Application Form

Mutual recognition of a non self-accrediting higher education institution and its courses in a secondary jurisdiction (MR)

Instructions to applicants

Before completing your application, refer to the following:

·  National Protocols for Higher Education Approval Processes – Protocols A and B[1]

·  National Guidelines for Higher Education Approval Processes – Guidelines for the registration of non self-accrediting higher education institutions and the accreditation of their course/s (relating to National Protocols A and B[2]) – with particular reference to Sections 12 and 19.
This application form aligns with Section 19 of the National Guidelines – each numbered section of the application form aligns with the corresponding number in Section 19 (eg Section 2.2 in the application form aligns with 19.2.2 in the Guidelines).

Note:

1. Non self-accrediting higher education institutions must seek registration as a higher education institution and course accreditation for each of the higher education courses offered. These two processes may be undertaken concurrently or separately, with each requiring different criteria to be met. An institution may not operate without both registration and course accreditation.

2. If an institution intends to seek mutual recognition in more than one secondary jurisdiction, a separate application needs to be prepared and submitted to each secondary jurisdiction.

2.  3. If an institution intends to seek approval to deliver courses to international students in the secondary jurisdiction, the institution and the courses must also meet requirements and standards specified in the National Code for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students[3] (the National Code). For information about the application process institutions are advised to contact:

Mr Ross Hughes or Ms Minou Lamb

ACT Accreditation and Registration Council Secretariat

Training and Tertiary Education

ACT Department of Education and Training

220 Northbourne Ave, Braddon, ACT, 2612

Ph: 02 6206 7054

Fax: 02 6205 7045

Current fees are on the ACT Department of Education and Training website www.det.act.gov.au/

When preparing your application:

1. Follow the instructions contained in this application form.

2. Use the headings and sub-headings contained in the template. (Note: the boxes will expand to accommodate responses).

3. If an additional attachment is included in the application, or if an attachment is relevant to more than one requirement, please include reference to it in the body of the application and in the attachment checklist at the end of the application.

Please note: it is not necessary to duplicate attachments that are relevant to more than one requirement.

4. Prepare the relevant attachments, ensuring that each attachment has a title, is paginated and is sequentially and clearly labelled (using an exposed tab) so that it may be readily located and referenced by members of the assessment panel.

5. Complete/update the Attachment Checklist at the end of the application form.

6. Select and update the Table of Contents before printing the final document.

Before submitting your application:

Check that the application is complete and has all required attachments. Incomplete applications will be returned, thus delaying the assessment of your application.

Note: It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that the documentation provided in its application demonstrates that it can operate at a standard that meets the requirements.

A complete application should consist of the following:

1. Two unbound original copies of the completed MR application and the required attachments, including the applicant declaration/s signed by the institution’s authorised officer (eg CEO) (Attachments 5a and/or 5b and 5c – templates are at the end of this document).

2. A copy of the initial and/or approved registration and/or relevant accreditation application submitted to the primary jurisdiction (Attachments 6a and 6b – templates are at the end of this document).

3. If the application is finalised and approved in the primary jurisdiction, a copy of the registration and/or relevant accreditation assessment panel report/s.

3.  A cheque for the applicable fee, made payable to

ACT Accreditation and Registration Council

GPO Box 158

Canberra ACT 2601.

Current fees are on the ACT Department of Education and Training website www.det.act.gov.au/

Submitting your application

The application may be submitted to ACT Accreditation and Registration Council:

·  at the same time as the initial application for registration and/or accreditation is submitted in the primary jurisdiction

OR

·  following approval of registration and/or accreditation in the primary jurisdiction.

Note: Assessment in the secondary jurisdiction cannot be concluded until after the application/s for registration and/or accreditation have been approved in the primary jurisdiction. If an application has been revised during the assessment process in the primary jurisdiction, the secondary jurisdiction will need to be provided with a copy of the amended and approved application.

Timelines for Submission

Mutual recognition in the secondary jurisdiction cannot be finalised until registration and course accreditation have been finalised in the primary jurisdiction. Mutual recognition processes may take up to four months to complete, assuming that all information has been supplied and the criteria have all been met in the initial submission documentation. The process will be delayed if either the primary jurisdiction, the secondary jurisdiction or the assessment panels in either jurisdiction require additional or revised documentation during the assessment process.

Government Accreditation Authorities: /
Australian Capital Territory / http://www.decs.act.gov.au/services/trainingARC.htm /
New South Wales / https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/communityed/higheredu/index.htm /
Northern Territory / http://www.training.sa.gov.au/OVETorgs/ /
Queensland / http://education.qld.gov.au/office/higher-education/ /
South Australia / http://www.training.sa.gov.au/OVETorgs/ /
Tasmania / http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/ /
Victoria / http://www.vrqa.vic.gov.au/reg/registration_procedures/higher.htm /
Western Australia / http://www.des.wa.gov.au/pages/higher_ed.php /
Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
/ http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/higher_education/default2.htm
(for those seeking to operate in Australia’s external territories) /

Mutual Recognition as a Non Self-Accrediting Higher Education Institution and its Courses in a Secondary Jurisdiction

Name of Institution (Legal Entity)

Trading Name/s (in Secondary Jurisdiction) (if applicable)

Application for: (please check )

mutual recognition as a non self-accrediting higher education institution

and/or

mutual recognition of accreditation for the following course/s:

Award
Award
Award
Award
Award
Award
Award
Award

Date of Submission


Table of Contents

Institution Details 7

Requirement 1: Organisational 9

1.1 If the operation in the secondary jurisdiction involves a separate legal or business entity, its relationship with the approved entity is clear and indicates that the approved entity is legally responsible for all higher education courses and delivery. 9

Requirement 2: Quality assurance 10

2.1 The approved entity maintains oversight of the conferral of awards and all academic matters in the secondary jurisdiction, including staffing and student recruitment, admissions, assessment and progression. 10

2.2 The institution has mechanisms for ensuring that its standards and services for students in the secondary jurisdiction are consistent with those in the primary jurisdiction. 10

2.3 The institution has effective mechanisms for monitoring and enhancing quality in the secondary jurisdiction, including mechanisms for seeking and acting upon feedback from stakeholders within the secondary jurisdiction. 11

2.4 The institution has mechanisms for benchmarking its educational delivery in the secondary jurisdiction against performance at other sites where its courses are delivered. 11

2.5 No changes have been made to the course for delivery in the secondary jurisdiction unless required for professional registration and, if required, these do not substantially alter learning outcomes for students. 11

Requirement 3: Staffing 11

3.1 The numbers, qualifications, experience, expertise and sessional/full-time mix of academic, administrative and support staff in the secondary jurisdiction are appropriate for the nature, mode of delivery, range and levels of the courses offered. 12

3.2 The institution ensures that academic staff are available for students seeking academic assistance in the secondary jurisdiction. 14

3.3 The institution ensures that its teaching in the secondary jurisdiction is normally carried out by academics with relevant qualifications at least one AQF qualification level higher than the level of the course being taught. 14

3.4 The institution has strategies for enhancing teaching quality and other aspects of staff performance in the secondary jurisdiction, including for sessional staff, such as through staff development and other professional development opportunities. 14

3.5 Academic staff in the secondary jurisdiction, including sessional staff, are actively engaged in scholarship and/or professional practice relevant to the fields in which they teach and at an appropriate level reflecting their seniority and responsibilities. 14

3.6 Academic staff who are principal supervisors of research higher degree students in the secondary jurisdiction are active in research. 15

Requirement 4: Facilities and Student Services 15

4.1 The institution has facilities in the secondary jurisdiction, including classrooms, library/information resource centre, laboratories, administrative areas and staff office accommodation, appropriate in scope and quality for the size and nature of the institution, the delivery methods and the types of courses it offers. 15

4.2 The institution provides an appropriate range and quality of student services in the secondary jurisdiction, such as counselling, academic and career advice, IT support, and student learning assistance. 15

4.3 Students in the secondary jurisdiction have access to effective grievance procedures which enable them to make complaints about any aspect of the institution’s operations without fear of reprisal and which provide access to an independent third party if internal processes fail to resolve the grievance. 16

4.4 The institution has effective mechanisms to identify students in the secondary jurisdiction who are ‘at risk’ in terms of their academic progress and the institution provides support for such students in the secondary jurisdiction. 16

4.5 The range and quality of the learning and information resources provided to students in the secondary jurisdiction support effective student learning and are appropriate for the nature of the courses and their delivery. 16

Attachments Checklist 17

Institution Details

Name of Institution / Legal Name of Entity
Trading Name/s / Trading Name/s in Secondary Jurisdiction
Postal Address / Post Office Box
Suburb State Postcode
Business Address / Street Address
Suburb State Postcode
Contact Numbers / Tel: Telephone (include area code) / Fax: Fax (include area code) / Toll Free: Toll Free No.
Web Address / Web address
Email Address / General email address
Authorised Officer (eg CEO) Details
(The authorised officer is required to complete and submit a Declaration to accompany the application for registration and accreditation. The declaration/s are to be attached as attachment 5a and/or 5b and 5c. (Templates are at the end of this document.).
Name / Title Firstname Lastname
Position / Position title
Postal Address / Post Office Box
Suburb State Postcode
Contact Numbers / Tel: Telephone (include area code) / Fax: Fax (include area code) / Mobile: Mobile
Email Address / Email
Contact Officer for this Application
Name / Title Firstname Lastname
Position / Position title
Postal Address / Post Office Box
Suburb State Postcode
Contact Numbers / Tel: Telephone / Fax: Fax / Mobile: Mobile
Email Address / Email


Delivery Sites in the Secondary Jurisdiction

If the institution plans to deliver courses through a separate legal or business entity (an agent), details of the agent should be provided and the Principal/Agent box should be checked.

Note: all delivery sites in the secondary jurisdiction must be listed. Add additional tables as required.

Delivery Site 1
Campus Name / Campus Name
Street Address / Street Address
Suburb State Postcode
Telephone Number / Tel: Telephone (include area code)
Principal/Agent Relationship Yes No
Courses to be offered at this site: / § 
§ 
§ 
§ 

If already approved in the primary jurisdiction:

Legal Name of Entity is registered as a higher education institution in Name of Primary Jurisdiction until Registration expiry date and has the courses below accredited in that State. Legal Name of Entity seeks mutual recognition as a non self-accrediting higher education and/or accreditation of these courses in Name of Secondary Jurisdiction. Information relating to the proposed delivery arrangements in the secondary jurisdiction follows. A copy of the initial application/s submitted to the primary jurisdiction and a copy of the relevant assessment panel report/s are enclosed.

OR (delete the paragraph that does not apply)

If seeking concurrent assessment in the primary and secondary jurisdiction:

Legal Name of Entity has recently submitted an application for registration as a higher education and/or accreditation of the following courses in Name of Primary Jurisdiction and seeks to concurrently apply for mutual recognition of registration and/or course accreditation in Name of Secondary Jurisdiction. Information relating to the proposed delivery arrangements in Secondary Jurisdiction follows. A copy of the initial application/s submitted to the primary jurisdiction are also enclosed.

Full Title of the Course / Abbreviated Title / Nested * in:
/ Field of Education (ASCED
6 digit code[4]) / Start Date
(if accredited in primary jurisdiction) / Expiry Date
(if accredited in primary jurisdiction)
1 / eg. Graduate Diploma of Education / GrDipEd / 2 / 070303 / 1/1/2007 / 31/12/2012
2 / eg Master of Education / MEd / N/A / 070303 / 1/1/2007 / 31/12/2012
1
2

* All nested courses will be treated as separate awards for the purposes of accreditation.

Requirement 1: Organisational

Expected Outcome: There is a legally accountable and reputable entity responsible for all higher education courses and delivery.

1.1 If the operation in the secondary jurisdiction involves a separate legal or business entity, its relationship with the approved entity is clear and indicates that the approved entity is legally responsible for all higher education courses and delivery.

Will the operation in the secondary jurisdiction involve a separate legal or business entity?

Yes

No

If YES

a) Indicate below, the name of the legal or business entity.

b) Indicate if the institution is:

A company registered under the Corporations Act 2001 or,

Other form of Australian legal entity.

If other (eg statutory body, trust), please indicate the basis under which the legal entity was established (eg legislation, Royal Charter).

Attach to this section, as attachment 1.1b, a copy of the certificate of incorporation and/or other documentation related to legal entity status.

c) Provide the Australian Company Number (ACN) below, if relevant:

ACN

d) Provide the Australian Business Number (ABN) below:

ABN

e) If relevant, provide the name/s under which the institution does/will trade in the secondary jurisdiction.