The Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 regulates the delivery of higher education in Australia under the TEQSA Act. Section 2.2 Diversity and Equity focuses on the "creation of equivalent opportunities for academic success regardless of students’ backgrounds". This requires higher education providers to ensure learning and teaching are designed to support diverse student needs. The Threshold Standards 2021 Guidance note: Diversity and equity clarifies what is expected in relation to Standard 2.2. Equity groups outlined in the guidance note as potentially requiring specific support including:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• people from lower socio-economic backgrounds
• people with disability
• people from remote, rural, or isolated areas
• people who are the first in their family to attend a university or other higher education institution
• people from non-English speaking backgrounds
• women, especially in areas of study where they have been under-represented, such as engineering.

In relation to international students the guidance note states: 

While international students studying in Australia may not be under-represented or have experienced disadvantage, the principles of support for diverse learners and inclusive education should be applied to them as to all students.

The ESOS Act is the legal framework for institutions delivering courses to international students. The ESOS Act aims to protect and enhance Australia’s reputation in relation to the delivery of higher education to students studying in Australia on student visas. The ESOS legislative framework consists of the:

• ESOS Act 
• Education Services for Overseas Students Regulations 
• Education Services for Overseas Students (Registration Charges) Act 
• National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students
• National Standards for Foundation Programs
• ELICOS National Standards

The National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 provides registered providers of education and training with nationally consistent standards and procedures. The National Code sits under the ESOS Act. To deliver education services to international students, institutions need to demonstrate that they comply with the National Code; compliance is monitored by TEQSA.

The AQF is the national framework that underpins qualifications in Australia, encompassing schools, vocational education and training, and higher education. The AQF is an integrated policy that provides the standards for Australian Qualifications across ten levels: Level 1 (Certificate 1) lowest complexity through Level 10 (Doctoral Degree) the highest complexity (AQF Council, 2013, p.9).

The AQF applies a taxonomic approach; the levels and qualification types are defined by a taxonomy of learning outcomes. The learning outcomes for each level are expressed in relation to what graduates are expected to know, understand and be able to do as a result of learning: Knowledge, skills and the application of knowledge and skills (AQF Council, 2013, p.11). The different expectations at each level taught at ACU (Level 5-10) are overviewed in the table below.

AQF Level	Summary Statement
AQF 5 (Diploma level courses)	Graduates at this level will have specialised knowledge and skills for skilled/paraprofessional work and/or further learning.
AQF 6 (Advanced Diploma / Associate Degree courses)	Graduates at this level will have broad knowledge and skills for paraprofessional/highly skilled work and/or further learning.
AQF 7 (Undergraduate degree courses)	Graduates at this level will have broad and coherent knowledge and skills for professional work and/or further learning.
AQF 8 (Graduate Certificate / Graduate Diploma courses)	Graduates at this level will have advanced knowledge and skills for professional or highly skilled work and/or further learning.
AQF 9 (Master’s level courses)	Graduates at this level will have specialised knowledge and skills for research, and/or professional practice and/or further learning.
AQF 10 (Doctoral level courses)	Graduates at this level will have systematic and critical understanding of a complex field of learning and specialised research skills for the advancement of learning and/or for professional practice.

Source: AQF Council, 2013

This foundation guides ACU’s practice in supporting students from diverse backgrounds. 

ACU’s Widening Participation Plan 2023 – 2033 prescribes ACU’s pathway to widening participation by embedding equity into every element of the student lifecycle at ACU. The Widening Participation Plan is guided by the following principles:

• Equity is about creating opportunities for equal access.
• Everyone is valued and engaged while we address systemic barriers that exclude Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people from under-represented groups.
• A conscious decision is made to work in a way that challenges societal inequalities.

The Widening Participation Plan aims to create an inclusive, strengths-based and student-centred environment that enables Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and students from under-represented groups to equitably access, participate and succeed in every facet of their academic, social and personal lives at ACU. The Widening Participation Plan comprises five focus areas of pre-access, access, participation and success, with the overarching area of governance and culture intertwined throughout the plan. Each focus area is supported by several strategic priorities and is further operationalised in the Implementation Roadmap, which outlines the specific actions, outcomes and measures.

The Education and Student Success Plan 2033 is ACU’s roadmap to create a truly ‘student-centred’ university. Guided by our Catholic mission and Vision 2033, the plan presents a bold, future-focused approach to transform learning, teaching, and student experience – anticipating the evolving needs, expectations and realities of our learners. The ESSP focuses on student-centred education with a goal to move from ‘accommodating diversity to designing for diversity and equity’. 

ACU’s Towards 2033 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan sets out how ACU will strengthen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student success, embed cultural responsiveness and work with community through genuine partnership. It guides practical action across the university aligning with ACU’s Vision 2033 – where First Nations knowledge and cultures are recognised, respected, and made visible in the way ACU learns, teaches, and pursues knowledge for human flourishing.