Auspicees: Student information

Ver. 0.1

Purpose

To ensure that students get information that complies with the SRTO.

Caveats

1. Many auspicees need to maintain their identities with constituents, for example:
     • ABC Corp wanted a management course for its managers. The trainer put the ABC Corp name and logo on the front of the student workbook, included a preface from the HR manager, and included a section of ABC Corp's work practices.
     • MNO High School issued a handbook for prospective VET students.
    
2. Many auspicees also need to be able to issue rules for local implementation:
     • Joe Bloggs Pty Ltd. has a set of safety rules for specific hazards in its training venue.
     • MNO High School informs VET students which teacher they may ask for extra help, and the procedure for doing so.
     • DEF Inc. informs VET students when and how to submit written assignments.
    
3. Many auspicees also need to be able to issue their own information e.g. website information, brochures, etc. These other documents must also comply with SRTO requiements.

Policy

1. When an auspicee recruits students to apply to courses of the ACAS RTO, all marketing and advertising must use the ACAS name.*
2. An auspicee may not advertise an ACAS NRT course using its own name. Advertisements must be clear that the auspicee is recruiting on behalf of ACAS and that students are ACAS students.*
3. Auspicees must provide all applicants and students with:
   1. a hyperlink or URL to the ACAS website,
   2. a hyperlink to or a printout of the ACAS student handbook, and
   3. a hyperlink to or a printout of the relevant page in ACAS course information.
4. If auspicees wish to produce any kind of advertising material, it must be approved in writing by ACAS.
5. Auspicees must use an application system that creates the belief that students are enrolled in an ACAS NRT course after applying.
6. Auspicees must not:
   1. Hide or obscure their role as an ACAS auspicee, the role of ACAS, or that students are ACAS students.
   2. Hide or obscure the ACAS website, the ACAS student handbook, and the relevant page in ACAS course information.
   3. Create rules that are inconsistent at any point with those of ACAS.
   4. Issue advertising material of any kind that does not have prior approval of ACAS.
   5. Create rules that comply with ACAS policies but:
      1. could create the belief that its staff and students do not need to refer to ACAS policies.
      2. could create the belief that its staff and students are not subject to ACAS policies on its website.
   6. Conduct a separate application system that could create the belief that students are enrolled in an ACAS NRT course when they are not.

* Users’ guide to the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 Version 2.2, October 2019. Pp. 11, 15, 93.

Examples of compliance

Information:
  • TUV Inc. provides all required information in chapter one of its student workboook. It has no website and issues no brochures.
  • UVW Inc. provides some information in its brochure and has a hard copy in its training room.
  • Blackstump High School has a small, accurate course description in its VET handboook. It includes full information in its course briefing document.
  • VWX Inc. includes links on its website where students can easily notice it and access the information. VWX also provides an accurate description of its course on the website.
Enrollment:
  • STU Inc. gets all students to enroll themselves on the ACAS system as part of the application process.
  • PQR Inc. conducts a separate application system but immediately enrolls all applicants on the ACAS system.

Examples of noncompliance

Information:
  • EFR issued its own policies and procedures that provide minimal information on the role of ACAS. All students know that they are EFR students, but don't know that they are ACAS students and do not access SRTO-compliant information about their rights and responsibilities.
  • DEF Inc. issues a set of admission information that complies with that of ACAS but gives students the impression that they do not need to look at the ACAS information.
  • FDE includes hyperlinks to the ACAS website, student handbook, and course information, but does not inform readers of their role and significance.
  • RST issues a set of policies and procedures to its students that leads students to believe that RST controls the program and that ACAS simply provides assistance.
  • JKR issues its own refund policy.
  • JKL church provides all required information but it is in fine print in an obscure corner of its information document.
  • LST church copies and pastes a set of course information and puts it on its own website but does not include a link to the original.
Enrollment:
  • PQR Inc. conducts a separate application system (paper forms) but enrolls all applicants on the ACAS system just before graduation.
  • GHI Inc. conducts a separate application system (its own database) but enrolls applicants on the ACAS system at the end of each semester.