Authors: Tanya Henry and Associate Professor Christine Slade, Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation (ITaLI), The University of Queensland

Focus area: Assessment design

The Lead through learning strategy 2025 - 2027 (the Strategy) is a whole-of-university strategy at The University of Queensland (UQ) aimed at addressing the impact of generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) in education and sits within the UQ’s AI in Education Action Plan (2025 – 2027). This initiative is a partnership between 5 faculties and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) (DVC(A)) portfolio which aims to ensure graduates can use gen AI ethically and responsibly and that assessment practices assure learning outcomes.

Learning designers are embedded in the faculties for 3 years to spearhead the cultural change in assessment and teaching practices in the light of gen AI.  As this is one piece of a broader program of work within the Strategy, the Learning Design (LD) team is led by a Strategic Lead based in the central teaching unit, who provides leadership and mentorship to the team of faculty-based learning designers and is the conduit between LDs and the DVC(A).

The Strategy has 2 main goals:

• Preparing students for responsible gen AI use by equipping students with ethical and practical skills they can use in their studies, careers and communities, and preparing them to lead and shape the future of gen AI integration in their fields.
• Maintaining the integrity of the learning process by ensuring that academic standards are upheld through secure and credible assessment practices.

Partnering with faculties to achieve these goals enables contextualised approaches within disciplines, with each faculty developing an operational plan that reflects their individual context. The central teaching and learning unit, the Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation (ITaLI), complements this approach, upskilling gen AI use and assessment transformation, providing institutional guidance and facilitating collaboration.

Within faculties learning designers, in collaboration with teaching staff, are developing and delivering workshops to support staff in using gen AI including how to enhance the validity and security of assessments. Across faculties staff are engaging in communities of practice including the establishment of an AI Steering Committee to explore the development of a whole-of-faculty gen AI curriculum.

Key lessons or points for implementation

• Define success and leverage existing data:
  Clearly articulate what success looks like in advancing the project’s core goals and how progress will be measured. Engage with colleagues who can identify existing data sources and explore future possibilities to support evidence-based decision-making.
• Integrate with other initiatives to maximise impact and minimise change fatigue:
  Assessment transformation should align with other strategic initiatives, such as inclusive design and indigenising the curriculum, to create synergies rather than silos. This approach fosters collaboration, reduces duplication of effort and helps avoid staff fatigue by streamlining change.
• Support educators through incremental, reflective change:
  Meet educators where they are and guide them through manageable, meaningful steps in assessment reform. Celebrate small wins, reflect on what works and what doesn’t, using a continuous improvement approach.
• Contextual partnerships across the university:
  Connecting both top down and ground up goals is important to support staff buy-in where success requires teaching and assessment practices to change.

Author: Associate Professor Guy Curtis, University of Western Australia

This short overview answers two common questions that people in higher education have about culture and academic integrity. These questions are:

• Do international students cheat more than domestic students?
• Do different cultures have different perspectives on academic integrity?

Do international students cheat more than domestic students?

No!

Two of the biggest predictors of academic misconduct are students:

1. lacking the understanding of academic integrity rules
2. finding the academic expectations to be too difficult.

Common misconceptions

There is a common perception in Australian higher education that international students engage in plagiarism and cheating more than local Australian students. There are some reasons why this perception exists, and not all of them suggest that international students engage in academic misconduct any more than local Australian students.

In the days before generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) and text-matching software, the most common form of academic misconduct was almost certainly plagiarism. When a native English speaker plagiarises, the clearly written text that they copied from a published source may not stand out in their assignment amongst their own native English writing. In contrast, when a non-native speaker includes a section of copied clear prose in the context of writing that has the hallmarks of a less fluent understanding of English, that plagiarised clear prose stands out.

Consequently, plagiarism was more easily detectable in the writing of English as an Additional Language (EAL) international students, which gave the impression that international students plagiarised more than local students. There are still many academics working today who first started their careers marking assignments in the days before text-matching software and artificial intelligence, who carry the impression that international students engage in more misconduct because it used to be easier to spot when international students plagiarised. However, this perception may, at least partly, be an example of implicit bias.

Local students vs international students

In contrast to the expectations that international students engage in more plagiarism than local Australian students, several studies have found no differences in plagiarism rates between local Australian and international students (e.g. Maxwell et al., 2006; 2008). These studies have commented on the fact that many international students come from cultures that value education, where students from these cultures may assuage cheating because it undermines their learning (Chan, 1999). Other research also indicates that within a semester of studying in a different culture, international students have often learned and adapted to local expectations for educational assessment (Biggs & Watkins, 1996; Shafaei et al., 2016; Volet & Renshaw, 1995). Nonetheless, international students continue to be over-represented in academic misconduct cases (Zobel & Hamilton, 2002; Harris, 2025).

Importantly, 2 of the largest and most thorough studies of serious cheating in higher education in Australia, which examined contract cheating, both found higher rates of contract cheating among international students than among local Australian students (Bretag et al., 2019; Curtis et al., 2022). However, the most interesting finding of both studies was that engagement in cheating was predicted more by EAL status than by international student status. What this means is that cheating may be something that students do because studying in their non-native language is hard. Although more international students than Australian students have English as an additional language, educators need to keep in mind that some local students do not have English as their first language and that some international students do have English as a first language.

Confirmation bias

Another reason why people believe that international students cheat more than domestic students is that many of the well-publicised cheating scandals in Australian higher education have involved international students. For example, the MyMaster scandal involved a website specifically marketing contract cheating services to Chinese-speaking students in Australia (Visentin, 2015).

Cultural differences

Not understanding rules may apply more to international students who have come from a context where academic integrity expectations are not the same as those of the Australian institution in which they're studying (Ehrich et al., 2016; Fatemi & Saito, 2020; James et al., 2017). As noted above, they will likely learn local expectations in Australia, but this does not necessarily happen straight away. Not understanding course content may apply to international students who face the added challenge of studying in their non-native language or who were admitted to study in Australia despite not satisfying minimum entry requirements for their course.

In sum, there is some evidence which indicates that international students may sometimes engage in academic misconduct at higher rates than local students. However, there are also some critical lessons and caveats:

• All students need to be considered as individuals, just because someone is from a particular culture it is not an indication that they have engaged, or will engage, in academic misconduct. Markers and decision-makers need to be aware of the potential for implicit bias.
• Students who are new to Australia need clear guidance on academic integrity expectations in the Australian higher education context.
• Students whose first language is not English may need additional help and support to be able to complete assignments with integrity.
• Even if, on average, academic misconduct rates are higher among international students, keep in mind that local students can and do also engage in academic misconduct.

Do different countries and cultures have different perspectives on academic integrity?

Yes!

Being aware of the variations in cultural attitudes around academic integrity, and the association between English language proficiency and academic misconduct, can help institutions in developing support and guidance for international students to:

• best prepare them for academic study in Australia
• understand the rules and expectations around academic integrity.

In the previous section, we noted that international students do tend to adapt to local expectations, and providing specific instruction on academic integrity can help with this adaptation. Nonetheless, there are some potential pre-existing expectations that students from various countries and cultures may have that are not the same as those typically held by Australian students or Australian Higher Education Institutions.

There are many and varied reasons that have been suggested for cross-national differences in academic integrity. Broad cultural dimensions have been suggested as playing a role:

• Individualism versus collectivism and the extent to which students seek support, and in the extent to which students believe it is acceptable to work on assessment tasks with others as compared with completing them alone (Kasler et al., 2021; Tremayne & Curtis, 2021; Zhao et al., 2022).
• Cultural dimension of power distance as potentially influencing academic integrity culture. For example, Asian and Confucian cultures are thought to be more deferential to expertise or seniority, with expectations that it may be less acceptable to paraphrase the words of an authority (James et al., 2019).
• Differences in educational practices, rote learning and rote reproduction are favoured educational methods in some cultures more than others. Rote learning and reproduction of information may be accompanied by a lesser emphasis on plagiarism (Maxwell et al., 2016).

However, cultural dimensions are not the only indicator of student behaviour. Cultural dimensions  interact with learning styles and student motivation. For example, research consistently shows lower rates of cheating in students whose goal is to learn as compared with students whose goal is to obtain performance outcomes like a qualification or high marks (Zhoa et al., 2024). This connection between performance orientation and cheating was stronger in cultures that were more individualistic and with lower power distance (i.e. Western cultures).

Similarly, expectations on what constitutes good behaviour or normal behaviour in an academic context differ between countries. A cross-national study of student cheating found the highest rates of cheating occurred in the countries with the highest rates of perceived cheating among peers (Awdry 2021; Awdry & Ives, 2023). Cultural dimensions also interact with perceived norms. For example, although students are generally influenced by the perception of the extent of cheating among their peers, this influence is stronger for students from more collectivistic and high-power distance cultures, for example Asian cultures (Zhoa et al., 2022).

As a consequence of some of these cultural differences, some studies suggest that behaviours and attitudes toward academic integrity vary. Below, some of the broader findings of such research is summarised.

It is important to keep in mind that educational practices and attitudes vary substantially among institutions within countries and change rapidly with changing educational and social practices. Because of this, readers must bear in mind that overgeneralising these culture-based findings to individuals may unfairly stereotype students.

Nonetheless, as mentioned earlier, the association between English language proficiency and academic misconduct means that students coming from any non-English speaking background may need additional support to avoid plagiarism and cheating.

What are some of the common expectations and attitudes to academic integrity in other jurisdictions?

China and other East-Asian countries

Much has been written about Chinese students’ perceptions of academic integrity, attitudes to academic integrity, and cultural-based expectations concerning educational assessments. As a broad generalisation, Chinese students coming to Australia from high school may be less likely to have been exposed to ideas of plagiarism, citation and referencing than local Australian students. Chinese students who have studied at Chinese higher education institutions before coming to Australia may have experienced more permissive attitudes to plagiarism and collusion in their previous studies (Privitera, 2024, Yang et al., 2017). In either case, dedicated and early interventions to raise awareness of local rules and build academic writing skills are recommended.

South-East Asia

As with students from China, students from South-East Asia may on average receive less emphasis in their prior education on academic integrity than Australian students. There are developing networks in ASEAN to promote academic integrity (Roengtam, 2025) and a current initiative by the Malaysian government to reduce corruption, including in education.

India and Pakistan

Research on higher education in India and Pakistan suggest higher rates of exam cheating in India (Monica et al., 2010) and higher levels of plagiarism and cheating in Pakistan (Ghias et al., 2014) as compared with Australia. Some research suggests that such problems are “normalised” within the sub-continent, but caution that there are considerable inter-institutional differences (Ghias et al., 2014; Rehman & Waheed, 2014).

USA, UK, and Canada

Generally, studies show similar rates of academic misconduct among students in the English-speaking Western countries. To be clear, the rates of cheating and plagiarism vary substantially among studies depending on how these are defined and measured. Educational practices and rules differ in these Western English-speaking countries as compared with Australia. In the USA, a more moralistic and character-based perception of academic misconduct is widespread than in Australia, where educative policies and processes are preferred. The USA and Canada lack national-level quality regulators of higher education.

Eastern Europe

Although not a large source of international students to Australia, surveys regularly show higher levels of engagement in academic misconduct in Eastern Europe than in Australia (Awdry & Ives, 2023). Some of these differences have been attributed to external pressures faced by students and student norms that are more permissive of cheating.

References

• Awdry, R. (2021). Assignment outsourcing: Moving beyond contract cheating. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 46(2), 220-235.
• Awdry, R., & Ives, B. (2023). International predictors of contract cheating in higher education. Journal of Academic Ethics, 21(2), 193-212.
• Biggs, J., & Watkins, D. (1996). The Chinese learner in retrospect. The Chinese learner: Cultural, psychological, and contextual influences, 269-285.
• Bretag, T., Harper, R., Burton, M., Ellis, C., Newton, P., Rozenberg, P., ... & Van Haeringen, K. (2019). Contract cheating: A survey of Australian university students. Studies in Higher Education, 44(11), 1837-1856.
• Chan, S. (1999). The Chinese learner–a question of style. Education+ training, 41(6/7), 294-305.
• Curtis, G. J., McNeill, M., Slade, C., Tremayne, K., Harper, R., Rundle, K., & Greenaway, R. (2022). Moving beyond self-reports to estimate the prevalence of commercial contract cheating: An Australian study. Studies in Higher Education, 47(9), 1844-1856.
• Ehrich, J., Howard, S. J., Mu, C., & Bokosmaty, S. (2016). A comparison of Chinese and Australian university students' attitudes towards plagiarism. Studies in Higher Education, 41(2), 231-246.
• Fatemi, G., & Saito, E. (2020). Unintentional plagiarism and academic integrity: The challenges and needs of postgraduate international students in Australia. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 44(10), 1305-1319.
• Ghias, K., Lakho, G. R., Asim, H., Azam, I. S., & Saeed, S. A. (2014). Self-reported attitudes and behaviours of medical students in Pakistan regarding academic misconduct: a cross-sectional study. BMC medical ethics, 15(1), 43.
• Harris, C. (2025, 8 July). The Sydney university students submitting fake medical certificates. Sydney Morning Herald.
• Kasler, J., Zysberg, L., & Gal, R. (2021). Culture, collectivism-individualism and college student plagiarism. Ethics & Behavior, 31(7), 488-497.
• Maxwell, A. J., Curtis, G. J., & Vardanega, L. (2006). Plagiarism among local and Asian students in Australia. Guidance & Counselling, 21(4), 210–215.
• Maxwell, A. J., Curtis, G. J., & Vardanega, L. (2008). Does culture influence understanding and perceived seriousness of plagiarism? International Journal for Educational Integrity, 4(2), 25–40. doi:10.21913/IJEI.v4i2.412.
• Monica, M., Ankola, A. V., Ashokkumar, B. R., & Hebbal, I. (2010). Attitude and tendency of cheating behaviours amongst undergraduate students in a Dental Institution of India. European Journal of Dental Education, 14(2), 79-83.
• Privitera, A. J. (2024). Is there a foreign language effect on academic integrity? Higher Education, 88(2), 609-626.
• Rehman, R. R., & Waheed, A. (2014). Ethical Perception of University Students about Academic Dishonesty in Pakistan: Identification of Student's Dishonest Acts. Qualitative Report, 19, 7.
• Roengtam, S. (2025). Development of an Ecosystem to Enhance Academic Integrity in Thai Universities. Journal of Information Systems Engineering and Management, 10(25).
• Shafaei, A., Nejati, M., Quazi, A., & Von der Heidt, T. (2016). ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’ Do international students’ acculturation attitudes impact their ethical academic conduct? Higher Education, 71(5), 651-666.
• Tremayne, K., & Curtis, G. J. (2021). Attitudes and understanding are only part of the story: self-control, age and self-imposed pressure predict plagiarism over and above perceptions of seriousness and understanding. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 46(2), 208-219.
• Visentin, L. (2015). MyMaster essay cheating scandal: More than 70 university students face suspension. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from www.smh.com.au Accessed 23 August 2016
• Volet, S. E., & Renshaw, P. D. (1995). Cross-cultural differences in university students' goals and perceptions of study settings for achieving their own goals. Higher Education, 30(4), 407-433.
• Volet, S. E., & Renshaw, P. D. (1996). Chinese students at an Australian university: Adaptability and continuity. In The Chinese learner: Cultural, psychological and contextual influences (pp. 205-220). Hong Kong University Press.
• Yang, S. C., Chiang, F. K., & Huang, C. L. (2017). A comparative study of academic dishonesty among university students in Mainland China and Taiwan. Asia Pacific Education Review, 18(3), 385-399.
• Zhao, L., Mao, H., Compton, B. J., Peng, J., Fu, G., Fang, F., ... & Lee, K. (2022). Academic dishonesty and its relations to peer cheating and culture: A meta-analysis of the perceived peer cheating effect. Educational Research Review, 36, 100455.
• Zhao, L., Yang, X., Yu, X., Zheng, J., Mao, H., Fu, G., ... & Lee, K. (2024). Academic Cheating, Achievement Orientations, and Culture Values: A Meta-Analysis. Review of Educational Research, 00346543241288240.

Recommended readings

• Guide for enhancing international students’ intercultural and community engagement.
• Parnther, C. (2022). International students and academic misconduct: Considering culture, community, and context. Journal of College and Character, 23(1), 60-75.
• Whitelaw, P. A., Henderson, F., Jose, P., Defeng, L., Cuiming, G., Wenjie, S., & Qinxi, L. (2010). Investigating the Efficacy of Culturally Specific Academic Literacy and Academic. Details.

Authors: Associate Professor Christine Slade and Dr James Lewandowski-Cox, The University of Queensland

Focus area: Academic integrity breach decision-making

Unethical academic file sharing continues to pose serious risks to both academic integrity and copyright compliance, particularly as platforms incentivise students to upload institutional content (Seeland et al., 2022; Rogerson & Basanta, 2016). Large-scale implementation of copyright takedown procedures remains a significant challenge for institutions (Seeland et al., 2022).

The Academic Student File Sharing (ASFS) pilot (the Pilot) at UQ, evaluated the effectiveness of copyright takedown notices to address academic integrity issues arising from student file sharing on platforms such as CourseHero and StuDocu. These platforms hosted over 75,000 files tagged as UQ content, often uploaded by students in exchange for incentives like premium access or cash rewards. The Pilot aimed to remove 5% of UQ files from each site – 3,277 from CourseHero and 497 from StuDocu. It exceeded these targets, successfully removing 3,486 from CourseHero (5.32%) and 703 files from StuDocu (7.07%) using 169.75 hours of staff time. All removed files remained offline as of July 2023, demonstrating the viability of copyright enforcement as a sustainable strategy.

Files with clear UQ branding or staff email addresses were removed more easily, while non-branded materials required additional provenance. CourseHero’s ‘PinPoint’ tool enabled efficient bulk takedowns, whereas StudDoc’s form required individual submissions. To meet targets, UQ deployed ‘working bees’ with trained library staff to manage the process.

Upload filter testing revealed that CourseHero blocked files containing the phrase ‘This content is protected and may not be shared, uploaded or distributed’, while StuDocu’s filters focused more on content quality than copyright. Both platforms incentivised uploads, with StuDocu offering direct cash payments, raising concerns about breaches of UQ’s Student Code of Conduct.

This pilot offers a practical and replicable model for institutions facing similar challenges. Its tools, strategies and insights are transferable, helping universities protect intellectual property (IP) and uphold academic integrity. While effective, ongoing success depends on institutional commitment, consistent branding practices and sector-wide collaboration.

Key lessons or points for implementation

• Develop a communications package to inform academic staff about file sharing risks and allocate staff resources to maintain takedown efforts.
• Use consistent branding and embed CourseHero’s copyright phrase in teaching materials.
• Consider misconduct action for students who upload institutional intellectual property for gain.

References

• Rogerson, A.M., & Basanta, G. (2016). Peer-to-peer file sharing and academic integrity in the internet age.  In T. Bretag (Ed.), Handbook of Academic Integrity, (pp.273-285). Springer Reference. DOI 10.1007/978-981-287-098-8_55
• Seeland, J., Eaton, S.E., & Stoesz, B.M. (2022). Leveraging College Copyright Ownership Against File-Sharing and Contract Cheating Websites. In S.E. Eaton et al. (Eds.), Contract Cheating in Higher Education, (pp. 61-76). Palgrave Macmillan.  doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-12680-2_5 
   

Author: Dr Katherine Sugars, Murdoch University

Focus area: Partnering with students

Academic misconduct is a wicked problem; we need a cornucopia of strategies. I find building a sense of belonging can reduce ad hoc misconduct risks and has a positive effect on student commitment to academic integrity — individually and as a social group norm. Designing a learning space around belonging has multiple other benefits. It:

• helps students engage and dive into novel learning experiences
• strengthens relationships and trust
• enhances individual wellbeing.

The more my students teach me about their worldview, the more I can make sense of their experiences and actions. I can then be more purposeful in my unit design and teaching and improve outcomes. I am not the only one who finds that increased agency in a more predictable learning space inspires commitment to learning and group wellbeing. In the context of academic integrity, this can mean to do what is right and fair for everyone, and cooperate with group rules, until they become second nature: Just what we do here.

I teach an academic skills unit for international master’s students, typically those who have newly arrived in Australia. Most of my students are Bhutanese with an eclectic mix of other nationalities; differences matter, as do common woes. The challenge is to build a shared identity and a classroom experience that is flexible and engaging but includes non-negotiables — in this case academic integrity. Students must adapt, but I can too (within policy constraints). I can build bridges, move boundaries, re-order priorities, be responsive to shifting needs of cohorts and individuals, and I can see myself as one of “us” while we journey together.

Coming to Australia to earn a degree is a big transition. It is not just logistics, culture shock or even homesickness — it is social standing and security in their understanding of the world and their place in it. Former professionals work as Uber drivers, cleaners or in aged care and struggle to pay rent. Expectations and reality are far apart. The rules seem to make life harder and more confusing. It takes time to regain stability, self-confidence and belongingness, and this comes from finding agency, choosing our own actions and learning what to expect in response.

How can this understanding influence unit design and class activities?

First, I design for and teach whole human beings, who are courageous and capable, and who are dealing with a lot of stuff right now. Be kind and empathetic, actively affirm this shared experience. I use their life experience as a topic for class activities and assessments. I resist saying everyone is in the same boat, even though it is true, because this diminishes their experience and is disempowering, a conversation stopper (as are judging and fixing). I try not to think “they made their choice” even when I am mad at them, because this happened in the past and can’t be fixed. It is useful for judging but not problem solving (same with “should” and “should have”).

I provide all the stability and predictability I possibly can. Help them build a connected support structure, in class, on the learning management system (LMS), within the university and with classmates, friends and family. Stabilise their learning environment. Not in a rigid way, but rather a routinely engaging, welcoming, easy-to-participate and fun way. Remove unnecessary barriers and make acting the way you hope the easiest and most rewarded choice. Attendance is the first step in relationship building and, oh yes... learning. I see myself as a key support person. The more students sense I care for them, the more they commit to genuine engagement in my unit. I try to make it easy to get it right.

Global grand challenges and real-life experiences make great topics for practicing academic skills. There is no right (or wrong) answer and they offer something for everyone to engage with. When giving feedback on weekly journal writing I will often engage with the substance of a student's entry as well as the scholarship. I recall meeting with a student who I had given 5 fails in a row to. I was repeating my mantra, “I want to hear your voice”, and he suddenly looked at me in wonder and said “you really care about what I have to say.” It was a moment. He submitted some brilliant persuasive writing after that. Plus, we were both much happier. The fails weren’t because he couldn’t, or was lazy or entitled, they were because he did not value the activity enough and part of that was because he thought I didn’t value him.

I have had to rethink my priorities. I value genuine voice over polished grammar and spelling (it can be hard to convince students this is true and that it will be reflected in their marks). I value integrity far more than due dates. I recall brainstorming in class “what to do when there is 2 hours until your assignment is due and you haven’t started”. We filled a whole whiteboard (including use ChatGPT, copy from a friend and outsource) and I still needed to be the one to suggest “ask for an extension.” 
Bhutanese students have a deep respect for their elders and their teachers, and this can create strange situations where they employ a work-around when I expect them to ask directly. I try to predict when this might happen, with my crystal ball, and be explicit (repeatedly) that questioning is allowed, nay, rewarded and rewarding! I even model being wrong. It may be painful but it's good for my soul. In fact, it is hard to critically engage at all unless you allow yourself to question others and welcome questions without defensiveness.

I encourage even the smallest risk-taking when it comes to learning. I read in a student portfolio that her tutor simply saying her comment in class was excellent changed her whole outlook: her confidence, her commitment to the work and her joy in challenging herself. The risk-taking doesn’t have to be content-related. My Bhutanese students have a wicked sense of humour and are — a surprise at first — fiercely competitive. We play games. Not all students find ‘Fruit salad’ fun, so I’m told in feedback, but laughter and movement change everything. A student might be too anxious to contribute an idea to a group discussion but happy to hip-check me over the last free chair — a step in the right direction, I say. For some students who remain quiet in class, we may dialogue privately via their weekly portfolios - their creations, my responses. Building trust and allowing a safe learning space to conquer anxiety about being judged by others. Silently can be an equally valuable way to conduct an interpersonal learning and teaching relationship.

I make every effort to reduce risk and tragic consequences of mistakes, while establishing a clear cause and effect expectation for misconduct. Early, low-stakes, formative assessment (and best four of five fortnightly submissions) allows for early zeros. I find a zero is remarkably effective individual feedback and normative boundary setting. High-stakes assessments are high security. This minimises my own uncertainty and errors, and lowers the risk of unit failure from one mistake.

I try to be explicit with students about what I expect when it comes to academic integrity —the principle is easy, the details are harder. It is a fuzzy line, because I want them to develop their own good judgement about the use of generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) and collaborating with group members. Both can be valuable, both can enhance learning. Errors in judgement can be teaching moments. But deliberately misrepresenting authorship draws a penalty, as does carelessly misrepresenting authorship with the attitude that it does not really matter. I aim to pick it up every time. I’m delusional, I know (I’d love to know my actual hit and miss ratio).

Creating a fun, safe learning space that belongs to everyone helps each student take social and cognitive risks. When I ask students what tempts them to cheat, they say time pressure, not understanding requirements, thinking they will get a better mark and life being overwhelming. I can lessen some of these drivers with technical fixes, but student feedback consistently and overwhelmingly says that knowing their contribution to the group is valued and being supported as a human being, is what they value most. Students report being motivated by this sense of inclusion and mutual regard to have self-confidence and maintain integrity when hurdles appear.

Key lessons or points for implementation

• Reduce disorientation by providing stability and a shared group identity, have fun together, establish academic integrity as a group norm.
• Reassess priorities, be clear and strong on what matters.
• Encourage learning risks, make it safe, make it personal. Make it the best and most enjoyable option for the student to do the work themselves.
• Back-up plan: Stick to your word and penalise academic misconduct.

Authors: Fiona Perry, Dr Anu Sharma, Associate Professor Michelle Cavaleri (Dean, Academic), Margaret Redestowicz, Education Centre Australia Higher Education.  

Focus area: Academic integrity education

Education Centre Australia’s Higher Education division (ECA HE) comprises the Asia Pacific International College (APIC), offering business, project management and IT programs; the College of Health Science (CHS), specialising in health management programs; and, the Higher Education Leadership Institute (HELI), delivering eLearning and research programs. While operating as separate institutions, these entities work closely together, leveraging shared staff, resources and knowledge.

Our student body is predominantly international, representing diverse cultural and educational backgrounds from the Indian subcontinent (India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh), Africa (Kenya, Ghana, Zimbabwe), South America (Brazil, Colombia, Argentina) and Asia-Pacific (Philippines, Indonesia, China, Fiji), alongside a smaller cohort of domestic students.

These diverse backgrounds can create academic challenges that require targeted support. International students often come from educational systems with different approaches to collaboration, citation and source usage, making it challenging for them to navigate the specific academic integrity expectations and research standards of our institution.

To better support students reported for academic integrity breaches, ECA HE implemented a proactive booking system that automatically offers individual support appointments with learning advisors. These appointments were offered in addition to the usual penalties such as redoing the academic integrity module, resubmitting work and other penalties in line with our Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. These appointments aim to:

• gain a better understanding of student circumstances that contribute to academic integrity breaches
• provide personalised support addressing specific resubmission requirements and underlying causes to prevent future breaches
• share relevant implications with appropriate stakeholders including unit coordinators, course coordinators and learning designers.

Appointments typically take between 20 and 45 mins and students can pick a time and mode that suits them either online or face-to-face. To set up the appointments we created a new booking system that links to the academic integrity breach database to automate invitations to students who are reported. ECA HE developed training for staff on best practice for conducting appointments. This training covered record keeping, aims and goals of the sessions, tools and techniques that can be used and common challenges, with suggested strategies to overcome these. Furthermore, an example video of a consultation was created. The video is annotated to demonstrate effective strategies advisors can use.

Key lessons or points for implementation

1. Students reported for academic integrity breaches frequently require significant training in how to access library resources and websites, and navigate digital platforms such as academic support websites, the learning management system and Turnitin.  Academically, students need support building essential skills such as paraphrasing and referencing. Furthermore, students want guidance on the ethical use of generative artificial intelligence (gen AI).
2. In relation to wellbeing, students seek support for mental health concerns and assistance with managing health concerns. Students often present to appointments with challenges related to their socioeconomic and personal circumstances, including housing instability, employment pressures and financial difficulties, all of which can interfere with their ability to engage fully in their academic work. Advisors sometimes need to show students how to apply for special consideration and extensions. Staff need to be up to date on what supports are available and how to refer students.
3. Staff delivering individual consultations need training on how to best support students. This includes tailoring sessions to individuals and scaffolding and modelling the use of library and academic support resources. These staff also need to be equipped to deal with the multitude of wellbeing issues that can come up when working closely with individual students.

Author: Guy Curtis, University of Western Australia

Focus area: Academic integrity breach decision-making

For about 3 years I acted as the academic staff member within my School and was responsible for dealing with cases of alleged student academic misconduct. In my School there were large first-year psychology units that often had enrolments of around 1,000 students.  The first edition of the TEQSA Academic Integrity Toolkit included a guide to substantiating contract cheating, within which is “An investigator template for conducting a student academic integrity interview”. I decided to use this template for interviews with students who were reported by their first-year psychology unit coordinators for plagiarism.

Looking at text-matching software (for example, Turnitin), it was often the case that first-year students had either failed to indicate quoted text with quotation marks and page numbers or failed to provide name and date citations on paraphrased text. Two questions in the Toolkit’s interview guide were particularly helpful in working out whether students misunderstood referencing rules, misapplied referencing rules or understood referencing rules and chose not to follow them:

1. What referencing system/style did you use?
2. In the referencing system you used, are there any differences in how quotes and paraphrased material should be represented?

Students in first-year psychology would typically answer the first question with “APA style”. Their answer to the second question usually aligned with the errors in citations and referencing that were apparent in their assignment. For example, if a student had verbatim quotes without quotation marks, but with a name and date in brackets afterwards, they would usually say that the way to cite a quote is to put a name and year in brackets after it. This answer would reveal that they were trying to do the right thing, but didn’t understand that quotes had to be cited differently from paraphrased material. Similarly, students without citations on paraphrased materials might say that citations were only needed for quotes. First-year students’ answers to these structured questions often helped to foster educational conversations about citation rules and allowed me to direct them to relevant information about citation and writing.

In units of 1,000 students, some will miss, or misunderstand, information about academic integrity without any intention of plagiarising or gaining an unfair advantage by doing so. When such students end up being referred for investigation into alleged misconduct, it can undoubtedly be stressful for them. Confronting students with accusations, rather than asking questions that seek to understand how their assessments were written, may exacerbate such stresses. The benefit of good questions in identifying educational gaps means that perceived punitive processes can be turned into teachable moments. At the same time, recording within the university system that these conversations had taken place meant that, going forward, ignorance of the rules could not be used as an excuse by the same students for future instances of plagiarism.

Key lessons or points for implementation

• A structured approach for investigating allegations of academic misconduct is crucial.
• Using questions that allow investigators to seek information, rather than making allegations or assumptions leads to better outcomes.
• Plagiarism among first-year students is often a case of misunderstanding or misapplying rules. An allegation of plagiarism for first-year students can often be a chance to correct misunderstanding via one-on-one educational conversations.

Research shows that international students, particularly those whose first language is not English, need additional support when studying in Australia to learn and apply academic integrity rules and avoid academic misconduct. This brief guide contains tips and suggestions for creating academic integrity resources and awareness campaigns for international students. The guide also offers practical strategies and templates for developing effective academic integrity resources and awareness campaigns targeted at this group.

Key considerations for international student academic integrity campaigns

1. Use clear, simple English and provide translated versions in written formats.
2. Intervene early and repeatedly, make sure that messaging is delivered pre-enrolment, at enrolment, and subsequently.
3. Use multiple channels to meet students where they are, including orientation sessions, student accommodation, websites used by students, social media, on-campus locations such as international student offices/spaces, libraries, and other common areas.
4. Highlight available support to create engagement and assuage anxiety, normalise help-seeking.
5. Create a bespoke international student academic integrity information website for your institution.
6. Direct students to your international student academic integrity information website via a flyer/poster and/or online campaign.
7. Offer workshops and drop-in sessions on academic integrity for international students.

Example poster/flyer/website campaign

Use on-campus and/or online posters or flyers to catch students’ attention and direct them to bespoke international student academic integrity resources on your institution’s website. An annotated example is provided later in this guide.

Tips for posters

1. Use an attention-grabbing tagline/headline (see examples later) in a large bold font.
2. Translate the attention-grabbing headline into the most common languages spoken by students at your institution, making multiple versions if needed.
3. If using automatic translation tools, check the translation is correct by translating back to English, checking with a native speaker (staff or students), or checking with a language expert at your institution if your institution teaches languages other than English. Revise as necessary.
4. Link to further information on your institution’s website. For online campaigns use obvious clickable links or buttons, for paper-based posters or use a QR code for your link.

Example attention-grabbing

• Learn what cheating means in Australia
• In Australia, rules about cheating are strict, learn more
• Don’t get in trouble for cheating, learn the Australian rules
• Don’t get in trouble for cheating, learn the [INSERT INSTITUTION NAME] rules
• Learn what Australians mean by 'Academic Integrity'
• Know the rules: study smarter, not harder
• Avoid risky shortcuts: ask before you act
• Your success, your integrity: learn the rules today
• In Australia, “helping a friend” can sometimes be cheating, know the difference

Suggested content for international student academic integrity website

Generally speaking, most browsers will now translate website for users to their preferred languages. Because of this, unlike posters/flyers, it should not be necessary to translate an international-student academic-integrity webpage. However, it is worth checking the accuracy of any automatic translation with a bilingual staff member or student.

Section	Content for students
Homepage	Introduction (video welcome message from staff/student). Consider an interactive 'Start Here' button
What is academic integrity?	Provide definitions and examples, e.g. from your institution’s policy
Types of academic misconduct	Provide a list of forms of academic misconduct with examples
Tips on good academic practice	Examples and information about referencing, citation and paraphrasing
Penalties warning	Inform students about academic misconduct processes and penalties
Specific contract cheating warnings	Alert students to the problem that some cheating providers claim to be 'study help' sites, and may engage in criminal behaviours such as blackmailing students who use their services
Specific gen AI information	Provide information on or links to your institution’s policy on the acceptable use of gen AI in assessment
Case studies	Brief anonymized real cases of academic misconduct at your institution
Help and resources	Links to academic support, international student supports, and library or other supports for referencing
Quiz and self-check tools	Repeatable online quizzes on academic integrity rules for formative feedback or directions to institution-wide academic integrity modules

 

Authors: Professor Ruth Greenaway, Dr Zachery Quince, Dr Joanne Munn, Southern Cross University

Focus area: Assessment design

Generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) enables students to generate sophisticated academic outputs with minimal effort, challenging traditional assessment methods and raising concerns about academic integrity. Southern Cross University (SCU) has responded to this challenge by developing the Assessment Adaptation Model – Gen AI (AAM-Gen AI), a comprehensive, pedagogically grounded model designed to help educators adapt assessments to be resilient and meaningful in the gen AI era.

Gen AI tools have made traditional assessment vulnerable to misuse, necessitating systemic changes that move beyond reactive policies and detection-based approaches, advocating for proactive, authentic assessment designs that foster deep learning, critical thinking and ethical reasoning.

Authentic assessments, mirroring real-world complexities that require personal engagement, are less susceptible to gen AI misuse and promote transferable graduate skills. SCU’s AAM-Gen AI model arises from this context, aiming to align assessment design with both academic integrity and the evolving digital landscape.

The AAM-Gen AI model consists of seven interrelated components spanning the assessment lifecycle. It promotes a holistic, proactive approach that integrates gen AI considerations into every stage of assessment, encouraging transparent, ethical and capability-building practices rather than punitive measures.

• Design: 
  Craft assessment tasks that emphasise higher-order thinking, contextual relevance and personal engagement reducing gen AI misuse and enhance learning.
• Analyse: 
  Critically evaluate assessments using a security risk matrix to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities to gen AI exploitation.
• Act: 
  Implement strategic changes like multi-stage tasks using security rating scales to strengthen assessment integrity.
• Inform: 
  Clearly communicate gen AI usage policies to students to support fairness and ethical learning.
• Educate: 
  Develop students’ AI literacy and critical thinking to foster ethical and informed engagement with gen AI tools.
• Check: 
  Verify authenticity through nuanced, evidence-based approaches while promoting a culture of trust and accountability.
• Evaluate: 
  Continuously review and refine assessment practices to ensure alignment with learning goals and responsiveness to gen AI developments.

Key lessons or points for implementation

• Spend time considering current assessment and proactively redesign with gen AI in mind.
• A security risk matrix is a conversation starting point to reconsider assessment design, it is not a definitive measure of assessment security.

Assessment Adaptation Model-Gen AI (AAM-Gen AI)

 

We have developed key aspects of our regulatory approach in consultation with higher education stakeholders. We recognise that consultation influences the quality of our relations with the higher education sector and can be an important way of collecting evidence which allows us to meet the objects of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act).

Current consultations

Regulatory Risk Framework consultation

TEQSA is seeking feedback on updates to the Regulatory Risk Framework (RRF) to test sector understanding of the RRF as one of the key inputs informing our regulatory responses and decision making in relation to matters of higher education quality and provider-level risk.

• Download the draft consultation paper (PDF, 460 KB)

TEQSA has developed a set of consultation questions to support focused feedback on the draft RRF. Respondents may choose to comment on any of the questions that are relevant to them and are also welcome to provide additional feedback.

Consultation closes on Thursday 30 April 2026 and submissions can be made by providing written responses to RegulatoryStrategy@teqsa.gov.au.

Previous consultations

Fees and charges consultation

(Closed 26 September 2025)

TEQSA is proposing an updated version of the Cost Recovery Implementation Statement (CRIS) with adjustments to our fees and charges to take effect on 1 January 2026.

Guidance notes consultation

(Closed 22 August 2025)

TEQSA is working to improve the efficiency of our regulatory operations and support greater self-assurance within the higher education sector by continuing to enhance our suite of guidance notes.

To support this project, TEQSA opened consultation on the following 3 draft documents:

• Course approval and accreditation
• Orientation and progression
• Qualifications and certification.

Guidance notes consultation

(Closed 18 July 2025)

TEQSA is working to improve the efficiency of our regulatory operations and support greater self-assurance within the higher education sector by continuing to enhance our suite of guidance notes.

To support this project, TEQSA opened consultation on the following 3 draft documents:

• Information for prospective and current students
• Information management
• Representation.

Interim regulatory guidance

(Closed 27 March 2025)

TEQSA is seeking feedback on new regulatory guidance that has been developed to support safety and wellbeing in higher education.

TEQSA is consulting on 2 documents:

• Interim statement of regulatory expectations: Student grievance and complaint mechanisms (PDF, 183 KB)
• Interim guidance: Managing external actors (PDF, 148 KB).

Fees and charges consultation

(Closed 28 October 2024)

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.

• Download the consultation paper

Revised service charter

(Closed 20 May 2024)

TEQSA commenced a service charter review in early 2023. The first phase of consultation was a stakeholder survey about our service charter in August 2023.

We’ve now developed a revised service charter informed by the survey results.

• Read more about the revised service charter

This was the second phase of consultation and sought further feedback from stakeholders.

Draft stakeholder engagement strategy

(Closed 20 May 2024)

To support the development of a draft stakeholder engagement strategy.

• Draft stakeholder engagement strategy consultation paper (MS Word, 160 KB)

Fit and proper person requirements

(Closed 20 May 2024)

Consultation for a proposal to amend the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Fit and Proper Person Determination 2018 (Determination).

• Download the consultation paper (MS Word, 157 KB)

Guidance notes on diversity and equity, student grievances and complaints, and wellbeing and safety

(Closed 15 March 2024)

In 2023, TEQSA consulted stakeholders on the following guidance notes:

• Diversity and equity
• Student grievances and complaints
• Wellbeing and safety.

These notes focus on 3 sections of the Threshold Standards that are unified in their intent to protect and provide support to students. TEQSA sought further stakeholder feedback that identified:

• what additional information can be included in the guidance note to make it useful and up to date
• any points or areas that require clarity
• suggestions to assist providers in delivering effective self-assurance.

Guidance notes on Staffing, Corporate Governance, and Corporate Monitoring and Accountability

(Closed 9 February 2024)

To support TEQSA’s ongoing work to improve the efficiency of our regulatory operations and support greater self-assurance within the higher education sector, we are continuing to enhance TEQSA’s suite of guidance notes for higher education providers.

• Corporate governance
• Corporate monitoring and accountability
• Staffing

Guidance notes on course design, learning outcomes and assessment and learning resources and educational support

(Closed 20 November 2023)

To support TEQSA’s ongoing work to improve the efficiency of our regulatory operations and support greater self-assurance within the higher education sector, we are continuing to enhance TEQSA’s suite of guidance notes for registered higher education providers.

• Course design
• Learning outcomes and assessment
• Learning resources and educational support

Assessment reform for the age of artificial intelligence

(Closed 20 October 2023)

TEQSA invited feedback on the proposals outlined in the Assessment reform for the age of artificial intelligence discussion paper, including the principles and propositions.

• Download the discussion paper

At the end of the consultation period, TEQSA and the lead authors of this document will consider all feedback received before publishing the final guidelines in late November 2023.

If you have any questions about this consultation, or the guiding principles, please email us at integrityunit@teqsa.gov.au.

Fees and charges consultation

(Closed 25 September 2023)

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 2022 version of the CRIS, TEQSA developed a consultation paper for the sector. This paper outlined several proposed adjustments to ensure our fees and charges for 2024 accurately reflect the cost of our regulatory activities and the changes we’ve made to streamline processes since the 2022 version of the CRIS was developed.

• Download the consultation paper (PDF, 1.3 MB)

See: How we consult on fees and charges for more information

Service charter review survey

(Survey closed 25 September 2023)

Insights from the survey will help us to develop a draft service charter, which we will release for further comment at a later date. Following this consultation, TEQSA will consider stakeholder feedback before adopting our revised service charter.

See: Service charter review for more information.

Guidance notes on facilities and infrastructure, academic monitoring and academic and research integrity

(Closed 10 August 2023)

To support TEQSA’s ongoing work to improve the efficiency of our regulatory operations and support greater self-assurance within the higher education sector, we are continuing to enhance TEQSA’s suite of guidance notes for registered higher education providers.

• Academic and research integrity
• Academic monitoring, review and improvement
• Facilities and infrastructure (Summary of external consultation on Guidance Note: Facilities and infrastructure, PDF, 173 KB)

Consultation for sexual harm good practice note

(Closed 13 July 2023)

Since the release of the Good Practice Note: Preventing and responding to sexual assault and sexual harassment in the Australian higher education sector (the 2020 good practice note), TEQSA acknowledges there has been significant work across the sector to embed strategies to prevent and respond to sexual assault and sexual harassment, however, the issue remains a key risk.

• Sexual harm good practice note consultation (MS Word, 159 KB)

Guidance notes on diversity and equity, student grievances and complaints, and wellbeing and safety

(Closed 13 July 2023)

To support TEQSA’s ongoing work to improve the efficiency of our regulatory operations and support greater self-assurance within the higher education sector, we are continuing to enhance TEQSA’s suite of guidance notes for registered higher education providers.

• Diversity and Equity
• Student Grievances and Complaints
• Wellbeing and Safety

Guidance notes on academic governance, recognition of prior learning, and delivery with other parties

(Closed 7 March 2023)

To support TEQSA’s ongoing work to improve the efficiency of our regulatory operations and support greater self-assurance within the higher education sector, we are continuing to enhance TEQSA’s suite of guidance notes for registered higher education providers.

• Summary of external consultation on Guidance Note: Academic Governance (PDF, 163 KB)
• Summary of external consultation on Guidance Notes: Credit and Recognition of Prior Learning and Delivery with Other Parties (PDF, 180 KB)

Consultation for proposed amendments to Register Guidelines 

(Closed 16 December 2022)

TEQSA has commenced a consultation process for proposed amendments to the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Register) Guidelines 2017 (Register Guidelines).

The reason for the proposed amendments is to promote transparency regarding TEQSA's regulatory decisions and actions and remove any doubt about which trading names the Register must include in respect of registered providers' higher education operations.

• Further details

Summary of feedback

TEQSA received two submissions during the consultation period. 

Both submissions supported the inclusion of the additional information proposed in the consultation paper. One submission opposed the removal of previous trading names and the other supported it (while noting that this information may be useful to future students).

Guidance Note: Research requirements for Australian universities

(Closed 7 September 2022)

To support TEQSA’s ongoing work to improve the efficiency of our regulatory operations and support greater self-assurance within the higher education sector, we are enhancing TEQSA’s suite of guidance notes for registered higher education providers.

This work will reinforce the role of guidance notes to provide guidance that focuses on a specific section of the Higher Education Standards Framework (2021) while drawing attention to connections with other sections and highlighting potential compliance issues.

Following sector feedback during consultation last year, this project will ultimately reduce the number of guidance notes from 32 to 28 to ensure each guidance note aligns with a section of the Standards framework. Sector feedback has also informed the development of a new, simpler template for guidance notes.

The draft guidance note outlines what TEQSA will look for when considering university research in relation to requirements outlined in the TEQSA Act and Higher Education Standards Framework (2021).

Summary of external consultation

• Download the summary of external consultation (PDF, 167 KB)

Revised Guidance Note: Research and Research Training

(Closed 6 July 2022)

To support TEQSA’s ongoing work to improve the efficiency of our regulatory operations and support greater self-assurance within the higher education sector, we are enhancing TEQSA’s suite of guidance notes for registered higher education providers.

This work will reinforce the role of guidance notes to provide guidance that focuses on a specific section of the Higher Education Standards Framework (2021) while drawing attention to connections with other sections and highlighting potential compliance issues.

Following sector feedback during consultation last year, this project will ultimately reduce the number of guidance notes from 32 to 28 to ensure each guidance note aligns with a section of the Standards framework. Sector feedback has also informed the development of a new, simpler template for guidance notes.

The Guidance Note outlines, with regard to the Higher Education Standards Framework, what TEQSA will look for and common issues associated with Research and Research Training.

• Summary of external consultation

Register and information guidelines

(Closed 26 November 2021)

The Register Guidelines is a legislative instrument that sets out the information that TEQSA must enter on the National Register in respect of each registered higher education provider.

The Information Guidelines is a legislative instrument that sets out the Commonwealth authorities and the State or Territory authorities to which TEQSA may disclose higher education information under sections 189 and 194 of the TEQSA Act.

• Further details

Revised compliance guides

(Closed 10 November 2021)

On 1 July 2021 the new Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (HESF) came into effect. 

TEQSA is reviewing the current suite of guidance notes to ensure they reflect the requirements of the new HESF. 

As part of this review, TEQSA developed a new template to streamline our guidance materials.

• Further details

TEQSA fees and charges consultation

(Closed 3 June 2021)

On 30 April 2021, TEQSA released the TEQSA Fees and Charges Consultation Paper for feedback from the sector. The consultation paper outlined the details of TEQSA’s proposed approach for transitioning to the new cost recovery arrangements.

• Further details

Draft legislative instrument

(Closed 28 April 2021)

In February 2021, the Australian Parliament passed the Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Provider Category Standards and Other Measures) Bill 2020. The Bill gives effect to the Australian Government’s decision to implement all 10 recommendations arising from the Provider Category Standards review conducted in 2019. 

Among other things, the Bill amends the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act) to allow TEQSA to make a determination of the matters which it must have regard to when assessing the quality of the research undertaken by a provider which is registered, or applies to be registered, in the Australian University category. By approval from the Minister, this determination becomes a legislative instrument.

TEQSA proposes to make a determination which sets out a number of matters which are relevant to an assessment of research quality. The list is non-exhaustive and does not specify benchmarks or thresholds for quality; it is a determination of considerations in an assessment of research quality.

• Further details

Discussion paper: Making and assessing claims of scholarship and scholarly activity 

(Closed 14 December 2020)

TEQSA sought to review whether its current approach to assessing claims of scholarship and scholarly activity (as described in the Guidance Note on Scholarship) is adequate, or if the approach needs to be reconceptualised. The purpose of this discussion paper was to set out, for consideration by the sector and other stakeholders, draft principles that were proposed to guide providers in making claims related to scholarship, and to inform TEQSA’s assessments of such claims.

Information Guidelines

(Closed 27 March 2020)

TEQSA sought feedback on the Commonwealth, State and Territory bodies that we proposed to include in an update to our Information Guidelines. 

The Information Guidelines is a legislative instrument that sets out the Commonwealth authorities and the State or Territory authorities to which TEQSA may disclose higher education information under sections 189 and 194 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011.

Fit and proper person considerations

(Closed 1 December 2017)

As a consequence of the passing of the Education Legislative Amendment (Provider Integrity and Other Measures) Act 2017, TEQSA is able to specify matters that the agency may have regard to in deciding whether a person is a fit and proper person for the purposes of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011.

Sector consultation on proposed changes to the publication of TEQSA’s decisions

(Closed 14 March 2017)

TEQSA sought feedback, via a consultation paper, on the proposed changes to the publication of regulatory decisions.

The consultation focused on proposed changes to the frequency and way we published decisions.

Questions about whether we should publish more information, including rejections, involve an important balance between the interests of higher education providers, students and other stakeholders.

The developments in our practices and in the approaches of other agencies meant that it was timely to revisit these issues. 

We proposed that a simplified set of principles be adopted, informed by approaches of other Australian Government agencies, to guide our future approach.

As part of the consultation process, we will carefully consider all feedback before we make any changes to our approach. We are committed to ensuring that all stakeholders have an opportunity to provide us with their views.

Summary of consultation

• View the summary report of the consultation process for the public reporting of TEQSA's decisions

Principles of consultation

Our approach to consultation is guided by the regulatory principles of: reflecting risk, proportionality and necessity. Our consultations are also guided by the principles outlined in TEQSA’s approach to consultation.