The Australian University College of Divinity Council recognises that academic quality assurance is critical to it’s ability to self-assure its higher education operations. Our academic quality assurance framework helps to demonstrate that quality is assured in every course of study provided with Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) accreditation.
The Australian University College of Divinity (AUCD) is an ecumenical consortium of private colleges, known as our Member Institutions (MIs). We have one entity who delivers our awards directly, the AUCD, the Graduate Research School (delivering research degrees). Together, the Member Institutions and the entity are our teaching bodies.
Quality assurance objectives of academic standards and outcomes is achieved through systematic, established internal processes for quality assurance and the maintenance and, through these processes, improvement of academic standards and academic integrity. The Australian University College of Divinity standards are based on the Higher Education Standards Framework (Provider Registration Standards, Provider Accreditation Standards, and Qualification Standards), as demonstrated to and accepted by TEQSA and as reinforced in the revision of academic governance through implementation of the Cusick Report. Our processes also continue to require the maintenance of equivalent standards of institutional and staff performance across the Australian University College of Divinity. It is against these that the performances of all our teaching bodies are gauged.
Quality assurance arrangements for the Member Institutions thus involve requirements both to adhere to AUCD’s application of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015 and to maintain equivalence with each other in this respect. The College through its Korean School of Theology delivers, centrally, Korean-medium versions of most of the same coursework awards, and the same academic standards and expectations apply for the Korean school as for the MIs. Since the research degrees are delivered only through the Graduate Research School, centrally, the specific question of equivalence with other parts of AUCD does not arise, only basic adherence to the College’s application of the Higher Education Standards Framework.
The Australian University College of Divinity’s fully centralized system of academic governance lies at the heart of its academic quality assurance. Each of the teaching bodies is involved in the common entity with the others, and each has an inherent responsibility to the others for observing AUCD’s shared policies and procedures. The relationship of each teaching body to the Office of the Dean supports and is supported by the interrelationships of each teaching body with the others through AUCD’s academic governance and its instruments. These two relational approaches, through academic governance and through Office activity, come together in the membership of one or more Officers on Academic Board and each of its committees:
The Terms of Reference for the respective Committees of Academic Board point to the essential links between academic process and quality assurance across AUCD’s academic operation. These include, with regard to all coursework delivered across AUCD, the following key instruments:
The Dean and four senior Office staff collectively referred to as ‘Directors’ have responsibility for particular areas of the overall Australian University College of Divinity operation. The Dean has oversight of the whole enterprise, together with high-level institutional duties, and the four Directors have responsibility with matters indicated by their titles: Academic Director, Research Director, Academic Registrar, and Chief Operating Officer. Together with support staff, the Dean and Directors, in the very nature of their operational roles, exercise ongoing quality control in the centralised management of AUCD both as a single entity and as a consortium.
Benchmarking is a constant factor in the Australian University College of Divinity’s academic quality assurance, as our academic performance is measured against the Higher Education Standards Framework, Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), and other Government expectations, on the one hand, and sector practice, on the other. Our external sector benchmarking has been heightened, especially through the Theology Higher Education Consortium Benchmarking Network, which is the 2015 formulation of the 2013 benchmarking agreement between the Australian University College of Divinity, Australian College of Theology and University of Divinity. This arrangement means that the three major private theological consortia, which have enough in common to make detailed distinctions or parallels significant, call on each other for information or quality checks (e.g. on policies) as the need arises and also schedule benchmarking meetings to address a program of exchanges regarding issues of mutual concern.
External benchmarking occurs in various ways:
In addition, the fact that the College is structured as a consortium means that the application of AUCD policy and procedure across its teaching bodies provides a kind of internal benchmarking.
Our processes and standards of academic quality assurance are equally robust for the three special factors that are relevant for AUCD:
The Australian University College of Divinity’s academic quality assurance framework seeks to link our academic governance practices, comprising of quality assurance policies and procedures, with the key aspects of academic quality assurance that are referenced in the TEQSA Threshold Standards. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the academic quality at AUCD’s teaching bodies email us at aucd@aucd.edu.au