Student engagement
Overview
Students are central to TEQSA’s role as the national higher education regulator and the organisation’s purpose statement reflects this:
TEQSA’s purpose is to protect student interests and the reputation of Australia’s higher education sector through a proportionate, risk-reflective approach to quality assurance that supports diversity, innovation and excellence.
TEQSA engages with students by working to understand student experiences and by providing information to students.
TEQSA considers student engagement as part of both its initial registration and re-registration processes. TEQSA’s course re-accreditation process considers providers’ internal student feedback systems (including complaints) and also how providers act on that feedback. Additionally, as part of its overall provider risk assessment, TEQSA considers available student data including progression, attrition and completion rates, student employment outcomes and student satisfaction.
To check your provider’s current status in respect to areas of TEQSA activity such as registration, course accreditation, and overall compliance, view our National Register.
Student Expert Advisory Group
TEQSA's Student Expert Advisory Group was established to provide us with advice on approaches and strategies relating to regulation and quality assurance of higher education providers, with particular reference to the engagement of students.
The group, chaired by TEQSA's CEO, is made up of members from a selection of Australia’s major student representative bodies and representatives nominated by peak bodies, including the:
- Australian Queer Students’ Network (AQSN)
- Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA)
- Council of International Students Australia (CISA)
- Independent Higher Education Australia (IHEA)
- Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA)
- National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Postgraduate Association
- National Union of Students
- TAFE Directors Australia
- Union of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students
Terms of reference
View the Student Expert Advisory Group's Terms of Reference.
Members
Natasha Abrahams, National President, CAPA
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Natasha Abrahams is the National President of the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations, the peak representative body for Australia’s 400,000+ postgraduate students. In this role, she is campaigning for income support for domestic postgraduate students. She is also interested in mental health and wellbeing of postgraduate students. Natasha is a doctoral student in the Monash University School of Social Sciences, and her dissertation argues that the gendered division of domestic labour is promoted by news reporting of scientific findings pertaining to sex differences. She is also currently the President of the Monash Postgraduate Association, which represents the interests of postgraduate students at Monash University. |
Rosie Arcadi, ITECA
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Rosie Arcadi (Rosanne) is studying a Bachelor of Culinary Management at Torrens University at William Blue Hospitality Management College. She has been in the hospitality industry for five years working in various restaurants. She has previously obtained a Certificate III in dental assisting and a Certificate II in assisting in forensic sciences but her love is hospitality. Through her bachelor degree, she hopes to achieve more knowledge and experience in sales and marketing within the hospitality industry. |
Tess Bourguignon, IHEA |
Desiree Cai, National President, NUS
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Desiree Cai is the National President of the National Union of Students in 2019. She is studying for a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in politics and international studies, and criminology at the University of Melbourne. Last year she represented students on campus as the President of the University of Melbourne Student Union. This year Desiree is focused on ensuring the voice of students and young people are heard. |
Braedyn Edwards, President, UATSIS
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Braedyn is the 2018-19 President of the Union of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students, the peak representative body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander undergraduate students. He is a descendant of the Gamillaroi and Kunya peoples and is completing his Bachelors of Laws/Arts at the ANU on Ngunnawal/Ngambri Country. |
President, NATSIPA
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TDA
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Ahmed Ademoglu, National President, CISA
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Originally from Turkey, Ahmed is studying Nursing at Curtin University. He came to Australia in 2011 and during his study period he became a student leader in the college. His leadership skills and passion were formidable. In 2016, Ahmed was elected as the President of International Students Committee in Curtin University, unanimously. In 2017, he was elected as the National Vice-President of CISA (Council of International Students Australia). He was the Conference Convenor for CISA 2018 Conference and the project leader for CISA Business Sustainability Project. After successful completion of the projects and the end of his term, Ahmed helped as Advisor to the new CISA Team. He was also appointed as a Board member to the StudyPerth Board in June 2019. |
Lulu Thornley, AQSN
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Lulu Thornley is a fourth year arts student at Monash University. She is currently one of the national co-convenors for the Australian Queer Students Network (AQSN) and has been Queer Officer at MONSU for the past two years. |
Meetings
The SEAG meets three times a year. The inaugural meeting took place in Canberra on Friday 2 March, 2018.
Discussions with SEAG help raise student awareness of TEQSA’s regulatory decisions, and are a way to involve the student voice in our regulatory work. The SEAG also provides a framework for a partnering with students to co-design strategies to tackle big issues in the higher education sector such as sexual assault and harassment and contract cheating.
Resources
Social media posts
Want to help spread the word of TEQSA's role in protecting student interests in higher education?
- Download TEQSA for students social media posts for: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
- Share the posts and include a link to the Students section of our website.
Below: example of TEQSA's student engagement Facebook post
