Agile Compliance?Connecting organisationally and strategically to support academic policy development

KAREN WHEELER, DIRECTOR ACADEMIC ADMINISTRATION, THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

KAREN VAN HAERINGEN, DEPUTY ACADEMIC REGISTRAR, GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY

HEADS OF STUDENT ADMINISTRATION CONFERENCE 2013

Regulatory and compliance environment

TEQSA regulationRegulates higher education using:• a standards-based quality framework• principles relating to regulatory necessity, risk and proportionality.TEQSA Act 2011Higher Education

Standards Framework

Threshold Standards1. Provider Registration

Standards2. Provider Category

Standards3. Provider Course

Accreditation Standards4. Qualification Standards

ESOS Act 2000CRICOS

The National Code Tuition

Protection Scheme (TPS)

TEQSA regulatory compliance

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Threshold StandardsQuality

AssessmentsCRICOS

re-registrationCRICOS

registration of programsProvider

Information requestsAustralian

Qualifications Framework

Provider re-registration

(Griffith: 1 Jan 2015 – 30 June 2015)

(UQ: 3 Oct 2015 – 31 March 2016) The University of

Queensland

Griffith University

Australian Universities Re-registration schedule

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AQF compliance• AQF Implementation Plan – Policy Compliance, Program Compliance, Business Processes & Systems, Communication & Change Management - Standards-based Benchmarking

What makes for a successful AQF implementation?

Successful implementation depends on the quality of our processes in the following areas: • Accreditation of Qualifications e.g. Program Planning,

Program Development & Approval and Professional accreditation.

• Delivery and Assessment e.g. delivery of qualifications that meet the learning outcomes of the qualification as accredited by the University; through Assessment Board processes ensuring the quality of the learning outcomes for the qualifications offered and that graduates satisfactorily complete all requirements for the awarding of the qualification.

• Quality assurance e.g. annual program monitoring, 5 year program reviews, course and teaching evaluations and student achievement standards.

• Policy Frameworks e.g. qualification policies, general award rules, credit transfer and award and nomenclature policies

 

Program compliance

Delivery & assessment:a Faculty case study• Initial audit and gap analysis

• Identified problems to be addressed• Opportunity to reflect• Structured processes, due diligence• Integrated with teaching and learning

committees• Sign off by Faculty Board of Studies,

later Academic Board

• Guiding principle: mapping of learning outcomes must add value

Policy complianceThe AQF provides the standards for Australian qualifications, a glossary of terms, an explanation of select terms and the policy requirements for:

• issuing AQF qualifications• AQF qualification and student pathways.In this context

• Compliance is a trigger to review policies and procedures in more detail

• Fine tuning, scrutiny of detail• Opportunity to reflect• In some cases, reaffirming that our

processes are worthwhileOpportunities for sector benchmarking - AI Online toolkit

https://app-test.secure.griffith.edu.au/policy-form/

Benchmarking‘the formal and structured process of searching for those practices which lead to excellent performance, the observation and exchange of information about them, their adaptation to meet the needs of one's own organisation, and the implementation of the amended practice’. (Mead 1998)

• sector benchmarking • whole-of-institution benchmarking - a

comparison of a range of processes, activities and practices with one or more university partners.

• discipline-specific benchmarking • standards-based benchmarking

Principle 7Build and maintain relationships of trust and openness in the regulatory community. This involves understanding prevailing social norms, addressing pressure points openly, being interested in others’ points of view, guarding against actions that may be interpreted as excluding parts of the regulatory community, being conscientious about disseminating quality information, being honest in dealings with others and willing to work in partnership with third parties to achieve the desired outcomes.