The Melbourne College of Divinity has always been the gold standard of theological consortia in Australia. Initially established by an act of the Victorian Parliament in 1910 it has enjoyed a status and solidity unrivalled by other such consortia. While others have waxed and waned, and even gone out of existence, MCD has stood firm, protected in large account by its founding act.
To mark its centenary, MCD took the bold step to attempt to make use of a new category of higher education institution, opened up by the new higher education protocols. It made a bid to become a specialised university.
While a university was generally deemed to have at least three major areas of study, the new protocols allowed for a 'university of specialisation' which may have only one such area. MCD made a bid to become a 'university of divinity'. It now seems that this opportunity is about to be realised.
The Victorian Government Gazette has listed the approval by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) for the Melbourne College of Divinity to operate as a specialised university under the title 'MCD University of Divinity'.
While this approval may be vetoed by the Parliament (a most unlikely affair given the financial support of MCD's application by the Victorian Government), it is for an initial five year period. In granting this approval Victoria will have established Australia's first specialised university.
In some ways this step by MCD is a leap of faith. No-one quite knows what the implications of being a specialised university are. There are no precedents for such a structure in Australia and it is not clear what extra freedoms and responsibilities it will present to the College.
Certainly this achievement is a tribute to the college, its strength and reputation, and to its dean, Paul Beirne who has steered it though the arduous process.
The timing of the Victorian Government's action is significant. State governments are about to close their higher education offices to make room for the new federal body TEQSA, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. From January 2012 TEQSA will be taking over all the major functions of state registration and accrediting authorities; it will be a one-stop-shop for higher education.
Some have described it as AUQA on steroids. AUQA (Australian Universities Quality Agency) ran regular quality audits on all approved Higher Education Providers, including colleges such as the MCD. TEQSA will have wide ranging authority over registration