The AUQA Audit

What is AUQA?

The Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) is an independent, not-for-profit national agency that aims to promote, audit, and report 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.

AUQA arranges and manages a system of periodic audits (every five years) of the quality of the academic activities and the quality assurance arrangements in Australian universities. They also assess compliance with external criteria such as the National Protocols for Higher Education. The first cycle of AUQA audits took place over 2002-2007. Cycle 2 audits commenced in 2008.

University of Newcastle's 2008 AUQA audit

The second audit for the University of Newcastle occurred in 2008. The University's Performance Portfolio, demonstrating the quality of our academic activities and the quality assurance arrangements we have in place, was delivered to AUQA in January 2008, with a site visit by the Audit Panel occurring in April 2008.

AUQA released their Audit Report on 18 June 2008. The highlights of the audit panel reported that the University of Newcastle is "a vibrant well-managed institution with enthusiastic students and staff," that the University has "performed well in reviewing its own progress" via the Your Voice Climate Survey and, "has performed strongly in annual benchmarking practices/outcomes".

The University of Newcastle is particularly proud to be recognised as:

  • Having "high academic standards"
  • Being "well regarded as an academic provider offshore"
  • Providing "commendable pathways to higher education" and
  • Able to "rightfully claim to be a national leader in Indigenous education and collaboration."

The University of Newcastle received 11 commendations. In particular, the University was praised for:

  • The strong recovery as an institution since 2005, including progress in financial health of the institution, strong commitment and support from staff to the University, better systems to support University operations and successful senior leadership
  • University-wide benchmarking practices and outcomes with the Innovative Research Universities Australia group and with other institutions
  • The formal processes that are in place for teaching onshore and offshore, including a high standard and common format of course outlines, common processes for assessment, procedures for raising complaints and demonstration of the equivalence of academic programs across different campuses.

The University was invited to add five entries to the AUQA Good Practice Database which is an online benchmarking resource for higher education organisations seeking information on good practices to adapt and adopt.