Lack of information around University requirements to uphold AQTF

Anonymous Student made this Freedom of Information request to Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency

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The request was successful.

Anonymous Student

Dear Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency,

I was previously a student of a group of 8 university. During this time, I was subjected to awful academic corruption and dishonesty. I was unable to make any inroad with internal university process to appeal this.

I was made aware of the AQTF some time ago. Trying to research this, and to turn up information about it and how to submit complaints turned out to be a fruitless exercise.

I would like:

1) A complete copy of the AQTF regulations, including what requirements must be upheld by a registered training organisation for assessment, marking of assessment, and recognition of prior learning.

2) Contact details to lodge complaints against universities for violation of these rules.

Yours faithfully,

Anonymous Student

Locutus Sum left an annotation ()

It is a misfortune to have had your experience but I am very surprised that you could not find information about how to make a complaint. I typed "teqsa complaints" into my favored search engine (https://www.startpage.com/do/search?quer...). My first result was for a page called "Complaints | Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency" (http://www.teqsa.gov.au/complaints). The page is very informative. It is to no purpose to repeat here everything on the page but a summary is useful for users.

Of course, the TEQS Agency says that a person who has a complaint should "first approach the provider". I have read, of course, that you have done this and that you did not find it helpful. The Agency next has an explanation that complaints about universities can be made to the Ombudsman in the state where the university lives. The Ombudsman has significant power to get information to investigate complaints; also the Ombudsman office will keep a record of all complaints so it is possible to see if one place is a big problem.

Also important on the TEQSA page for complaints is an explanation for what it is not possible for TEQSA to deal with because the TEQSA Act does not give them an appropriate authority.

I think that you will also be interested in the page of TEQSA called "Glossary of Terms" (http://www.teqsa.gov.au/glossary). In an explanation for the words "Australian Qualifications Framework" you can see a reference to many different documents; many of these documents I think will be relevant to your request to TEQSA. The Australian Qualifications Framework also has a website belonging to itself (http://www.aqf.edu.au). I did not look carefully on the TEQSA website but I am surprised if you cannot find each document mentioned in the glossary on the TEQSA website. If it is not on the website or the website for the Australian Qualifications Framework, or if you cannot find it somewhere else, then you could make a more specific request for the document by using the FOI Act.

"Dishonesty" and "corruption" can be available in many flavours; some are criminal. If you believe that the dishonesty that affected you was criminal, then you should make your complaint to the police or to a place like the Corruption Commission.

Now I make a comment of a different kind. I expect that the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency will try to give you all the documents that you asked for but the FOI Act does not require them. The explanation is technical but useful and it is not because of hiding the information! The FOI Act says that a person cannot use the Act to obtain documents that are normally available for a fee. A print copy of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Act 2011 can be obtained by paying a fee ($10.00 + postage), so the FOI Act is not obliging TEQSA to send you a copy. However, you can download the Act free from Comlaw (http://www.comlaw.gov.au) at the link http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2013C0... . Some but not all of the other documents maybe are similar to this. The summary is that I think you will easily get all the information you want but by the letter of the law, not all of them can you get with FOI.

I have a last thought for today. It is maybe so that TEQSA has individual agreements with universities; I am not sure because I did not read the TEQSA Act or the Australian Qualifications Framework. But if there is an agreement with each university, then you will maybe wish to ask for a copy of that agreement.

If you need more help, you can send me a message with Right to Know.

Locutus Sum left an annotation ()

So now I add more today, when I said before that it was a last thought ...

The link for the main document to regulate the Qualifications Framework is at the front page of the AQF website (http://www.aqf.edu.au). The page says about the document to download, "The AQF Second Edition provides the complete set of AQF policies and objectives and information about the governing and monitoring arrangements for the AQF." But remember also to read what TEQSA has no authority to investigate.

As an historical note but yet of relevance even now is to mention the university Visitor. Most universities from a tradition in Great Britain have a visitor; it is not the case with European universities. The Visitor migt be of relevance to your complaints; check your university website. Also for history it can be interesting to read the page on Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visitor)

Nu må jeg stoppe!

TEQSA - Complaints, Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency

Dear Anonymous

Thank you for your email correspondence relating to a Group of Eight University. Your email was forwarded to the TEQSA complaints inbox for response.

The Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) is the national set of standards which assures nationally consistent, high-quality training and assessment services for the clients of Australia’s vocational education and training system (VET).

However you may be referring to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) instead, which is the framework that establishes and identifies qualification levels of all three education sectors in Australia: the School Sector, VET Sector, and the Higher Education (University) Sector. Following are links to the AQF website and contact information:

- The AQF website: http://www.aqf.edu.au/
- Contact Email for the AQF: [email address]

I note that you have communicated your concerns to your University, however I would recommend that you raise a formal complaint with the University that is in line with their complaints management policy and procedures. Without knowing the name of the University, I cannot provide a direct link to the material, however, each University is required to have a grievance/complaints policy or procedure. It may be worthwhile to explore this document and raise your concern this way. If the issue is not resolved, a formal complaint can be lodged with the provider per their policy. Another useful document to review is the student handbook.

If you still have no resolution, I would recommend that you raise this complaint with the Ombudsman of your relevant State.

Regards
Jeanine van den Bosch

TEQSA Complaints
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Level 14, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

E [email address]

GPO Box 1672
Melbourne, VIC 3001

www.teqsa.gov.au

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TEQSA - FOI, Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency

Dear Anonymous

I refer to your email of 16 April 2014, in which you requested access to the following documents:

1) A complete copy of the AQTF regulations, including what requirements must be upheld by a registered training organisation for assessment, marking of assessment, and recognition of prior learning.

2) Contact details to lodge complaints against universities for violation of these rules.

It is not clear from your email whether you wish to make a formal request for access to information that TEQSA holds under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, however I note that TEQSA responded to your email on 17 April providing you with details about the AQF and advice about how to lodge complaints about universities.

Can you please confirm whether TEQSA's email satisfies your request for information or whether you wish to make a formal request under the FOI Act.

Yours sincerely

Leigh Davis
Assistant Director
People and Parliamentary

Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency
Level 14, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3001

E [email address]
P +61 3 8306 2491

GPO Box 1672
Melbourne, VIC 3001

www.teqsa.gov.au

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