Curtin University of Technology
Skip to content
Link to Curtin homepage
Curtin Office of Strategy and Planning

Statistical Reporting Definitions

Students
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

Staff
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

STUDENTS

ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER
Students who have identified themselves as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.

ACADEMIC ORGANISATIONAL UNIT
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".

ACADEMIC ORGANISATIONAL UNIT GROUP
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.

ACCESS
Access is the representation rate of students from an equity group in the commencing student cohort. It is always expressed as a percentage. Overseas students are excluded from the calculation.

Access = E(c) / T(c)*100 where E(c) is the number of commencing students in the equity group and T(c) is the total number of commencing students.

ANNUAL COURSE CONTRIBUTION
An amount advised to the institution by the Commonwealth used to calculate the Higher Education Contribution Scheme liability. There are 3 amounts possible depending on the 'HECS band' to which Field of Education the unit of study has been classified.

AQF TERMINOLOGY
Terminology used in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

ATTRITION
At Curtin this term is used to describe the rate of loss (or gain) in a student cohort during the year. For example, if a course begins the year (usually counted at 31st March) with a load of 200 EFTSL, and ends the year (usually counted at 31st August) with a load of 180 EFTSL, it would have an attrition rate of 10%. It is the fall-off in EFTSL during the year.

Changes from one year to the next are described using the term Retention rate. If a Course has a retention rate of 75%, (which is the same as a drop out rate of 25%), then it has retained 75% of its students from one year to the next (normally measured 31st March to 31st March). Retention rates refer to numbers of students retained (not EFTSL).

AUSTRALIAN EXCHANGE STUDENT
A student who is undertaking a program of studies under the following conditions:

AWARD
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

AWARD 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.

BASIC NURSE EDUCATION COURSES
Award courses designed to provide an initial qualification in nursing which makes the student eligible for registration as a nurse. Usually a degree course for those commencing since 1992 and a diploma course for those commencing before 1992. Excludes courses which are "conversion courses" for registered nurses who possess an initial qualification in nursing, whether gained in a hospital-based course or from a higher education institution. Excludes any courses for those who are already eligible for registration as a nurse.

Return to Top

CENSUS DATE
The date referred to in the Higher Education Funding Act 1988 as being dates on which HECS liabilities are incurred.

CENSUS DATE (for HECS and FEE LIABILITY)
The date on which a student who is enrolled in a unit is assessed as being liable for payment of the HECS or other fee attributable to the unit of study. Withdrawal from the unit after this date does not extinguish liability for payment.

In the case of units taught during the standard semesters (first and second), the census date is 31st March for first semester units and 31st August for second semester units. In the case of units taught at other times, the census date is two weeks after the first day of teaching if the unit is 6 weeks or longer in duration, or the first day of teaching of the unit if shorter than 6 weeks.

Full year units are split into two equal halves for the purpose of HECS and fees and treated as two separate liabilities.

COLLECTION YEAR
The year in which DEEWR requires a Student or Staff or other Collection File to be provided to it.

COMBINED COURSE
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. BEc and BEng). 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.

COMMENCING STUDENT
A student is classified as a commencing student in relation to a particular course.

This definition is used in all DEEWR reporting from 2001 onwards, and for Curtin's internal load monitoring and budget processes. A student is a commencing student in a particular DEEWR collection year if she/he has enrolled in the course for the first time at the institution between 1st September of the previous year and 31st August of the collection year.

In some circumstances the calendar year, rather than the "DEEWR year" above, can be used.

Included amongst commencing students are those who (unless specifically excluded below):

Students of the following types are not to be classified as commencing students:

COMMONWEALTH-INDUSTRY PLACE
A place which was funded jointly by the Commonwealth and industry. The Commonwealth provided up to 60 percent of the cost for the new place and its pipeline, with the balance of funding provided by industry.

COUNTRY CONTRACTED TEACHING
Curtin University has formal arrangements with several WA country TAFE Colleges for the provision of teaching services for some units of study in some Curtin courses. This arrangement allows country students to complete part of their course without having to attend the city campuses.

CONTRACTUAL TEACHING
Curtin University has formal arrangements with several external education organisations for the provision of teaching services. The courses offered and taught by these organisations are fully certified Curtin academic programmes leading to appropriate Curtin awards. All courses are managed and closely monitored by the relevant Curtin academic staff. All students are formally enrolled as Curtin University students in Curtin University courses.

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

COURSE COMPLETION
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).

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

Return to Top

DIFFERENTIAL HECS CHARGING SCALE
A scale of charges used in calculating a HECS liability relating to student load for students who are subject to the differential HECS charge arrangements implemented from 1 January 1997. The scale is derived from the Field of Education that the subject unit is allocated to.

DISABLED STUDENTS
Students who have stated on enrolment that they have a disability or impairment that may affect their studies.

DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUND
See 'Low Socio-Economic Status'.

DISCIPLINE GROUP
A discipline group is a means of classifying units of study in terms of the subject matter being taught in them. The Discipline Group for a unit is taken from the Field of Education list of classifications.

Return to Top

EFTSL or EQUIVALENT FULL-TIME STUDENT LOAD
A measure of the student load attributable to a study package component of type unit or thesis, or a group of these. 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 typical full-time student undertaking a complete stage of a course would generate one EFTSL (see also Student Load). Curtin considers a study load of 200 credit points per year as being equivalent of 1 EFTSL.

Additional CURTIN DEFINITIONS:

Although the Enrolled EFTSLs of a School or Division will not necessarily equal its Taught EFTSLs, Total Enrolled EFTSLs for Curtin University equals Total Taught EFTSLs.

ENABLING 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.

ENROLLED EFTSL
See 'EFTSL'.

ENROLMENT
An enrolment exists:

EQUITY GROUPS
Students of a common characteristic recognised by DEEWR as possibly requiring special assistance to access or participate in higher education. The current groups are disabled students, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students, students from non-English speaking backgrounds, rural students, isolated or remote area students, low socio-economic backgrounds students and women in non-traditional areas of study.

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

EXEMPTION
An exemption is granted by an institution when a student is not required to undertake a part of a unit of study, a unit or units of study because of prior studies or work experience. Such exemption is referred to by various names, such as "credit", "status" or "advanced standing".

EXTERNAL MODE OF ATTENDANCE
See 'Mode of Attendance'.

Return to Top

FEE-PAYING OVERSEAS STUDENT
An overseas student for whom a fee is paid to the institution. This includes overseas students who are sponsored under Australia's foreign aid programs.

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

FIELD OF EDUCATION CLASSIFICATION
A classification of courses based on similarity in terms of the vocational field of specialisation or the principal subject matter of the course. Fields of Education are taken from the Australian Standard Classifications of Education (from the Australian Bureau of Statistics)

FINAL YEAR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION
The highest level of secondary education available in a State or Territory at the time the student undertook their most recent secondary education in that State or Territory.

Completion of the final year of secondary education occurs when a person has attended until the end of the academic year and attempted some part of the final secondary education formal examination or assessment. Completion is not contingent on success in such examinations or assessments.

FULL-TIME
See 'Type of Attendance'.

Return to Top

HECS AMOUNT DUE FOR THE HALF YEAR
A HECS liability or portion thereof, which a student has incurred in respect of a particular amount of student load, and which is to be discharged though the taxation system. HECS liabilities are assessed at the census dates of 31st March and 31st August each year for standard semester units of study, and at the census date applicable to the situation for non-standard semester units of study. See census date for further information.

HIGHER DEGREE RESEARCH COURSE
See 'Research Course'

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

Return to Top

INSTITUTION
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.

Also included is the Open Learning Agency of Australia Pty. Ltd. (OLAA) which provides open learning studies.

INTERNAL MODE OF ATTENDANCE
See 'Mode of Attendance'.

ISOLATED OR REMOTE AREA STUDENTS
Students whose permanent home address postcode is classified as Isolated (sometimes referred to as Remote) based on the Department of Primary Industry classifications of remoteness. This classification uses factors such as the distance from and the size of the nearest population centres.

Return to Top

LOW SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS STUDENT
Students whose permanent home address postcode, as reported on their university enrolment form, falls within the lowest quartile when postcodes are ranked according to the ABS Education-Occupation index using the most recent census. Low Socio-economic postcodes can be based on all postcodes being ranked (giving an Australia wide SES ranking), own state postcodes (giving a State SES ranking) or Urban postcodes in the same state (giving an Urban SES ranking). Rural and Isolated postcodes do not have an Urban SES ranking.

Return to Top

MAJOR COURSE
If a student is enrolled in more than one course at the institution, the major course is the one which incurs the greatest student load in the Collection Year. Where two or more courses incur equal student load, the major course would be that determined by the institution.

MINOR COURSE
Course undertaken at the institution by a student, other than the course which the institution has identified as being the major course.

MODE OF ATTENDANCE
A classification of the manner in which a student is undertaking a course:

Internal Mode of Attendance

External Mode of Attendance

Multi-modal Mode of Attendance

MULTI-MODAL MODE OF ATTENDANCE
See 'Mode of Attendance'.

Return to Top

NON-AWARD COURSE
A program of study which does not lead to an award and which comprises a unit or units of study which:

NON-DIFFERENTIAL HECS CHARGE
A HECS liability charge applicable to student load for students who are not subject to the differential HECS charge arrangements.

This charge varies from year to year but in each year the charge is the same irrespective of the discipline group of the unit of study for which student load is being reported. See also Differential HECS Charging.

NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING BACKGROUND STUDENTS
Students who were born overseas, AND have lived in Australia less than 10 years, AND whose language spoken at home is not english.

NON-OVERSEAS STUDENT
A student who is one of the following:

NON-STANDARD SEMESTERS
A semester with start and end dates that do not conform with a typical two semester academic year and which have census dates that are not 31 March or 31 August.

Non-standard semesters (3, 4 and 5) are used when reporting student load and liabilities to DEEWR. Units with study periods that have census dates between 1st January and 30th March are classified to non-standard semester 3. Units with study periods that have census dates between 1st April and 30thAugust are classified to non-standard semester 3. Units with study periods that have census dates between 1st September and 31st December are classified to non-standard semester 5.

Liabilities incurred during non-standard semesters 3 and 5 are reported to DEEWR at the same time as standard semester 1 liabilities (meaning non-standard semester 5 liabilities were incurred in the previous calendar year). Liabilities incurred during non-standard semester 4 are reported to DEEWR at the same time as standard semester 2 liabilities.

NON-TRADITIONAL AREAS OF STUDY
Areas where women's representation is low. DEEWR state that a non-traditional area for women is any area where their participation percentage is less than 40%. For this reason non-traditional areas can vary between universities, but areas such as Engineering, Science and Agriculture are ubiquitous. For cross-university comparisons areas for analysis are usually based on Field of Study, but on the practical level within a university certain schools or faculties could be defined as non-traditional. From a slightly different perspective, Postgraduate study is also a non-traditional area of study for many universities.

Return to Top

OPEN LEARNING STUDIES
Open learning studies refers to a unit or units of study offered by the Open Learning Agency of Australia Pty. Ltd. (OLAA) which are units of study from a higher education course and which can be counted as credit towards a university degree.

OPERATING GRANT LOAD
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:

OVERSEAS STUDENT
A student who is not one of the following:

Return to Top

PARTICIPATION
Participation is the representation rate of students from the equity group in the total student cohort. Calculations are based on March 31 readings for each year. Overseas students are excluded from the calculation.

If expressed as a percentage, it is the number of students from the equity group as a percentage of the total number of students.

Participation percentage = E/T*100 where E is the number of students in the equity group and T is the total number of students.

If expressed as a ratio, it is the representation (percentage) of the equity group at the university (i.e. the participation), compared to... the representation (percentage) of the equity group in the State's 15 and 64 year old population..

Participation ratio = P(E)/SP(E) where P(E) is the representation percentage of the equity group at the university (i.e. the participation) and SP(E) is the representation percentage of the equity group in the State's 15-64 year old population.

The ratio method attempts to adjust the University figure to account for differences in the proportions of people in the equity groups in each state, to make cross-university comparisons possible.

The DEEWR supplied state percentages, SP(E), for 15 to 64 year old are:

  Disabled ATSI NESB Rural Isolated
NSW 4.00 1.48 6.70 24.00 1.40
VIC 4.00 0.43 5.50 23.70 0.30
QLD 4.00 2.50 2.60 36.80 5.70
WA 4.00 2.50 3.90 11.10 16.30
SA 4.00 1.27 2.50 20.40 5.10
TAS 4.00 2.73 1.00 55.30 1.50
NT 4.00 22.60 2.30 0.00 96.10
ACT 4.00 0.81 4.30 0.00 0.00

Participation ratios for Women in Higher Degrees (a non-traditional area) and for Low Socio-economic students, are calculated differently to the above.

For women in higher degrees, the participation ratio is calculated by comparing the participation percentage for women in higher degrees with the participation percentage for women in undergraduate degrees.

For students from low socio-economic status areas, the participation ratio is calculated by comparing the participation percentage for low SES students with the participation percentage for high SES students.

PART-TIME
See 'Type of Attendance'.

PERMANENT HOME RESIDENCE
See 'Residence'.

PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS
A status defined in terms of the visa class listed in the documentation Higher Education HECS and Fees Manual.

PLACE FULLY FUNDED BY AN EMPLOYER
A type of place defined in the documentation Higher Education HECS and Fees Manual.

PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE COMPONENT
A component of a course which satisfies all the following criteria:

Practical experience components are not classified as work experience in industry.

Return to Top

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

Return to Top

REFERENCE DATE
The date at which the data collection occurred or to which it refers. For collections relating to a period of time, the reference date is that for the end of the period.

REFERENCE YEAR
The year in which the reference date occurs.

REMOTE AREA STUDENTS
See 'Isolated or remote area students'.

RESEARCH COURSE
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 EFTSL is required in the form of research work.

RESIDENCE or LOCATION
The place at which a student has been or is residing. Two categories of residence are to be distinguished:

Semester/term residence - the residence in which a student lives during the semester or term. This may or may not be the same as the student's permanent home residence.

Permanent home residence - the place a student regards as being their permanent home residence. This may or may not be the same as the student's semester/term residence.

RETENTION
This indicator looks at the rate at which students are retained from the previous year. It can be calculated for any category of student. Retention can answer the question, "what proportion of a group of students who could have re-enrolled, actually did re-enrol?". (It is the other side of the coin to a 'drop out' rate.) In defining those who 'could have re-enrolled' we take all the students in the category who were enrolled in the previous year and subtract those who graduated.

While retention can be calculated for any defined group of students it is most often used to monitor the performance of students in an equity group.

To calculate retention for an equity group, expressed as a percentage, it is the number of students from the previous year's equity group who re-enrol, as a percentage of the number of students from the equity group who were eligible to re-enrol. (note, in this definition the student does not have to have re-enrolled in the same or an equivalent course. The student is counted as 'retained' simply by returning to the university)

Retention for the equity group therefore, expressed as a percentage, is R(E) = r(current yr) / (N(prev yr)- C(prev yr)) where r(current year) is the number of students from the previous year's equity group who enrolled again in the current year, N(prev yr) is the number of students from the equity group who were enrolled in the previous year, and C(prev yr) is the number of students from the equity group who completed their course in the previous year. Calculations are based on March 31 readings for each year.

If expressed as a ratio, the percentage calculated above is compared to the retention percentage calculated for all non-equity group students.

Retention for the equity group, expressed as a ratio, = R(E)/R(Other) where R(E) is the retention percentage for the equity group, and R(Other) is the retention for all non-equity group students calculated using the same method. A ratio of 1.0 would indicate that the equity group had the same retention as others. If the ratio was greater or less than 1.0 the retention for the equity group would be respectively higher or lower than the non-equity group students.

When (and if) retention rates are calculated for areas within the university, it must be clearly stated how students who re-enrol in courses other than the original (equivalent or non-equivalent) are treated. i.e. are they 'retained' or 'lost' ?

A related term is Attrition, which is used at Curtin to describe EFTSL changes during a year.

RURAL STUDENTS
Students whose permanent home address postcode is classified as Rural (sometimes referred to as Country) based on the Department of Primary Industry classifications of remoteness. This classification uses factors such as the distance from and the size of the nearest population centres.

Return to Top

SECONDARY EDUCATION
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).

SEMESTER/TERM RESIDENCE
See 'Residence'.

SPECIALISATION
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.

STANDARD SEMESTER
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. See also Non-Standard Semesters.

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

STUDENT LOAD
Student Load is a measure that expresses the proportion of a normal full-time student's annual standard study load that is generated by a unit (or group of units). Student Load is expressed in EFTSL (Equivalent Full-time Student Unit) values.

A standard annual program of a student undertaking a full-year of study in a particular year of a particular course generates 1 EFTSL.

EFTSL Calculation Example:

The normal workload for a full-time student in one year of a course is 8 standard or single units. Suppose a student is enrolled in 2 units. One is a standard single unit (which generates 1/8 = 0.125 EFTSL) and the other is a double unit which generates 2/8 = 0.25 EFTSL. The EFTSL load of that student is: (1+2)/8 = 0.275 EFTSLs.

A normal full study load generates 1 EFTSL.

However, note that the definition of a 'full-time' student is any student that has a study load of 0.75EFTSL or more.

STUDENT LOAD PASS RATE
See 'SUCCESS'.

STUDY PACKAGE
A generic term used to encapsulate a single or combined study offering. Can be a course, major, minor, stream, unit or thesis.

STUDY PACKAGE COMPONENT
Normally used to describe a unit or thesis. Technically a study package component can also be a major, minor or stream because they are also below the parent study package in a structure. For example, a course can have majors within which there can be minors and streams, and within these there are units or possibly theses. The major is a component of the course. The unit is a component of the major and the course. Units and theses (the bottom rung of a structure) are called "enrollable" components. This is where the study is done. Students "enrol" in units or theses, whereas they are "admitted" to courses, majors etc..

STUDY PACKAGE PARENT
A course. Students are "admitted" to courses (whereas they "enrol" in components). In rare instances the study package parent can have no structure, in which case it can also act like a component. In these cases it is referred to as an 'enrollable parent'.

STUDY PACKAGE with STRUCTURE
Any study package with components. For example, a course can have majors within which there can be minors and streams, and within these there are units or possibly theses. The course has structure because it has the majors and units below it. The major has structure because it has the units below it. The units and theses do not have any structure.

SUCCESS (STUDENT LOAD PASS RATE)
While success can be calculated for any defined group of students it is most often used to monitor the performance of students in equity groups. If expressed as a percentage, it is the total (unit) load of students in the defined group that achieved a pass or better, as a percentage of the total certified load of students in the defined group. Certified load excludes withdrawals prior to the census date and units where no assessment has taken place, but includes withdrawals after the census date

Success for an equity group, expressed as a percentage, is S(E) = EP/EC*100 where EP is the total load of students from the equity group that achieved a pass or better and EC is the total certified load of students from the equity group.

If expressed as a ratio, the percentage calculated above is compared to the success percentage calculated for all non-equity group students.

Success for the equity group, expressed as a ratio, is S(E)/S(Other) where S(E) is the success percentage for the equity group, and S(Other) is the success percentage for all non-equity group students calculated using the same method. A ratio of 1.0 would indicate that the equity group had the same success (pass rate) as others. If the ratio was greater or less than 1.0 the success rate for the equity group would be respectively higher or lower than the non-equity group students.

Return to Top

TAFE AWARD COURSE
A TAFE course which leads to some formal award, but excluding:

TAFE COURSE
A program of study which the responsible authority for a State or Territory deems to be a technical and further education course.

TAFE INSTITUTION
An organisation which is recognised or has been recognised in the past by the relevant State or Territory education authority as being a technical and further education institution. Such institutions are referred to by various names including TAFE college, technical college, evening school and evening college. Some TAFE institutions operate in school premises and commercial premises.

Return to Top

TAUGHT EFTSL
See 'EFTSL'.

TERTIARY ENTRANCE RANK
A ranking score given by the institution, or some other body, to a student at the time of satisfactory completion of the final year of secondary education. The rank is given out of 1000 (or, divided by 10, it can be used as a percentage) and shows relativity with other TER students.

TYPE OF ATTENDANCE
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.

Return to Top

UNIT OF STUDY
The basic unit of a course or program, which a student may undertake and on successful completion of the unit's requirements, gain credit towards completion of the course or program. Units of study are sometimes referred to as "units", or "subjects". Using Student One terminology, a unit of study is an enrollable study package component.

Return to Top

WOMEN IN NON-TRADITIONAL AREAS OF STUDY
See 'Non-traditional areas of study'.

WORK EXPERIENCE IN INDUSTRY
is work:

What are the different types of WEI?
Each unit must be identified by the teaching area as one of the following:

Return to Top

STAFF

ACADEMIC STAFF
These are staff whose salaries are determined by the Industrial Relations Tribunal or the Remuneration Commission in respect of "academic and related staff". They may or may not be involved in teaching activities. In keeping with DEEWR requirements, library staff whose salaries are tied to academic salaries are not reported as academic staff within these tables.

APPOINTMENT TERM
Fixed Term: A staff member's effective substantive appointment is for a fixed period of time.

Continuing: A staff member's effective substantive appointment usually lasts until retirement.

Casual/Hourly-Paid: A staff member is engaged and paid on an hourly or sessional basis and has no entitlement to paid annual leave, paid sick leave, or paid long-service leave.

Return to Top

CASUAL/HOURLY PAID
See 'Appointment Term'.

CLASSIFICATION LEVEL
Academic Staff are classified within one of the following salary levels of the award "Australian Universities Academic Staff (Contract of Employment and Other Matters) Interim Award 1988" from highest to lowest: Professor, Associate Professor, Senior Lecturer, Lecturer, Senior Tutor/Tutor. From 1992, these classification levels are also referred to as Levels E, D, C, B, and A respectively and the Senior Tutor/Tutor classification has been re-named Associate Lecturer..

General Staff are classified according to the levels contained in the "Higher Education General and Salaried Staff (Interim) Award" which was implemented via the 1994 "Curtin University of Technology General Staff Award Restructuring and Enterprise Agreement". The "HEGS" levels introduced range from Level 1 (lowest), to Level 10 (highest). Some general staff are employed at levels outside this range, such as trainees and apprentices who are below the range, and staff on special managerial contracts who are shown as above the range.

CLASSIFICATION TYPE
Academic Staff: Staff who are employed under an academic award and who undertake a Teaching Only function, a Research Only function, or a Teaching & Research function in an institution, or those appointed by an institution to be responsible for such staff e.g., Vice-Chancellors, Deputy Vice-Chancellors.

General Staff: All staff not classified as Academic.

CASUAL (HOURLY PAID) STAFF FULL-TIME EQUIVALENCE
Actual effort by casual staff is calculated retrospectively and represents the FTE for casual staff over the calendar year. Full-time equivalence is derived using the prescribed DEEWR formula:

FTE = Hours worked
F x N
where F = factor based on the average hours worked per week
for various staff categories, and prescribed as:

9 for lecturing hours
25 for tutors, supervisors hours
35 for marking and all other non-academic hours

where N = number of weeks worked per year for various staff
categories, and prescribed as:

26 for lecturing, tutoring and supervisory staff
52 for marking and all other non-academic staff

Return to Top

CONTINUING/PERMANENT
See 'Appointment Term'.

FIXED TERM/CONTRACT
See 'Appointment Term'.

FULL-TIME EQUIVALENCE (FTE)
FTE is a measure of staff resources. It expresses the agreed or contracted hours worked by a given staff member as a fraction of the hours normally worked by a full-time staff member with the same job type and level. A typical full-time member in any job would generate one FTE. Fractional time staff (part time staff) are less than 1 FTE.

Full Time Equivalence for casual staff is calculated using the aggregate of hours worked by the individual as a proportion of the hours that would normally be worked in one year by a person doing the same work or job.

Staff on leave without pay at the reference date are not included.

FUNCTION
Teaching Only: The work involves only teaching and associated activities (including lecturing, group or individual tutoring, preparation of teaching materials, supervision of students, and marking and preparation of 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.

Research Only: 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 (e.g., participation in the development of postgraduate courses and supervision of postgraduate students).

Teaching & Research: Both a Teaching function and a Research function are undertaken, or the work requires the management and leadership of teaching staff and research staff and of persons who support such staff.

Other: Functions not classified as Teaching Only, Research Only, or Teaching and Research.

Return to Top

GENERAL STAFF
See 'Classification Type'.

Curtin students and/or campus