Renewal of Registration 28 July 2016

Renewal of registration

Report on renewal of registration of the Adelaide College of Ministries Incorporated ('ACM' or 'the College')

TEQSA has renewed the registration of the Adelaide College of Ministries as a higher education provider, under Section 36(1) of the TEQSA Act, for a period of five years to 28 July 2021 in the provider category of 'Higher Education Provider'.

TEQSA has imposed five conditions on the registration of ACM as a higher education provider under subsection 32(1) of the TEQSA Act.

Condition 1

By 1 December each year of the period of registration, ACM must supply evidence to TEQSA that demonstrates ACM's corporate governing body regularly monitors potential risks to ACM's higher education operations and ensures it has strategies to mitigate risks that may eventuate.

Condition 2

By 1 December each year of the period of registration, ACM must supply evidence to TEQSA that demonstrates ACM's corporate governing body ensures all delegations (including financial, academic and managerial) are appropriate, documented, observed and regularly reviewed.

Condition 3

By 1 December each year of the period of registration, ACM must supply evidence to TEQSA of progress against its Strategic Plan that demonstrates clarity about the College's future direction for higher education; and action is being undertaken by the corporate governing body to improve the performance of the College as per the Plan's goals and key performance indicators.

Condition 4

By 1 July 2017, ACM is required to establish at least one formal benchmarking arrangement with another higher education provider and provide TEQSA with evidence of how it is comparing student performance data, with specific consideration given to the high and increasing level of student attrition at the College.

Condition 5

By 1 December 2017 and each following year of the period of registration, ACM is required to supply evidence to TEQSA that it has undertaken appropriate benchmarking activity together with a management response to address any issues arising from that activity. The benchmarking will compare data relating to student performance, student support, teaching and learning, and higher education operations.

Main Reasons for Decision

As part of the renewal of registration process, TEQSA has assessed the application submitted by the Adelaide College of Ministries against the Threshold Standards. The scope of the assessment included its one site in in Klemzig, South Australia. TEQSA considers that the decision to apply conditions to ACM's registration is consistent with the basic principles for regulation in Part 2 of the TEQSA Act, as ACM is at risk of not complying with a number of the Threshold Standards.

• The broad issues which relate to ACM's registration include:

  a) Corporate and Academic Governance - Corporate Board, Academic Board and subcommittee membership and delegation of responsibilities; strategic planning; risk management; and reporting and monitoring arrangements

  b) Management and Human Resources - institutional performance benchmarking