news
campusreview.com.au
Anthony McClaran. Photo: TEQSA
TEQSA tougher
on applicants
Regulator touts ‘high front gate’
policy in new report.
W
e’ve since moved onto banks, but
let’s not forget the mess we had
to mop up a couple of years ago.
People were signed up to higher education
courses by door-to-door salespeople or
via cold calls. Often from low-income
communities and enticed by free laptops
and iPads, they quickly garnered debts in
the tens of thousands – sometimes even
after they were told courses that they didn’t
complete would be free.
It was only after a Senate inquiry
that predatory companies like Careers
Australia and Phoenix Institute of Australia
eventually collapsed.
But there remain unscrupulous higher
education providers trying their luck. This
time, however, they won’t be as fortunate.
Due to the abolition of the VET FEE-HELP
scheme (which contributed to their prior
behaviour), as well as tougher regulations,
dodgy would-be providers have been
vetted out of the system.
This is the key message of a new
TEQSA report. It reveals that despite
growing numbers of applicants requesting
registration as higher education providers,
on average, between 2015 and 2016, only
five were approved each year. In total, during
this period, 67 applications were made.
Global rank slipping?
Australian universities struggling to maintain
international standing, Go8 says.
T
he successes of a few Australian universities on a global
ranking aren’t enough to counter the ‘concerning’ national
picture – one of stagnation.
With 35 institutions included in the 2019 edition of the Times
Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, Australia ended
up in much the same place as the previous year.
Ellie Bothwell, global rankings editor at THE, said while there are
some examples of progress from Australia, the national picture
is a cause for concern as many universities dropped places or
remained where they were.
“The country boasts some world-class institutions – and
immense potential for greater success on the global stage. But you
4
The main reasons for rejection included
governance issues (like inexperienced
leaders and/or concerning financials), and
course design flaws (such as plagiarised
material). For-profit providers were most
likely to be knocked back.
“It is notable that all applicants formally
rejected for initial registration were found not
to comply with at least one, but usually more
than one, standard relating to corporate and
academic governance,” the report said.
The National Institute of Integrative
Medicine, for example, was unsuccessful in
obtaining registration. TEQSA cited staffing,
research and curricula issues.
The institute’s website says it “combines
orthodox and complementary medicines
and/or therapies with a holistic approach,
towards whole person care”. It has applied
to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a
review of the decision.
TEQSA CEO Anthony McClaran pointed
to the contents of the report as indicative
of the regulator’s ‘high front gate’ policy,
and said the report was chiefly issued as
guidance for future applicants. ■
can’t sustain world-class universities and research facilities with
funding cuts,” Bothwell said. “To excel, universities need strong
investment and they need to be able to attract and retain the very
best global talent and research collaborations.”
Nine Australian institutions hit the top 200, but six declined.
The University of Melbourne was again the top performing local
offering, remaining in 32nd place, joint with Germany’s LMU Munich.
The Australian National University dropped one spot to 49, while
the University of Sydney gained two spots to reach joint 59th.
Other Australian universities to slip down the scale include
the University of Western Australia, which, due to slightly lower
citation impact and research scores, fell 23 places to 134th, and the
University of New South Wales, which slipped 11 places down to
joint 96th.
The Group of Eight (Go8) said the table’s release makes for
“sobering reading”.
The body’s chief executive, Vicki Thomson, said almost every
Australian university is struggling to maintain its global position.
To highlight the stakes at hand, Thomson pointed to an
economic impact analysis by London Economics that showed in
2016 the Go8 had a positive impact of over $66 billion a year on
the Australian economy.
She said that if government won’t hear the sector’s calls to
ensure it is “nurtured not starved”, then perhaps it will take heed of
global views.
On top of funding concerns, Bothwell said Australia faces
intensifying competition from Asia.
THE editorial director of global rankings Phil Baty said China and
other emerging nations are positioning universities at the heart of
national economic growth strategies – and could challenge the
countries that currently dominate the rankings. ■