The government’s bill establishing new provider category standards sailed through the Reps and looked set to do the same in the Senate, until a committee inquiry was established

The issue that had previously exercised universities was the government’s decision to change the proposed name for high-performing private providers, “national institute” to “university college,” (CMM October 26).

But another issue is emerging, one which did not originally appear unsettling – how the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, which will measure the research output universities must maintain to keep the title, (CMM October 12).

In its submission to the Senate inquiry, the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering raises three issues;

* TEQSA regulating “may impose new costs, red tape and uncertainty on the tertiary education sector”

* TEQSA has “sole regard for determining matters relating to research quality” and the bill is silent on any “oversight or review” of its decisions

* without a definition of “research quality” the agency could end up duplicating work of the Australian Research Council and/or National Health and Medical Research Council. Plus, TEQSA may, “end up regulating matters that it is not equipped to deal with.”