Registration 24 July 2014

Renewal of registration

Report on renewal of registration of Asia Pacific International College Pty Ltd

TEQSA has determined, under Section 36(1) of the TEQSA Act, that registration of Asia Pacific International Pty Ltd as a higher education provider be renewed for a period of four years to 24 July 2018 in the provider category of 'Higher Education Provider'.

TEQSA has, under subsection 32(1) of the TEQSA Act, imposed seven conditions on the registration of Asia Pacific International College Pty Ltd as a higher education provider.

Condition 1:

APIC is required to:

a) Engage an External Expert and provide a report by the External Expert to TEQSA which provides a review of methodology for assessment at APIC and a response on whether there is sufficient assurance about the rigour of assessment at APIC, and whether there is appropriate separation between the initial marker and the Examiners Board, by 30 October 2014;

b) Commence a program of external moderation of assessment conducted at APIC, commencing in 2015 and continuing for the period of registration, that includes samples of assessment undertaken at all AQF levels offered by APIC and all years of delivery with reports provided to TEQSA by 31 March 2015, 31 March 2016 and 31 March 2017; and

c) Provide a management response to the initial review of the methodology for assessment at APIC as provided to TEQSA under Condition 1(a), by 31 March 2015.

Condition 2:

APIC is required by 30 October 2014 to develop and supply evidence to TEQSA of a specific human resource policy that deals with: workload management; staff availability to students (both face-to-face and online); merit-based selection and promotion; performance management, travel and staff grievance. This must encompass non-academic staff as well as academic staff.

Condition 3:

APIC is required to:

a) Provide a workforce plan for all academic and non-academic staff for 2015 until the end of the current registration period, which also demonstrates a sound understanding of the requirements for appropriate support for students at the Melbourne campus, by 30 October 2014; and

b) Submit reports to TEQSA to demonstrate progress against the workforce plan. The reports must include the name, highest qualification, nature of engagement, the campus on which any newly employed staff are based and their number of teaching hours, by 30 June 2015, 30 June 2016 and 30 June 2017.

Condition 4:

APIC is required to:

a) Provide TEQSA with a strategy and implementation plan for comparing its performance with other higher education providers by 30 September 2014; and

b) Provide a progress report on this strategy and implementation plan by 30 June 2015.

Condition 5:

APIC is required to:

a) By 30 October 2014 commission an external review of library, information resources and online learning by a higher education specialist, with the shortlist of External Experts to be approved by TEQSA. The review should include:

• an assessment of library and online learning software and hardware requirements
• physical and electronic resourcing; and reciprocal borrowing arrangements
• an assessment of copyright licencing arrangements which allows for appropriate academic referencing. The review must include how APIC has managed the copyright of its external course materials and project management database to date.
• personnel planning to ensure requirements are sufficient for the projected number of students across all courses of study and disciplines offered, including equivalence for distance/online.

b) By 30 June 2015 provide TEQSA with a management response to the external review, with evidence of consideration by the Academic Board; and if appropriate, a resourcing and implementation plan to address the review's recommendations.

Condition 6:

APIC is required to:

a) Enhance the delegation schedule that was provided to TEQSA on Friday 12 July 2014 to ensure appropriate audit arrangements with respect to delegations are in place; and to ensure that individuals are not reporting or delegating to themselves. APIC must provide evidence of approval and implementation through the provision of Board minutes, by 30 October 2014; and

b) Provide evidence of, ongoing review, strategies, approval and implementation of delegations through the provision of Board minutes by 30 October 2015.

Condition 7:

APIC must provide information to TEQSA to demonstrate its corporate governing body has access to independent financial expertise by 30 October 2014.

Background to Decision

Asia Pacific International Pty Ltd submitted an application for renewal of registration in the category of 'Higher Education Provider' under Section 35 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (the TEQSA Act). Subsection 36(4) of the TEQSA Act enables TEQSA to renew a provider's registration for a period not exceeding seven years.

Main Reasons for Decision

As part of the renewal of registration process, TEQSA has assessed the application submitted by Asia Pacific International College 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 Asia Pacific International College Pty Ltd registration is consistent with the basic principles for regulation in Part 2 of the TEQSA Act, as Asia Pacific International College Pty Ltd is at risk of not complying with a number of the Threshold Standards.

• The broad issues which relate to the Asia Pacific International College Pty Ltd registration include:

  a) Pacific International College Pty Ltd's policies and practices may not protect academic integrity in assessment.

  b) Asia Pacific International College Pty Ltd's human resource management policies and procedures may not be adequate and its workforce planning may not appropriately reflect the planned growth in student numbers.

  c) There is a deficiency in Asia Pacific International College Pty Ltd's comparison of its performance with other higher education providers.

  d) Asia Pacific International College Pty Ltd's electronic and physical information resources may not be adequate.

  e) Asia Pacific International College Pty Ltd's delegations may not be appropriate, observed and regularly reviewed.

  f) Asia Pacific International College Pty Ltd's governing body may not have access to independent financial expertise.

TEQSA considers that the risks of non-compliance with the Threshold Standards involve a number of matters that may affect Asia Pacific International College Pty Ltd's capacity to manage and deliver its higher education awards.