The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) has launched, with the Federal Government expressing its confidence in the new agency in describing ‘a new era of quality’ for higher education in Australia.

 

“TEQSA will be a new generation regulator, playing a pivotal role in ensuring the overall quality of our higher education system,” Minister for Tertiary Education Senator Chris Evans said.

 

TEQSA has been established as the new national regulator and quality assurance agency for higher education. It brings together the regulatory functions previously undertaken by the states and territories and the quality assurance activities undertaken by the Australian Universities Quality Agency, reducing the number of higher education regulatory and quality assurance bodies from nine to one.

 

“The implementation of a single national regulator for the higher education sector is a key step in improving the quality and consistency of higher education regulation around the nation,” Senator Evans said.

 

TEQSA will regulate providers using a new national framework which will set out the threshold in which all higher education providers must meet in order to be registered and deliver higher education in Australia.

 

The Government expects to make an announcement about the permanent appointments to TEQSA shortly. Until that time, Professor Denise Bradley AC will act as TEQSA’s Chief Commissioner, following on from her role as Interim Chair, and Mr Ian Hawke will become an acting Commissioner, following on from his role as Interim CEO.

 

For further information visit www.teqsa.gov.au