Plus, the regulator says when borders open providers should not “snap back” to previous markets and practises

The Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency calls for change in an admirably frank response to the Commonwealth’s international education strategy draft proposal.

The regulator warns, “a largely unstated (and under-recognised) reality has been, in effect, the isolation of some foreign student cohorts from their Australian counterparts.”

“In places it has been to the detriment of the foreign and domestic student experiences.”

“This has emerged by design (large proportions of foreign students, often from a single market, in particular courses of study) and as an unintended consequences (sic) (concentrated auxiliary services such as housing, or inadequate student support) of rapid growth,” the regulator warns.

TEQSA calls for,

* the strategy to consider “the balance between and integration of, overseas and domestic student experiences. “This might extend to consideration of quotas on places in courses

*  for providers to adhere to the Higher Education Standards Framework in their offshore activity, “including through third-party arrangements”

* risk management to diversify markets and address “cross-investment for research”

* considering the “prevalence of migration points” as incentives for international students

* addressing quality risks in English language proficiency in admissions, academic cheating, micro-credentials and “’stacking’ of awards”

* “substantial investment” in digital teaching pedagogy and learning research, approaches and technology