The Fifth Annual TEQSA Conference was held on Thursday 25 November 2021 in a virtual format.
The theme was Hard Lessons, Valuable Learnings, Heightened Expectations.
Conference videos
Videos of the sessions are available on our YouTube channel.
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Understanding academic integrity: Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Here are some common questions about academic integrity. The answers provide general information, and TEQSA encourages students to speak with their institution for more information relevant to them and their circumstances.
Will I get caught if I cheat?
Despite what you may have heard, research and experience shows Australian higher education providers are catching students who plagiarise and cheat, including using illegal commercial cheating services. New technology, changes in assessment design and academics trained to actively look for suspect essays, projects or exams mean you’re more likely than ever to get caught.
I’m struggling with my assessment. How can I get help?
If you’re experiencing difficulties with your studies, you should speak as soon as possible to your unit coordinator or lecturer. You may be able to negotiate a solution that better supports you to complete your studies. You should also talk to your provider about any study skills support they offer, such as advice on referencing, essay writing and research. Taking these steps shows that you value your academic integrity and that of your school or university.
I wanted to read some study notes that I found on a website. Before I could access the notes, the website required me to upload an old assignment. Have I breached academic integrity by uploading my old assignment?
Yes, you have likely breached your academic integrity by sharing your assignment. Illegal cheating services often ask students to upload their own work in order to access notes, essays or ‘study support’ and then sell it for a profit to other students. If your provider finds out, you may face a penalty for engaging in contract cheating. You should protect your work and never share it with anyone else or upload it to third-party websites.
Is it ok if I share an assignment I’ve already been graded for with my friend?
No, sharing your assignment with your friend could be considered a form of collusion, which is a breach of your academic integrity. There is also a risk that your friend could share your work with other students or even upload it to an illegal cheating service. You should protect your work and never share it with anyone else or upload it to third-party websites.
A family member or friend has offered to help with my essay. Is this ok?
While it is good that a family member or friend is willing to help, you need to be careful. A quick grammar and spelling check is fine, but if your family member or friend contributes to, or changes the content of your assignment this could constitute a breach of academic integrity.
It should be noted, under the Australian laws, anyone who provides illegal cheating services (such as essay writing or impersonation at an exam) but does not receive payment could still be subject to heavy fines.
My provider alleges that I’ve committed academic misconduct. What should I do?
If you are alleged to have breached academic integrity, you should treat this matter seriously. Your institution must have clear policies and procedures related to student discipline, complaints and appeals. You should read these policies and depending on your institution, you may also be able to seek advocacy and support services offered by a student association.
I know people in my course are cheating. Who should I report my concerns to?
If you have evidence people in your course are cheating, you should inform your school or university. Depending on the circumstances, you may want to raise your concerns with your unit coordinator or lecturer first or you may wish to make a complaint via more formal channels. Your institution’s learning management system (LMS), student handbook or website is a good place to find information. You can also report suspected illegal cheating websites directly to TEQSA using our online form.
Can cheating impact my future career?
Yes, any type of cheating can have a large and negative impact on your future career. Many students are studying to learn the information and skills needed to achieve their career goals. Even if you are not caught, by not doing the required work yourself, you may not meet the standards expected by your future employer. And if you are caught cheating, you may be denied registration by a professional body. You also run the risk of blackmail with the illegal cheating service threatening to expose your cheating to your employer unless you pay them more money.
I paid someone else to do my work and now they are demanding I pay them more money or else they will tell my institution. What should I do?
Threatening a person with negative consequences unless that person pays money is known as blackmail. Blackmail is illegal, but unfortunately, some students find themselves being blackmailed by illegal cheating services and even friends, fellow students or family members after engaging in cheating. Paying once to meet the demands is often not the end of it, they might ask for more and more money. This can be a very stressful situation for students, who in addition to the blackmailer’s demands are also concerned about the consequences if their institute or employer finds out.
If you are being blackmailed, you should seek advice about your situation. Some institutions have independent student advocacy or legal services where you can get confidential advice. Community Legal Centres may be also able to provide you with advice. You should keep a copy of all messages you have received as possible evidence of what has occurred.
You may decide to self-report your cheating to your institution. One big advantage of self-reporting is that the person who is threatening to report you would lose their power over you. Another advantage is being able to learn from the mistake and complete your degree knowing you acted with integrity. You should, however, expect your institution to treat the matter in accordance with its policies and procedures, which means you may face an academic penalty or higher, depending on the nature of the cheating.
Adapted from information developed by Deakin University Student Association
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National Register
The National Register is the authoritative source of information on the status of registered higher education providers in Australia.National Register summary table
The National Register is the authoritative source of information on the status of registered higher education providers in Australia. You can search by provider or course.
Provider category SAA* Non-SAA Total Australian University 44 0 44 Institute of Higher Education 21 144 165 University College 8 0 8 Total providers 73 144 217 *SAA = Self-accrediting Authority (a provider can self-accredit some or all of its courses)
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Seeking sector feedback on draft guidance note
TEQSA has commenced consultation with the sector on the draft Guidance Note: Research requirements for Australian universities. Feedback should be submitted via TEQSA's website by 5pm (AEST) on Wednesday 7 September 2022.
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COVID-19 resources
These resources have information about the COVID-19 pandemic for students, including links to the Department of Education, Smartraveller and the Department of Health and Aged Care.
Resources
TEQSA resources
Department of Education
Department of Health and Aged Care
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) information
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) – vaccine information in your language
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) – information in your language
Department of Home Affairs
Smartraveller
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Other student support services
You should always check with your provider about support services available to you. We’ve compiled this list to help students access information about other services that can help them.
TEQSA information for students
- Artificial intelligence
- Complaints or concerns from students
- Student wellbeing
- Understanding academic integrity
Department of Education
- CourseSeeker
- StudyAssist (information about financial assistance)
- Support for students
- Tuition Protection Service
- Unique Student Identifier
Mental health resources
- Embrace: Multicultural mental health
- Head to Health: Digital health resources and links to trusted services
Students with a disability
Online safety and scams
Fair Work Ombudsman
Services Australia
Department of Health and Aged Care
Translation services
State and territory study centres
- Study Adelaide
- Study Canberra
- Study Melbourne
- Study New South Wales
- Study Northern Territory
- Study Perth
- Study Queensland
- Study Tasmania
International students
Resources and links in this section are for student visa holders studying in Australia.
Department of Education
- Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS)
- Support for international students
Study in Australia
Ombudsman for international students
- Commonwealth Ombudsman
- Australian Capital Territory Ombudsman
- New South Wales Ombudsman
- Northern Territory Ombudsman
- Queensland Ombudsman
- South Australian Skills Commission
- Tasmanian Ombudsman
- Victorian Ombudsman
- Western Australian Ombudsman
Department of Home Affairs
Fair Work Ombudsman
Australian Taxation Office
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About us
We're Australia's independent quality assurance and regulatory agency for higher education -
Entities that are not registered higher education providers
Australian law requires all higher education providers to be TEQSA registered.
Anyone who is not registered with TEQSA who advertises higher education is known as an unregistered entity.
Risks posed by unregistered entities
Unregistered entities pose a risk to students and the integrity of Australian higher education.
These risks include:
- the quality of education offered by unregistered entities has not been assured by TEQSA
- awards from unregistered entities are not recognised in Australia. This can harm students' future employment or study prospects
- the financial cost and time lost by students who enrol at an unregistered entity.
Finding a TEQSA registered provider
The National Register has details of all TEQSA registered providers in Australia.
- you can search the National Register to make sure your provider is TEQSA registered
- you can also check the provider’s website – this should display a registration number or provide information on its registration status.
If you are studying at an unregistered entity
This entity is not registered to offer a higher education. You will not be awarded a higher education qualification on completion of your study. If you believe you have been misled, your local state and territory consumer protection agency can provide you with information about your rights.
Reporting and responding to unregistered entities
If the higher education provider you are considering is not listed on the National Register, report it via our online form.
There are a range of regulatory responses that we may take. Our response will depend on the type of entity, whether it is within our remit and whether there is a breach of the TEQSA Act.
Usually, we will engage with the unregistered entity and ask them to take action to address our concerns.
If they do not take appropriate action, we may publish their details on the TEQSA website.
List of unregistered entities
The entities listed below are not registered with TEQSA. This means that they are not able to offer or confer higher education awards in Australia.
We have published the details of these unregistered entities to inform students1.
Name of entity Course(s) advertised Entity’s website(s) Date details of entity published on TEQSA website Business Name:
College for Educational and Clinical Art TherapyDiploma in Educational and Clinical Art Therapy arttherapycourses.com.au 21 December 2021 Business name:
International College of Celebrancy- Diploma of Marriage Celebrancy
- Diploma of Funeral Celebrancy
- Diploma of General Celebrancy
- Advanced Diploma of Marriage Celebrancy
- Advanced Diploma of Funeral Celebrancy
- Advanced Diploma of General Celebrancy
- Graduate Diploma of Celebrancy
- Master of Celebrancy
www.collegeofcelebrancy.com.au
www.celebrancy.com
iccdiplomas.com21 December 2021 Business name:
Royal Art Society of NSW- RAS Diploma
www.royalart.com.au 21 December 2021 Entity details will remain published on this webpage until TEQSA considers that the risks are mitigated.
Notes
- We make no comment that any particular entity published in this list is in breach of the TEQSA Act.
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ANAO report on TEQSA's regulation of higher education
TEQSA welcomes the Australian National Audit Office’s performance audit report on its regulation of higher education.
Findings
The ANAO audit report found that TEQSA’s regulatory activities were effective or largely effective in all but one element of the audit. These findings confirm that TEQSA is meeting its purpose under the TEQSA Act to regulate higher education according to the principles of regulatory necessity, risk and proportionality.
Importantly, the overwhelming success of the Australian higher education sector since TEQSA’s regulatory functions commenced in 2011-2012, provides strong evidence of the effectiveness of the agency’s work to protect student interests, and safeguard the quality and reputation of Australian higher education.
Recommendations
TEQSA accepts all five recommendations, in relation to its compliance and enforcement activities, and notes that work was already underway or planned to make improvements in these areas. This includes strengthening TEQSA’s existing compliance monitoring framework, improvements to the planning of compliance assessments, and ensuring the timely assessment of material submitted by providers.
TEQSA has also implemented processes for consistent handling of material change notifications and reporting of compliance activity, with a full regulatory operations report to be published in July 2020.
“As a relatively new agency, TEQSA welcomes its first performance audit report by the Australian National Audit Office, and its findings and recommendations,” said Professor Nick Saunders, TEQSA Chief Commissioner.
“We recognise there is more work to be done, and TEQSA is committed to continuing to work with the sector to protect student interests and the world class quality and reputation of Australian higher education.”
“TEQSA would like to thank the ANAO audit team for their work and the diligent, constructive and professional manner in which the audit was conducted.”
Further information
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