Re-registration 26 October 2017

Provider: Sydney Institute of Health Sciences Pty. Limited

Registration

Report on registration of Sydney Institute of Health Sciences Pty Limited

TEQSA has agreed to orders made by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal under which Sydney Institute of Health Sciences Pty Limited registration is renewed from 11 October 2017 for the period of three years pursuant to section 36 of the Tertiary Educational Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (the TEQSA Act). The orders also provide for six conditions to be imposed on the registration of Sydney Institute of Health Sciences Pty Limited pursuant to section 32 of the TEQSA Act.

Condition 1:

Not later than 4 weeks prior to the commencement of each semester for its higher education course, the Applicant must provide TEQSA with a report in relation to each staff member proposed to teach one or more units in a Sydney Institute of Health Sciences (SIHS) higher education course, describing:

  1. the highest qualification in the discipline of the course being taught;
  2. the units proposed to be taught;
  3. the professional experience held; and
  4. where a staff member does not have a qualification in the discipline of the course taught which is one AQF level higher than the course being taught (or equivalent having regard to the country education profiles published by the Department of Education and Training), the basis on which the experience of the staff member has been assessed as being equivalent to a qualification which is one AQF level higher than the course being taught.

Condition 2:

By 1 February 2018, the Applicant will provide TEQSA with evidence of:

  1. the engagement of personnel with risk management experience or qualifications; and
  2. the development of a Risk Management Policy and Plan.

Condition 3:

  1. The Applicant must engage a suitably qualified independent expert (with the agreement of TEQSA to the identity and terms of reference of the expert, which agreement is not to be unreasonably withheld) to undertake an independent external review of the Applicant's corporate and academic governance arrangements. The review will focus on the implementation of key documentation, including the Applicant's Governance Charter, Quality Assurance Framework and Terms of Reference of governing bodies.
  2. The independent expert must:
    1. be suitably qualified to undertake the review;
    2. not be a past or present member of the Applicant's staff or governing bodies;
    3. not have been engaged as a consultant to SIHS; and
    4. not have any other conflict of interest.
  3. By 1 November 2018, and prior to engaging the independent expert, the Applicant must provide to TEQSA for TEQSA's approval:
    1. proposed terms of reference for the review, focussing on the implementation of key documentation, including the Applicant's Governance Charter, Quality Assurance Framework and Terms of Reference of governing bodies; and
    2. the name and resume of the proposed independent expert.
  4. By 1 February 2019, the Applicant must report the outcomes of the review to SIHS's Academic Board, Board of Directors and TEQSA.
  5. The Applicant must report to TEQSA on the implementation of the outcomes of the independent review on 1 August 2019.

Condition 4:

The Applicant must provide TEQSA with:

  1. the Terms of Reference of its planned review of the CEO's performance one month in advance of each teaching year; and
  2. the outcomes of that review on its completion, no later than 31 March in each year.

Condition Five:

  1. By 1 February 2018, the Applicant must prepare a schedule for a comprehensive review of SIHS' policies and procedures relevant to its higher education operations, including a gap analysis against the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015.
  2. The Applicant must provide to TEQSA:
    1. by 1 December and 1 June each year (commencing in 2018) with a report which specifies the documents which have been reviewed in the six months prior to the date of the report;
    2. by 1 February and 1 August each year with evidence of the implementation of the policies contained in the Applicant's policy register.

Condition Six:

By 1 February and 1 August each year, the Applicant must provide to TEQSA copies of the following for the previous six month period:

  1. minutes of meetings of the Board of Directors and meetings of the Academic Board which demonstrate a process consistent with the TEQSA Guidance Notes for the relevant bodies on the matters the subject of discussion and specify the extent to which the discussion took account of external advice or input; and
  2. each report to the Board of Directors on risk management and review.