Extend accreditation 15 August 2018

Extension of course accreditation

Report on extension of accreditation of two higher education courses of study offered by Raffles College Pty Ltd

On 15 August 2018 TEQSA:

• extended, under section 57A of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act), the accreditation of the following courses offered by Raffles College Pty Ltd, until 31 March 2019:
  • Associate Degree of Visual Communication
  • Associate Degree of Design.
• imposed, under section 53 of the TEQSA Act, three conditions on the accreditation of the Associate Degree of Visual Communication offered by Raffles College Pty Ltd.

Condition 1

Raffles College Pty Ltd must not market the course or enrol any new students in the course.

Condition 2

Raffles College Pty Ltd must provide each person who is currently enrolled in the course and the nested Bachelor of Arts (Visual Communication) with a written notice containing the following information no later than 15 days after Raffles College Pty Ltd is notified of this decision:

1. that the accreditation of the course will end on 31 March 2019
2. the options available to students currently enrolled in either the course or the nested Bachelor of Arts (Visual Communication) including the possibility of exiting Raffles College Pty Ltd with a higher education award or conferral of a higher education award on the student.

Condition 3

By no later than 45 days after Raffles College Pty Ltd is notified of this decision it must supply TEQSA with evidence that it has met the requirements of Condition 2. This evidence must include:

1. a copy of the formal correspondence to each student
2. a full list of each and every student who has elected to graduate with the Associate Degree of Visual Communication.

• imposed, under section 53 of the TEQSA Act, three conditions on the accreditation of the Associate Degree of Design offered by Raffles College Pty Ltd.

Condition 1

Raffles College Pty Ltd must not market the course or enrol any new students in the course.

Condition 2

Raffles College Pty Ltd must provide each person who is currently enrolled in the course and the nested Bachelor of Design with a written notice containing the following information no later than 15 days after Raffles College Pty Ltd is notified of this decision:

1. that the accreditation of the course will end on 31 March 2019
2. the options available to students currently enrolled in either the course or the nested Bachelor of Design including the possibility of exiting Raffles College Pty Ltd with a higher education award or conferral of a higher education award on the student.

Condition 3

By no later than 45 days after the college is notified of this decision it must supply TEQSA with evidence that it has met the requirements of Condition 2. This evidence must include:

1. a copy of the formal correspondence to each student
2. a full list of each and every student who has elected to graduate with the Associate Degree of Design.

Main reasons for the decision

The College Council of Raffles College Pty Ltd, trading as Raffles College of Design and Commerce (RCDC), made a decision at its meeting on 21 June 2017 to allow the accreditation of its Associate Degree of Visual Communication and Associate Degree of Design to lapse on 22 December 2017.

In response to a request from TEQSA on 27 June 2018, RCDC advised that students were not informed when RCDC made the decision not to re-accredit these two courses. RCDC also advised that eight students had since approached it expressing a wish to exit the college with one of these awards. RCDC sought assistance from TEQSA to resolve this matter for its students.

A notice of proposed decision was sent to RCDC on 6 August 2018 in which TEQSA advised that it would consider extending the accreditation of the two Associate Degrees on the basis that RCDC is not permitted to enrol students in these courses and that students should be given clear information about their options. On 8 August 2018, RCDC wrote to TEQSA indicating its consent to the proposed decision.