarded to students admitted with credit for up to a third of the course and between a third and two thirds of the course);
  3. study mode (comparing students who take less than a full-time study load, exactly a full-time study load and greater than a full-time study load, where full-time study load is equal to 120 credit points in a calendar year);
  4. place of study;
  5. whether students are domestic or international students;
  6. referral to and uptake of student support (including participation in formal study support programs); and
  7. student achievement in similar courses at other higher education providers.

b) develop and provide to TEQSA by 30 August 2015, a detailed strategy, having regard to the comprehensive diagnostic analysis required under (a) above, which:

  1. includes specific targets for improvement of student attrition, completion and progression rates and failure rates for each course and each year over the forward registration period; and
  2. gives consideration to admission practices and standards, study load of students, the identification of students at risk of not progressing academically, and the adequacy and effectiveness of student support.

c) revise the targets determined in accordance with (b) above if and as directed by TEQSA.

d) demonstrate improvement, with reference to the targets to be established under (b) and (c), overall and for each course of study, through annually reporting to TEQSA on these rates by 31 January each year (for the rates in the previous calendar year) throughout the period of registration, with these reports to commence on 31 January 2016.

Condition 3

AIH must provide to TEQSA:

a) By 30 June 2015, evidence to demonstrate to TEQSA that its governing Body has an effective risk management framework for all AIH's higher education operations. The evidence should include:

  1. an updated risk management framework which accounts for academic risk; and
  2. Minutes of meetings of the Academic Board that demonstrate that AIH has considered all conditions and requests for information imposed by TEQSA on the registration of AIH and the accreditation of its courses;

b) By 30 June 2016, minutes of the Academic Board meetings for the preceding 12 months which demonstrate:

  1. that it has effective development, approval, implementation and review of all academic policies; and
  2. the nature of its considerations in relation to any of its policies or procedures, including any recommendations and changes to those academic policies and procedures.

Main reasons for decision

As part of the renewal of registration process, TEQSA has assessed the application submitted by Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd against the Threshold Standards. The scope of the assessment included all its Australian sites.

TEQSA considers that the decision to apply conditions to Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd registration is consistent with the basic principles for regulation in Part 2 of the TEQSA Act, as Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd is at risk of not complying with a number of the Threshold Standards.

  • The broad issues which relate to the Australian Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd registration include:

    a) AIH's management of human resources

    b) Student outcomes including attrition and progression

    c) Risk management

    d) academic policy development and review