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External Quality Audits

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA)

From 1 July 2011 the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) became the new national regulatory and quality agency for higher education. TEQSA assumes regulatory functions on 30 January 2012. TEQSA's will register and evaluation the performance of higher education providers against Higher Education Standards Framework. The Framework will be comprised of:

  • Provider Standards
    • The Provider Registration Standards
    • The Provider Category Standards
    • The Provider Course Accreditation Standards
  • Qualification Standards
  • Teaching and Learning Standards
  • Research Standards, and 
  • Information Standards.

The AUQA Audits 2005 and 2010

AUQA was the national agency for quality in higher education. Established in 2000, it was a not-for-profit company that carried out quality audits in all Australian higher-education institutions. From 1 July 2011 the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) became the new national regulatory and quality agency for higher education. TEQSA assumes regulatory functions on 30 January 2012.

AUQA Audits monitored, reviewed, analysed and provided public reports on the quality of the academic activities and outcomes of all Australian universities. The regular quality audits were a normal part of the regulation of higher education organisations.

The Audit measured CQUniversity's achievements against the goals we developed to meet the needs of our students and our communities.

At the same time, the Audit allowed CQUniversity to measure itself against nationwide benchmarks and standards relevant to specific areas of the university activity.

A panel of auditors from the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) visited several CQUniversity locations during 2005 and again in October 2010.

In 2010, it focused on two particular areas of interest, or "themes", chosen in consultation with CQUniversity.

1. International Activities:

  • Arrangements for teaching and learning of international students offshore;
  • Arrangements for teaching and learning of international students in Australia;
  • Internationalisation of the curriculum and overall student experience;
  • Other international activities, such as research collaboration.

2. Quality of Teaching:

  • The teaching-research nexus;
  • Academic leadership and the role of course coordinator;
  • Making better use of teaching evaluations;
  • Academic professional development;
  • The use of ICT for teaching and learning;
  • Academic governance.

Four key factors were considered in conjunction with these two themes:

  • Institutional and educational objectives and institutional governance;
  • Achieving effectiveness in teaching, learning and other core functions;
  • Organisational structures, decision-making processes and resources to support teaching and learning;
  • Maintaining a commitment to quality improvement.

The AUQA auditors considered the Performance Portfolio, written by CQUniversity after a process of rigourous self-reflection and an External Validation. They then visited a number of CQUniversity locations and interviewed representatives of staff, students and community stakeholders. They could also conduct "in situ" interviews while walking around campus. Their published response to the Performance Portfolio, therefore, took into account documentary evidence as well as the perspectives of CQUniversity people from a wide range of backgrounds, roles and levels.

The 2005 Audit focused on quality procedures. The cycle 2 (2010) audit focused on evidence that shows these quality procedures are delivering outcomes that meet the University's goals. How do staff measure the effectiveness of what they are doing? How do they analyse the information collected, and how then do they respond strategically to improve what they are doing? How can students be assured that their degree meets professional standards, or that the university processes and procedures will support the students if they have any academic, personal, or other problems?

The Audits publicly verified that each university met national standards that were crucial for the accreditation of universities. In addition, the Audits investigated the quality of degrees and diplomas offered to domestic and international students. Because of this, the Audits also influenced a university's reputation.

AUQA's recommendations undoubtedly helped each university to close the gap between goals and achievements. The long-term benefits were that, by building quality awareness into everyday work, ongoing enhancement becomes simple and sustainable, rather than a daunting issue at Audit time.

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