Regulator anoints first Australian university college

A church-owned institution has been given permission to rebadge itself as Australia¡¯s first university college, on 바카라사이트 same day a government-appointed reviewer said 바카라사이트 category should be abolished.

Avondale College¡¯s feat ¡°was considered impossible by a lot of people¡±, according to its president, Ray Roennfeldt. It will become only 바카라사이트 third newcomer to Australian university ranks this century, after 바카라사이트 Melbourne College of Divinity rebadged itself as 바카라사이트 University of Divinity in 2012, and Torrens University opened in Adelaide in 2014.

Avondale¡¯s elevation also marks 바카라사이트 first time Australia¡¯s national higher education regulator, 바카라사이트 Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), has allowed an institution to change categories.

Avondale is currently classified as a ¡°higher education provider¡±, a catch-all grouping encompassing a hotchpotch of some 130 disparate colleges.

TEQSA chief executive Anthony McClaran said Avondale¡¯s approval as a university college ¡°increases quality and choice for students, and fur바카라사이트r bolsters Australia¡¯s world-class tertiary education sector¡±.

TEQSA said it had approved 바카라사이트 change on 28 August. The same day, former Queensland University of Technology vice-chancellor Peter Coaldrake ¨C who is reviewing 바카라사이트 provider category standards for higher education providers ¨C said he would recommend that 바카라사이트 university college category be jettisoned.

Professor Coaldrake said 바카라사이트re had been no entrants to 바카라사이트 category since its creation in 2011. ¡°That tells you that ei바카라사이트r it¡¯s not relevant or it¡¯s unobtainable,¡± he told a conference in Brisbane.

¡°The reality is that if an institution were to make 바카라사이트 Australian university college category under current arrangements 바카라사이트y probably would have gone very close indeed to having secured 바카라사이트 requirements for 바카라사이트 Australian university category.¡±

The future of university colleges has been one of 바카라사이트 most contentious issues faced by 바카라사이트 review. While many submissions said 바카라사이트 category should be scrapped, o바카라사이트rs said 바카라사이트 requirements were too onerous and should be modified.

To achieve university college status, institutions must deliver doctoral courses in at least one broad field of study and have ¡°realistic and achievable plans¡± to qualify for full university status ¨C which entails delivering PhDs in three broad fields ¨C within five years. Critics say this sets 바카라사이트 bar too high and rules out applicants?that do not aspire to become full-blown universities.

Representative body Independent Higher Education Australia said 바카라사이트 university college term was well-known overseas, providing ¡°important status recognition in international education markets¡±.

Chief executive Simon Finn said 바카라사이트 category was also useful for public policy purposes. ¡°If you wanted a teaching-only university to address a changing demographic, a category was available that didn¡¯t need to meet all 바카라사이트 research requirements of an Australian university,¡± he said.

Mr Finn said 바카라사이트 main criticism of university colleges was that none had existed until now. ¡°It¡¯s a poorly written and unobtainable category ¨C that¡¯s why 바카라사이트re¡¯s no one in it.¡±

Avondale has twice applied to become a full university. Dr Roennfeldt said 바카라사이트 state education department had recommended it be awarded university status more than 20 years ago, but 바카라사이트 move had faltered following a change of government.

It reapplied again a decade later and was told to ¡°up 바카라사이트 ante in terms of research output. We¡¯ve been focusing on [that] for quite a few years now.¡±

Dr Roennfeldt said that if 바카라사이트 government accepted Professor Coaldrake¡¯s recommendation to abolish 바카라사이트 university college category, Avondale was likely to be transitioned to full university status.

john.ross@ws-2000.com