Glossary of Terms

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

A

Academic Transcript - An official statement of a student's academic record in a course.

Admission - The result of acceptance of an offer of a place in a course by an applicant and payment of the prescribed fee. 

Articulated Course - An articulated course includes: 

An articulated course with multiple entry points is one in which the student may be admitted to either the higher or lower level course depending on the student's academic qualifications at the time of application for admission. 

An articulated course with a single entry point is one in which the student is admitted to the higher level course on the understanding that the student may exit with a lower level award. 

Assessment - The determination of a student's level of mastery of a subject. 

Associate Student - A fee paying student enrolled and assessed in a subject(s) but not proceeding to an award.

Audit Student - A fee paying student enrolled in, but not assessed in a subject.

Award - A degree, graduate diploma, graduate certificate, associate degree, diploma or associate diploma conferred by the University upon completion of a course or a program of research. 

Back to Top

B

Banner Database - The main database (computer system) used to record information about the students of CSU. The system is called Banner and is supplied by SunGard.

Bookmark - Using a World Wide Web browser, a bookmark is a saved link to a Web page that has been added to a list of saved links. When you are looking at a particular Web site or home page and want to be able to quickly get back to it later, you can create a bookmark for it. You can think of your browser as a book full of (millions of ) Web pages and a few well placed bookmarks that you have chosen. The list that contains your bookmarks is the "bookmark list" (and sometimes it's called a "hot list.")

Browser  - A software tool used to view the information on the internet eg. Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Back to Top

C

Campus - The location responsible for the control of courses and students. They may be alpha or numeric codes eg. 3 - Offshore Wagga, W - Wagga. 

Commencing Student - A student who has enrolled for the first time in a particular course. 

Compulsory subject - A subject which must be successfully completed, unless credit or subject substitution is granted, in order to qualify for an award. 

Conditions for Use - These are the Conditions for Use  that apply to your access along with the terms set out in the Code of Conduct.

Continuing Student - A student is a continuing student in a course if the student has been permitted to re-enrol and has met enrolment requirements in that course. 

Corequisite - If subject A is a corequisite of subject B then subject A must be studied in the same session as subject B, or have been passed in an earlier session. 

Course

leading to an award. 

Course Code - The code or program code that uniquely refers to a program of study. eg. 5414IT is the code for the Bachelor of Information Technology 

Course co-ordinator - A member of the academic staff of a Faculty appointed by the Dean, who is responsible to the Dean or if appointed the Sub-Dean, for academic administration matters relating to students enrolled in a course on a particular campus or in a particular mode. 

Course Reference Number (CRN) - CRN's are a simple and immediate way of representing a session offering, a  campus and a study mode, using a unique number. These unique identifying numbers are required to support the expanding trimester enrolments and to accommodate the new interactive  technologies such as IVR & WEB. Additional information on CRN's is available on the subject availability help page link below. The CRN range for a term is from 1 to 9999. The subject doesn't have the same CRN every term. 

Credit - A subject in which a student is not required to enrol thereby reducing the number of subjects needed to complete the course. 

Credit points - see "Subject Points". 

Cross enrolment student - A student of another tertiary institution enrolled and assessed in a subject(s) to be credited to an award of that institution.

Back to Top

D

Dean - The member of academic staff responsible for the management of a Faculty. 

Dean of the teaching Faculty - The Dean of the Faculty responsible for the academic content and teaching of a subject or the Dean of the Faculty responsible for supervising a candidate for a higher degree.

Director, Student Administration - The member of the University's staff responsible for student administration. 

Distance Education - A mode of study. Students study off campus using University study materials and are not required to attend regular lectures, tutorials, seminars, laboratory or practical classes but residential schools or other specific attendance's may be prescribed.

Distance education student - A student enrolled in all subjects in a session by distance education. The student may be enrolled in a normal full-time or part-time subject load.

Back to Top

E

Elective subject - A subject which may be included in a course, provided that the pre-requisites have been satisfied and that the structure of the course permits elective subjects. 

Enrolment - The process whereby a student is allocated a place in one or more subjects each session. It includes the payment of appropriate fees, completion of required documents and the signing of an agreement to abide by the By-law, regulations and rules of the University. 

Examination - A formal assessment conducted at a prescribed time by the University, not being a test or other form of assessment conducted by a subject co-ordinator or other member of the teaching staff. 

Exclusion - 

  1. pursuant to Exclusion Regulations - an enrolment status by which a student is not permitted to enrol in a course of the University for a specified period of time. A student may, however, apply for admission to another course or as an associate student if subject to exclusion for the first time. Exclusion for a second time from the same course/research program or exclusion from two courses or research programs results in an enrolment status by which a student is not permitted to enrol in any other course or research program at the University.
  2. pursuant to Assessment Regulation 5.4 - an enrolment status by which a student is not permitted to enrol in the University for a specified period of time, but may re-apply for admission after that period.

Exemption - This term is not used at Charles Sturt University. See "Subject Substitution" or "Credit".

Back to Top

F

Field of research - An area of research identified within the Australian Research Council's "Field of Research" Classification. 

Full-time student - A student enrolled in Autumn or Spring session subjects which amount to 75% or more of the normal full-time study load for a session.

Back to Top

G

Grades - A record of the level of assessment in subjects completed at the University.

Graduation - Conferral of an award by the University. 

Grievance - If you feel your enrolment has not been handled satisfactorily you should contact the manager of Student Administration at your Administrative Campus.

Back to Top

H

Handbook - The handbook outlines :

Head of School - The member of academic staff responsible for the management of a school. 

Head of the  teaching School - The Head of the School responsible for the academic content and teaching of a subject, or the Head of the School responsible for supervising a candidate for a higher degree. 

HECS - The Higher Education Contribution Scheme. 

Help - If you require further assistance contact the student systems manager (stdmgr@csu.edu.au) or your student administration contact.

Higher degree - An award at master or doctoral level. 

Back to Top

I

Internal Mode - Students attend classes during session at the University. 

Internal student - A student enrolled in all subjects in a session in the internal mode. An internal student is normally required to attend scheduled tuition during a session. 

Back to Top

L

Leave of absence - Permission to not enrol in a particular session. 

Liaison Officer - Is the officer within student administration appointed to look after your course. They provide assistance with any enrolment matter.

Link (Hyperlink) - Using hypertext, a link is a selectable connection from one word, picture, or information object to another. In a multimedia environment such as the World Wide Web, such objects can include sound and motion video sequences. The most common form of link is the highlighted word or picture that can be selected by the user (with a mouse or in some other fashion), resulting in the immediate delivery and view of another file. 

Back to Top

M

Major - Part of an undergraduate course comprising an approved sequence of subjects of 64 subject points or more. 

Minor - An approved sequence of subjects of 32-63 subject points. 

Mixed-mode student - A student enrolled in a session in at least one subject in the distance education mode and at least one subject in the internal mode. 

Modes of Study - There are 3 main modes of study :

Back to Top

N

Normal full-time subject load - Four 8 point subjects per session. 

Normal part-time subject load - Two 8 point subjects per session.

Back to Top

O

Optional subject - A subject which may, subject to course regulations and the satisfaction of prerequisites, be chosen from a specified group of subjects offered by the University. 

Back to Top

P

Page - On the World Wide Web, a page is a file notated with the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Usually, it contains text and specifications about where image or other multimedia files are to be placed when the page is displayed. You can think of a Web site as a book (albeit a hypertext kind of book rather than a sequentially arranged kind of book) that arrives a page at a time as you request each one. Each page is an individual HTML file with its own Web address (URL). The first page you usually request at a site is known as the home page. 

Part-time student - A student enrolled in Autumn or Spring session subjects which amount to less than 75% of the normal full-time study load for a session. 

Personal Space - A new application that enhances navigation of the University's online environment (ie. Internet environment), and represents the first step in making the CSU web site centred on you.

Personal Space brings together information such as individual finance balances, Internet statements, email information, transcripts and direct access to online subjects and forums, all into one location.

PIN - Personal Identification Number. This is used as your electronic signature when interacting with CSU electronically (eg. CSU Xpress Call).

Points - The numerical value assigned to a subject to reflect the relative weighting of the subject. A standard subject of one session duration is assigned 8 points. 

Postgraduate award - An award at graduate certificate, graduate diploma, master or doctoral level. 

Prerequisite - A set of conditions that must be met by a student before enrolment in a particular subject is permitted. 

Presiding  invigilator - A person appointed by the University to supervise the conduct of examinations on behalf of the University in accordance with the procedures determined by the University. 

Principal dates - The annual calendar of academic events approved by the Academic Senate.

Program Code - The code for a course or program of study eg 5414IT is the code for the Bachelor of Information Technology. See also "Course Code".

Back to Top

R

Rate Code - The code that drives the calculation of charges for the student within the Banner Student System.

Back to Top

S

Session - A prescribed teaching and assessment period. Sessions in an academic year include Summer session, Autumn session and Spring session. 

Session Code - A 6 Digit numeric code that is associated with a session of enrolment. eg. 200040 Relates to Autumn Session 2000 Additional information on terms is available on the subject availability help link below. Sometimes referred to as Term Codes.

Site Code - Within a campus assigned responsibility for the student, we can track groups of students studying at other locations. These other locations are referred to as sites eg. CA1 Canada.

Specialisation - Part of an undergraduate course which prepares students for employment in a particular profession or vocational area. It consists of an approved sequence of subjects of 64 subject points or more. 

Standard subject - An 8 point subject completed in one session. 

Student Administration Office - The administration unit at each campus which deals with all aspects of student administration for students enrolled at that campus. 

Sub-Dean - A member of the professoriate or a senior lecturer appointed by a Dean and responsible to the Dean for the academic administration of a course or group of courses. 

Subject - A segment of instruction approved by a Faculty as being a discrete part of the requirements for a course offered by the University and identified by a unique subject code. (see also Standard Subject).

Subject Code - A unique code associated with a particular unit of study. eg. ACC100 Accounting 1. From 4 - 28 subjects form a course or program of study.

Subject convenor - A member of the academic staff of a Faculty appointed by the Dean, who is responsible to the Head of School in which the Convenor is located, for co-ordinating the academic administration of a subject across all campuses and in all modes it is offered. 

Subject co-ordinator - A member of the academic staff of a Faculty appointed by the Head of the teaching School, who is responsible to the Head of the teaching School for the academic administration of a subject on a particular campus or in a particular mode.

Subject number - The subject number is a unique reference number for a subject offering. It consists of part of the term code and the CRN. For example, an offering in the term 200040 - Autumn 2000 the subject ACC100 is offered distance mode at Wagga Campus and the CRN is 125. The subject number for this subject would be 0040125. 

Subject substitution - Substitution of a subject for a compulsory subject in which the student can demonstrate competence. Unlike credit, subject substitution does not reduce the number of subjects required to complete the course.

Back to Top

T

Transcript - See "Academic Transcript". 

Term Code - A 6 Digit numeric code that is associated with a session of enrolment. eg. 200040 Relates to Autumn Session 2000 Additional information on terms is available on the subject availability help link below. Often referred to as Session Codes.

Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) - See "Universities Admission Index". 

Tutorial Mode - An internal study mode whereby students receive distance education materials and attend tutorials on campus as arranged by the subject co-ordinator.

Back to Top

U

Undergraduate award - An award at associate diploma, diploma, associate degree, bachelor or bachelor (honors) level. 

Units - See "Points". 

University Admission Index (UAI) - An Index calculated for NSW HSC school leavers which is used to determine their eligibility for admission to undergraduate courses. 

University - Means Charles Sturt University and where appropriate includes its former constituent colleges and institutes. 

University officer - An employee of the University. 

URL - Uniform Resource Locator. This is the unique address assigned to a page. It is constructed from the computer name that stores the information, the directory the file is located in and the file name. 

Back to Top

Additional Information on General Web Terminology is available at http://whatis.com/ (Note: This is not a CSU web page).