The Australian College of Theology (ACT) has become Australia's 44th university after years of appeals and a multi-year review by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Teqsa). The ACT, which will be renamed the Australian University of Theology, is the third religious institution to receive full university status since 2020, joining Avondale University and the University of Divinity. The college, which describes itself as Australia's largest provider of theological education, argued that its research met the required standards for university status.
Australian College of Theology is the third theological institution to get university status since 2020, demonstrating growing power of religious providersA college that describes itself as Australia’s largest provider of theological education has become the nation’s 44th university, ending years of costly appeals and demonstrating the growing power of small religious providers.
The ACT dean and CEO, Prof James Dalziel, said he was pleased the institution’s “long-term effort has been externally recognised”. “The challenge in recent decades for policymakers and people in higher education is that the title itself conveys a lot of authority, leading to concern about the market power it provides.”Croucher said the elevation of religious institutions to university status in recent years could be attributed to their long history. He pointed to ACU – a well-established and respected public university – as complicating the debate on whether universities should be secular.
In 2022, it was registered as a university college – one step down from an Australian university – after a review into provider categories commissioned by the former Coalition government to support its goals for a “diverse high quality” higher education sector.Half of the eight university colleges registered as a result of the reforms are religious, including Sydney College of Divinity, Excelsia College, Moore Theological College and Alphacrucis University College.
The ACT argued religious studies received very little funding but the college had still managed to release research at a “world standard”. The ACT reported a net operating loss of $578,000 in 2023, “primarily” attributed to legal expenses related to the tribunal process.
UNIVERSITY STATUS RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS HIGHER EDUCATION RESEARCH THEOLOGY
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