Revoke and Vary Conditions 02 December 2016

Conditions on Registration

Report on revocation and variation of conditions on registration of International College of Management Sydney Pty Ltd (ICMS)

On 2 December 2016 TEQSA, under Section 32(3) of the TEQSA Act, revoked conditions 1, 3, 4 and 5 and varied condition 2 imposed on the registration of the International College of Management Sydney Pty Ltd (ICMS) (refer public report of 29 October 2015).

Condition 1 (revoked):

Within three months of being notified of this decision, ICMS is to formulate a revised Academic Board Charter. The revised Charter will prescribe:

a) the circumstances in which the Academic Board Chair may act on behalf of the Academic Board between meetings of the Board;

b) actions to be taken in the event that a quorum is not attained at any Academic Board meeting;

c) the process to be followed in the event that a member of the Academic Board does not, or is not able to attend an Academic Board meeting. ICMS must provide TEQSA a copy of the revised Charter within 14 days of the ICMS Governing Body approving the Charter.

The decision to revoke condition 1 was made on the basis that TEQSA was satisfied that the condition had been met.

Condition 2 (varied):

ICMS 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 with 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 36 ICMS 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 1 May 2016, 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 1 July each year (for the rates in the previous calendar year) throughout the period of registration, with these reports to commence on 1 July 2016.

Condition 2 (amended to):

ICMS is required to demonstrate improvement, with reference to the targets that have been established under previous Registration Conditions 2(B) and 2(C), overall and for each course of study, through annually reporting to TEQSA on these rates by 1 July each year (for the rates in the previous calendar year) throughout the period of registration, with these reports to commence on 1 July 2016.

The decision to vary condition 2 was made on the basis that TEQSA was satisfied that the condition 2 parts 2A, 2B and 2C had been met.

Condition 3 (revoked):

Within three months of notification of this decision ICMS must provide TEQSA with:

A. details of how the policies which ensure staff are appropriately qualified and experienced to teach the course of study have been applied to each member of staff teaching the courses, including:

1. ICMS's assessment of whether each staff member without a qualification at least one AQF level above the course taught has professional experience which gives the staff member the knowledge, skills and capacity to apply knowledge and skills equivalent to a qualification at least one AQF level above the course taught, and
2. the support ICMS will provide to each staff member without a qualification at least one AQF level above the course taught to undertake further study or professional development and scholarship in the discipline they teach.

B. a workforce plan for the next three years. The plan will detail ICMS approach and rationale for the employment of casual staff and will also detail how ICMS ensures that it continues to maintain appropriate human resources to support student learning outcomes. The plan will identify how ICMS will mitigate the risk of casual or sessional staff not being appropriately supported and resourced to provide a continuity of support for students, anchor academic activities, engage in scholarly activities and be active contributing members in a community of scholarship.

The decision to revoke condition 3 was made on the basis that TEQSA was satisfied that the condition had been met.

Condition 4 (revoked):

ICMS is to review its policy on external moderation and the extent to which it has complied with this policy. Within three months of notification of this decision ICMS must provide TEQSA with a copy of the review which is to include findings of the review and an implementation plan, which includes key dates and outcomes of any required changes to the current policy.

The decision to revoke condition 4 was made on the basis that TEQSA was satisfied that the condition had been met.

Condition 5 (revoked):

ICMS must provide TEQSA by 30 June 2016, evidence that demonstrates ICMS benchmarks the academic standards intended to be achieved by students and the standards actually achieved by students in each of the courses of study offered by ICMS against similar accredited courses of study offered by other higher education providers. This evidence is to include details of the courses and institutions selected for comparison and examples of action taken as a result of analysis of the data.

The decision to revoke condition 5 was made on the basis that TEQSA was satisfied that the condition had been met.