The Regulatory Point of Contact procedure enables the University to consolidate and monitor all queries to the University’s regulatory bodies: Australian Skills Quality Authority ASQA, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) and the Higher Education Skills Group HESG to one contact point within the University.
This process provides a streamlined practice where one area provides all contact and information in relation to the regulatory and funding bodies.
The benefits of this process include:
- Single point of contact within the University for all regulatory body enquiries;
- Queries that may have been submitted to a regulatory body previously by an Institute/School/Department will not be resubmitted unknowingly by another Institute/School/Department;
- Consistency in the advice provided to all staff;
- The recording of all queries to ensure they are followed up; and
- The circulating of responses to all relevant areas and staff to assist others who may have the same or similar queries.
The Regulatory Point of Contact procedure ensures the University is receiving and providing consistent advice to stakeholders and minimise the confusion with the interpretation of the relevant standards, funding contracts and legislative codes and regulations.
The following procedure applies to all staff and to communication between staff and state and commonwealth regulatory bodies that the University is required to maintain regulatory compliance with.
This procedure does not encompass licensing or accrediting bodies including but not limited to, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC), VicRoads or Worksafe. Any queries regarding licensing or program accreditation should be lodged through the individual Institute that the query relates to.
This procedure will not impact, prevent or interfere with the responding to regulatory requests or submission of information to regulatory bodies or funding bodies by various University Institutes/Departments, but will ensure a facilitated approach by Quality Assurance Services.
- Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021
- National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011
- Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015
- Duel Sector VET Funding ContractHESG
- VRQA Guidelines to Minimum Standards
| Term | Definition |
| Australian Skills Quality Authority ASQA |
The national regulator for Australia’s vocational education and training sector - http://www.asqa.gov.au/. ASQA regulates courses and training providers to ensure nationally approved quality standards are met. |
| Regulatory Bodies | Regulators that register and regulate education providers which deliver training and education to students. |
| Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) | Australia’s independent national quality assurance and regulatory agency for higher education - https://www.teqsa.gov.au/. |
| Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority VRQA |
Is Victoria's education and training regulator. They are an independent statutory authority that works to assure the quality of education and training in Victoria. They apply standards to education and training providers and accredit courses and qualifications. Registering education and training providers in senior secondary education — both school and non-school - https://www.vrqa.vic.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx. |
| Higher Education and Skills Group HESG |
Facilitates participation and achievement in senior secondary and tertiary education and training by supporting partnerships between providers, employers and the community and advising on public funding and regulation. It manages the Government-funded training market in Victoria, public provider governance and accountability, and the apprenticeship system. |
| Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) |
The Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) forms the legal framework for the quality assurance of education and training institutions offering courses to international students (students studying in Australia on student visas). The ESOS legislative framework consists of the:
|
| Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) | CRICOS is the official register of all Australian education providers that are permitted to offer courses to students studying in Australia on student visas. The register can be found at cricos.education.gov.au. |
| Activity | Responsibility | Steps | |
| A. | Any queries regarding regulatory matters from University staff to be forwarded to Quality Assurance Services. | All staff |
|
| B. | Quality Assurance Services will forward queries via the appropriate channels to the relevant regulatory body. | Quality Assurance Services |
|
| C. | Any queries for HESG will be forwarded in writing from Quality Assurance Services to the Manager, Reporting and Compliance for lodging with HESG. | Quality Assurance Services / Manager, Reporting and Compliance |
|
| D. | Query responses received from the regulatory body will be processed by responding to the University staff member initiating the query. | Quality Assurance Services |
|
- Provost has responsibility for the monitoring of this procedure.
- Manager, Policy and Quality Services has responsibility for the maintenance of this procedure.
- Specific responsibilities are included under Actions.
The Regulatory Bodies Point of Contact will be communicated throughout the University via:
- A FedNews announcement and on the ‘Recently Approved Documents’ page on the University’s Policy Central website;
- Distribution of e-mails to Executive Deans of Institute / Deans of School / Head of Department / University staff;
- Documentation distribution, eg posters, brochures
- Notification to Institutes/Schools/Departments; and/or
- Inclusion on the University’s online Policy Library.
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