The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) assumed its full regulatory functions from 29 January 2012.

Under the TEQSA Act 2011, Flinders University is registered as a Higher Education Provider until 31 December 2012. Prior to the expiry of Flinders University’s current period of registration, the University must submit to TEQSA an application for re-registration.  The deadline for the University’s re-registration application is 1 October 2012.  A presentation, 'Renewal of Registration in 2012' is available from the TEQSA website. 

 

Threshold standards

 In December 2011, the Commonwealth Minister for Tertiary Education approved the following Threshold Standards, which form part of the Higher Education Standards Framework, effective from 4 January 2012:

1.    Provider Registration Standards,

2.    Provider Category Standards,

3.    Provider Course Accreditation Standards, and

4.    Qualification Standards.

Details are at at http://www.teqsa.gov.au/higher-education-threshold-standards. TEQSA will register Higher Education Providers against the Threshold Standards, and the University’s re-registration application will need to adress the Threshold Standards. 

Material Changes affecting a Higher Education Provider

Under Section 29(1) of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011, it is the responsibility of a registered Higher Education Provider to notify TEQSA of changes that significantly affect the provider’s ability to meet the Threshold Standards or that affect the provider's entry on the National Register of Higher Education Providers.  TEQSA has established a process and guidelines for notifying such material changes.  According to the guidelines, ‘material changes’ are changes that:

·         significantly affect a provider’s ability to meet any of the Threshold Standards (comprising the Provider Registration Standards, the Provider Course Accreditation Standards, the Provider Category Standards and the Qualification Standards), and/or

·         require updating of information about the provider that is recorded in the National Register of Higher Education Providers.

The relevant documents are at http://www.teqsa.gov.au/material-changes.