Growing Higher Education from humble beginnings – BBI awarded new status as Higher Education Provider

26 Oct 2016

By The Record

Chief Executive Officer of the Broken Bay Institute, Dr Gerard Goldman, with Emeritus Bishop David Walker at the 20 September eConference where the BBI’s new Higher Education Provider accreditation, name and logo were announced. Photo: Supplied

The Broken Bay Institute, (BBI) an Australian Institute of Theological Education, was last month accredited as a Higher Education Provider (HEP) by the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA).

BBI commenced some 40 ago as a theology faculty of the Centre for Christian Spirituality.

It passed over to the Diocese of Broken Bay and became The Broken Bay Institute in 2003 under Bishop David Walker.

The Institute has since evolved into the preeminent online theological higher education provider it is today, with more than 1,000 graduates of the Graduate Certificate and Master of Theology, many of whom are current teachers and leaders in the Catholic education sector.

In its capacity as a HEP, BBI is accredited to confer higher education degrees which are recognised as meeting national higher education standards and are benchmarked with universities, colleges and other tertiary institutions throughout the country. HEP accreditation has been granted for seven years, the maximum time awarded by TEQSA to educators providing the highest quality degrees.

As a nationally accredited higher educational provider, the Institute has changed its name to BBI – The Australian Institute of Theological Education and created a new logo in order to better reflect its evolving identity as a major player in theological education in Australia.

The Institute remains focused on the online delivery of postgraduate degrees in Theology, and is pleased to have online students across the country, from remote and regional areas to urban centres.

“Theology has obvious and immediate application to education, healthcare, chaplaincy, intercultural and interfaith relations, security, law, politics, media and leadership,” said BBI Principal & CEO Dr Gerard Goldman.

“BBI sees the inter-connectedness of Theology in the modern world.”

Dr Goldman went on to explain that the concept of ‘Theology Connected’ is the driving force shaping the four new degree areas that BBI will be offering: Leadership & Theology; Religious Education; Theological Studies and Governance & Canon Law. “These postgraduate degrees will be available in 2017 and will fill a unique place in the Australian higher education sector,” said Dr Goldman.

BBI will continue to collaborate with domestic and international university partners, as well as with partners in Catholic Education around Australia, in servicing the Catholic education sector’s accreditation needs for teachers and leaders.

Additionally, BBI continues to deliver its Ethics programs to the Catholic health sector and professional development and short course outreach programs for other agencies and dioceses across the country.

For further information, please visit www.bbi.catholic.edu.