This report covers the work of the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre for the period 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002. As was the case last year, it was a period of real success in all areas of VTAC's activities. This outcome, together with the on-going development of the underpinning infrastructure, provides a secure foundation for the future.
The 2001/02 selection period was again smooth and uneventful, marked by a significant 11% increase in the number of applications that brought to 81,872 the total number processed. Surveys of users, both applicants and career teachers, provided overwhelmingly positive feedback about all aspects of operations.
The transition to use of web-technology continued unabated, with two-thirds of applicants now using the web-based application vehicle to lodge their application. Ninety percent of school leavers preferred this avenue of applying. A new web-based offering system for institutions, developed entirely in-house, was also successfully introduced.
An exhaustive review of VTAC's core responsibilities was conducted in light of the new National Privacy legislation and the Victorian Information Privacy Act 2000. Although the latter does not apply to VTAC the principles embodied in it are similar to those in the Commonwealth Act. A new privacy policy has been developed that covers VTAC's interactions with applicants, schools and institutions.
VTAC has been actively involved with the Victorian Qualifications Authority, particularly through the development of the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning. One of the findings in the Kirby Report (Ministerial Review of Post-compulsory Education and Training Pathways in Victoria) was that, consistent with the policy intent of increasing the level of flexibility within the VCE, ENTERs should be calculated for students with less than four scored sequences. As a result, VTAC has agreed to calculate, for 2003/04 selection, Cumulative Performance Measures for such students. Further details are in the next section.
Two new Other Providers were welcomed to the system during the year bringing to fifty-two the number of institutions now participating in the system.
It is with pleasure that I present this report of the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre.
Ian Marshman
Chair
Management Committee, VTAC
September 2002