• Gen AI and student learning

    As generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) tools continue to evolve and become more sophisticated they provide both opportunities and challenges for students’ learning.

    The University of Sydney’s Professor Danny Liu has developed a series of videos, on TEQSA’s behalf, to highlight the risks and opportunities of gen AI and their potential impact on academic integrity. He explains some of the ways students can use, and misuse, gen AI and offers some ideas on how to address the challenges gen AI poses.

    The first video in this series looks at the use of gen AI for assessments and is available to view on TEQSA’s YouTube channel.

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  • Fees and charges consultation

    Higher education providers are invited to give their feedback about TEQSA’s proposed updates to our fees and charges to take effect from 1 January 2025.

    TEQSA has reviewed the operation of the fees and charges outlined in our Cost Recovery Implementation Statement (CRIS) to ensure it fairly and accurately reflects the cost of our regulatory activities.

    As a result, TEQSA is proposing changes to how the annual Registered Higher Education Provider (RHEP) charge is calculated.

    These proposed changes will ensure the costs of our sector-wide compliance activities and updates to our enquiries management and provider liaison approach are fairly recovered.

    If adopted, these changes will reduce the RHEP charge for smaller providers while increasing costs for larger providers that are responsible for a greater proportion of TEQSA’s sector-wide compliance activities.

    These activities include matters such as to safety and wellbeing on campus, freedom of speech and academic freedom, and the governance of institutional responses to wage underpayments.

    TEQSA will consider all feedback when developing an updated version of the CRIS. We expect that the updated CRIS and any changes to our fees and charges for 2025 will be approved and shared in November.

    The consultation will close at 5:00pm (AEDT) on Monday 28 October 2024.

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  • Protecting academic integrity

    We’re supporting Australian higher education providers and working with overseas quality assurance agencies to uphold academic integrity and address the risks posed by commercial academic cheating services.

    This page brings together TEQSA’s academic integrity resources for providers, academics and professional staff, as well as information about Australia’s anti-commercial academic cheating laws and international resources.

    You can use this form to report a suspected academic cheating service.

    Resources

    TEQSA Masterclass: contract cheating detection and deterrence

    This free masterclass is designed to help academics and professional staff improve their ability to prevent, identify and investigate suspected cases of contract cheating (also known as commercial academic cheating).

    Academic integrity toolkit

    Includes a guide to substantiating when contract cheating occurs, benchmarking tools, advice on policy and case studies from Australian higher education providers.

    Good Practice Note: Addressing contract cheating to safeguard academic integrity

    Advice and examples for providers about upholding academic integrity while addressing commercial academic cheating.

    Guidance note: Academic and research integrity

    Outlines the relevant standards and what TEQSA will consider when conducting an assessment as part our registration or re-registration process.

    Understanding academic integrity (for students)

    TEQSA-developed resources for students, including translated information and materials to support communications with students.

    Academic integrity in the creative arts

    Advice for providers and academics in the creative arts on strengthening and upholding academic integrity.

    Substantiating contract cheating for symbol-dense, logical responses: A guide for investigators

    Outlines how academics can identify contract cheating in symbol dense fields and includes an investigations checklist and questions for investigators.

    Contract cheating

    Information to support the Academic Integrity Toolkit and Good Practice Note to address the risks posed by contract cheating (also known as commercial academic cheating).

    Academic integrity experts advice hub

    Articles from experts in the field for providers, academics and professional staff.

    Predatory conferences: A to Z elements

    Tips to avoid predatory conferences.

    Predatory publishing: A to Z elements

    Tips for research students and early career researchers to avoid predatory journals.

    3 Ps: International Day of Action for academic integrity

    Higher education good practice hub

    Brings together resources and information on a range of topics, including artificial intelligence and assessment design, to support good practice across the sector.

    Information about Australia’s anti-commercial academic cheating laws

    International resources

    Global Academic Integrity Network (GAIN)

    TEQSA is a co-founder of this consortium of international education quality and integrity agencies that is fighting the rise of commercial academic cheating services targeting students.

    Toolkit to support quality assurance agencies to address academic integrity and contract cheating

    This toolkit was developed to share Australia’s lessons with our colleagues at international quality assurance agencies.

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  • International Day of Action for academic integrity

    Wednesday 16 October is International Day of Action for Academic Integrity. To recognise the shared responsibility of academic integrity, TEQSA has released Key considerations: Academic integrity and generative AI.

    This one-page document outlines key considerations of process, people and practice for every institution to keep in mind when considering academic integrity. It’s available on our website in a printable A4 format.

    The International Day of Action for Academic Integrity is organised by the International Centre for Academic Integrity and this year’s theme is All hands on deck: Making academic integrity everyone’s job.

    Academic integrity is fundamental to the reputation and credibility of Australia’s higher education sector. TEQSA is working to support the higher education sector in addressing the threats posed by contract cheating services and generative artificial intelligence (gen AI).

    In November we will launch a new toolkit, Gen AI strategies for Australian higher education: Emerging practice. This toolkit is informed by TEQSA’s Request for Information: Addressing the risk of generative artificial intelligence, which was issued to the sector in June 2024.

    The toolkit will showcase practical actions providers are putting in place for the short and medium-term horizons to ensure students are learning the skills and qualifications reflected by their qualifications and also graduate knowing how to ethically and effectively use gen AI.

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  • Gen AI and reflective writing

    TEQSA has published the next video in our series on generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) tools, discussing the opportunities and the potential impact on academic integrity.

    In the latest video, Sydney University’s Dr Benjamin Miller takes us through some of the ways students could be using and misusing gen AI for reflective writing, and offers some thoughts on how to address these challenges.

    This video follows Professor Danny Liu’s recently published video which discussed gen AI tools and student learning.

    Both videos are available to view on TEQSA’s YouTube channel. Keep an eye out for the final video in the series, which will be published soon.

    Upcoming gen AI webinar

    TEQSA invites you to join us on Thursday 28 November for a webinar - Gen AI strategies for Australian higher education: Emerging practice.

    During this webinar TEQSA will share analysis, trends and perspectives gathered from the recent request for information. We will also launch our new toolkit designed to support the sector in addressing the risk gen AI poses to the integrity of awards.

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  • TEQSA fees and charges consultation - October 2024

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    TEQSA fees and charges consultation paper  (PDF, 281 KB)

    In accordance with the Australian Government Charging Policy, TEQSA annually reviews the operation of our Cost Recovery Implementation Statement (CRIS).

    Following an internal review of the 2023 version of the CRIS, TEQSA has developed a consultation paper for the sector.

    This paper outlines several proposed adjustments to ensure our fees and charges (to take effect from 1 January 2025) accurately reflect the cost of our regulatory activities.

    Visit our frequently asked questions for more information.

    This consultation closed at 5:00pm (AEDT) on Monday 28 October 2024.

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    Related links

  • Annual financial statements

    [Providers must supply TEQSA with annual financial statements (under section 27 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 [TEQSA Act]).

    The annual financial statements must be provided:

    • for each annual financial reporting period the provider is registered
    • in the approved form
    • with a statement by an independent, qualified auditor
    • within six months of the end of the annual financial reporting period.

    For information about how to submit financial information please visit information collection.

    Definitions

    General Purpose Financial Statements

    Refers to ‘financial statements that are intended to meet the needs of users who are not in a position to require an entity to prepare reports tailored to their particular information needs’.

    This definition has the same meaning as in the Glossary of defined terms of the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) and AASB 101.7.

    Special Purpose Financial Statements

    Refers to ‘a complete set of financial statements, including the related notes, and an assertion statement by those responsible for the financial report, prepared in accordance with a special purpose framework. The related notes ordinarily comprise a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.  The requirements of the applicable financial reporting framework determine the format and content of a financial report prepared in accordance with a special purpose framework.’

    Qualified auditor 

    Means a registered company auditor (within the meaning of the Corporations Act 2001), or a person approved by TEQSA.

    Approved form

    Non-Table A providers

    We will consider annual financial statements (from non-Table A providers under the Higher Education Support Act 2003) to be in the approved form if they:

    • are General Purpose Financial Statements prepared in accordance with all the current standards set by the Australian Accounting Standards Board
    • include a signed and dated Directors’ Declaration made in accordance with section 295 of the Corporations Act 2001 (or an equivalent declaration)
    • include all explanatory notes, including a summary of significant accounting policies
    • include a signed and dated auditor’s report
    • include a signed and dated auditor’s independent declaration.

    If a non-Table A provider is not required by the Corporations Act 2001 or relevant Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) to prepare General Purpose Financial Statements, we will consider annual financial statements to be in the approved form if they:

    • are special purpose financial statements prepared in accordance with the following current standards set by the AASB:
      • AASB 101: Presentation of Financial Statements
      • AASB 107: Statement of Cash Flows
      • AASB 108: Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors
      • AASB 1031: Materiality
      • AASB 1048: Interpretation of Standards
      • AASB 1053: Application of Tiers of Australian Accounting Standards.

    As these are minimum requirements, providers are encouraged to comply with additional AASB requirements where appropriate. These include:

    • a Directors’ Declaration made in accordance with section 295 of the Corporations Act 2001 (or equivalent declaration)
    • provision of all explanatory notes, including a summary of significant accounting policies
    • a signed and dated auditor’s report, and
    • a signed and dated independent auditor’s declaration.

    Providers should submit a copy of their annual financial statements in the approved form and report financial information solely through the Department of Education’s HELP IT System (HITS).

    Table A providers

    We will consider annual financial statements from Table A providers to be in the approved form if they have been prepared in accordance with the Department of Education’s Financial Statement Guidelines.

    Providers that do not publish their annual financial statements on their website are requested to send them in the approved form to collections@teqsa.gov.au. 

    NOTE: the following file types are supported: DOC, DOCX, XLSX and PDF.

    See also: Guidance note on Financial Standing

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  • Gen AI and multi-modal assessment

    TEQSA has published the third, and final, video in our series Gen AI: Transforming higher education assessments, developed for TEQSA by Professor Danny Liu and Dr Benjamin Miller from The University of Sydney.

    This video showcases the ability of AI tools to generate multi-modal assessment artefacts, such as videos and podcasts, and responses to verbal questions in real time.

    This video follows the others in the series:

    • Gen AI and student learning – with Professor Liu
    • Gen AI and reflective writing – with Dr Benjamin Miller

    The videos in this series are available on TEQSA’s YouTube channel and our Artificial intelligence good practice hub.

    Upcoming gen AI webinar

    Join us on Thursday 28 November for a webinar on Gen AI strategies for Australian higher education – Emerging practice.

    At the webinar we’ll share analysis, trends and perspectives gathered from our recent request for information and launch a new toolkit designed to support the sector in addressing the risk gen AI poses to the integrity of awards.

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