Planning Services

Persons who identify themselves as being of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent.

A unit formed by an institution to undertake as their primary objective teaching only, research only or teaching-and-research functions, or which is used for statistical reporting purposes. Such units are referred to by various names, such as "schools" and "departments".

An academic organisational unit group provides a means for standardising academic organisational units across institutions. Academic organisational units are assigned to an academic organisational unit group on the basis of disciplines for which each academic organisational unit has a teaching and/or research responsibility.

The measure of student load (by which the University is funded by the Commonwealth) which sums load accrued in semesters with census dates between 1st September and 31st March (known as "31 March figures"), and load accrued in semesters with census dates between 1st April and 31st August (known as "31 August figures").

A student who is undertaking a program of studies under the following conditions: the student is enrolled in a course at the Australian home institution; the Australian home institution will count the program of studies as credit towards that course; the host institution is not an Australian institution; the host institution does not charge tuition fees to the student for the program of studies; there is a formal agreement between the two institutions for the student exchange.

An award program administered by the Commonwealth to support student participation in postgraduate courses.

A recognised certification of achievement or competence which may be granted to a student after completion of all the requirements of a higher education course or TAFE course.

A program of study formally approved/accredited by the institution or any other relevant accreditation authority and which leads to an academic award granted by the institution or which qualifies a student to enter a course at a level higher than a bachelor's degree. It includes courses of an equivalent nature undertaken overseas.

The classification of a member of staff in terms of whether they are academic staff or non-academic staff, and their level:

Academic Classification - a category which is used to identify members of staff who are employed on a contract basis to perform the function of teaching-only, research-only or teaching-and-research.

Non-Academic (General) Classification - a category which is used to identify members of staff other than those specified above for the academic classification.

If a member of staff is classified as being non-academic then the member of staff can not be coded as having a teaching-only or teaching-and-research function.

A course which has been specifically designed to lead to a single combined award (eg. BA/DipEd or BA/LLb) or to meet the requirements of more than one award (eg. BSc and BE).

A course which normally leads to a single combined award, but as a non-standard practice, allows a student to cease studies after partial completion of its requirements, but with an award being granted (eg. a BA being granted after partial completion of a BA/DipEd) is to be regarded as a combined course.

Student who is classified as a commencing student in relation to a particular course. A student is a commencing student if she/he has enrolled in the course for the first time at the institution or an antecedent institution between 1 September of the year prior to the Collection Year and 31 August of the Collection Year. An antecedent institution means an institution which has merged with the institution at which the student's enrolment continues.

A place which is funded jointly by the Commonwealth and industry. The Commonwealth provides up to 60 percent of the cost for the new place and its pipeline, with the balance of funding provided by industry.

An award course, non-award course, enabling course, or cross-institution program undertaken at a higher education institution.

The successful completion of all the academic requirements of a course which includes any required attendance, assignments, examinations, assessments, dissertations, practical experience and
work experience in industry. The conferring of the award for a course is not synonymous with and should not be substituted for "course completion" as some students may have completed all the academic requirements of the course but not have received the award.

A course completion occurs in those cases where a student is conceded an award after ceasing studies which would have led to a single award for a combined course (eg. BA/LLb). In such cases the course completion is for the course for which the completed units of study are counted as meeting its requirements. However, if a student is granted an award after partial completion of a combined course which normally leads to a single award, and then resumes studies of the combined course in the next year, a course completion does not occur.

Where a combined course automatically leads to two separate awards, a course completion only occurs when the requirements of both awards have been satisfied. The completion, therefore, would be for the combined course only (and not two separate completions for two awards).

A program of study comprising a unit of study or a set of units of study which meet all these criteria:

it is being undertaken at one institution (the "host" institution) as part of an award course or an enabling course for which they are enrolled at another institution (the "home" institution); there is an arrangement for recognition between the institutions; both institutions are listed in s4 of the Higher Education Funding Act 1988; the cost of providing the program of study is met by the host institution; and funding for the load being reported for the unit of study has NOT been provided to the home institution by the student, an employer, a Commonwealth or State department or agency, the ARC, or any other individual or body.

The current duties of a member of staff refers to the job or position which, at the time of the reference date, the member of staff is working in.

Where a member of staff has been appointed to act temporarily (for a specific period or until further notice) in a job or position which is different to that for which they have a substantive appointment, their current duties, classification type and level and/or their current duties term would be different from their appointment classification type and level and/or their appointment term.

A discipline group is a means of classifying units of study in terms of the subject matter being taught and/or researched in them.

A measure of the student load attributable to a part of a unit of study, a unit of study or to a set of units of study, formerly known as EFTSU. The measure indicates the notional proportion of the workload which would be applicable to a standard annual program for a student undertaking a full year of study in a particular year, of a particular course.

A program of study for disadvantaged non-overseas students which is a bridging program or supplementary program which meets Commonwealth guidelines for such programs.

An enrolment exists when a person has been admitted to an award course, non-award course, enabling course or cross-institution program at the institution at the census date; and the person is still entitled to continue with their studies and has not formally indicated before the census date that they have withdrawn from or deferred their studies.

A student who is participating in a formal exchange program arranged between an Australian Higher Education institution and a non-Australian overseas institution.

An overseas student for whom a fee is paid to the institution designed to recover the full cost of teaching and related services, administration and capital facilities. This includes overseas students who are sponsored under Australia's foreign aid programs. Excluded are those overseas students who are subject to Overseas Student Charge arrangements.

A non-overseas student who is participating in a course which meets Commonwealth guidelines in relation to postgraduate award courses for which fees may be charged.

A student for whom a fee is paid to the institution for tuition.

A classification of courses based on similarity in terms of the vocational field of specialisation or the principal subject matter of the course. See FOE definitions for full details.

Staff resources which exist at the reference date and which are associated with the current duties of a member of staff.

A member of staff who at the reference date has a full-time work contract in respect of their current duties, has a full-time equivalence at the reference date of 1.00.

The FTE for a member of staff who at the reference date has a fractional full-time work contract in respect of their current duties, will be less than 1.00. The fraction will represent the ratio between the number of agreed normal work hours for that person and the number of normal work hours which would be required of a member of staff having the same classification type and level as that person, but with a full-time work contract. For example, if a person with a fractional full-time work contract has normal work hours half those of a member of staff having the same classification type and level but with a full-time work contract, then the FTE for the person would be 0.50. Normal work hours are to exclude paid or unpaid overtime work hours.

The total FTE for a person may be reported in fractional parts, each associated with work undertaken on different functions, or in different work sectors, or in different organisational units. The sum of these fractions would not exceed 1.00 in respect of any single substantive appointment.

A general type of work which a member of staff has formally agreed to undertake in respect of their current duties. A function may be:

A Teaching Only Function: The work involves only teaching and associated activities (including lecturing, group or individual tutoring, preparation of teaching materials, supervision of students, marking, and preparation for the foregoing activities), or the management and leadership of teaching staff and of staff who support teaching staff. There is no formal requirement that research be undertaken.

A Research Only Function: The work involves undertaking only research work or providing technical or professional research assistance, or the management and leadership of research staff and of staff who support research staff. There may be limited other work (eg participation in the development of postgraduate courses and supervision of postgraduate students).

A Teaching-and-Research Function: A formal requirement is that both a teaching function and a research function will be undertaken, or the work requires the management and leadership of teaching staff and research staff and persons who support such staff.

An Other Function: Functions other than a teaching only function or a research only function or a teaching-and-research function. People with such functions may be located within academic organisational units as well as other types of organisational units.

If a member of staff is coded as having a teaching-only function or a teaching-and-research function then the member of staff can not be classified as being non-academic.

Courses for which at least two-thirds of the student load for the course is required as research work and not more than one-third as coursework.

In classifying a higher degree course as being "by research" or "by coursework", the aggregated load for the course over the time required for its completion is taken into account. For example, if completion of a higher degree course by a student requires two years' full-time work, it would only be classified as being "by research" if 1.3333 or more of the aggregated 2.0 EFTSU is required in the form of research work.

Higher education courses may be award courses, non-award courses or enabling courses. Higher education courses do not include TAFE courses.

An organisation operating at one or more locations (inside or outside Australia) which was established for the primary purpose of promoting higher education and which conducts higher education courses.

A person who performs duties for an institution or one of its controlled entities, and is either a person employed by the institution or one of its controlled entities on a full-time, fractional full-time or casual basis; or an employee of another institution who is working at the institution or one of its controlled entities as either: "visiting" staff; or "exchange" staff; or"seconded"; or a person who works for the institution or one of its controlled entities on a regular basis but who receives no remuneration (eg members of religious denominations, unpaid visiting fellows).

Includes persons of the above types who are occupying temporary positions or who are conjoint appointees or clinical appointees or adjunct appointees.

Includes persons who are employees of the institution or one of its controlled entities and who are working in locations outside Australia.

Excludes persons whose services are being provided to the institution or one of its controlled entities on a contract basis as an employee of another institution or organisation or as a self-employed person. Such persons may provide teaching services, cleaning services, security services, maintenance services, catering services, consultancy services, programming services, or other types of services.

A program of study which does not lead to an award and which comprises a unit or units of study which is a unit or units of study from an award course or courses at the institution; and is able to be counted as credit towards some award course at the institution by all students who complete the unit or units of study.

A student who is one of the following: an Australian citizen; or a New Zealand citizen, or a diplomatic or consular representative of New Zealand, a member of the staff of such a representative or the spouse or dependent relative of such a representative; or a person entitled to stay in Australia, or to enter and stay in Australia, without any limitation as to time and resides in Australia during the semester.

Operating grant load includes, with two exceptions, load for HECS-liable students, including load for work experience in industry undertaken by those students. The two exceptions are shown as the first two items in the exclusions listed below.

Operating grant load excludes:

Load for students in State-funded places.

Load for non-overseas students in places funded through the Commonwealth-Industry Places Scheme but for which places the institution has NOT deemed the students to be exempt from HECS.

Load for non-overseas students in places funded through the Commonwealth-Industry Places Scheme but for which places the institution has deemed the student to be exempt from HECS.

Load for fee-paying overseas students who are not sponsored under a foreign aid program.

Load for fee-paying overseas students who are sponsored under a foreign aid program.

Load for students undertaking non-award courses.

Load for students in places fully funded by an employer.

Load for overseas students in Australia as exchange students and who are charged tuition fees.

A unit which an institution has formed in order to undertake particular functions, or a unit which is used for statistical reporting purposes. Types of organisational units are:

Academic Organisational Units (AOUs) - Units within an institution which have as their primary objective the undertaking of teaching only functions, teaching-and-research functions or research only functions. Such units are referred to by various names, such as "schools" and "departments". The staff working within an academic organisational unit would include people undertaking or supporting teaching or research functions and in most cases would also include people undertaking other functions such as clerical and administrative work. If they are not classifiable as independent operations and if the institution is legally responsible for them, field operations which enable teaching or research to be undertaken (eg farming operations, fishing operations, research operations) may be classified as being academic organisational units.

Excludes organisational units undertaking teaching or teaching-and-research functions relating to continuing education or adult education (which are classifiable as "public service organisational units").

Academic Support Services Organisational Units - Organisational units which provide direct support for the institution's academic activity. The following types of organisational units are to be classified to academic support services activity:

Libraries. Central libraries and branch libraries under the control of the central library. Libraries under the control of an academic organisational unit are to be regarded as a part of that academic organisational unit and hence are to be classified as academic activity.

Computing centres. Centralised computing operations providing services to more than one type of activity. Where a computing operation is dedicated to one type of activity (eg a dedicated library computer facility), then the computing operation should be included as part of that activity and is not to be classified as a computing centre activity.

Educational research and development centres: Centralised operations which undertake research and/or development relating to the functioning of the institution for its institution purposes (eg research concerning development of curricula, educational processes and practices).

External studies centres (excluding academic functions): Centralised operations undertaking administration of clerical work associated with the operation of external study courses. Academic functions associated with external study courses are to be classified as being an academic activity.

Audio-visual and media centres: Centralised operations providing audio-visual and media services to more than one type of activity.

Other centralised services: Centralised operations providing other types of academic support services to more than one type of activity (eg those responsible for animal houses, language laboratories, museums providing support to academic organisational units, photographic services etc).

Student Services Organisational Units - Organisational units whose primary function involves the provision of services directed at the welfare of students.

Public Services Organisational Units - Organisational units that provide services that are related to the academic functioning of an institution, but which are primarily of benefit to individuals or groups that are external to the institution. Organisational units in which teaching or research activities relating to continuing education are undertaken are to be classified to public services activity rather than the academic organisational unit category.

General Institution Services Organisational Units - Organisational units providing centralised services relating to the administration of the institution as a whole or to the planning, development and maintenance of the structure and functioning of an institution, or to the functioning of the institution as a corporate entity. Excludes administrative sub-units located within other organisational units. Sub-classes of general institution services organisational units to be reported in this collection comprise:

Administration and Overhead Services: Organisational units undertaking work associated with the day-to-day functioning of the institution and its longer term development, and the functioning of the institution as a corporate entity.

Buildings, plant and grounds: Organisational units undertaking the design, repair and maintenance of the plant, equipment and buildings of the institution and the maintenance of its grounds.

Cleaning services: Organisational units undertaking the cleaning of the institution's buildings and grounds.

Security and caretaker services: Organisational units responsible for the general security of the institution's buildings and grounds, and for the institution's caretaking services.

Other general institution services: Organisational units providing general institution services other than those listed above (eg if not classifiable as independent operations and if the institution is legally responsible for them: child-care centres which do not cater primarily for students).

Independent Operations - Organisations that are corporate entities which in legal terms are separate from the institution.

Where an operation is the legal responsibility of the institution and there is no separate entity responsible for it, the operation is not to be classed as being an independent operation. For example, where the institution is legally responsible for such units as student unions, sports unions, bookshops, student residences, collegiate residences and child-care centres catering primarily for students, such units are to be classified as being student services organisational units. Similarly, where the institution has a legal responsibility for such units as staff clubs and child-care centres which do not cater primarily for students, such units are to be classified as general institution services organisational units.

A student who is NOT one of the following:

an Australian citizen; or a New Zealand citizen, or a diplomatic or consular representative of New Zealand, a member of the staff of such a representative or the spouse or dependent relative of such a representative; or a person entitled to stay in Australia, or to enter and stay in Australia, without any limitation as to time and resides in Australia during the semester.

An award or some other form of certification of attainment, competence or attendance.

Education of the type usually (but not always) undertaken by a student in secondary schools, and extending up to and including Year 12 studies or education of a similar type undertaken in institutions other than secondary schools (eg. in evening colleges, TAFE institutions).

Categories of educational activity which are defined in terms of course type and award. Sectors within tertiary education are the higher education sector and the TAFE sector.

The field or fields of study in which a student, who has completed the academic requirements of a course, has specialised. Specialisation is determined by the institution and should take into account major strands undertaken by the student.

A semester with start and end dates that conform with a typical two semester academic year and which have census dates of either 31 March or 31 August.

A person for whom there is an enrolment in a higher education course.

The substantive appointment of a member of staff refers to the job or position for which they have an entitlement or would normally occupy in the absence of any acting appointment.

The length and related conditions which apply to a member of staff's substantive appointment or current duties :

Limited term - the effective substantive appointment or current duties are for a fixed period of time.

Tenurable term - the effective substantive appointment or current duties will normally last until retirement age. Staff with an academic classification and also staff with a non-academic classification who are employed on a permanent basis may be classified as having a tenurable term.

Tenurable terms may be of two types:

Probationary: an agreement exists to the effect that the member of staff's tenure or permanency will be confirmed after completion of a probationary period.

Confirmed: the member of staff has tenure or permanency, which may not have been preceded by a period of probation.

Other term - the term is neither limited term nor tenurable in type. Includes temporary or permanent appointments which are for an unspecified period of time or "until further notice".

A ranking given by the institution, or some other body, to a student at the time of satisfactory completion of the final year of secondary education, ranging between 30.0 and 100.0.

A fee charged to recover the cost of teaching and related services, administration and capital facilities relating to a course being undertaken by a student.

The fee may be paid by the student or by another person, agency or organisation on behalf of the student. Excludes fees collected as or in lieu of fees for student associations or student unions. Excludes fees paid by an employer for a place fully funded by an employer.

Attendance is classified by the institution as being full-time or part-time based on the student load for the student aggregated across all units of study (including work experience in industry units) for all courses being undertaken by the student in the Collection Year:

Full-time - student load aggregated for all the courses being undertaken by the student in the Collection Year is 0.75 or more.

Part-time - student load aggregated for all the courses being undertaken by the student in the Collection Year is less than 0.75.

The hours and associated conditions of engagement for a member of staff. Work contracts may be classified as being one of three types:

Full-time work contract - the engagement has these characteristics: it is for a continuous period (although this may be for a limited period of time); and the full range of duties which are appropriate to the job or position are to be performed; and the duties are to be performed on a regular basis; and the number of hours to be worked each week are at least equal to the number of hours specified for full-time work under the relevant award (if the number of hours for full-time work for a member of staff with a non-academic classification is not specified in a relevant award, a minimum of 35 hours per week is to be used for this criterion).

Fractional full-time work contract - the engagement normally has these characteristics: it is for a continuous period (although this may be for a limited period of time); and the full range of duties which would be appropriate to the job or position were it to be undertaken by a member of staff with a full-time work contract and with the same classification type and level, are to be performed; and the duties are to be performed on a regular basis; and the number of hours to be worked each week is a specified fraction of the number of hours which would be worked by a member of staff with a full-time work contract for the job or position and with the same classification type and level; and if the member of staff is an employee of the institution their remuneration is a specified fraction of the remuneration for a member of staff with a full-time work contract for the job or position and with the same classification type and level; and if the member of staff is an employee of the institution they have a pro-rata entitlement to paid annual leave, paid sick leave and, where relevant requirements have been met, paid long-service leave.

Casual work contract - the engagement has these characteristics: the member of staff is engaged and paid on an hourly or sessional basis; and the member of staff has no entitlement to paid annual leave, paid sick leave or paid long-service leave.

Glossary