Re-registration and re-accreditation 30 June 2021

Provider: Group Colleges Australia Pty Ltd

Course: Diploma of Accounting

Renewal of registration

Report on renewal of registration of Group Colleges Australia Pty Ltd and renewal of accreditation of nine courses of study

On 30 June 2021 TEQSA:

  • renewed, under section 36 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act), the registration of Group Colleges Australia in the category of Higher Education Provider, for a period of four years until 30 June 2025.
  • renewed, under section 56 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act), the accreditation of the following courses for a period of four years until 30 June 2025:
    • Master of Business Administration
    • Graduate Diploma of Business Administration
    • Graduate Certificate in Business Administration
    • Bachelor of Business
    • Associate Degree of Business
    • Diploma of Business
    • Bachelor of Accounting
    • Associate Degree of Accounting
    • Diploma of Accounting
  • imposed, under section 32 of the TEQSA Act, two conditions on the registration of Group Colleges Australia.

Condition 1: Student performance monitoring

GCA must provide to TEQSA:

  1. By 30 June 2022, a report containing a comprehensive diagnostic analysis of the probable causes for observed rates and trends for student attrition for each accredited higher education course it offers, for the period from 2016-2020 inclusive. Data on attrition rates must be calculated in accordance with the definition used in the TEQSA Risk Assessment Framework.
  2. By 30 September 2022:
    1. evidence that attrition as defined in the TEQSA Risk Assessments and adjusted attrition rates are regularly reported to the GCA Board of Directors and the Academic Senate, and
    2. evidence of the actions and mitigating strategies that have and will be implemented to address the continued high rate of unadjusted attrition.

Condition 2: Scholarship

  1. By 31 March 2022, GCA must obtain a report from an independent expert that considers the extent to which GCA academic staff with academic oversight, and those with teaching and supervisory responsibilities, meet the requirements of the Higher Education Standards Framework to:
    1. have the appropriate qualifications and experience for their roles; and
    2. be engaged in continuing scholarship.
  2. Prior to engaging the reviewer to perform the review in paragraph 1, GCA must obtain TEQSA's approval for the identity of the reviewer and the terms of reference for the review.

On 30 July 2021 TEQSA:

  • imposed, under section 32 of the TEQSA Act, one condition on the registration of Group Colleges Australia.

Condition 3: Assessment moderation

By 31 December 2021, GCA must:

  1. Engage an independent external moderation expert to prepare and sent to TEQSA a moderation assessment report of a statistically significant representative sample of randomly selected assessments from the Master of Business Administration by the external expert, for each completed subject in each study period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021. The report is to contain recommendation(s), if any, on matters associated with the ability of the assessments to accurately reflect students achieving the stated learning outcomes from the assessment.
  2. Prior to engaging the expert to complete the moderation assessment report, GCA must obtain TEQSA's approval for the identity of the reviewer and the terms of reference for the report.
  3. If recommendation(s) are identified in the moderation assessment report, by 25 February 2022, GCA must provide TEQSA with evidence of the actions and mitigating strategies that have and will be implemented to address the recommendation(s).

Main reasons for the decision

TEQSA made these decisions in light of risks that Group Colleges Australia Pty Ltd may not meet, or continue to meet, the following provisions of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015 and for Condition 3 only, the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021:

  1. Standard 6.3.2 of Part A, in relation to academic oversight of effective monitoring and initiating action to improve performance against institutional benchmarks for academic quality and outcomes, particularly focusing on the number of students who commence but do not continue their studies with Group Colleges Australia Pty Ltd into their second year.
  2. Standard 3.2.3 of Part A, in relation to scholarship activities undertaken by staff, and concerns that academic staff are not engaged in adequate levels of scholarly activity.
  3. Standard 5.3.4 of Part A, in relation to monitoring, review and improvement activities, particularly in relation to the appropriate moderation of student assessment.

Application to withdraw conditions

In accordance with section 32 of the TEQSA Act, TEQSA may vary or revoke a condition imposed on the registration of a higher education provider, either on its own initiative, or upon application by the provider for variation or revocation.