academic adviser means a member of academic staff in a specific Faculty who is assigned to, and/or whose advice is sought by, students who have or are likely to have difficulty in satisfying academic progression requirements.

Academic Board means the Academic Board of the University as defined in Part 3, Section 15 of the University of Technology, Sydney Act 1989.

Academic Liaison Officer (ALO) means a member of the academic staff of a Faculty appointed by a Responsible Academic Officer of that Faculty with responsibility for determining special examination conditions, special provisions for students with carer responsibilities and learning and assessment arrangements for students who have permanent or temporary disabilities.

academic misconduct see Rule 16.2 (Student Misconduct and Appeals) for specific definitions.

academic progression is a general term that refers to the requirement for students to satisfy specified levels of academic achievement as they progress through their course and the requirement for the University to monitor this progress. The measures of academic progression include:

• satisfying a minimum rate of progress specified in terms of credit points gained;
• completing a course within an approved maximum time limit;
• not failing the same (or equivalent) subject on repeated occasions.

academic transcript means the official University printed document that provides an accurate statement of the official information held by the University and which satisfies the University's responsibilities to the student and other third parties (including other universities) for adequate and appropriate representation of relevant information about a student's academic and academic-related activities at the University.

admission means the process of applying for, being made an offer to, accepting the offer of admission and being admitted to a course or program of study at the University.

advanced standing see recognition of prior learning.

applicant means a person who has applied to the University of Technology, Sydney or its agent for admission to a course of study at the University.

assessment means the process whereby student competency in particular subject matter is determined, feedback on progress is given and final subject assessment results/grades are awarded. Assessment is a broad term and includes but is not limited to: tests, essays, papers, examinations, reports, exhibitions, performances, presentations, demonstrations and other work whether written or otherwise.

assessment result means the mark, grade or result achieved by a student for a particular assessment which indicates the standard attained in that assessment. (Also see final subject assessment result.)

assessor means a member of the academic staff, professional or clinical associates nominated for each subject, by the relevant Responsible Academic Officer and approved by each Faculty Board. Assessors work with Subject Coordinators to ensure formal examination papers and other assessment items are appropriate and Assessors act as second marker for assessment items.

attendance mode (a term required by the Commonwealth Government department that funds higher education) identifies the way a student undertakes a subject or course and can be: internal, distance (i.e. external) or multi-modal (i.e. where a student is undertaking a course that contains a combination of internal and distance study). (Also see study mode.)

award means an academic award of the University.

award course means a set of requirements, subjects and/or supervised research which when satisfactorily completed by a student normally qualifies that student for a formal award of the University. (See course category.)

Bachelor degree means a course of study with a required entry standard of a senior secondary certificate of education or equivalent, including diplomas or advanced diplomas, mature age or other special entry provisions. A Bachelor degree may be one of the following types:

• a three-year degree;
• a professional degree of three or more years which equips students with the practical skills and techniques necessary to apply their skills effectively in a professional context;
• a combined degree which consists of components of two degrees and to graduate with both degrees in a shorter time than required to complete both degrees independently;
• a graduate entry degree is a minimum of two years in duration and is specifically for the admission of those who already hold a bachelor degree, sometimes in a specified discipline.

Bachelor Honours award means an award that recognises either:

• completion of a Bachelor Honours degree; or
• in the case of a Bachelor degree of four years or more, a high level of achievement and performance in the degree as a whole and usually some research training.

Bachelor Honours degree means a course of study that requires the completion of a Bachelor degree at a high level of achievement followed by satisfactory completion of an additional year of full time study (or equivalent) which involves some research training.

borderline result means a final mark of 45–49% in a subject where 50% is judged as a pass; or an equivalent marginal fail in a subject for which marks are not awarded.

census date is the date used to calculate student load and financial liability for the purpose of reporting to the Commonwealth Government; also the last date by which a student can withdraw from a subject without incurring financial liability or consuming student learning entitlement for that subject, where financial liability means either a tuition fee or student contribution amount.

centrally conducted examination means an examination scheduled and conducted under the authority of the Registrar by the Student Administration Unit in the official examination periods as approved by Academic Board.

cotutelle arrangement means an initiative, sponsored by the French Government, for collaborative research and supervision of Doctoral degree students with a French university. This arrangement may lead to the student being awarded a Doctoral degree from both universities in recognition of the collaborative arrangement.

course means a program of study into which students are admitted. (See also award course and non-award course.)

course category means a grouping of courses of study at a common academic level for the purposes of internal administration, external reporting and consistency across the Australian higher education sector.

The following categories of courses are award courses i.e. lead to a formal award of the University:

• Diploma;
• Advanced Diploma;
• Bachelor degree;
• Bachelor (Honours) degree;
• Graduate Certificate;
• Graduate Diploma;
• Masters Degree;
• Masters (Honours) degree;
• Doctoral degree;
• Higher Doctoral degree.

The following categories of courses are non-award courses, i.e. do not lead to a formal award of the University:

• non-award single subject study;
• professional registration courses;
• cross-institutional study;
• international exchange study.

Course of Study (a term required by the Commonwealth Government department that funds higher education) is used to identify a course or a group of courses that lead to a single award. Students who transfer from one course to another course within a single Course of Study are not considered to be commencing students for government administrative or reporting requirements.

course transfer means the process by which UTS students can transfer from one program of study to another related program of study.

credit point means the unit of measure of workload for individual subjects. Credit points are gained by students enrolled in award courses when subjects are passed and when accumulated, credit points form one measure of the total requirements of a course. As a standard measure at UTS, one academic year of full-time study is equivalent to 48 credit points.

cross-institutional study means single subject study undertaken at UTS by a student as part of an award course for which he or she is enrolled at another Australian university.

Dean means the appointed head of a faculty or other academic organisational unit with responsibility for the academic standing and overall leadership and management of the faculty or other unit.

Director, Governance Support Unit means the officer of the University reporting to the Registrar who has general responsibility for, amongst other things, the administration of matters being handled in accordance with Section 16 (Student Misconduct and Appeals).

Director, Student Administration Unit means the officer of the University reporting to the Registrar who has general responsibility for student administrative matters including, amongst other things, centrally conducted examinations.

Director, Student Services Unit means the officer of the University reporting to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Teaching, Learning and Equity) who has general responsibility for a range of support services for students including, amongst other things, student counselling services, student housing and student residences.

Doctoral degree means a course of study and research with a required entry level of a Masters by research degree, a Bachelor degree with First or Second Class Division 1 Honours or equivalent qualifications and/or experience and where the research component is at least two-thirds of the total course.

Doctoral degree by publication means a Doctoral degree awarded to established researchers who have a substantial reputation and standing in their respective fields on the basis of their record of academic publication.

enrolment means the process whereby a student who has been admitted to a course enrols in subjects or other assessable components, which includes the allocation of classes, tutorials etc where relevant or enrolment in time-based study where relevant, and completes other related administrative requirements as determined by the University.

equipment loan means a University asset borrowed by a student to meet specific teaching, learning or assessment requirements as specified in subject outlines provided to students, including but not limited to:

• laboratory/scientific – apparatus equipment;
• photographic/video/telecommunications/sound equipment;
• workshop equipment.

equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL) is a measure of the student load of a student undertaking a course on a full-time basis. At UTS for students enrolled in coursework programs, 1 EFTSL is equivalent to 48 credit points. (See also full-time student and part-time student.)

examination see centrally conducted examination, faculty-based examination, thesis examination.

examination periods means the official examination periods as approved by Academic Board for centrally conducted examinations and which are to be displayed in the University Calendar and other relevant official publications.

Examination Supervisor means a person appointed by the Director, Student Administration Unit to oversee and direct centrally conducted examinations. (See also Monitoring Staff Member.)

facility includes but is not limited to any classroom, lecture theatre, library, computing, production or workshop facility, any other place of learning or any information technology or information transfer system, to which a student has access at or away from University premises for his or her University purposes.

faculty means the group of academic, technical and administrative staff within specific academic disciplines with responsibility for curriculum, instruction, supervision and research within those disciplines.

faculty-based examination means an examination conducted by a faculty or other designated unit, and includes examinations for courses and subjects conducted offshore.

Faculty Board means the group of appointed and elected academic staff, technical and administrative staff and students who are charged with advising Academic Board, the Dean of the faculty and other senior officers of the faculty on matters pertaining to the educational work of the faculty, and with exercising such responsibilities and powers as are assigned to it by the University Council from time to time.

final subject assessment result means the mark, grade or result awarded for a subject as a whole (Also see assessment result).

form means an official form of the University used for student administrative purposes and includes forms in hardcopy print format, forms that are available electronically and forms that are part of online transaction processes utilising electronic systems.

full-time student means a student who is undertaking a student load considered to be full time.

The minimum full-time load is 75% of the standard full-time load. (See equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL).)

• Coursework students are considered to be full-time if their student load is equal to or greater than 36 credit points for a full academic year or equal to or greater than 18 credit points for a half year.
• Graduate research students are considered to be full-time if their student load is equal to or greater than 0.75 EFTSL for an academic year or equal to or greater than 0.375 for a half year. The normal load for a full-time graduate research student is 1.0 EFTSL for a full academic year and 0.5 EFTSL for a half year.

grading of awards means the recognition of different levels of academic achievement within specific course awards through the classification of the award.

graduand means a student who has satisfied the requirements for an academic award prior to the conferral of that award.

graduate means a person who has satisfied the requirements for an academic award and upon whom the award has been conferred.

Graduate Certificate means a course of study with a required entry standard of a Bachelor degree or equivalent qualifications and/or experience. Graduate Certificates normally require six months of full-time study and consist of coursework subjects.

Graduate Diploma means a course of study with a required entry standard of a Bachelor degree or equivalent qualifications and/or experience. Graduate Diplomas normally require one year of full-time study and consist of coursework subjects. Some Graduate Diplomas are completed concurrently with a Bachelor degree as part of a combined award.

graduate coursework student means a student enrolled in a Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma or Masters by coursework degree.

graduate research student means a student enrolled in a Masters degree by thesis or a Doctoral degree.

Higher Doctorate means an award of the University conferred upon candidates who have a significant academic connection with the University and whose scholarly works exhibit, among other things, a level of originality and creativity which marks them as a major authority in their field.

honorary award means an award of the University conferred upon a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the achievement of the University's mission, to scholarship or professional practice in one or more disciplines or professions of interest to the University, to the advancement of society in Australia or overseas or to the life and objectives of the University. Honorary awards may be in the form of either a Fellowship of the University or Doctoral degree taking account of the totality of the contributions being recognised.

intellectual property see the University policy on Intellectual Property.

international student means a student who is not a citizen or permanent resident of Australia and includes those who have student visas, provisional residency, temporary residency, bridging visas, etc.

leave of absence means a period of time in which a student who has been admitted to a course is permitted not to enrol in any subjects or, in the case of a graduate research student, not to continue with research study for a period of time. Students must seek approval for leave of absence.

Masters by coursework degree means a course of study at the Masters or Masters (Honours) level with a required entry standard of a Bachelor degree or equivalent qualifications and/or experience and which comprises coursework, project work and research in varying combinations and where any research component is less than two-thirds of the total course.

Masters by research degree means a course of study at the Masters or Masters (Honours) level with a required entry standard of a Bachelor degree or equivalent qualifications and/or experience and which comprises coursework, project work and research in varying combinations and where the research component is at least two-thirds of the total course.

misconduct can be either academic misconduct or non-academic misconduct. See Rule 16.2 (Student Misconduct and Appeals) for specific definitions.

Monitoring Staff Member means the officer of the University appointed by the Dean (or nominee) to oversee and direct faculty-based examinations. (Also see Examination Supervisor.)

nominee means the person or position identified by an officer of the University to undertake defined duties that are specified in the Rules as being the responsibility of that officer, and who, in undertaking those duties, will act as the agent of that officer of the University.

non-academic misconduct See Rule 16.2 (Student misconduct and appeals) for specific definitions.

non-award course means a program of study that does not lead to a formal award of the University. It may consist of single subjects that are normally taken as part of an award course. It may lead to recognition by a professional accreditation authority.

non-award student means a student enrolled in a non-award course (See course category.)

officer of the University means an employee or an authorised agent of the University.

official noticeboard means the physical noticeboard located on each campus and at each major precinct where official notices in printed form are displayed and the official UTS noticeboard web site where official notices are displayed in electronic form.

official publications of the University are defined pursuant to clause 46(2) of the By-law.

From time to time the Registrar shall designate the version of each official publication which is the authorised published version of the official publication (where 'published' means published in a form including electronic versions).

The official publications of the University shall be:

(a) the UTS Calendar as published from time to time;

(b) the UTS: Handbook as published from time to time.

part-time student means a student who is undertaking a student load considered to be less than full time (see equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL).)

Part-time load is load less than 75% of the standard full-time load.

• Coursework students are considered to be part-time if their student load is less than 36 credit points for a full academic year or less than 18 credit points for a half year.
• Graduate research students are considered to be part-time if their student load is less than 0.75 EFTSL for an academic year or less than 0.375 for a half year. The normal load for a part-time graduate research student is 0.66 EFTSL for a full academic year and 0.33 EFTSL for a half year.

plagiarism See Rule 16.2.2(3) (Student Misconduct and Appeals) for specific definition.

prescribed form means the official UTS form required by the University for specific purposes. (See form.)

professional accreditation authority means an external professional body authorised to assess and accredit qualifications required by that particular profession.

professional Doctorate means a program of study at Doctoral level which advances knowledge through scholarly engagement with the practice of a profession, industry or creative field.

recognition of prior learning means the process of recognising for credit towards a course what an individual student knows or can do, regardless of where or how the student may have acquired the knowledge or skills.

register means a formal or official collection of items of information in either hard copy or electronic form and which has been designated by the University as being for a specific and defined purpose.

Registrar means the senior officer of the University whose responsibilities include student administrative matters, centrally conducted examinations, student records and management of student information. Other officers of the University have authority to undertake certain duties specified in the Rules as being the Registrar's responsibility, and in doing so act as agents of the Registrar. On occasion documents are required to be lodged with the Registrar however the substantive decisions on the matters are made by other officers of the University. Forms, applications, other correspondence and communications that are required to be lodged with the Registrar can be directed by post to the Registrar or lodged at the UTS Student Centres.

Responsible Academic Officer (RAO) means a person appointed as such by the Vice-Chancellor or the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor on the advice of the Dean and such other persons as the Vice-Chancellor approves.

Result Ratification Committee (RRC) means a committee (or committees) established by each Faculty Board (a) to review final assessment results conducted in respect of course of the Faculty and (b) to approve the release and publication by the Registrar of final assessment results for subjects that are the responsibility of the Faculty.

special consideration is the term used when a student who is experiencing (or anticipates that he or she will experience) significant difficulty in meeting assessment requirements due to serious illness or psychological condition, loss or bereavement, hardship or trauma applies to have those factors considered in the determination of variation to assessment requirements or other special arrangements for learning and assessment.

student (unless defined otherwise and for specific purposes) means a person who has been admitted to an award course or a non-award course and has an active enrolment in subjects or time-based study in that course. A person is not a student if the person has:

• completed the requirements of the course; or
• withdrawn from the course; or
• withdrawn temporarily from the course for a period of at least one semester through approved leave of absence; or
• no active enrolment in subjects or in time-based study in a particular semester; or
• had their enrolment in the course discontinued, cancelled, suspended or terminated in accordance with the Rules; or
• been excluded from the course or from the University in accordance with the Rules.

Student Assessment Review Committee means a committee established by each Faculty Board to consider requests from students for review of final assessment results in particular subjects conducted by the faculty.

Study Abroad means a period of study (up to one year) which may be undertaken at the University by a student from a higher education institution outside Australia and that may be counted towards the requirements for an award at their home institution.

study mode identifies particular characteristics about the method of study for particular courses or subjects and includes: standard, cross institutional, exchange inbound, exchange outbound, industrial experience, non-award, offshore. (See also attendance mode.)

subject means a self-contained unit of study that is approved by a Faculty Board and is recognised as a component of an award course. A subject is normally allocated a specified number of credit points as a measure of the workload for that subject. (See also credit point.)

Subject Coordinator means a member of the academic staff nominated by Responsible Academic Officers and appointed by Faculty Boards for each subject in accordance with the Duties and Powers of Faculty Boards as approved by Council.

subject outline means an official document that represents the statement of subject requirements that is authoritative for both the University and the students undertaking the subject. It is prepared in accordance with the requirements specified by the Coursework Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual and may include, amongst other things, details of the minimum essential requirements necessary to pass the subject, material and equipment that may be taken into an examination and may prescribe attendance and/or participation requirements.

supervisory panel means the group of people appointed by the University Graduate School Board in accordance with the guidelines approved by Academic Board to supervise the candidature of a research degree student.

supplementary assessment means the process by which a Faculty may make provision for a student to undertake an additional assessment task within a specified time period if that student has been awarded a fail in their final teaching period and if that fail is within the borderline result range.

teaching period means a period of time approved by the University for the teaching and assessment of a subject. The official teaching periods are approved by the Vice-Chancellor on advice from Academic Board and are published as a schedule of approved teaching periods in appropriate official publications of the University.

testamur means the official certificate of the University that attests to a particular person having satisfied the requirements for and graduated from a particular award course of the University at a particular time.

thesis examination means the process used to assess the level of achievement in a thesis submitted as part or all of the requirements of a graduate research degree.

time-based study means the use of time as the basic measurement of the duration of a course or a subject. It is used primarily for graduate research degrees. The current standard time periods applicable to graduate research study are: half years and years.

undergraduate student means a student enrolled in a Bachelor degree or Bachelor (Honours) degree.

University means the University of Technology, Sydney; also referred to as UTS.

university means a university other than the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS).

University Graduate School Board means the body appointed by Academic Board to provide recommendations and advice on matters relating to research degrees, research management and training and policy.

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