Glossary of Terms

A

area
As defined in the Collective Agreement: A School, Faculty, Branch, Unit or Division

academic award
A certificate, diploma, degree, graduate certificate or graduate diploma, including an honorary award and a double-badged award, conferred by the University at a graduation ceremony

academic program
The series of courses in which a student enrols and which, when completed, will lead to conferral of a designated academic award

academic year
The period from the start of Semester 1 to the end of the End of Year examinations, as marked on the annual Academic Year Dates website

B

branch
An organisational grouping within a Division

C

casual staff
As defined in the Collective Agreement: A person employed on an hourly basis for which a loading is paid in addition to the hourly remuneration rate appropriate to the classification of the work undertaken

census date
The last day a student may withdraw from a course in which they are enrolled without incurring liability for student contributions or tuition fees

Commonwealth Supported Place
A higher education place for a domestic student, funded in accord with HESA

course
A component of study, assigned a unit value, of an academic program

CRICOS
The Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students established under the ESOS Act: see CRICOS webpage .

continuing staff
As defined in the Collective Agreement: Staff whose employment has no fixed end date, ie all staff other than fixed-term and casual

Custodian of the Seal
In accordance with clause 1 of the Rule for the Use of the University Seal and for the Execution of Documents, the custodians of the Seal are the Chancellor, the Deputy Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor and President and the Chair of the Finance Committee.

D

degree
An academic award of the University: degrees are offered at Bachelor, Honours, Masters and Doctoral level

DEST
Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training: for more information see DEST website

division
Any of the four central administrative groupings: the Division of the Vice-Chancellor and President, the Division of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic), the Division of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research) and the Division of the Vice-President (Services and Resources)

domestic student
A student who is an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or who holds Permanent Residency status in Australia

double-badged award
An award conferred jointly by two institutions: the graduand receives a single award testamur that bears the names and badges of both the University of Adelaide and the partner institution

E

Enterprise Agreement
The University of Adelaide Enterprise Agreement 2010-2013

ESOS Act
The Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (Cth) which regulates the delivery of education services to international students: for further information see Australian Education International website

F

faculty
Any of the five academic groupings within the University, the Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, the Faculty of Health Sciences, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Faculty of Sciences, and the Faculty of The Professions

FEE-HELP
The system established by HESA, under which the Commonwealth Government provides eligible domestic students in fee-playing places with income-contingent loans to cover some or all of their tuition fees

fixed term staff
As defined in the Collective Agreement: staff employed for a fixed time or a specific task or project

G

Grade Point Average
A value between 0 and 7, based on the weighting of each course and the final grade achieved. The formula for determining a Grade Point Average (GPA) is available here

graduate
A person on whom the University has conferred an academic award

GST
Goods and Services Tax: a Commonwealth Government tax levied on most goods and services, as defined in the Goods and Services Tax Act 1999 (Cth), and currently set at the rate of 10%

guidelines
Provide additional detail and context on aspects of a University Policy or Procedure. They may provide direction on recommended practices or processes, or illustrative examples of how policy is applied in particular circumstances, or tips for carrying out a University activity as distinct from procedures which mandate operational activities. Guidelines are subordinate to policies and are not substitutes for policies.

H

HECS-HELP
They system established by HESA, under which the Commonwealth Government provides eligible domestic students in Commonwealth Supported Places with income-contingent loans to cover some or all of their student contributions towards the cost of their higher education

HESA
Higher Education Support Act 2003 (Cth), the main piece of Commonwealth legislation governing higher education in Australia. For more information, go to the DEST website

Higher Degree student
A student enrolled in an academic program leading to the conferral of a Masters or Doctoral degree

Higher Degree by Research student (HDR)
See postgraduate research student

Honours student
A student enrolled in an academic program leading to the conferral of the award of Bachelors degree with Honours

I

international student
A student who is not a citizen of Australia or New Zealand and who does not hold Permanent Residency status in Australia

O

OS-HELP
The system established by HESA, under which the Commonwealth Government provides eligible domestic students with financial assistance to undertake part of their course of study overseas

Officer who affixed the Seal
The officer fulfilling the role of the Secretary to the University Council.

P

part-time staff
As defined in the Collective Agreement:Staff employed for less than the normal weekly full-time hours, for which all entitlements are paid on a pro-rata basis

personal information
Any information or opinion about an individual whose identity is apparent or can reasonably be ascertained from the information or opinion

policy
see University Policy

Policy Custodian
As defined in the Policy Framework: The member of the Senior Executive who has overarching responsibility for developing a University Policy, obtaining the required approvals and ensuring that the policy is implemented, monitored and reviewed. For Council-related policies, the Policy Custodian is the Council Secretary.

Policy Responsible Officer
As defined in the Policy Framework: The peson who is designated as the primary point of contact for assistance with policy implmentation, interpretation and review.

postgraduate student
A postgraduate coursework or postgraduate research student

postgraduate coursework student
A student enrolled in a postgraduate program, where less than one-third of the program's assessable component is by research

postgraduate program
An academic program leading to the conferral of a Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Masters degree or Doctoral degree

postgraduate research student
A person enrolled in a Masters or Doctoral postgraduate program, where two-thirds or more of the program's assessable component is by research

procedure
As defined in the program
See academic program

R

research student
See postgraduate research student

S

school
A sub-grouping within a faculty

senior executive
The Vice-Chancellor and President; the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic); the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research); and the Vice-President (Services and Resources)

student
A person enrolled in a University academic program

summative assessment
An assessment the result of which is used to determine a final grade or mark. It differs from a formative assessment task, which is used primarily to assist students to monitor their performance, develop and improve, and either does not count for a final grade or can be redeemed by a further assessment task.

T

tenurable period
As defined in the Collective Agreement: the 30-month period following successful completion of the probation period and pending confirmation of appointment to continuing employment for an academic staff member

tenure
As defined in the Collective Agreement: continuing employment, i.e. all employment other than fixed-term and casual, for an academic staff member’s appointment following the tenurable period.

titleholder
A person who is not a member of academic staff and has been awarded a title by the University of Adelaide under the Conferral of Honorary Roles Policy

U

undergraduate program
An academic program leading to the conferral of a certificate (but not a graduate certificate), diploma (but not a graduate diploma), Bachelors degree or Bachelors degree with Honours

undergraduate student
A student enrolled in an undergraduate program

University IT account holder
Staff member, student, titleholder or visitor who has a relationship with the University of Adelaide that makes it necessary for them to access University IT facilities and online resources requiring authenticated login via a unique account provided by the University. Refer to the IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy for further information.

University IT facilities
Any computer system, network, application, program, device or item of equipment (including all systems which provide an information processing service and the data to which they provide access) which is owned, managed, hosted or provided by the University (whether by Information Technology Services, another organisational unit within the University, or a third-party provider).

University Policy
As defined in the Policy Framework: As defined by the A formal statement of principles or standards that governs decision-making and the way members of the University community conduct the activities of the University

Unsatisfactory Academic Progress
As defined by the Unsatisfactory Academic Progress policy for coursework students: A student is deemed at risk of making unsatisfactory academic progress in a program if their GPA for that program in a semester is 2.8 or less; a student is deemed to have made unsatisfactory academic progress in a program if their GPA for that program is 2.8 or less in three semesters, which may or may not be consecutive