University of Southern Queensland

Definitions

Previously USQ Calendar Academic Regulations 5.1

Guideline

To provide definitions of terms used within Academic policies

All USQ Staff and Students

DVC Scholarship/Faculties and Centres

Definition (with examples if required)

A grouping of all academic work undertaken by a student that is grouped into a single student record. Academic Career groupings include undergraduate, postgraduate, non-award and research.

Academic misconduct includes plagiarism, cheating, collusion and failure to comply with test or examination instructions.

• Minor academic

Misconduct is defined to occur where the academic misconduct is manifest in less than five percent of a student’s response to an assessment item and where the academic misconduct is the student’s first offence. All other academic misconduct is defined to be major academic misconduct and is regarded seriously by the University.

• Plagiarism

The term “plagiarism” includes, but is not limited to, the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgement. Plagiarism is the action or attempt to take and use or present another person’s thoughts, writing, ideas or work as their own to gain or produce unfair advantage. A common example of plagiarism is knowingly using the whole or part of another work without citation. While it is recognised that scholarly work often involves reference to the ideas, data and conclusions of other scholars, intellectual honesty requires that such references be explicitly and clearly noted.

• Cheating

The term “cheating” includes, but is not limited to:

1. the use of any unauthorised assistance in taking oral or written tests, or examinations;

2. the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to the University, a member of its staff or a member of the student body;

3. providing or receiving information which is prejudicial to the fair conduct of the examination during the conduct of the examination;

4. tampering or attempting to tamper with any item used in the assessment of students;

5. failing to abide by directions from the examiner regarding the permitted level of collaboration between students on items submitted for assessment;

6. acquiring or attempting to acquire, possessing or distributing material not specifically authorised for use in the assessment process by the examiner in the course (unit) specification or on the front cover of the examination paper. Unauthorised material includes current examination question papers or part thereof in advance of the official distribution by the University to all examination candidates;

7. impersonating or attempting to impersonate another student in assessment activities.

8. transmission of information on the contents of an examination paper to another candidate who is still to sit that paper.

9. For the purposes of this definition, “unauthorised assistance” includes those methods of assistance not listed or not identified on the examination paper, or not otherwise specifically approved by the examiner.

• Collusion

Collusion is a specific type of cheating that occurs when two or more students fail to abide by directions from the examiner regarding the permitted level of collaboration between students on a piece of assessment. Identical layout, identical mistakes, identical argument and identical presentation in students’ responses to a piece of assessment are evidence of collusion.

• Failure to comply with test or examination instructions

Academic misconduct includes failure to comply with any instruction published in a test or examination paper or answer booklet or answer sheet, or with any authorised test or examination notice displayed in the test or examination room, or with any reasonable instruction given by an invigilator.

That part of an academic program which includes the majors or specialisations.

A program formally approved by the Council which leads to an academic award granted by the University and conferred by the Council. The specification for an academic program may consist of an academic plan, an academic sub-plan.

An area of further specialisation within an academic plan such as a minor, option or elective

An official statement detailing a student's academic record for the period of enrolment at the University. It includes details of all programs, listed in ascending academic level order (i.e. non-award, then undergraduate, then postgraduate, then research), grades achieved in courses (with courses listed in date order within programs), exemptions granted and graduation and course status details.

A period of time consisting of terms, semesters and teaching periods that all commence in the same calendar year.

The process of admitting applicants to a program of study

The term used prior to 2002 to describe Articulating Academic Programs.

Two or more programs constructed and accredited to allow credit obtained during the completion of one program to be transferred to the other program (s).

The process of evaluating the extent to which students have achieved the objectives of a course.

A piece of assessment, such as an assignment, examination, practical work, clinical experience and the like, that forms part of the assessment requirements for a course and that is contained on the course specification for that course.

A statement that lists each of the summative assessment items in a course and shows the course objectives to be assessed by each of those items, the weighting attached to each item and whether the item is to be marked or graded.

A piece of work allocated to students as part of the process of assessment for a course

The date by which external students must dispatch an assignment to the University and on-campus) students must hand in an assignment. This date will be stated in the course specification.

A degree, diploma or certificate conferred by the Council.

The term used prior to 2002 to describe an Academic Program.

The waiving of the requirement to complete one or more units in an academic program as a result of a student's prior studies in another program, work experience, or recognised prior learning. A block exemption may be granted for a single unit, or for one or more structural elements of a program (i.e. core, major study, minor study or elective). The award of a block exemption does not imply that a student has satisfied all of the requirements of one or more courses, or structural elements in a program.

The date in a semester upon which a student’s enrolment is taken to be finalised (unless otherwise advised). Tuition fee debts and SLE is consumed on enrolments in place as at the census date. Withdrawal after the census dates normally incurs an academic penalty (i.e. fail). All fees must be paid in full by the census date.

Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number. A unique identifier for each student that accesses Commonwealth assistance for higher education

The combination of a course, mode of instruction, campus and the year and teaching period in which it is offered. A single course may have multiple classes.

A closed examination is an examination where the candidates are allowed to bring only writing and drawing instruments into the examination.

A program combining two fields of study. This gives the student the opportunity to study a further discipline outside their major area of study.

Through one additional year, the student can graduate with a degree in two study areas. One award is granted encompassing two fields of study. Students receive one combined degree and one testamur.

A student who is a Commonwealth supported student in receipt of a HELP loan or a student who is in receipt of a Commonwealth Learning Scholarship.

Contributions that the Commonwealth makes towards the cost of a student’s education through the Commonwealth Grant Scheme.

A higher education place for which the Commonwealth makes a contribution towards the cost of the student’s education. Australian citizens, Australian Permanent Residents, holders of Australian Permanent Humanitarian visas and New Zealand citizens may be offered Commonwealth supported places.

A student who occupies a Commonwealth supported place.

A requirement for students to be enrolled in a designated USQ course in the same term as the student is enrolled in another course.

An element of an academic program, consisting of subject matter central to the achievement of the objectives of the program , which must be completed by all students in the program.

Any course designed principally to satisfy, in whole or in part, the core of an academic program.

The term used prior to 2002 to describe a Core Course.

The Council of the University of Southern Queensland.

The basic element of a program, defined by a course specification, for which a student may be awarded a grade. Prior to 2002 known as “unit”. The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) uses the term “unit” for what USQ calls a “course”.

The term used prior to 2002 to describe a Program.

The term used prior to 2002 to describe Program Credit.

The minimum aggregated EFTSL value of courses required to complete the program of study.

A written specification of the objectives, content, assessment methods, and other relevant details of a course.

A course team consists of the examiner and moderator of the course and any other people involved with the preparation, delivery and grading of the course.

The process whereby a course successfully completed by a student while registered in a program, which the student has not completed, is transferred for credit towards the completion of a different program.

The term used prior to 2002 to describe a Unit.

Assessment that is directly compared to pre-specified criteria derived from the course objectives.

A program of study comprising a course or a set of courses being undertaken with one provider (the host provider) as part of a program of study for which the student is enrolled with another provider (the home provider).

For the purposes of these policies and unless otherwise defined in a specific policy, the term “Dean” means the chief executive officer of the Faculty of Arts, Business, Education, Engineering and Surveying or Sciences. In these policies, any authority vested in a Dean may be delegated by the Dean to another person

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, a department of the Government of Australia responsible for various matters relating to higher education in Australia.

Approval granted to students who have accepted an offer of admission to a program for the first time to delay the commencement of enrolment for one academic year.

An assessment (assignment or examination) offered by the examiner of a course to students on the basis that they could not attend a scheduled examination or submit a scheduled assignment for medical reasons, family/personal reasons, or employment related reasons. In the situation where the examiner requires students to submit an assignment prior to the last date for submitting final grades for the course (unit), an extension should be granted rather than a deferral.

A student who is an Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen or the holder of a permanent visa.

Two individually approved programs undertaken concurrently. The requirements for each program and major or specialisation must be completed but by cross recognition of courses and content between the two programs the two degrees can be completed more quickly if the necessary program structure is determined from the outset. Students receive two degrees and two testamurs.

An equivalent Full-Time Student Unit (EFTSL) is a measure of the workload for students undertaking a full year of study in a particular year. At this University, 1 EFTSL is equal to 8 units.

An element of an academic program consisting of a course or courses which students may choose to study as part of a program.

A term used prior to 2002 to describe an Enabling Program.

A program for disadvantaged students which meets Commonwealth guidelines for such programs and from which successful completion leads to automatic admission into an academic program of the University.

The process of admitting students to one or more courses for the current academic year.

A requirement that must be satisfied by a student before the student can enrol in a particular course. It is possible to have pre-requisite requirements, co-requisite requirements or other requirements.

In these policies, an examination is an assessment item, taken under specified conditions, at the end of the offer of a course.

A University staff member appointed by a Dean to be responsible for the conduct and assessment of a course in accordance with the prescribed course specification.

An examiner is appointed for each class. The Dean is the Chief Examiner for all courses offered by a Faculty.

The reciprocal exchange of a domestic student with an overseas student, which is covered by a formal agreement between the Australian higher education provider and an overseas higher education institution that allows both students to pay for their study under whatever regime applies to them at their home institution.

Prohibition from enrolling in a course or a program for a specified period.

The waiving of the requirement to complete one or more courses) in an academic program as a result of a student’s prior studies in another program, work experience or recognised prior learning.

Courses , the offer of which involve arrangements whereby lesson materials, assignments, etc are delivered to students, either by post or courier service or via the Internet, and for which any associated attendance at the University is of an incidental, irregular, special or voluntary nature are classified as external courses.

It is abbreviated as EXT

A term used prior to 2002 to describe an External Course.

Failure to cite is when students inadvertently fail to indicate, through referencing in their submitted assessment work, that another person’s thoughts, writing, ideas or work are not their own. While it is recognised that scholarly work often involves reference to the ideas, data and conclusions of other scholars, intellectual honesty requires that such references be explicitly and clearly noted.

A place that is occupied by a fee-paying student. Fee-paying places are not subsidized by the Commonwealth government, and students in fee-paying places are charged the full cost of the course.

Assessment that is designed to assist students in monitoring their progress through a course, but which does not contribute towards the final grade for that course.

Enrolment in courses with a combined workload of 6 units (.75 EFTSL) or more in any one academic year shall be deemed to be full-time study.

A grade may be of three types; final, temporary or administrative.

A final grade is the student’s final assessed level of achievement of the objectives of a course.

A temporary grade is assigned to signify that all the requirements of the course have not been met.

An administrative grade is assigned for administrative purposes

The numerical value assigned to a final grade to allow calculation of a Grade Point Average.

The average of the numerical value of all final grades, except P and SP, obtained by students in all graded courses accredited towards an academic program, weighted by the unit value of each of those courses.

Courses for which exemptions have been granted will not be used in the calculation of a GPA, but courses transferred for credit will be included.

A student whom the Dean has certified as having completed all the requirements of an academic program but upon whom Council has not yet conferred that award.

A student whom the Vice-Chancellor has certified as having completed all the requirements of an academic program and on whom Council has conferred that award.

An academic staff member responsible for the administration of the course offerings in one or more discipline areas. In some Faculties the term Head of Discipline is used. In these policies Head of Department includes Head of Discipline.

An electronic information system that will provide students and higher education providers with a range of relevant information, such as the availability and usage of commonwealth assistance by students.

A loan programme to help eligible students pay student contributions (HECSHELP), direct tuition fees (FEE-HELP) and overseas study expenses (OS-HELP).

A university or other higher education institution.

The consent a student must provide at time of application for a university place to be considered for a Commonwealth Supported place. This consent allows the university to send personal information about the student to DEEWR, and obtain a CHESSN, thus making the student eligible to receive a Commonwealth supported place.

A term used prior to 2002 to describe an On-campus Course.

The tuition fees charged to international students for enrolment in a USQ course.

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.

Approval granted to a continuing registered student to cease formal study as an enrolled student for a specified period of time, normally one academic year.

The stage of a program specified for completion during the equivalent of a single academic year of full-time study.

An element of an academic program consisting of a set of designated courses, from a recognised discipline area and, if appropriate, supporting courses from other discipline areas, which form a significant part of an academic program. The minimum size of each major study will be determined by the Academic Board.

An indication of mastery or non-mastery of an assessment task that takes the form of a numerical value.

An element of an academic program consisting of a set of designated courses designed to provide students with an area of knowledge and skills that contribute to or complement the major study. Such courses may be drawn from a recognised discipline area or may transcend traditional discipline boundaries.

A person appointed by the Dean to ensure that assessment instruments and their use are appropriate in determining if students have achieved the stated objectives of a course. The duties of the moderator include review and endorsement of the course specification, assessment instruments and grading of students and, as required, involvement in appeals.

A term used prior to 2002 to describe a Non-Award Program.

An academic program which does not lead to an award and which comprises a

course or courses of study which:

• are from an academic program or programs at the University; and

• are able to be counted as credit towards some academic program at the

University by all students who complete the course or courses of study.

Courses, the offer of which involve attendance at the University on a regular basis are classified as on-campus courses. The usual abbreviation is ONC.

Courses in which the instruction, communication among academic staff and students, submission of assignments and feedback is offered mainly through the Internet. The usual abbreviation is WEB. Online Unit The term used prior to 2002 to describe an Online Course.

An open examination is one in which candidates may have access to any printed or written material and a calculator during the examination.

Any other requirements that students must satisfy before they can enrol in a course.

A student who is not a domestic student.

Enrolment in less than .75 EFTSL in any year shall be deemed to be part-time study.

A Point Equivalence is used when pieces of assessment are graded rather than marked. Point Equivalences are numerical values that are linked to the grades assigned to pieces of assessment. The final grades of students enrolled in courses where assessment items are graded are calculated by combining these point equivalences with the weightings attached to those pieces of assessment.

A requirement for students to have a passing grade for a designated USQ course prior to enrolling in another course.

A program of study consisting of one or more courses. The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) uses the term “course” for what USQ calls a “program”.

Credit towards a program may be gained by:

1. completing the courses in the program; and/or

2. gaining exemptions; and/or

3. course transfer.

The Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre or, for the purposes of these regulations, any other approved admissions centre.

A recommendation that students have a passing grade for a designated USQ course prior to enrolling in another course. The University accepts no liability if students fail a course and they have not completed the recommended prior study.

Post Any method of communication used by the University that enables verification of the date of its receipt by students.

A student who has been offered, and has accepted, a place in a program of the University.

The RTS provides Commonwealth-funded higher degree by research (HDR) students with an ‘entitlement’ to an exemption from the student contribution (formerly called HECS fee) for the duration of an accredited HDR program

A restricted examination is an examination where only those materials specified in the examination paper are permitted during the examination.

One of the principal terms or teaching periods of the academic year. Each semester shall have a minimum teaching period of 12 weeks.

An entitlement that gives eligible students access to a Commonwealth supported place.

The student contribution that a Commonwealth supported student pays for a specific course of study.

Any assessment item (assignment or examination) used in the determination of a student’s final grade. Where a summative assessment item is used only to determine whether or not a student is eligible to be given a passing grade, the weighting allocated to the item must be zero.

An assignment or examination offered to students who have undertaken all the required assessments in that course, but have not demonstrated satisfactory levels of achievement in all of the objectives considered as essential for passing the course.

An examination offered to students who have undertaken all the required assessments in that course but have not demonstrated satisfactory levels of achievements in all of the objectives considered as essential for passing the course.

The term used prior to 2002 to describe a Term.

The period of time during which instruction is provided or learning is undertaken and assessment is carried out, as defined in the current University Handbook. The first term of the year will be known as Semester 1, the second term as Semester 2, and the third term as Semester 3.

A certificate issued by the Council of the University to signify that a student has satisfied the requirements of a specific program and has graduated.

Fees charged to non-Commonwealth supported students for enrolment in a course.

USQ uses the term “tuition/direct fees”.

A tuition fee charged to domestic or international students if they are admitted into a program in a place not supported by the Australian government. Direct fee students incur the full cost of the place, with no contribution from the Commonwealth government.

A domestic student who is not Commonwealth supported for a course of study.

Tuition/fee-paying students pay tuition fees. Fee-paying students are also known as “non-Commonwealth supported students”.

A measure of the workload for a student. One unit represents 165 hours ± 10 hours of prescribed student workload.

The term used prior to 2002 to describe a Course.

The term used prior to 2002 to describe a Class.

The term used prior to 2002 to describe a Course Specification.

The term used prior to 2002 to describe a Course Transfer.

The term “University” or “USQ” means the University of Southern Queensland

The weighting of an assessment item is the percentage that the item contributes to the calculation of the final grade of a student.

The weighting of a topic in a course is an indication of the percentage of the total workload for the course that the students should allocate to that topic.

USQ Council

Academic Board/Program and Policy Committee

DVC Scholarship Division/Faculties and Centres

1. Program and Policy Committee

2. PVC Program

3. PVC Student Management

1. USQ Council

2. Academic Board

3. Program and Policy Committee

4. DVC Scholarship

5. PVC Program

Approve policy

Endorse policy

Endorse policy and approve procedure

Endorse policy and endorse procedure

TBA

Goal 3/Objective 1

TBA

TBA

Student/Academic

2009-09-01

2009-04-01

2011-04-01

2011-04-01

Public

Academic definitions

Approved