by
The Rt. Rev. Oliver Heyward
Australian College of Theology
This submission is particularly relevant to Theme 1 of the Terms of Reference
of the Review, namely, the Role of Higher Education in Australia's Society and
Economy.
The Australian College of Theology, a national consortium whose affiliated
institutions are situated in every state (see appendix), finds itself in the
midst of rapid change as a provider within the tertiary sector. Its awards are
accredited by the Department of Training and Education Co-ordination (DTEC).
The College has no university affiliation. In its investigations of such an
affiliation, our officers are not sure whether the university sector would seek
to merge the A.C.T. into it or provide the College with a workable alliance for
accreditation purposes and seek to preserve something of our independence and
integrity. The place and status of theological education in Australia, as
perceived by the university sector, is by no means assured; and the Review
could assist in clarifying this. Moreover, there are recently established,
independent providers of theological education in Australia, which have been
approved by some state authorities to offer their own degrees, thus by-passing
the venerable and large ecumenical consortia, such as the A.C.T., and
perpetuating a dual system of accreditation in the face of the implementation
of the "unified system".
Since the A.C.T. is a national body holding a distinguished place in the
theological education sector, integration with the "unified system" may prove
problematical in a way not experienced by the local consortia now linked to
universities in Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. The College would welcome the
Federal Government accommodating us by means of legislation which recognised
both our national character and our status and would enable the College to
award its own degrees and diplomas.
(a) The College's History and Development
- A.C.T. was established in 1891 by the General Synod of the
Anglican Church of Australia to promote the study of theology, especially among
the clergy. It currently has 1535 EFTSU's enrolled mainly in undergraduate
degree and postgraduate courses. There were 334 graduates of the College in
1996. The College notes an increasing demand for theological education being
conducted under the auspices of the College. Over the last few years our
approved institutions have experienced unprecedented levels of enquiry from
prospective students both in Australia and overseas (especially South East Asia
and the South Pacific). (See Appendix 1 - Approved Institutions).
- For many years, the one programme of study was the Licentiate in
Theology (Th.L.), which was regarded as the basic theological requirement for
ordination and was widely accepted in academic circles as a proven and useful
theological qualification. As a consequence of amendments to the Canon of the
General Synod governing the Constitution of the College, in 1981 the College is
now able to offer a wide range of certificates catering not only for the
specialised needs of ministerial and missionary candidates but also for the
needs of lay people interested in an understanding of the Christian faith and
its implications for contemporary life.
- The College approves institutions for the teaching of its awards.
These institutions are approved on the basis of a set of criteria, which
scrutinise faculty qualifications and their teaching and research profiles,
library holdings and budget, academic administrative processes, and physical
plant. In addition there are specific institutional guidelines for individual
awards of the College. Approved institutions are represented on the Academic
Boards of the College, and, therefore, play a part in the shaping of academic
policy. A number of these institutions are also represented on the College
Council, elected tri-annually by the General Synod of the Anglican Church of
Australia. Institutions are accredited to teach the College's awards for five
years, after which time a formal re-accreditation visit is undertaken.
- All approved institutions teach common curricula. Quality assurance
mechanisms have been established for each award.
- The College values its role as a shaper and moulder of theological
institutions in Australia. The A.C.T. has been able to facilitate the
emergence of substantial providers in the sector by rigorously applying its
accreditation criteria particularly in relation to staff with higher degrees
and library facilities and by providing an ecumenical and co-operative context
for the interchange of ideas, development of policy, and submission of new
courses.
- There are no denominational restrictions in relation to entry to the
College's certificates and examinations.
(b) Educational Philosophy
The College was constituted with the expressed purpose of promoting and
fostering the systematic study of theology, especially among the clergy. In a
day of ever-growing religious pluralism, the College finds itself called to
serve an increasingly diverse constituency, both denominational and
interdenominational. Nevertheless, its abiding commitment continues to be that
stipulated at its inception.
(c) Current Academic Profile
- The certificates of the College accredited by the NSW Department of
Education and Training Co-ordination (DTEC) and registered with the Australian
Council on Tertiary Awards are as follows:
Associate Diploma of Theology,
Diploma of Theology,
Graduate Diploma of Christian Studies,
Bachelor of Ministries,
Bachelor of Theology,
Master of Arts in
Theology (coursework),
Master of Theology (research)
- The College's Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) has been published in the NSW Government
Gazette, no. 97, 16 July, 1982 (under section 14 [2] [e] of the Higher
Education Act, 1975).
- A new course, the Master of Educational Studies (M.Ed.Studs.), is
currently undergoing the process of accreditation by DTEC.
(d) Government and Management
- The Council of the College consists of 46 members elected by the
General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia, meeting annually and
presided over by the Primate of that Church. Its membership is drawn from all
Australian States.
- The Board of Delegates, five members elected triennially by the
College Council, has ultimate responsibility for the supervision and
administration of the College. It is, therefore, the final arbiter in matters
concerning the eligibility of candidates, approval of new and review of
existing courses, and examination procedures and results. It meets on a
bi-monthly basis. The Dean is an ex officio member of the Board.
- Membership of the Board of Delegates has for many years included
one or two university academics. Those elected to serve in 1995-98 are:
- Richard Cardew, M.A. (Director, Graduate School of the Environment,
Macquarie University) and,
- Professor David Barr, A.M.,M.A.,Ed.M.,Ph.D. (Deputy Vice-Chancellor
and Chief Executive Officer, University of Western Sydney, Macarthur).
The other members of the Board are:
Rt. Rev. Oliver Heyward, M.A.(Chair, former Bishop of Bendigo),
Rev. Dr. Canon Peter Jensen, M.A.,B.D.,D.Phil. (Principal, Moore Theological
College), and
Rev. Ray Laird, M.A.,B.D.,Th.L. (Principal, Bible College of South
Australia).
(e) Administrative Practices of the College
- The Board appoints the Moderators and the Standards Panel for the
diplomas and undergraduate degrees of the College.
- Where possible, examiners at postgraduate level are drawn from
outside the ranks of the teaching faculty of the College's approved
institutions.
- The Board reviews all examination and internal assessment marks at
its December meeting, and has the right to adjust them. It considers
applications for supplementary papers and arranges for these as necessary.
- The Dean, as the executive officer of the Board, is responsible for
the day-to-day administration of the College. As such, he or she has power to
make decisions concerning particular candidates as necessary. Matters
concerning examination results, however, remain the sole prerogative of the
Board.
- The Board of Graduate Studies is the relevant Board of Studies which
closely monitors the teaching of the postgraduate curricula in the approved
institutions. The Board of Graduate Studies meets five times per annum. The
Board of Degree Studies is the relevant Board of Studies which monitors the
teaching of our undergraduate awards. The Board of Diploma Studies monitors
the teaching of the diplomas of the College. The resolutions of the three
academic boards are ratified by the Board of Delegates.
- DTEC has accorded the College the right to convene its own course
review committees. One member of each committee is nominated by the Australian
Vice-Chancellor's Committee.
- Regular consultations are held to review each course usually in the
year prior to the re-accreditation of the award.
- Since the implementation of the "unified system", the Australian
College of Theology has seen wisdom in seeking to form a strategic alliance
with a University. The A.C.T., with a considerable stake in the higher
education sector, still finds itself seeking accreditation through a
"downsized" DTEC, now largely concerned with the accrediting of vocational
sector awards. In the past, the A.C.T. has without success sought its own Act
of Parliament in Victoria (early 1970's) and more recently in NSW for the
purposes of accreditation. These overtures have not been fruitful. In the
wake of the implementation of the unified system, we have begun discussions
with Macquarie University towards the establishment of a "strategic alliance"
for the purposes of the accreditation of our postgraduate awards. Some members
of the faculty of the University have had an extensive working relationship
with the College at the level of membership of our Boards. In time, it may be
expected that the undergraduate awards of the College will also be accredited
by Macquarie University. However, negotiations are still at an embryonic stage.
- Members of our Academic Boards, who serve as lecturers at
Universities, are well aware of the need for the A.C.T. to make these
overtures. They are of the opinion that the future of tertiary education in
Australia is integrally bound up with the university sector. As can be noted
under point 1 above, the A.C.T.'s awards are currently accredited by the
Department of Training and Education Co-ordination in NSW. Quite clearly,
while DTEC is very happy to accommodate us at present, it is disconcerting for
us to realise that DTEC is basically accrediting vocational awards. DTEC also
currently accredits the awards of the Sydney College of Divinity (S.C.D.), but
that College is currently negotiating an alliance with Sydney University. In
the current climate, therefore, the A.C.T. seems well-advised to seek
accreditation within the university system, though we are also open in the
short to medium term to a stronger form of accreditation from the government
than that provided by DTEC.
- Given the increasing presence of theological consortia within the
university system, the College is eager to ascertain the thinking of the Review
as to their perception of the place of theological education in the tertiary
sector. Currently the following consortia already have university links:
Adelaide College of Divinity/Flinders University
Brisbane College of Theology/Griffith University
Canberra School of Ministry/Charles Sturt University
Perth College of Divinity/Murdoch University
In some of these instances it is difficult to ascertain whether or not we are talking
about "an alliance" or "a merger". In the case of Brisbane College of
Theology, one could legitimately speak about an alliance, but in the case of
Perth College of Divinity one should speak about a merger with Murdoch
University. It has been suggested that the Australian College of Theology
should take the Brisbane College of Theology's alliance with Griffith as a
possible precedent for what we seek to achieve at Macquarie University.
However, Griffith does not accredit any of BCT's awards. It has simply opened
up its existing research degrees to BCT candidates.
- The Australian College of Theology is not only the oldest of the
theological consortia in Australia, it is also the largest. We currently
operate in every State at diploma, degree, and postgraduate levels. However,
an alliance for accrediting purposes with a university in a particular State
may be problematical for the A.C.T. as a national consortium. We would welcome
the Federal Government accommodating us by means of legislation which
recognised our national character and would enable the College to award its own
degrees and diplomas.
- There is some urgency about our situation:
- There is no
real prospect of gaining our own State Act under the terms of the NSW Higher
Education Act.
- DTEC is primarily accrediting vocational sector (not
higher eduction sector) awards.
- Since 1994 the Victorian Government
has required our Victorian affiliates to bear the cost of endorsement and
accreditation of our DTEC awards being taught in that State. The A.C.T.--a
non-profit organisation--has borne that cost ($40,000 in 1994, plus another
estimated $20,000 in 1997) on behalf of its Victorian institutions. Despite
representations to the Victorian Minister in 1994, the Victorian Government
maintains its insistence that this money be paid. Should this practice be
instituted in the other States, the A.C.T. would suffer intolerable financial
burdens. A university link or an Act of Parliament (especially at the Federal
level) would, we believe, bring this imposition to an end.
- Despite the perceived wisdom of entering into an alliance with a
local university,
the A.C.T. is transparently a national consortium. The majority of our
approved institutions and enrolled students are located outside of Sydney,
beyond the geographical reach of Macquarie University.
- The Australian College of Theology is concerned about the level of
control a university might seek to wield with respect to its partnership with a
theological consortium. We are particularly interested in preserving the right
of our approved institutions to appoint their own faculty, and the right of our
academic boards to control the course content of the various awards we might
seek to teach in alliance with a university. While the A.C.T. would expect a
university to be satisfied that those teaching in the consortia were of
acceptable standard and qualifications and that the subject matter being taught
was appropriate to the award, our approved institutions would seek to maintain
an acceptable degree of independence. Each of our approved institutions is
governed by its own board. A number of our them exist to prepare ordinands for
ministry. It is not our primary concern to seek public moneys to fund our
programs.
- The A.C.T. seeks the acknowledgment that theological education is a
legitimate educational venture that is comparable to university sector
education. The problem is, of course, that until only very recently there has
been a decided and quite intentional separation of the university and
theological education sectors. As these two sectors are brought closer
together, as they have been in a number of instances, these issues still are in
need of clarification from the A.C.T.'s point of view.
- The teaching of theology does not have the standing in Australia it
enjoys in North America and Europe and the UK, where the theological curriculum
has been taught in the university system, in some cases for centuries.
Alliances between the theological consortia and Australian universities would
be helped by lifting theology's standing in the tertiary sector before such
affiliations took place. The A.C.T. would seek to achieve such an alliance,
but would welcome in the short to medium term a stronger form of accreditation
from the government than that currently provided by DTEC.
- The Australian College of Theology is aware that while the
unified system is being implemented at Federal level, a number of the States
have accredited private and independent theological providers at degree level.
We are aware that in South Australia Tabor College has been granted approval to
offer its own Bachelor of Arts in Theology. The State of Victoria has also
accredited a number of independent theological providers with their own
degrees, as has the State of Queensland. As far as we are aware NSW has not
acted thus, but we are not aware that they are intentionally resisting
overtures that might be made on behalf of private providers.
- It seems inconsistent for the Commonwealth to be seeking to
implement a unified system on the one hand while on the other some, at least,
of the States seem to be fostering a network of newly inaugurated, private, and
independent providers in theological education, making no distinction between
them and the A.C.T. If quality control is a major concern of the Federal
Department of Education and the State accrediting authorities, then, it seems
that, the approval given to these private and independent providers, rather
than to a national and ecumenical consortium of the standing of the A.C.T., to
teach their own degrees can only subvert this admirable aim. Furthermore,
sectarianism and fundamentalism will find the private and independent provider
a far more fertile breeding ground than that provided by the established
consortia, such as the A.C.T., including those that have been able to negotiate
an alliance (or merger) with a local university.
The Rt. Rev. Oliver Heyward
Chairman, Board of Delegates
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