CRICOS and ELICOS delivery

Temporary flexible regulatory arrangements

During this time, all ASQA-regulated providers may use a distance delivery mode for training and assessment, providing training package requirements allow for this. This allowance includes CRICOS providers delivering VET or ELICOS courses, even though this is not fully compliant with the ESOS Act. As circumstances change and restrictions are eased, these temporary arrangements will be reviewed.

Delivery for CRICOS students must continue to be based on 20 scheduled course contact hours per week – although some or all of this may be delivered online. Course contact hours are the hours for which students enrolled in the course are scheduled to attend classes, course-related information sessions, supervised study sessions, mandatory and supervised work-based training and examinations.

Where providers have varied their delivery arrangements in response to COVID-19, they should take care to document all adjustments made in each student’s record. Providers should seek students’ consent if they move to online delivery. Where the provider is unable to come to an arrangement with the student and the student withdraws from the course completely, the provider should refund the student’s unspent tuition fees.

It is crucial that the provider is transparent on the mode of delivery, resources available to students, methods of assessment and how any practical components will be managed. Every provider should have arrangements in place to ensure that:

• students are treated fairly and reasonably
• any adjustments to courses are transparent and communicated clearly to students
• all adjustments to course delivery, the process for informing and seeking students consent, and information relevant to individual students is documented and retained.