Compliance

Compliance refers to behaving in accordance with legislation, regulatory requirements and mandated codes. Compliance comprises the culture, processes and structures directed at ensuring the University meets its legal requirements, as well as its core values and internal standards. 

It follows that "non-compliance" is a failure to conform to those prescribed courses of action, either deliberately or inadvertently. 

How does compliance apply to the University?

The University operates in a diverse and complex environment and legislative and other regulatory requirements apply to virtually every activity the University undertakes, at all levels of its operations.

Around 200 laws apply to the University in some way. Some laws are obvious and very visible to the workings of the University, such as anti-discrimination legislation and Research Ethics. Other laws are less obvious or visible, but nevertheless important, such as the Aboriginal Heritage Act or the Sewerage Act.  

Some legal requirements flow from our role and status as a higher education provider (such as the Education Services for Students Overseas Act) or from the fact that the University is an entity created under statute for a public purpose (such as the Freedom of Information Act).

Other legal requirements apply simply because the University is a business like any other (such as tax laws or the Fair Trading Act).

Finally, some legislation applies to certain activities that are specific or unique to the University (such as agricultural legislation applying to Roseworthy operations.)

If the University overlooks its statutory obligations, the consequences could range from monetary damages or civil fines, to reputational damage and criminal prosecution, or loss of statutory licences critical to its core functions.

One of the key targets of the University during the 2008-2010 period, is to improve University-wide compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

For further information or assistance contact Joe Di Pinto (Manager Compliance) on 830 34635 or Richard Boyer (Project Officer, Compliance) on 831 30482.