Improving quality assurance for Australian higher education

The Minister for Education, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, today welcomed the passage of legislation that will improve the effectiveness of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA).

The TEQSA Amendment Bill 2014 measures will enable TEQSA to continue to reform and streamline its business processes, while guaranteeing a high quality Australian higher education sector.

“These amendments will enable TEQSA to operate more effectively as we seek to implement the most vital reforms to Australian higher education in generations.”

“Australian higher education institutions will face less red tape and will have more time to focus on high quality teaching, learning and research,” Minister Pyne said.

The TEQSA Amendment Bill 2014:

• expands TEQSA’s ability to delegate decisions to Commissioners and TEQSA staff;
• allows TEQSA to extend the period of registration or accreditation on its own initiative;
• removes the strict requirements relating to the number of Commissioners and the full-time or part-time basis of appointments;
• separates the roles and responsibilities of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Commissioner, as completion of incumbent appointments allow this transition to occur; and
• improves the oversight of TEQSA’s fees and operations.

Implementation of these measures gives effect to key recommendations from the Review of Higher Education Regulation undertaken by Professor Kwong Lee Dow and Valerie Braithwaite which the Government committed to implement.