Quality assurance audits
The Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) is an independent, not-for-profit national agency that promotes, audits, and reports on quality assurance in Australian higher education.
AUQA was formally established by the Ministerial Council on Education, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) in March 2000. It operates independently of governments and the higher education sector under the direction of a Board of Directors. AUQA is owned by and receives core, operational funding from the Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers for higher education who are members of MCEETYA.
AUQA is responsible for:
- Conducting quality audits of self-accrediting Australian higher education institutions and State and Territory Government higher education accreditation authorities on a five-yearly cycle;
- Providing public reports on the outcomes of these audits;
- Commenting on the criteria for the recognition of new universities and accreditation of non-university higher education awards, as a result of information obtained during the audits of institutions and State and Territory accreditation processes; and
- Reporting on the relative standards and international standing of the Australian higher education system and its quality assurance processes, as a result of information obtained during the audit process.
AUQA's responsibilities do not include investigating student and/or staff complaints about individual universities. Such matters remain the responsibility of individual institutions.
In fulfilment of the above responsibilities, AUQA maintains an Audit Manual of audit policies and procedures. It also trains and maintains a register of eminent persons to act as Honorary Auditors.
The first cycle of audits runs from 2002 to 2007. Cycle 2 audits will commence in 2008. The direct costs of audits are met by the institutions and agencies subject to audit.