Acting Chief Commissioner appointed to TEQSA

Professor Nicholas Saunders AO, former Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Newcastle, has been appointed as the acting full-time Chief Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). TEQSA is Australia’s independent national regulator of the higher education sector responsible for registering and assessing higher education providers against the Higher Education Standards Framework. Minister for Education, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, today announced that Professor Saunders will replace current acting Chief Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Ms Dorte Kristoffersen, whose term of appointment as full-time Commissioner ends on 5 September 2014. “It is important to provide continuity and strong leadership for Australia’s national higher education regulator. Professor Saunders is highly regarded in the sector and will bring to TEQSA professional expertise in higher education, quality assurance, risk-based regulation, deregulation, strategic leadership, public policy, government operations.” “Professor Saunders brings with him an exceptional level of relevant qualifications, knowledge and experience to the role and will provide important continuity in the leadership of TEQSA while the Government progresses passage of the 2014 TEQSA Amendment Bill.” “I thank Ms Kristoffersen for the strong contribution she has made to support the quality of Australia’s education system through her work with TEQSA over the past three years and wish her well in her future role in the sector.”