One of the most common areas of complaint with online teaching and learning during the pandemic was insufficient engagement with teaching and tutoring staff, and an expectation of greater interaction with individual students. Many students missed the informal interaction before or after lectures and tutorials that occurred when studying face-to-face.

Preparation and management

• Australian Skills Quality Authority guidance to the vocational education training (VET) sector on distance delivery (information hub)
• Curated resources for educators (information hub)
• Engineering Institute of Technology: Education and training using a synchronous (and asynchronous) online learning platform (information hub)
• National guidelines for improving student outcomes in online learning (guide)

Teaching approaches

• How to ensure success in online learning programs (webinar)
• Supporting students in an online environment
• Your content is online, what's next? (a series of tips from Dr Dawn Gilmore, Director of Teaching and Learning, RMIT Online):
  • Tip #1: Start by telling your students how you’ll be interacting with them
  • Tip #2: Tell students about their first webinar
  • Tip #3: Establish your discussion board presence
  • Tip #4: Facilitate an engaging webinar
  • Tip #5: Email students who aren’t logging into the LMS
  • Tip #6: Encourage your students to prepare for the first assessment
  • Tip #7: Build feedback loops into your online teaching practice
  • Tip #8: Challenge your assumptions about student participation
  • Tip #9: Don’t forget to have a bit of fun
  • Tip #10: It's ok to lean on Google and YouTube
  • Tip #11: Celebrate your students’ achievements
  • Tip #12: Show your students how to look beyond the classroom
  • Tip #13: At the end of the semester, say goodbye to your students
  • Tip #14: Reflect on your approach to teaching
• TEQSA and RMIT webinar series: Going online: R(e)imagining teaching and learning (webinar)
• The 10 fundamentals of teaching online for faculty and instructors (guide)

Providing effective online feedback

• ASCLITE Technology-Enhanced Learning Accreditation Standards (guide)
• Effective feedback in digital learning environments (discussion paper)

Hybrid learning

• A new pedagogy is emerging...and online learning is a key contributing factor (article)
• How to use the HyFlex method to teach online and in person at the same time (webinar)
• UNSW guidelines for accessible blended and online courses (guide)

^{TEQSA makes the information on this webpage available to assist higher education providers, ELICOS providers and foundation program providers in building good practice. It has been obtained from a range of external sources and has not been generated by or on behalf of TEQSA unless otherwise noted. You should read, and carefully consider, the disclaimer before accessing any of the material.}

Generative Artificial Intelligence, commonly known as generative AI or AI, is progressing at a rapid rate. This form of technology includes AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT.

It’s important to understand that, depending on your university or college’s policies, using AI as part of your studies may be restricted or banned.

Alternatively, there might be subjects or tasks where the use of AI is encouraged or even required.

Where use of AI is permitted, you will need to understand how the use of these tools is referenced.

Use of AI in a way that is not consistent with your institution’s rules can result in a finding of academic misconduct.

TEQSA encourages all higher education students to discuss expectations around AI with their institution and ensure they follow their university or college’s instruction to avoid breaching academic integrity.

Because rules might be different in various disciplines, it’s best to make sure you understand the expectations for each assessment task.

Assessments and AI

TEQSA does not mandate a particular form of assessment be used - the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 requires institutions to assess a student’s knowledge and understanding of the subject.

The increasing sophistication of AI might mean that some assessment tasks are redesigned to ensure students cannot substitute student work with material produced by AI.

Redesigning assessments is an appropriate response to the risks posed by AI and is one that TEQSA supports.

You should discuss any concerns you have about how changes to assessment could impact you due to disability or other circumstances with your university or college.

All Australian higher education institutions are required to have policies and procedures to respond to student concerns – you can usually find them on your university or college’s website or student portal.

Other AI resources for students

We’re sharing these links to assist students in understanding how AI works and how to ethically use it while upholding their academic integrity.

Remember, before following any advice within these links, you should first check with your institution.

• Everyone's having a field day with ChatGPT – but nobody knows how it actually works (Professor Toby Walsh, UNSW for The Conversation)
• Ethical ways to use ChatGPT as a student (Open Universities Australia)
• Using AI tools for study (Flinders University Library)
• Using generative AI (Deakin University Library)

Translated versions

The information on this webpage has been translated into various languages.

• Access the translated versions

These pages define academic integrity and explain different types of cheating to help students understand the risks and penalties for poor behaviour. This information will help you to identify, avoid and report illegal cheating services. The information on these pages is designed to help you to understand these topics. If you need information more relevant to your circumstances, please speak with your tutor or school. 

How to use this site

Navigate to a section using the links below:

• What is academic integrity?
• Identifying, avoiding and reporting illegal cheating services
• Download hub (free resources for students, academics and providers)
• Translated resources
• Understanding academic integrity: Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
• Report a suspected academic cheating service form

TEQSA registers all providers of higher education in Australia.

We consider if applicants meet the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021.

If we approve an application, we publish that decision on the National Register.

If we reject to an application, we share that decision on this page.

TEQSA is working to develop updated guidance to support compliance with provider obligations under the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021.

Our work is focused on supporting universities and other higher education providers to assure themselves that discussion around contested ideas does not risk student and staff wellbeing and safety, while being cognisant of the sector’s commitment to freedom of speech and academic freedom.

This is part of TEQSA’s ongoing work to improve system responses to these issues within Australia’s higher education sector.

TEQSA’s current work is focused on:

• identifying and sharing best practice
• updating guidance materials for higher education providers
• developing statements of regulatory expectations about student grievances and complaints processes and academic adjustment/special consideration policies
• continuing to engage with stakeholders including students, providers and other government agencies and experts.

Roundtable meetings

To support the development of updated guidance, TEQSA held roundtable meetings in October and November 2024, and February 2025.

Invitees to these meetings include universities, students and other stakeholders, including the National Student Ombudsman, Australian Human Rights Commission, Universities Australia, the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism in Australia and the Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia in Australia.

TEQSA social cohesion roundtable with vice-chancellors on 31 October 2024

• Record of 31 October 2024 meeting
• TEQSA’s slides

TEQSA social cohesion roundtable with university managers on 15 November 2024

• Record of 15 November 2024 meeting

Details regarding the 25 February 2025 roundtable meeting are not available.

Guidance materials

The following information lists TEQSA guidance and correspondence to providers.

• Letter to all universities – 4 February 2026
• Statement of Regulatory Expectations: Student grievance and complaint mechanisms
• Sector update: Managing external actors on campus
• Letter to all providers – 12 February 2025
• Letter to all universities – 12 February 2025
• Interim sector update: Regulatory expectations of providers to assure safety and wellbeing on campus in relation to student protests
• Letter to all providers – 4 October 2024
• Letter to all universities – 7 August 2024
• Letter to all universities – 5 June 2024
• Letter to all providers – 9 May 2024
• Guidance note: Diversity and equity
• Guidance note: Grievance and complaint handling
• Guidance note: Wellbeing and safety

Stay informed

Updates on this work, including consultation opportunities, will be communicated via TEQSA’s website, our monthly e-News and social media channels. Be sure to sign up to our e-News to keep informed.

If you have any questions about this work, please email socialcohesion@teqsa.gov.au.

TEQSA’s fees and charges recover costs for regulatory activities undertaken to support Australia’s higher education sector.

Costs are recovered from higher education providers in 2 ways:

1. Registered Higher Education Provider (RHEP) charge paid annually by all providers, the charge is the sum of a base component and a compliance component
2. Application fees for regulatory activities related to:
   • registration
   • course accreditation
   • variation or revocation of conditions

TEQSA fees and charges are determined by legislative instruments

TEQSA’s fees and charges are determined by way of legislative instrument. TEQSA’s fees and charges from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 are based on the amended Cost Recovery Implementation Statement and set out in the following legislative instruments:

• Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees No 1 of 2020
• Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Charges) Regulations 2022

Learn more about fees and charges

In this section, you can find detailed information about our fees and charges, including:

• Registered Higher Education Provider (RHEP) charge
• application fees
• our Cost Recovery Implementation Statement
• how we consult on fees and charges

For frequently asked questions about cost recovery, visit our FAQs page.

The Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (HES Framework) has applied since 1 July 2021.  

From a regulatory perspective, all applications made: 

• before 1 July 2021 will be assessed against the HES Framework 2015
• on or after 1 July 2021 will be assessed against the HES Framework 2021.

Guidance notes

Guidance notes are concise documents designed to provide high-level, principles-based guidance on interpretation and application of specific standards of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021. They also draw attention to other interrelated standards and highlight potential risks to compliance.
 

TEQSA is working to enhance its suite of guidance notes and will keep providers updated on our progress through our monthly e-News (subscribe here) and our social media channels.
 

We recognise and value the importance of drawing on knowledge of lived experience in the higher education sector.
 

Please view our Consultation page to learn more about present opportunities to provide feedback.

The resources published on this page are not instructional or ‘how to’ documents for compliance with the new HES Framework.

TEQSA publishes guidance notes to provide greater clarity for providers in the interpretation and application of selected standards. Guidance notes draw on our regulatory experience and knowledge of experts in the higher education sector.

Guidance notes usually focus on a single topic (such as academic leadership, for example). The guidance note typically outlines:

• the nature of the topic
• the relevant standards in the Higher Education Standards Framework (HESF) that relate to the topic
• the underlying intent of those standards
• the risks to the quality of education if the topic is not addressed sufficiently by a provider
• the evidence that TEQSA is likely to look for to be satisfied that the requirements of the HESF are being met.   

Comments and feedback on guidance notes can be emailed to standards@teqsa.gov.au.

Current guidance notes

Statements of Regulatory Expectations

A Statement of Regulatory Expectations (SRE) is a regulatory tool TEQSA uses to address systemic ongoing or acute emerging risks to compliance with the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021.

• Statements of Regulatory Expectations

Good practice notes

• Addressing contract cheating to safeguard academic integrity
• Improving retention and completion of students in Australian higher education
• Making higher education admissions transparent for prospective students
• Preventing and responding to sexual assault and sexual harassment in the Australian higher education sector

Guide to determining the fitness and propriety of a person

This guidance sets out the principles and considerations that TEQSA will have regard to when assessing fitness and propriety for the purposes of the TEQSA Act. 

• Guide to determining the fitness and propriety of a person

Independent Experts engaged by providers 

This document provides guidance to providers on selecting a suitable independent expert to conduct a review or seek expert advice as part of their internal quality assurance processes.

• Independent Experts engaged by providers

Glossary of terms

• Access our glossary of terms