Compacts are an agreement between the Commonwealth and higher education providers.
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Entering into a compact is one of the quality and accountability requirements which a higher education provider must meet under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA) as a condition of receiving a grant. Specifically, subsection 19-110(1) of HESA requires Table A and Table B providers must, in respect of each year for which a grant is paid to the provider under HESA, enter into a mission based compact with the Commonwealth for a period which includes that year.
Compacts demonstrate the Commonwealth and individual higher education providers have a shared and mutual commitment to provide students with high quality educational experiences and outcomes and to building research and innovation capabilities and international competitiveness.
Compacts recognise each higher education provider as an autonomous institution with a distinctive mission, operating within a state or territory, national and international higher education environment.
The purpose of compacts is to provide a strategic framework for the relationship between the Commonwealth and each higher education provider. It sets out how each provider’s mission aligns with the Commonwealth’s goals for higher education, innovation, teaching and learning, research and research training and equity.
Higher education providers’ 2021–2023 mission based compacts
Higher education providers’ 2020 mission based compacts
Higher education providers’ 2019 mission based compacts
Higher education providers’ 2018 mission based compacts
Higher education providers’ 2017 mission based compacts
Higher education providers’ 2014–2016 mission based compacts