The Australian university system developed with a commitment to academic independence of the sort expressed by von Humboldt in early nineteenth-century Europe. ‘Pursuit of truth’ came to be seen by many members of the academic community as a sufficient safeguard of quality outcomes in higher education. However, changes such as ‘massification’ and subsequent blurring of the divide between university and vocational education have led to increased demands for accountability. Much of the current policy framework relating to higher education will probably survive for many years, despite movements in the political spectrum, and the issue of quality must be reassessed in this context. Suggested models for the future assessment of quality in higher education include the development of statements of purpose for individual institutions, increased benchmarking among institutions of similar natures, more use of student feedback, and appraisal of quality in research.