21 November 2024

The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) has cancelled the qualifications and/or statements of attainment of more than 6,400 past students of former Registered Training Organisation (RTO) Luvium Pty Ltd as part of its ongoing work to ensure the integrity of qualifications gained through Australia’s VET sector.

Background

Luvium Pty Ltd (trading as Australia Education & Career College 52865) was registered to deliver training and assessment to domestic students but an ASQA compliance investigation found it had issued qualifications without appropriate training or competency-based assessment by qualified assessors between 1 January 2023 and 19 October 2024.

ASQA sent notices of intent to cancel the qualifications and/or statements of attainment to 7,360 former students on 6 November 2024 after cancelling the registration of Luvium effective 19 October 2024 following an extensive compliance investigation.

Of the 7,360 former students who were sent notices, more than 6,400 provided no response and ASQA therefore cancelled their qualifications and/or statements of attainment on 15 November. ASQA received responses from more than 780 former students and is considering their responses and will advise them of an outcome as soon as possible.

All cancelled qualifications and statements of attainment were issued between 1 January 2023 and 19 October 2024. Information about impacted qualifications and statements of attainment is available from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

Further information, including fact sheets, about this regulatory action is available on the ASQA website.

TEQSA's role

TEQSA is concerned that former Luvium students enrolled in a higher education program may have used a cancelled qualification as part of their admissions process or have been awarded recognition of prior learning (RPL) for these now cancelled qualifications.

TEQSA notes:

• Luvium Pty Ltd (trading as Australia Education & Career College 52865) is not registered with TEQSA to award higher education programs.
• None of the issues ASQA has taken action on relate to delivery by any higher education provider.

Provider actions

TEQSA expects all higher education providers will review their records to identify where students may have used a cancelled qualification for the purpose of admission or RPL to a higher education course of study.

Where a provider identifies a student may have used a cancelled qualification, in accordance with the provider’s institutional policies and procedures it should address any issues arising from the cancellation of the qualification. For example, any credit a provider offered to the student that relied upon that student having undertaken a legitimate qualification with Luvium Pty Ltd should be reconsidered.

TEQSA also expects providers to implement appropriate safeguards to assure themselves that their institution will not be adversely impacted in the future.

Relevant standards

Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021

• Standard 1.1 Admission
• Standard 1.2 Credit and recognition of prior learning
• Standard 2.3 Wellbeing and safety

National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018

• Standard 2 - Recruitment of an overseas student
• Standard 9 - Deferring, suspending or cancelling the overseas student's enrolment

TEQSA wishes to remind providers of the importance of maintaining clear and contemporary academic integrity policies and procedures. Academic integrity is fundamental to the reputation and credibility of Australia’s higher education sector. Providers’ policy frameworks should highlight their commitment to academic integrity and their expectation that all staff and students uphold, and act with, academic integrity.

Key points

Academic misconduct generally refers to a breach of academic integrity through acts such as cheating, plagiarism, and fabrication or falsification of data. The Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 Part A, Section 5.2 sets out four broad requirements regarding academic and research integrity, which state that a provider must:

• have policies that promote and uphold academic and research integrity and policies and procedures that address allegations of misconduct
• take action to mitigate foreseeable risks to academic and research integrity
• provide students and staff with guidance and training on what constitutes academic or research misconduct and the development of good practices in maintaining academic and research integrity
• ensure that academic and research integrity are maintained in arrangements with any other party involved in the provision of higher education.

To ensure appropriate action can be taken where breaches of academic integrity are identified, institutional policies and procedures need to reflect the evolving risks to academic integrity. Consideration of emerging forms of academic misconduct, such as file sharing and the use of artificial intelligence writing tools, will support institutions and staff to uphold the integrity of their awards.

Providers

Providers should regularly review and update their academic integrity policies and procedures to ensure they address new and emerging forms of academic misconduct. In 2022, TEQSA reviewed all providers’ policies and frameworks and identified that:

• Most policies include clear definitions of academic integrity breaches such plagiarism, cheating, falsification of information, collusion, third-party involvement and reusing one’s own work without appropriate acknowledgement
• Many policies made explicit mention of commercial academic or contract cheating (understood as paying a third party to complete an assessment) as a breach of academic integrity
• Only a small number of providers include clear definitions of how use of technology could constitute contemporary forms of cheating such as:
  • file sharing as a form of academic misconduct, where exam questions and assignments are exchanged internally or uploaded or downloaded through a third-party platform
  • artificial intelligence (AI) software or paraphrasing tools as a form of contract cheating, where substantial parts of exam questions and assignments are written by text generating software.

Practical ways institutions can facilitate an ongoing culture of academic integrity within their staff and student communities include:

• providing all students with guidance on what constitutes academic misconduct when they commence their study and ensuring that emerging threats to integrity are clearly explained
• reinforcing messages about upholding academic integrity throughout the student’s study journey
• considering, and clearly articulating, the acceptable and prohibited uses of emerging practices and technologies such as file sharing and AI writing tools
• engaging students in regular and genuine conversations about what it means to act ethically and with integrity
• recognising that staff, like students, come from diverse background and should receive clear information about the institution’s policies, procedures and reporting obligations.  

Good practice

A strong policy and procedure framework and ongoing commitment to a culture of academic integrity is the basis for consistent decision making. TEQSA has developed a variety of good practice resources to support institutions to uphold academic integrity:

• Good practice note: Addressing contract cheating to safeguard academic integrity
• Guidance note: Academic and research integrity
• Academic integrity experts advice hub
• Academic integrity toolkit
• Academic integrity in the creative arts
• Substantiating contract cheating for symbol-dense, logical responses in any discipline, particularly mathematics: a guide for investigators

This sector update provides information and resources for higher education providers in implementing recommendations from the Respect @ Work report.

The Respect @ Work report provides recommendations about the prevention and response to sexual assault and sexual harassment in the workplace.

For further information from TEQSA about prevention or response to sexual assault or harassment in higher education, you may contact studentwellbeing@teqsa.gov.au.

Respect @ Work report

In January 2020, the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) released its Respect @ Work: National inquiry into sexual harassment in Australian workplaces report. This report included 55 recommendations, 2 specifically referencing the Australian higher education sector (the sector).

Sexual harassment prevention by universities and other tertiary education institutions
 

Recommendation 11  

Building on work already underway in response to the recommendations in Change the Course, all tertiary and higher education providers deliver evidence-based information and training on sexual harassment for staff and students that addresses the drivers of gender-based violence and includes content on workplace rights.
 

Recommendation 12

Recognising that some smaller tertiary and higher education providers lack the necessary resources and expertise to deliver the information and training identified in Recommendation 11, the Australian Government should support those providers to do so, for example through the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency and the Australian Skills Quality Authority.

These recommendations seek to make Australian higher education a safe place to study and work. In support of that goal, TEQSA has recommitted to supporting the sector in delivering these recommendations.

TEQSA’s support of the sector

Since August 2017, TEQSA has worked alongside the sector to improve and assure providers’ capacity to prevent and respond to sexual assault and sexual harassment. TEQSA’s focus has been on students’ safety and wellbeing.

The Respect @ Work Inquiry and its resulting recommendations focus on sexual harassment in the workplace, which includes staff in higher education work settings. Consequently, TEQSA’s focus in this area has broadened to include sexual harassment of staff.  

Drivers and remedies are similar for the sexual assault and sexual harassment and the Respect @ Work issues and TEQSA will continue to support the sector to combat both.

TEQSA resources

• Information sheet on Respect @ Work
• PowerPoint: Respect @ Work explained
• Student wellbeing page

External resources

• Respect @ Work report
• AHRC and Respect@Work Council's Respect@Work website
• AHRC webinar: Respect@Work for academics
• AHRC: The Positive Duty under the Sex Discrimination Act
• Fair Work Commission: Information about sexual harassment and orders to stop it
• Fair Work Ombudsman: Information about sexual harassment, support services and dismissal for serious misconduct

Academic integrity forms the foundation of your educational journey. It's about being honest, trustworthy and responsible in your studies. If you receive an allegation of academic misconduct, it might feel overwhelming at first.

Don’t worry, you’re not alone, and there’s a process in place to ensure everything is handled fairly and transparently.

Investigations into academic misconduct aim to get to the bottom of what happened while protecting the integrity of the institution and its qualifications. This matters because it ensures that your efforts and achievements are recognised fairly, and the value of your degree remains strong throughout your career, whether you stay in Australia or venture out into the world.

Academic integrity is about creating a level playing field for all students. It’s designed to reward effort and ensure everyone follows the same standards. Mistakes happen, and investigations help identify what went wrong and provide support so you can move forward in your studies with confidence. Investigations also help to detect and sanction intentional and serious academic misconduct, which strengthens the value of your degree.

This resource is here to guide you through the academic misconduct process step-by-step. You’ll find:

• easy-to-understand infographics
• real-life examples
• clear explanations of your rights and responsibilities
• information on what is involved when you are the subject of an academic misconduct allegation.

The included resources have been provided to help support your well-being. Whether you’re feeling stressed, embarrassed, or anxious, there are tools and tips to help you navigate the process. Your institution is there to support you, so remember to check out the well-being supports they have on offer to help students.

Remember If you find yourself being threatened or blackmailed by a cheating service provider consult an academic advisor or student support as soon as possible. They are there to help and make sure you stay safe.

Explore the site

Explore the links below to get the guidance you need, and don’t forget to check your institution’s policies and procedures for more specific information.

1. Student responsibilities	2. Understanding academic misconduct allegations	3. The investigation process	4. Responding to an allegation
5. Outcomes and penalties	6. Appeals	7. Support	8. Impact on international students
9. Contract cheating, large-scale cases and artificial intelligence	10. Learning from an allegation of academic misconduct	11. FAQs on the academic misconduct process	12. Glossary

Video: Navigating academic misconduct allegations

20 November 2025

TEQSA has both observed and received reports about challenges that registered higher education providers (providers) have faced regarding external actors coming on to campuses, where their actions disrupt or pose risks to staff and student safety or wellbeing. To support providers in managing risks presented by external actors, TEQSA has documented the challenges that some providers encountered and compiled a range of strategies that providers adopted in response.

Providers should consider their individual circumstances, such as size and location, student population and legislative obligations when considering the suitability and applicability of the strategies compiled below. For example, the applicability of suggestions related to campus management will differ for providers depending on whether they are operating on public or private land; some strategies are general in nature, while others may be more suited to specific incident risk profiles.

This emerging practice is informed by relevant submissions to recent parliamentary inquiries¹ and learnings from a series of social cohesion roundtables TEQSA organised and hosted in late 2024. At these roundtables, university representatives and other stakeholders shared their experiences of protests and encampments on campuses in Australia and the challenges associated with these events, including identifying and managing risks posed by external actors on campus.

TEQSA encourages providers to consider other relevant recommendations from forthcoming reviews, including internal reviews by individual institutions, the Australian Human Rights Commission’s study into the prevalence and impact of racism in Australian universities and work by the Special Envoys to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Background

In 2024, multiple Australian universities experienced protests and encampments on campus related to conflict in the Middle East. External actors or ‘outside agitators’ have been identified as a challenge for providers to manage. ‘External actors’, in this context, refers to persons who are not students or staff, or members of a provider’s community² who enter a provider’s campus.

In the Australian context, it has been widely acknowledged that external actors have participated in protests and encampments on university campuses. Many of the more serious incidents that occurred during the protests and encampments that presented risks to the wellbeing and safety of the provider’s community involved external actors. Some of these challenges have been publicly documented, for example by the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne.³

TEQSA’s intent is to draw attention to issues that may warrant consideration from providers and share emerging practice across the sector to support providers to assure themselves that they meet their obligations under the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (Threshold Standards).

The Threshold Standards set clear expectations for providers to identify and manage risks to student and staff wellbeing and safety, including those associated with external actors on campus.

TEQSA draws attention to the following parts of the Threshold Standards relevant to managing external actors:

• Section 2.3 encompasses organisational responsibilities for safeguarding and supporting the wellbeing and safety of students and staff.
• Standard 6.1.3b sets expectations for having clearly defined roles and delegated authority for effective governance and policy development and review, including relevant codes, by-laws, statutes and rules.
• Standard 6.1.4 requires the governing body to maintain an institutional environment where the wellbeing of students and staff is fostered, and freedom of speech and academic freedom are upheld and protected.
• Section 6.2 requires that providers be able to demonstrate, and their corporate governing body assure itself, that the provider is operating effectively and sustainably. This includes:
  • complying with all relevant legislative requirements
  • identifying, managing and mitigating material risks to the provider’s operations
  • monitoring and responding to formal complaints, allegations of misconduct and critical incidents.

Sector challenges

Providers identified several challenges in relation to managing external actors on campus, including:

• Balancing their obligation to uphold freedom of speech and academic freedom with their obligation to protect the health and safety of students and staff, including minimising risks of psychosocial or physical harm that may come from external actors.⁴
• Understanding and navigating legal issues in responding to external actors occupation of, and encampments on, an institution’s grounds and in disbanding protests that escalate and become unsafe.
• Understanding the role, function and jurisdiction of police relative to the provider and fostering productive relationships with police.
• Responding to external actors, who are not bound by student or staff codes of conduct, who may provoke breaches of student or staff codes of conduct on campus.
  • In such cases, external actors may film students and staff in breach of their codes of conduct and then report the breach to the provider and the media, manipulating the situation and its presentation to promote an ideological agenda.
• Understanding and addressing the need for provider-specific risk mitigation strategies that reflect the diversity of the higher education sector.
• Diversity of providers that necessitate different policies and procedures or by-laws to manage external actors include considerations such as:
  • the number of campuses a provider has (single or multiple)
  • the location of campuses: major metropolitan hubs that are easily accessible by public transport require different approaches than those that are more isolated
  • campuses with a significant amount of open space face different issues regarding access than campuses characterised by primarily enclosed buildings
  • self-contained campuses with external barriers require different approaches to those that are porous to local foot traffic in busy areas.

Emerging practice to manage external actors on campus

Australian universities that experienced protests and encampments on campus in 2024 demonstrated different ways of responding to external actors. Key learnings from the sector include:

• Options for managing external actors may be influenced by institutional instruments such as university Acts, by-laws, statutes, rules, enterprise bargaining agreements, and codes of conduct for staff and students. It is important that these instruments be properly understood.
• Providers are expected to balance student and staff freedoms to express ideas and political views without fear of reprisal against genuine concerns about safety and harm. Any restrictions providers place on student and staff freedoms should be reasonable, proportionate and necessary to allow them to meet their legal obligations.

To the extent that legal obligations and institutional instruments permit, the following strategies identified from emerging practice within the sector may warrant consideration from providers. In some cases, universities may need to seek amendments to statutes or by-laws to ensure appropriate responses can be implemented to manage external actors on campus. As these strategies are broad in scope, it is important for providers to recognise that not all will be relevant to their individual contexts.

Institutional policies, by-laws and complaint/misconduct procedures

• Regularly review and update relevant policies and procedures to ensure their ongoing effectiveness. Address any identified gaps in existing policies and procedures promptly:
  • review the process for updating policies to ensure that, when necessary, policies can be updated quickly and efficiently.⁵
• Establish clear reporting procedures for incidents or the presence of external actors on campus:
  • ensure that reporting processes are user-friendly, easy to access, include provision for confidentiality or anonymity and are clearly communicated to staff and students
  • ensure there is clarity about how the provider will respond to reports, and within what timeframe.⁶
• Develop a risk assessment framework for external actors:
  • clarify how relevant legal and policy frameworks affect the capacity for external actors to plan and/or participate in protests or encampments on campus, and any terms under which they may do so.⁷
• Establish and clearly communicate policies or by-laws that articulate campus access for external actors and procedures for responding to situations where external actors breach these policies:
  • set out what actions will be taken (such as when police will be contacted) and consequences that apply to external actors who engage in behaviour that is disruptive, damaging, a threat to the safety or wellbeing of others, or otherwise breaches a provider’s policies
    • regularly review whether these procedures are being upheld and if misconduct processes are implemented in a timely manner.⁸
• Ensure policies and by-laws are well advertised and easy to access and understand, including for people outside the provider’s community.⁹
• Complaints from or involving external actors are reviewed holistically on a case-by-case basis, with consideration of all available information to ensure fairness and accuracy.  

Critical incident management

• Review and, where necessary, update critical incident management structures and institutional security arrangements:
  • ensure clarity exists around which situations warrant calling the critical incident management team and/or police, and who is responsible for making that decision.¹⁰
• Develop and foster productive relationships with outside agencies, such as police:
  • understand the obligations and expectations police have regarding when they should be called and what forms of assistance they can provide.¹¹
• Establish a standardised process and communication strategy for use by campus security regarding external actors coming on to campus.¹²
• Establish clear organisational responsibility for developing, implementing and monitoring safety plans for staff or student cohorts who may be targeted by outside actors.¹³

Education and training for staff and students

• Provide clear and practical education and training on relevant institutional policies and misconduct procedures for students, staff and relevant contractors:
  • ensure training includes processes for how to report incidents or the presence of external actors on campus.¹⁴
• Train staff (particularly staff who regularly interact with the campus community) in critical management procedures so they can confidently follow appropriate processes when responding to incidents involving external actors on campus.¹⁵
• Establish protocols for supporting staff to deal with external actors who may enter learning and teaching spaces or offices.¹⁶

Legal obligations

• Confirm the governing body has a documented and clear understanding of the legal status of the institution regarding the classification of land/property in relation to protests, encampments and external actors:
  • this includes obligations under relevant state or territory legislation, any applicable local by-laws, and legislation under which the institution is established.¹⁷  
• Ensure relevant staff understand what powers the provider has and the legal avenues available for managing external actors on campus:
  • this includes when to contact law enforcement, or how and if the provider can take action to remove people that are not part of the provider’s community who are engaging in behaviour that poses a risk to student and staff wellbeing and safety.¹⁸

Campus management

• Statements displayed at entrances to campus, or in large public areas, outline expected behaviour and conditions associated with access to campus.¹⁹
• Manage building access through access cards, help desks or other mechanisms where appropriate.²⁰
• Examine how student and staff identification cards could assist providers in identifying external actors or preventing external actors from accessing parts of a campus that should only be accessible staff and students. This may include:
  • encouraging staff and students to carry their identification with them, particularly during periods of uncommon or unexpected tension or activity, while they are on campus or accessing secured facilities, such as private offices or research laboratories
  • using electronic staff and student identification cards to help manage access to certain areas of campus.²¹
• Consider the deployment and effective utilisation of CCTV
  • use of CCTV should be underpinned by a reasonable purpose and align with the provider’s risk management strategy
  • providers should review their legal obligations under relevant Commonwealth, state and territory privacy laws associated with the collection and storage of surveillance footage.²²
• Consider the necessity and effectiveness of security personnel wearing body worn cameras as part of the provider’s risk management strategy
  • there is evidence from some providers that body worn cameras may reassure the provider’s community, modify behaviour and deter antisocial behaviour when used appropriately
  • providers should review their legal obligations regarding the use of body worn cameras, and the collection and storage of surveillance footage, as noted above.²³  

TEQSA encourages all higher education providers to consider this emerging practice, giving consideration to all risks relevant to the institution’s particular circumstances and ensuring steps are taken to protect student and staff wellbeing and safety, while upholding the rights to freedom of speech and academic freedom.

Notes

1. See Commission of Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities Bill 2024 (No. 2) – Parliament of Australia; Antisemitism at Australian universities – Parliament of Australia.
2. A provider’s community is understood to widely include alumni, prospective students, invited guests and visiting scholars and researchers.
3. See Hodgkinson, B (2024) University of Sydney External Review Report, University of Sydney, accessed 15 January 2025; Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights (2024) ‘Proof Committee Hansard - Antisemitism at Australian universities’, December 12 2024, 4-14.
4. Providers can consult, for example, points 6 and 7 of A Model Code for the Protection of Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom in Australian Higher Education Providers (p.235-236) that suggest principles for policies and procedures that can inform an organisation’s approach to managing external visitors and invited guests.
5. Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021, Standard 6.1.3b.
6. Threshold Standards, Standard 6.1.3b.
7. Threshold Standards, Section 6.2.
8. Threshold Standards, Section 2.3, Standard 6.1.4).
9. Threshold Standards, Standard 6.1.4.
10. Threshold Standards, Standard 6.1.3b.
11. Threshold Standards, Section 6.2.
12. Threshold Standards, Section 6.2.
13. Threshold Standards, Section 6.2.
14. Threshold Standards, Section 6.2.
15. Threshold Standards, Section 6.2.
16. Threshold Standards, Section 2.3.
17. Threshold Standards, Section 6.2.
18. Threshold Standards, Section 2.3, Standard 6.1.3b, Standard 6.1.4.
19. Threshold Standards, Section 6.2.
20. Threshold Standards, Section 2.3, Section 6.2.
21. Threshold Standards, Section 2.3, Section 6.2.
22. Threshold Standards, Section 2.3, Section 6.2.
23. Threshold Standards, Section 2.3, Standard 6.1.4, Section 6.2.

Christmas and New Year closure arrangements

The provider portal will close from 12:30pm on Wednesday 24 December 2025 and reopen at 9:00am on Friday 2 January 2026. All times are in AEDT. Further details

TEQSA provider portal security update
TEQSA has strengthened its level of protection in the provider portal to protect users against digital data attacks. Further details

What is the provider portal?

The provider portal is an initiative to make it easier for higher education providers to engage with TEQSA, by submitting applications and responding to information requests online.

Access to the provider portal is by login only – TEQSA supplies login and password details to providers as required.  

Features of the portal include:

• providers can work progressively on applications online
• the ability to access both TEQSA and CRICOS application forms, upload documents and links as evidence, and submit multiple applications
• generate a PDF version of applications at any time to check on progress
• edit evidence (including the ability to delete documents) in any section up until an application is submitted
• respond to information requests online and submit any additional evidence that may be requested
• see the status of assessments generated as a result of an application.

The provider portal also acts as a document repository that allows providers to reuse documents already submitted as part of other applications or information requests. 

TEQSA staff have access to the provider portal and can assist with any questions or administration – including maintaining the document repository – however TEQSA case teams will only commence work on applications following submission and the receipt of payment. Such access will typically only be used when requested by a provider in order to address questions or assist the provider in some way.

We welcome feedback on the provider portal and will work to progressively implement improvements.

Provider portal walkthrough video

The provider portal walkthrough video provides an overview and shows how to create, manage and submit applications, and update and submit requests.

View the provider portal walkthrough video on our YouTube channel.

Christmas and New Year closure arrangements

TEQSA will close at 12:30pm on Wednesday 24 December 2025 and reopen at 9:00am on Friday 2 January 2026. All times are in AEDT. 
 

• Further details

On 1 April 2025, TEQSA implemented a new centralised enquiries approach that will deliver greater benefits for registered higher education providers.

TEQSA’s Enquiries Management team is now the dedicated first point of contact for all new provider enquiries.

Providers making a future enquiry should use the following contact details:

• send an email to providerenquiries@teqsa.gov.au
• or phone us on 1300 739 585.

TEQSA will aim to respond provider enquiries within 5 business days. Complex enquiries may take longer, however we will keep you updated and informed on our progress including when additional time is needed.

The shift to a centralised model, foreshadowed during our service charter consultation in 2024, reinforces TEQSA’s commitment to deliver high-quality and timely service to the higher education sector.

With the release of our updated service charter later this year, TEQSA remains focused on continuous monitoring and review to strengthen our service and approach to stakeholder engagement.

More information

• Frequently asked questions
• Service charter review
• Contact us: Make an enquiry