AUQA Progress Report 2008: What action has been taken in response to AUQA's findings?

The University has made significant progess over the last 2 years in addressing the issues raised in the AUQA audit report. In accordance with AUQA policy, UTS is required to provide an update on actions taken in response to the Affirmations and Recommendations contained in the report, approximately 18 -24 months after the publication of the audit report.

The University has prepared a Progress Report which is accessible on the AUQA website. Click here for a copy of the AUQA Progress Report (pdf) submitted by UTS.

The AUQA audit constitutes a quality review of the entire university. UTS was audited in early 2006. AUQA's next audit of UTS is scheduled for 2012.

What were the audit findings?

AUQA released its final audit report for UTS on 13 Setember 2006. Click here for a copy of the AUQA final audit report. (pdf) (staff access only)

What is the University's response?

The University's media release presents a broad response to the audit findings. The Planning and Quality Unit has coordinated preparation of an action plan to address the issues raised in the report. The Progress report against this action plan will be updated periodically.

The University's major written input to the audit process comprised the UTS Performance Portfolio (staff access only) submitted to AUQA in 2006.

More details of the University's contributions to the audit process are available to staff

What is AUQA?

AUQA is the Australian Universities Quality Agency, an independent agency that conducts quality audits of universities. It is owned by the State and Territory Ministers for Education. AUQA was established in 2000 as an external quality auditing agency, with a program of five or six-yearly audits of each higher education institution. The focus of each quality audit in the first audit cycle was on the total institution and was criterion referenced to each organisation’s own unique and explicit objectives.

How did the audit process work?

The audit process is a systematic, independent audit to verify:

• An organisation’s planned arrangements are suitable to achieve its goals - PLAN;
• Actual practice conforms to the planned arrangements (i.e. the deployment) - DO;
• The arrangements achieve the desired results - REVIEW;
• The organisation is learning and improving from its self-evaluation of its approach, deployment and results - IMPROVE.

The AUQA audit was based on the PLAN, DO, REVIEW, IMPROVE quality cycle. This aligns with the UTS Quality Management Cycle.

The AUQA audit process consisted of the following components:

• The University undertook a self-assessment of where it was performing well and where key improvements were necessary, what is being done to address them and with what success;
• UTS then presented a Portfolio to AUQA for consideration in February 2006;
• An audit panel evaluated the UTS self-assessment portfolio;
• The audit panel visited four partners of UTS in the delivery of offshore programs from 25 April to 2 May 2006;
• The audit panel visited the UTS Sydney City campus between 22-25 May 2006, and Kuring-gai campus on 23 May. The panel spoke with over 350 people during the audit visit:
• The audit panel produced a draft report which the university reviewed in terms of errors of fact or emphasis;
• The final report was published on the AUQA website on 13 Setember 2006.

2006 AUQA Audit Project Plan (DOC) (UTS staff access only)

AUQA audit 2006 - documents and presentations

These documents provide additional information on our preparations for the AUQA audit in early 2006.