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Murdoch University's Representative Strategy

Representatives and Australia’s ESOS Act

Murdoch University’s Representative Strategy

Murdoch University actively engages with education representatives to ensure students seeking to realize their potential at Murdoch University are well supported and able to obtain accurate information about the University and its subsidiary services.

Murdoch University aims to:

• Position itself within a supportive network of quality representatives to work on behalf of the institution;

• Build agent capacity to work on behalf of Murdoch University in supporting students;

• Build capacity in educational representatives as marketing and promotional collaborators; and

• Increase the number, effectiveness and quality of agents working on behalf of Murdoch University.

Murdoch’s main priority is to have prospective students’ interests represented as effectively as possible through its global network of educational agents. Murdoch strives to ensure each of our educational representatives is as well informed about Murdoch University as practicably possible. It does this through conducting representative training programs both in-country and annually at the University in Perth, Australia for a select group. Murdoch also provides regular updates on University activity including course amendments and additions, and running interview sessions / public seminars in conjunction with representatives.

Becoming an endorsed Murdoch University representative is a stamp of quality. All endorsed representatives prove through a series of quality measures they are worthy to provide information on behalf of the University in an appropriate way.

Representatives and Australia’s ESOS Act

Australia’s ESOS Act and National Code provide a legal framework in which Australian providers (institutions) must operate. Standard 4 of the National Code provides clear direction around the use of representatives in the Australian education system. This standard is outlined below, however, for further information on the Act and National code please visit:

ESOS: http://www.aei.gov.au/AEI/ESOS/ESOSLegislation/default.htm

National Code: http://www.aei.gov.au/AEI/ESOS/NationalCodeOfPractice2007/default.htm

Standard 4
Registered providers take all reasonable measures to use education agents that have an appropriate knowledge and understanding of the Australian international education industry and do not use education agents who are dishonest or lack integrity.

4.1 The registered provider must enter into a written agreement with each education agent it engages to formally represent it. The agreement must specify the responsibilities of the education agent and the registered provider and the need to comply with the requirements in the National Code. The agreement must include:

a. processes for monitoring the activities of the education agent, including where corrective action may be required; and

b. termination conditions, including providing for termination in the circumstances outlined in Standard 4.4.

4.2 The registered provider must ensure that its education agents have access to up-to-date and accurate marketing information as set out in Standard 1 (Marketing information and practices).

4.3 The registered provider must not accept students from an education agent or enter into an agreement with an education agent if it knows or reasonably suspects the education agent to be:

a. engaged in, or to have previously been engaged in, dishonest practices, including the deliberate attempt to recruit a student where this clearly conflicts with the obligations of registered providers under Standard 7 (Transfer between registered providers);

b. facilitating the enrolment of a student who the education agent believes will not comply with the conditions of his or her student visa

c. using Provider Registration and International Students Management System (PRISMS) to create Confirmations of Enrolment for other than bona fide a student; or

d. providing immigration advice where not authorised under the Migration Act 1958 to do so.

4.4 Where the registered provider has entered into an agreement with an education agent and subsequently becomes aware of, or reasonably suspects, the engagement by that education agent, or an employee or sub-contractor of that agent, of the conduct set out in Standard 4.3, the registered provider must terminate the agreement with the education agent. This paragraph does not apply where an individual employee or sub-contractor of the education agent was responsible for the conduct set out in Standard 4.3 and the education agent has terminated the relationship with that individual employee or sub-contractor.

4.5 The registered provider must take immediate corrective and preventative action upon the registered provider becoming aware of an education agent being negligent, careless or incompetent or being engaged in false, misleading or unethical advertising and recruitment practices, including practices that could harm the integrity of Australian education and training.

A Guide to Good Practice

Murdoch University believes good practice in an institution / representative relationship lies around four key foundations which, when engaged with properly will form the basis for trusted long term relationships. These are:

Knowledge
Murdoch University expects that its representative network is based on knowledge and that the information that is passed to students is first rate, creating expectations for students to be realized through presence on campus, both in and out of the class room.

Honesty
Murdoch University believes in a purely honest approach in talking with potential students and their families. Murdoch seeks to recruit students who are a good match with the institution and that the institution can play a large role in working with students to build their future endeavors. Without an honest approach this is not possible.

Communication
Murdoch University understands that change happens quickly and therefore does it’s best to inform of these changes. Higher Education is a complex field and we encourage our representatives to engage with the University as much as possible to ensure information is up to date and that representatives are in the best possible position to represent the University.

Quality
Quality comes first from a Murdoch university perspective. We seek quality in our engagement with representatives and we expect quality in the engagement of our representatives with potential students seeking to come to Murdoch University.

Murdoch Staffing
Link to http://www.murdoch.edu.au/Future-students/International-students/Contact-us/

Current Representative Network
Link to http://www.murdoch.edu.au/Future-students/International-students/Contact-us/Finding-a-local-agent/

Representative Resources
Murdoch University encourages endorsed agents to continually develop their skill and knowledge of not only Murdoch University and its offerings, but also the wider educational setting in Australia. For this reason Murdoch University recommends the Pier Online Education Agent Training Course (EATC). Which can be accessed at:

http://www.pieronline.org/eatc/

More information regarding Pier Online programs can be found at:

http://www.pieronline.org/