Benchmarking in higher education is now a little bit easier thanks to the AUQA Good Practice Database. If you are involved in improving practices within your institution or agency, the AUQA Good Practice Database is a resource for you. As at the end of December 2010, good practices in this database have been accessed over 153,221 times!

A ‘good practice’ is a discrete system or activity that has been verified through the audit process of the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA), or other validating body, as adding commendable value for the institution/agency and its stakeholders, and that may be beneficially transferable to other organisational settings. With the kind permission of the institutions and agencies audited, many of these good practices are made publicly available, at no charge, via the AUQA Good Practice Database.

The AUQA Good Practice Database is another step forward in the promotion of high-quality practices in the Australian higher education sector. These practices have been identified during AUQA audits of Australian universities and state accrediting agencies. The Database provides an opportunity for the whole sector to benefit by sharing and learning from these good practices.

 

The Hon. Dr Brendan Nelson MP
Former Minister for Education, Science and Training

Entries into the database are by invitation only, and are derived from Commendations in the audit reports of the validating bodies. Please note that these entries are not held to be ‘best’ practice, as that would require a competitive selection process that may impede the sharing of valuable practices. Rather, the philosophy of the Good Practice Database is simply one of sharing as many verified good practices as possible, for the overall benefit of the higher education sector.

AUQA alone conducts ten audits per year. The Database currently contains over 160 good practices across a range of topics such as:

Accreditation and Approval Community and Industry Engagement Governance Indigenous International Activities IT and Library Management Planning and Review

Research and Consultancy Research Training Staff Students Support Services Teaching and Learning

At the AUQA Good Practice Database website, you can:

• access detailed summaries of each Good Practice
• contact the owners of each Good Practice for further information
• participate in the related discussion boards
• rate the usefulness of each Good Practice
• find more information about AUQA

It is marvelous that the institutions and agencies are prepared to share their good news stories with the whole sector. That’s one of the most effective means of enhancing quality. Our ability to share aposition as a leading provider of higher education internationally.

Dr David Woodhouse
Executive Director, AUQA

All Good Practices in this database have been subject to terminal validation processes. At present, the participating validating bodies are the Australian Universities Quality Agency and the New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit.

For more information about the AUQA Good Practice Database, contact c.ashton@auqa.edu.au