✦ Plain-English Summary

Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Amendment 2019

What it does

This bill removes research standards from TEQSA's (the tertiary education regulator) list of things it directly oversees, giving responsibility back to the Research Minister instead. It also requires TEQSA to give universities and other higher education providers at least 60 days' notice before conducting any major review that could affect most of them.

Why it matters

Universities will have clearer rules about who's in charge of what — research quality goes to the Research Minister while teaching and student outcomes stay with TEQSA. The 60-day notice requirement gives institutions time to prepare for big reviews instead of being caught off guard, which could reduce disruption to their operations.

Key details

• The change kicks in immediately after the Governor-General signs off on the bill
• The 60-day notice rule only applies to reviews that could impact most registered higher education providers — not routine checks on individual institutions
• Who's affected: Universities, colleges, and other providers registered to offer higher education in Australia need to know both Ministers are now involved in setting standards, not just TEQSA

Official Description

Amends the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 to implement certain recommendations of the Review of the impact of the TEQSA Act on the higher education sector by: removing references to specific categories of non-threshold standards; removing unnecessary references to 'the Research Minister' and requiring that advice on new standards need only be sought from that minister in certain circumstances; requiring TEQSA to advise the minister and the Higher Education Standards Panel (the panel) before it undertakes a quality review that could have certain impacts; providing that overseas universities can offer a course of study not wholly or mainly provided from Australian premises, and use the word 'university' to represent its operations, without committing an offence; providing that a quorum for TEQSA meetings is a majority of commissioners; expanding the skill set that the minister must ensure is encompassed by the panel members; expanding the functions of the panel; providing a consent-based exception to the offence of unauthorised disclosure or use of information; allowing TEQSA to disclose certain higher education and personal information to the minister, the secretary and relevant officers; and allowing TEQSA to disclose information for research purposes and to a complainant in relation to a complaint without the consent of the body to which the information applies.

No formal division recorded

This bill passed by voice vote — parliament agreed without calling a formal count. A division is only recorded when a member explicitly requests one.

No votes yet.

No votes were recorded for this bill.