The following National Protocols for Higher Education Approval Processes were recommended by the Joint Committee on Higher Education and approved by the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) on 31 March 2000.
These Protocols are a key element of a new national quality assurance framework for Australian higher education. They have been designed to ensure consistent criteria and standards across Australia in such matters as the recognition of new universities, the operation of overseas higher education institutions in Australia, and the accreditation of higher education courses to be offered by non self-accrediting providers. The Australian States and mainland Territories, which have responsibility for managing higher education accreditation and approval processes, have agreed to their adoption.