TEQSA appoints independent expert
TEQSA has appointed eminent former Public Service Commissioner, Lynelle Briggs AO, as the independent expert to support TEQSA’s compliance assessment into the Australian National University (ANU).
Ms Briggs has strong administration and governance experience, most recently co-chairing a review of critical shipping legislation for Australia's maritime industry in 2024 and 2025, leading the review of public sector board appointments in 2023 and as the Royal Commissioner on Aged Care Quality and Safety in 2018.
She became an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia in 2013 for distinguished service to public administration, particularly through leadership in the development of public service performance and professionalism.
In her TEQSA role, Ms Briggs will be tasked with reviewing specific aspects of ANU’s governance systems and her work will have a targeted focus, including considering the university’s self-assurance report alongside interviews with ANU staff, students, executive and governing council members.
Ms Briggs will report back to TEQSA with expert recommendations, which will form one part of the broader scope of complex assessment work currently being undertaken by TEQSA.
More broadly, TEQSA will carefully consider other information sources, concerns and enquiries received to determine the outcome of its full compliance assessment into the ANU and the decisions that will be made in due course by TEQSA’s Commissioners.
As the national independent higher education regulator, TEQSA began looking into concerns about the ANU in October 2024 and opened a formal compliance assessment on 30 June 2025.
Ms Briggs’ scope of work as TEQSA’s independent expert will be guided by a Terms of Reference. She will not be making any public comment in her capacity as an independent expert and all media enquiries should be directed to TEQSA Communications.
TEQSA Communications: comms@teqsa.gov.au