Extension of accreditation

Report on extension of accreditation of five higher education courses of study offered by Monash College Pty Ltd

On 6 June 2019, TEQSA extended, under section 57A of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011, the accreditation of the following courses offered by Monash College Pty Ltd until 30 May 2022:

1. Diploma of Science
2. Diploma of Arts
3. Diploma of Art and Design
4. Diploma of Business
5. Diploma of Engineering.

Main reasons for the decision

TEQSA made this decision to align the accreditation with the provider's extended registration period.

Registration

Report on registration of Australian Campus Management Pty Ltd

On 22 May 2019, TEQSA:

• granted, under section 21 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act), the application by Australian Campus Management Pty Ltd (trading as Canterbury Institute of Management) for registration in the category of Higher Education Provider, for a period of five years until 22 May 2024.
• imposed, under section 32 of the TEQSA Act, two conditions on the registration of Australian Campus Management Pty Ltd.

Condition 1: Academic Leadership

Australian Campus Management Pty Ltd must not enrol students in, or commence delivery of, the Bachelor of Business until TEQSA notifies the provider that TEQSA is satisfied that the provider has appointed suitably qualified academic staff engaged to provide academic leadership in each of the four majors of the Bachelor of Business (Accounting, Hospitality Management, Information Systems, and Management).

Condition 2: Academic Staffing

Within 4 weeks following the census date of each study period, Australian Campus Management Pty Ltd (ACM) must provide to TEQSA a report which identifies:

1. For every unit offered in one of its higher education courses in the current study period, the title of the unit, the number of students enrolled in the unit, the staff member(s) engaged to teach the unit and, for each staff member:
   
   1. the highest qualification in the discipline of the course being taught;
   2. the professional experience held;
   3. to the extent that the staff member does not have a qualification in a relevant discipline at least one Australian Qualifications Framework level above the course in which they are teaching, a summary of the basis on which ACM assessed that individual as having knowledge, skills and the capacity to apply knowledge and skills equivalent to such a qualification;
   4. whether the staff member is employed on a full-time, part-time or casual basis and (if the staff member is employed on a part-time or casual basis) the staff member's expected fraction of full-time employment;
   5. the research and scholarly activity relevant to the unit being taught undertaken by the staff member in the preceding year.
2. For every unit proposed to be offered in one of its higher education courses in the forthcoming study period, the title of the unit, the number of students enrolled in the unit, the staff member(s) engaged to teach the unit and, for each staff member:
   
   1. the highest qualification in the discipline of the course being taught;
   2. the professional experience held;
   3. to the extent that the staff member does not have a qualification in a relevant discipline at least one Australian Qualifications Framework level above the course in which they are proposed to teach, a summary of the basis on which ACM assessed that individual as having knowledge, skills and the capacity to apply knowledge and skills equivalent to such a qualification;
   4. whether the staff member is employed on a full-time, part-time or casual basis and (if the staff member is employed on a part-time or casual basis) the staff member's expected fraction of full-time employment;
   5. the research and scholarly activity relevant to the unit being taught undertaken by the staff member in the preceding year.

• accredited, under section 49 of the TEQSA Act, the Bachelor of Business (Accounting) offered by Australian Campus Management Pty Ltd, trading as Canterbury Institute of Management, for a period of five years until 22 May 2024.

Main reasons for the decision

TEQSA made these decisions in light of the risk that Australian Campus Management Pty Ltd may not meet, or continue to meet, the following provision of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015:

1. Standards 3.2.1. and 6.1.3 of Part A, in relation to the adequacy of academic leadership and academic staffing.

Registration

Report on registration of Australian Campus Management Pty Ltd

On 22 May 2019, TEQSA:

• granted, under section 21 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act), the application by Australian Campus Management Pty Ltd (trading as Canterbury Institute of Management) for registration in the category of Higher Education Provider, for a period of five years until 22 May 2024.
• imposed, under section 32 of the TEQSA Act, two conditions on the registration of Australian Campus Management Pty Ltd.

Condition 1: Academic Leadership

Australian Campus Management Pty Ltd must not enrol students in, or commence delivery of, the Bachelor of Business until TEQSA notifies the provider that TEQSA is satisfied that the provider has appointed suitably qualified academic staff engaged to provide academic leadership in each of the four majors of the Bachelor of Business (Accounting, Hospitality Management, Information Systems, and Management).

Condition 2: Academic Staffing

Within 4 weeks following the census date of each study period, Australian Campus Management Pty Ltd (ACM) must provide to TEQSA a report which identifies:

1. For every unit offered in one of its higher education courses in the current study period, the title of the unit, the number of students enrolled in the unit, the staff member(s) engaged to teach the unit and, for each staff member:
   
   1. the highest qualification in the discipline of the course being taught;
   2. the professional experience held;
   3. to the extent that the staff member does not have a qualification in a relevant discipline at least one Australian Qualifications Framework level above the course in which they are teaching, a summary of the basis on which ACM assessed that individual as having knowledge, skills and the capacity to apply knowledge and skills equivalent to such a qualification;
   4. whether the staff member is employed on a full-time, part-time or casual basis and (if the staff member is employed on a part-time or casual basis) the staff member's expected fraction of full-time employment;
   5. the research and scholarly activity relevant to the unit being taught undertaken by the staff member in the preceding year.
2. For every unit proposed to be offered in one of its higher education courses in the forthcoming study period, the title of the unit, the number of students enrolled in the unit, the staff member(s) engaged to teach the unit and, for each staff member:
   
   1. the highest qualification in the discipline of the course being taught;
   2. the professional experience held;
   3. to the extent that the staff member does not have a qualification in a relevant discipline at least one Australian Qualifications Framework level above the course in which they are proposed to teach, a summary of the basis on which ACM assessed that individual as having knowledge, skills and the capacity to apply knowledge and skills equivalent to such a qualification;
   4. whether the staff member is employed on a full-time, part-time or casual basis and (if the staff member is employed on a part-time or casual basis) the staff member's expected fraction of full-time employment;
   5. the research and scholarly activity relevant to the unit being taught undertaken by the staff member in the preceding year.

• accredited, under section 49 of the TEQSA Act, the Bachelor of Business (Accounting) offered by Australian Campus Management Pty Ltd, trading as Canterbury Institute of Management, for a period of five years until 22 May 2024.

Main reasons for the decision

TEQSA made these decisions in light of the risk that Australian Campus Management Pty Ltd may not meet, or continue to meet, the following provision of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015:

1. Standards 3.2.1. and 6.1.3 of Part A, in relation to the adequacy of academic leadership and academic staffing.

Polytechnic Institute Australia Pty Ltd: Vary registration conditions 26 February 2019

Variation of Registration Conditions

On 9 May 2018, TEQSA: imposed, under section 32 of the TEQSA Act, six conditions on the registration of PIA. The original conditions are set out at Attachment A of this report.

On the 26 February 2019 the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) made the decision to substitute Conditions 1 to 6 that were originally imposed on the 9 May 2018 by TEQSA. The substituted Conditions are set out below.

Condition 1

By 31 March 2019, the Polytechnic Institute of Australia Pty Ltd (PIA) must provide TEQSA with evidence demonstrating consideration and approval of the following documents by the Board of Directors:

1. reports monitoring progress against the targets set out in the 2018-2023 Strategic Plan approved by the Board of Directors on 13 November 2018, including actions taken to correct and underperformance
2. reports monitoring risks to PIA's higher education operations

Condition 3

By 31 March each year from 2019 until further notice, PIA must provide TEQSA with a copy of:

1. a comprehensive diagnostic analysis of the probable causes for observed rates and trends for student attrition, progression, minimum time completion rates and absent failure rates, for each higher education course it offers. The analysis must include accurate data on student attrition, completion, progression, grade distribution and absent failure rates and include analysis by:
   
   1. entry path (comparing students admitted under each entry pathway);
   2. credit awarded (comparing students admitted with no credit awarded with students admitted with credit for up to a third of the course and between a third and two thirds of the course);
   3. education agent;
   4. basis for assessment of the student's English language proficiency;
   5. country of origin;
   6. referral to and uptake of student support (including participation in formal study support programs); and
   7. student achievement in similar courses at other higher education providers.
2. evidence of the Academic Board's report to the Board of Directors on student outcomes and the quality of teaching and learning, which addresses issues identified in the diagnostic analysis at (a), and includes recommendations for improvement.
3. Board of Directors meeting minutes demonstrating consideration of the report at (b) and action taken in response to recommendations in the report.

Condition 4

By 31 January each year from 2020 until further notice, PIA must provide TEQSA with an annual scholarship report to the Board of Directors which reports against the scholarship development plan previously approved by PIA's Board of Directors and submitted to TEQSA, and evidence of the Board of Directors' consideration of, and response to, the report.

Condition 5

No later than four weeks prior to the commencement of each teaching period, PIA must provide TEQSA with:

1. the schedule of units of study to be delivered in the relevant teaching period,
2. the name of each staff member proposed to teach and assess each unit of study,
3. each staff member's qualifications in the discipline of the unit being taught.

Condition 6

The following restrictions apply to PIA's delivery of its accredited courses:

1. PIA may deliver its accredited courses of study only from its Sydney campus.
2. PIA may not exceed total student enrolment of:
   
   1. 350 students, between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2019;
   2. 400 students, between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020;
   3. 450 students, between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2021; or
   4. 504 students, on and after 1 January 2022.

Main reasons for the decision

After reviewing the further material submitted by PIA, TEQSA was satisfied that PIA met some requirements of the six conditions imposed on the provider's registration. However, TEQSA considered that there remained a number of risks related to PIA's capacity to meet the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015.

On this basis, TEQSA agreed that it was appropriate to vary the decision to impose six conditions on PIA's registration and to substitute the conditions set out above.

The conditions are designed to address the risks that PIA may not continue to meet the following provisions of the Threshold Standards:

1. Standard 6.2.1 of Part A, in relation to further development and implementation by PIA of its corporate governance monitoring and accountability framework, specifically its risk management and strategy for determining its future directions in higher education with realistic performance targets.
2. Standard 6.3.2 of Part A, in relation to further development and implementation by PIA of academic governance and quality assurance mechanisms relating to monitoring and reporting of student performance.
3. Standard 3.2.3 of Part A and Criterion B1.1.4 of Part B in relation to academic leadership and development and implementation by PIA of a scholarship framework to ensure academic staff are active in scholarship that informs their teaching

ATTACHMENT A

Condition 1

By 31 March 2019, the Polytechnic Institute of Australia Pty Ltd (PIA) must provide TEQSA with evidence demonstrating consideration and approval of the following documents by the Board of Directors:

1. revised strategic plan, and reports monitoring progress against targets, including actions taken to correct any underperformance.
2. risk management framework, including reports monitoring risks to PIA's higher education operations.

Condition 2

By 31 August 2018 PIA must provide TEQSA with:

1. a report from the Academic Board to the Board of Directors which addresses reasons for high failure rates and includes recommendations to improve student outcomes.
2. Board of Directors meeting minutes demonstrating consideration of the report at (a) and action taken in response to recommendations in the report.

Condition 3

By 31 March each year from 2019 until further notice, PIA must provide TEQSA with a copy of:

1. a comprehensive diagnostic analysis of the probable causes for observed rates and trends for student attrition, progression, minimum time completion rates and absent failure rates, for each accredited higher education course it offers. The analysis must include accurate data on student attrition, completion, progression, grade distribution and absent failure rates and include analysis by:
   
   1. entry path (comparing students admitted under each entry pathway);
   2. credit awarded (comparing students admitted with no credit awarded with students admitted with credit for up to a third of the course and between a third and two thirds of the course);
   3. education agent;
   4. basis for assessment of the student's English language proficiency;
   5. country of origin;
   6. referral to and uptake of student support (including participation in formal study support programs); and
   7. student achievement in similar courses at other higher education providers.
2. evidence of the Academic Board's report to the Board of Directors on student outcomes and the quality of teaching and learning, which addresses issues identified in the diagnostic analysis at (a), and includes recommendations for improvement.
3. Board of Directors meeting minutes demonstrating consideration of the report at (b) and action taken in response to recommendations in the report.

Condition 4

1. By 31 January 2019, PIA must provide TEQSA with a scholarship development plan, approved by the Board of Directors, which includes targets for scholarly output for categories of scholarship recognised in TEQSA's Guidance Note on scholarship, to ensure academic staff are active in scholarship that informs their teaching.
2. By 31 January each year from 2020 until further notice PIA must provide TEQSA with an annual scholarship report to the Board of Directors which reports against the scholarship development plan and evidence of the Board of Directors' consideration of, and response to, the report.

Condition 5

Not later than four weeks prior to the commencement of each teaching period, PIA must provide TEQSA with:

1. the schedule of units of study to be delivered in the relevant teaching period.
2. the name of each staff member proposed to teach and assess each unit of study.
3. each staff member's qualifications in the discipline of the unit being taught.

Condition 6

The following restrictions apply to PIA's delivery of its accredited courses:

1. PIA may deliver its accredited courses of study only from its Sydney campus.
2. PIA may not exceed total student numbers of 300.

Revocation of registration condition

Report on revocation of a condition imposed on registration of the National Institute of Organisation Dynamics Australia Ltd

On 13 June 2019 a delegate of TEQSA revoked, under section 32 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act), Condition 3 imposed on the registration of the National Institute of Organisation Dynamics Australia Ltd (refer public report of 13 October 2016).

Main reasons for the decision

TEQSA made this decision on the basis that the condition was no longer necessary.

Condition

Report on imposition of one condition on the CRICOS registration of Elite Education Institute Pty Ltd

On 19 June 2019, TEQSA:

• imposed, under paragraph 83(3)(a) of the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000, one condition on the registration of Elite Education Institute Pty Ltd.

Condition 1: Suspension of student enrolments

From the date on which it is notified of this decision until 31 August 2019, Elite must not enrol or commence any new students in any of its higher education courses.

Main reasons for the decision

TEQSA made this decision on the basis that, consistent with paragraphs 83(1C)(b) and (c) of the ESOS Act, TEQSA believes on reasonable grounds that Elite:

1. does not have the clearly demonstrated capacity to provide education of a satisfactory standard; or
2. has not been providing, or has not provided, education of a satisfactory standard.

Specifically, TEQSA holds substantial concerns that Elite Education Institute Pty Ltd:

1. is not delivering its courses so as to appropriately engage students in the course content in a manner consistent with the form of the course registered under the ESOS Act, and
2. has not ensured, and will not ensure, that assessment in its higher education courses has the necessary quality and integrity.

The condition imposes a time-limited restriction on the capacity of Elite Education Institute Pty Ltd to enrol or commence new students, while TEQSA finalises its ongoing investigation of the concerns it has identified.

Renewal of course accreditation

Report on renewal of accreditation of two higher education courses of study offered by Institute for Emotionally Focused Therapy Pty Ltd

On 7 June 2019, a delegate of TEQSA:

• renewed, under section 56 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act), the accreditation of the following courses offered by Institute for Emotionally Focused Therapy Pty Ltd, for a period of seven years until 7 June 2026:
  • Graduate Certificate in Emotionally Focused Counselling
  • Graduate Diploma of Emotionally Focused Therapy.

Main reasons for the decision

TEQSA made this decision on the basis that it was satisfied that the courses submitted by Institute for Emotionally Focused Therapy Pty Ltd for renewal of accreditation continue to meet the Provider Course Accreditation Standards of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015.