Senate Committee Makes 8 Recommendations with Regard to TEQSA Legislation. (May 11, 2011)

The federal Senate's Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee has released its report assessing the government's Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Bill 2011 and Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2011.

Professor Paul Greenfield, vice-chancellor of The University of Queensland and Chair of the Group of Eight in a media release said:

The committee is to be congratulated for listening to the concerns raised by the Group of Eight and Universities Australia on self-accreditation. For over 150 years Australian universities have had the right to determine the courses they offer and the degrees they confer. The Senate committee has agreed that the TEQSA legislation must be explicit about protecting this right. The Go8's concerns that the legislation concentrates strong open-ended standards setting powers in the hands of the Minister of the day have also been addressed by the committee. The Go8 continues to support consistent national regulation of higher education which will guarantee public confidence in the quality and bona fides of providers and uphold the integrity of degrees.

While the Government may not intend imposing disproportionate regulation on universities, or to intrude unduly in their academic affairs, the current bill presents a risk that these unintended and undesired consequences could arise, possibly in the longer term, under a future Government. Having had the sense and foresight to put this legislation to a Senate committee, it is to be hoped that Minister Evans and the Parliament will now heed its recommendations.

The eight recommendations:

The Australian's Andrew Trounson reports: "The Australian understands the Gillard government is prepared to amend the legislation to meet them all.