Definitions

ABS: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Academic Portfolio: In 2004, RMIT University restructured its seven faculties into three portfolios: Business, Design and Social Context and Science, Engineering and Technology.

AFP: Australian Fee Paying

APL: Assessed Prior Learning

AQF: Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is the qualification category of major program used for Vocational Education & Training (VET). For the purpose of the statistics in this site, the following are grouped as:

• AQF 5-6 refers to Diploma or higher

• AQF 3-4 refers to both Certificate III or Equivalent, and Certificate IV or Equivalent

• AQF 1-2 refers to the following: Certificate II, Certificate I, Level unknown

Senior secondary, other recognised programs, Module only, and Non Award Programs.

ATN: The Australian Technology Network (ATN) is a coalition of five large universities (RMIT University, Curtin University of Technology, University of South Australia, University of Technology Sydney and Queensland University of Technology) across Australia that shares a distinction of collaborating and working with industry and technology to deliver career-driven programs in all disciplines.

ATO: Australian Taxation Office

Census Date: The date on which a student's enrolment is taken to be finalised. HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP debts are incurred and SLE is consumed on census dates. Students must make their up-front payments and submit their request/s for Commonwealth assistance by the census date. [DEST, 2005]

CGS: Commonwealth Grants Scheme

COG: Commonwealth Operating Grant

Course Code: A code which identifies a course.

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

A program 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 (e.g. BA/LLb). In such cases the program completion is for the program 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 program which normally leads to a single award, and then resumes studies of the combined program in the next year, a program completion does not occur.

Where a combined program automatically leads to two separate awards, a program completion only occurs when the requirements of both awards have been satisfied. The completion, therefore, would be for the combined program only (and not two separate completions for two awards). [DEST, 2005]

Disability: The University defines "disability" in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. It includes broad categories such as: Hearing impairment, Vision impairment, Learning disabilities, Mobility disabilities, Psychiatric disabilities or Medical conditions. The disability can be temporary or permanent and can be of different levels of severity. Disability is indicated by student's response on the enrolment form.

Domestic Student: A student who is an Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen or the holder of a permanent visa. [DEST, 2005]

Full-time/Part-time: Attendance is classified by the Higher Education Provider 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. [DEST, 2005]

Also referred to as either Program Load (previously by Course Load) or Attendance Load.

GOVOPGR: Government Operating Grant

Internal/External: A classification of the manner in which a student is undertaking a unit of study:

Internal Mode of Attendance

• unit of study for which the student is enrolled and is undertaken through attendance at the Higher Education Provider on a regular basis; or
• where the student is undertaking a higher degree unit of study for which regular attendance is not required, but attends the higher education provider on an agreed schedule for the purposes of supervision and/or instruction.

External Mode of Attendance

• unit of study for which the student is enrolled involves special arrangements whereby lesson materials, assignments, etc. are delivered to the student, and any associated attendance at the institution is of an incidental, irregular, special or voluntary nature.

Multi-modal Mode of Attendance

• a unit of study is undertaken partially on an internal mode of attendance and partially on an external mode of attendance. [DEST, 2005]

INTOFFSH: International Offshore

INTONSH: International Onshore

M (C): Masters by Coursework

M (R): Masters by Research

MLCR: Module Load Completion Rate

OPIS: Online Planning and Information Service (OPIS) contains detailed management information for RMIT staff on student enrolments, taught load, profile, program performance indicators, VTAC applications data, and other summary and interesting statistics for both Higher Education and VET sectors by program and course. OPIS is being maintained by RMIT Statistics and Reporting Unit (SRU).

Overseas Student: Any student who is not a domestic student. [DEST, 2005]

PAR: Program Annual Reporting

Part-time: Please refer Full-time/Part-time.

PGO: Positive Graduate Outcomes

PGRD: Postgraduate

Pocket Statistics: Pocket Statistics are published as a pocket sized booklet. Information include a glance of RMIT, student enrolments, diversity and outcomes, and staff function.

Program Code: The code that identifies a specific program.

Program Title: The name of the academic program that students are enrolled in. For example, Bachelor of Business (Management).

RFW: Research Fee Waived

RSCH: Research

SES: Socio-economic Status

SLPR: Student Load Progress Rate

SRU: Statistics and Reporting Unit

TAFE Course: A program of study which the responsible authority for a State or Territory deems to be a technical and further education course. [DEST, 2005]

TER: Tertiary Entrance Rank

UGRD: Undergraduate

UPR: University Program

WI: Withdrawn Inactive