|
Return
to: |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
Edition:
25 November 2000
(I) GLOSSARY
Effective registration for a course
Effective registration for a qualification
Full‑time equivalent staff member
Permanent/temporary employment status
Qualification requirement status
An area of specialisation is a field of study (as defined through the 2nd level of the Classification of Education Subject Matter or CESM classification) in which a student intends to specialise in his/her program of studies for a particular qualification.
A student may intend to specialise in more than one field, and therefore can have more than one area of specialisation.
Areas of specialisation are sometimes referred to as "majors" or "major subjects" or “major fields of study”.
The area of specialisation is determined at the beginning of each academic year when a student either registers or re-registers for a qualification.
See "Course delivery mode".
See "Effective registration in a course".
The collection year for the student collection is the calendar year 1 January to 31 December of the year in which the first submission files are normally provided to the Department of Education.
The collection year for the staff collection is the calendar year 1 January to 31 December in the year prior to provision of data to the Department of Education.
See "Course delivery mode".
A course is a component within a programme of study for a qualification. It has these characteristics:
(a) It is an identifiable teaching/learning component that may be undertaken in more than a year, in a year or semester or shorter period.
(b) Student performance in the component is assessed and recorded in the central record system.
(c) The component has a unique identifying "course code" which is assigned to it in the institution's central record system.
A course may be a component undertaken as coursework, or as a project, or as a thesis, or as a dissertation, or as a practicum, or as a mixture of such types.
The course approval status of a course is either approved or not approved:
Approved: the course is one which appears in at least one curriculum for a qualification and an area of specialisation, which have both been approved by the Minister of Education for subsidy purposes
Not approved: the course is one which does not appear in any curriculum for a qualification and area of specialisation which have both been approved by the Minister of Education.
The mode of a course describes the method of delivery of teaching/learning:
Contact mode: The course involves personal interaction with institutional teachers or institutional supervisors, through lectures, tutorials, seminars, practicals, supervision, or other forms of required work, and occurs at the institution's premises or a site of the institution.
Distance mode: The interaction with institutional teachers or institutional supervisors is undertaken through "distance education" techniques (eg through the use correspondence, telematics, or the internet).
Mixed mode: the interaction with institutional teachers or institutional supervisors is undertaken through a mixture of contact and distance modes.
Some "distance education" courses involve a student undertaking most of his/her studies through distance mode but he/she is also required to attend intensive short sessions at an institution's site. Such courses are to be treated as "mixed mode".
Where a course involves mainly a thesis, dissertation, research project, other project or a practicum, the attendance mode relates to the mode through which the student interacts with institutional teachers or supervisors. While a student may be undertaking research work, project work or a practicum away from an institution's premises, and may be given guidance by a person other than his/her institutional teachers or supervisors, this does not in itself mean that the course is being undertaken by distance mode.
This is the student's status in terms of
the completion of a course, as determined at a particular point of time, taking into
account all examination information which is available at that time.
If the data are
reported in the second submission, the date at which the status is to be
determined is 31 March of the year after the reporting period.
If the data are reported in the third submission, the date at which the status is to be determined is 30 June of the year after the reporting period.
See "Course delivery mode".
The credit value of a course is the fraction which it constitutes of a full-time curriculum in a year of study of a specific qualification.
The credit value for a course may vary depending on the qualification for which it is being undertaken by a student.
The method for calculating credit values in universities is explained in Section J of this documentation. It should be noted that the procedures in that appendix vary from the method used in 1998 for the SAPSE tables in the following respects:
The calculation for year n of credit values for courses which appear in the curricula of undergraduate qualifications and for courses which appear in the non-research curricula of postgraduate qualifications must be based on the curricula of students completing all the requirements for the qualification in year n-1. The previous requirement that the curricula analysed be that of the qualifiers of year n no longer applies.
The calculation for year n of the credit values of courses which appear in the research curricula of postgraduate qualifications must be based on the average number of years taken by students completing the requirements of the qualification in years n-1, n-2 and n-3. The previous requirement that this average be that for years n, n-1 and n-2 no longer applies.
For the time being, the credit values for technikon courses will be as specified in SAPSE report 151. In future collections, the method for calculating credit values in technikons may be changed along the lines of those to be used in universities.
This classification of a course is based on an assessment of the intended level of complexity of the material associated with the course or the level of comprehension required of students taking the course. Course level categories are not dependent on the year of study of the curriculum in which courses to be classified appear.
For university courses, the following levels apply:
Pre-tertiary: courses usually associated with secondary school or lower offerings.
Lower undergraduate: courses which require a level of comprehension normally associated only with undergraduate diplomas or certificates.
Intermediate undergraduate: courses which require a level of comprehension normally associated with a general academic first bachelor’s degree.
Higher undergraduate: courses which require a level of comprehension normally associated with the fourth or subsequent years of a professional first bachelor’s degree.
Preparatory postgraduate: postgraduate courses which require a level of comprehension normally associated with general academic first bachelor’s degrees or with undergraduate diplomas or certificates.
Lower postgraduate: courses which require a level of comprehension normally associated with honours degrees.
Intermediate postgraduate (non-research): courses offered at a level of comprehension normally associated with masters degrees and which are not part of a research project.
Intermediate postgraduate (research): research courses at a level of comprehension normally associated with masters degrees.
Higher postgraduate (non-research): non-research courses offered at a level of comprehension normally associated with a doctoral degree.
Higher postgraduate (research): research courses at a level of comprehension normally associated with a doctoral degree.
For technikon courses, the following levels apply:
Pre-tertiary: courses usually related to secondary school or lower offerings.
Lower prediplomate (level 1): first year higher education courses at the level of comprehension of a national certificate.
Lower prediplomate (level 2): second year higher education courses at the level of comprehension of a national higher certificate and for which a level 1 course is a pre-requisite.
Intermediate prediplomate (level 3): third year higher education courses for which a level 2 course is a pre-requisite.
Preparatory postdiplomate (level 4): courses for which a first diploma is a minimum entry requirement.
Lower postdiplomate (level 4): fourth year higher education courses for which a level 3 course is a pre-requisite.
Higher undergraduate (level 4): fourth year higher education courses for which a level 3 course is a pre-requisite.
Intermediate postdiplomate or postgraduate (non-research) (level 5): fifth year higher education non-research courses for which a level 4 course is a pre-requisite.
Intermediate postdiplomate or postgraduate (research) (level 5): fifth year higher education research courses for which a level 4 course is a pre-requisite.
Higher postdiplomate or postgraduate (non-research) (level 7): seventh year higher education courses for which a level 5 course is a pre-requisite.
Higher postdiplomate or postgraduate (research) (level 7): seventh year higher education research courses for which a level 5 course is a pre-requisite.
See "Course delivery mode".
EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION FOR A COURSE
An effective registration by a student for a course exists when all these criteria have been met:
(a) On a course census date determined by the institution, the course is an approved component of the student's approved curriculum.
(b) On that course census date the student is still entitled to be undertaking the course, has not officially withdrawn from the course and has not been officially excluded from the course.
(c) The course census date lies within a set period:
the start date for the set period is first teaching day for the course plus 1/3 of the number of teaching days in the course, and
the end date for the set period is the first teaching day for the course plus 2/3 of the number of teaching days in the course.
EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION FOR A QUALIFICATION
An effective registration by a person for a qualification at the institution exists when all these criteria have been met:
(a) The person satisfies the statutory entry requirements for admission to a formally approved qualification offered by the institution.
(b) At 1 January of the Collection Year the person was officially enrolled in the qualification, or during the period 1 January through 31 December of the collection year the person became officially enrolled in the qualification.
(c) During the period 1 January through 31 December of the Collection Year the person was effectively registered in at least one course which is a part of the curriculum for the qualification.
Conditions of registration are determined by the institution.
The employment commencement year is the year in which a staff member commenced working at the institution (as defined in this glossary) for his/her most recent period of unbroken period of employment, regardless of staff rank or employment status (permanent/temporary status, full-time/part-time status).
See "Permanent/temporay employment status"..
This classifies the status of a person in terms of prior qualifications and experience at the institution and elsewhere:
(a) First-time entering student: this is a person who is of either of these types:
First time entering undergraduate or prediplomate: The person (a) is effectively registered in the collection period for an undergraduate or prediplomate course and (b) in the past has not been effectively registered in any higher education course at the institution or any other higher education institution.
First-time entering postgraduate or postdiplomate: The person (a) is effectively registered in the collection period for a postgraduate or postdiploma course and (b) in the past has not been effectively registered for a postgraduate or postdiploma course at the institution or at any other higher education institution.
(b) Transfer student: this is a person who is of either of these types:
Transfer undergraduate or prediplomate: The person: (a) is effectively registered in the reporting period for an undergraduate or prediplomate course, (b) has not at any time in the past been effectively registered at the institution for any higher education course, but (c) has at some time in the past been effectively registered for a higher education course at some other higher education institution.
Transfer postgraduate or postdiplomate: The person: (a) is effectively registered in the reporting period for a postgraduate or postdiploma course and (b) has not been effectively registered for a postgraduate or postdiploma course at the institution, but (c) at some time in the past has been effectively registered for a postgraduate or postdiploma course at some other institution.
(c) Entering student: this is a person who is of either of these types:
Entering undergraduate or prediplomate: The person: (a) is effectively registered in the reporting period for an undergraduate qualification, (b) has been effectively registered at some time in the past at the institution for some higher education course, but (c) is now effectively registered for a qualification which he/she has not followed at any time in the past at the institution.
Entering postgraduate or postdiplomate: The person: (a) is effectively registered in the reporting period for a postgraduate degree or postgraduate diploma or postdiploma diploma, (b) has been effectively registered at some time in the past at the institution for some higher education course, but (c) is following a qualification for which he/she has not been effectively registered at any time in the past at the institution.
(d) Non-entering student: this is a person who is of either of these types:
Non-entering undergraduate or prediplomate: The person: (a) is effectively registered in the reporting period for an undergraduate or prediplomate qualification, and (b) is effectively registered for a qualification for which he/she was previously effectively registered at the institution.
Non-entering postgraduate or postdiplomate: The person: (a) is effectively registered for a postgraduate degree or postgraduate diploma or postdiploma diploma, and (b) has been effectively registered at some time in the past at the institution for that qualification.
An organisation, agency or company which is neither (a) a part of the university or technikon in a legal sense, nor (b) a related entity (as defined in this glossary).
See "Full-time equivalent staff member".
FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT STAFF MEMBER
A full-time equivalent (FTE) staff member is equivalent to a staff member who works at the institution for a full year on a full-time basis.
If a staff member undertakes work on a number of programmes, the FTE value reported in respect of each programme would be less than 1,0. However, for a staff member who works for a full year on a full-time basis, the FTE values aggregated across all the programmes worked on would normally be 1,0.
The FTE value reported for a staff member aggregated across all the programmes worked on will be less than 1,0 in the following circumstances:
(a) The staff member had a part-time employment status. In such circumstances, the FTE value will be an appropriate proportion of 1,0.
(b) The staff member had a full-time employment status for less than the full collection year (e.g. he/she commenced after the start of the collection year or left before the end of the collection year).
(c) The staff member took unpaid leave for part of the collection year.
(d) The staff member was absent for part of the collection year on a secondment to an external organisation (as defined in this glossary) which was funded by the external organisation. (If the secondment was funded by the institution, then the FTE value relating to the secondment is to be counted is if the person was working in the institution or related entity.)
(e) The staff member had a joint appointment. In this case, the FTE value to be reported by the institution is only that part which relates to the work undertaken for the institution.
The following types of absences are NOT to be taken as reducing the FTE value for a staff member: sick leave, long leave, sabbatical leave, maternity leave, study leave, military leave, and secondments funded by the institution. Irrespective of the length of such absences, the FTE value for a staff member who is employed for a full year on a full-time basis would be equal to 1,0.
The calculation of an FTE value is NOT to have regard for the amount of "overtime" incurred or teaching load.
If a staff member has a number of separate contractual appointments within the institution, it may be possible for the FTE aggregated across those appointments to exceed 1.0, but this would be an exceptional event.
The full-time/part-time status of a staff member is determined by the institution in accordance with its contractual requirements for employment.
See "Staff programme".
For the purposes of the staff collection, "institution" refers to the university or technikon plus any "related entity" (as defined in this glossary).
This is the housing stock which is under the control of the institutional council. It includes the student housing owned or leased by the institution, into which it places students under conditions and/or rules approved by the institutional council.
A joint appointment is one that involves a person being a staff member of the institution and at the same time being a staff member of another entity which is not controlled by the institution. These appointments are normally implemented through terms of a partnership agreement between the institution and the other entity. Examples of such other entities are hospitals and other higher education institutions.
Minimum number of study years approved by the Minister of Education for a qualification of a university or a technikon:
Minimum total time: the minimum total of years of study required for the completion of the qualification.
Minimum experiential time: the minimum total of years of study required to complete the experiential learning components of the qualification.
Minimum formal time: the minimum total time less minimum experiential time.
Some examples of the approved minimum study times of qualifications:
|
Degree |
Minimum total time (years) |
Minimum experiential time (years) |
Minimum formal time (years) |
|
BA |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
BA (Ed.) |
4 |
0 |
4 |
|
MBChB |
6 |
1.1 |
4.9 |
|
BArch |
6 |
1 |
5 |
|
MA (Clinical Psychology) |
2 |
1 |
1 |
See "Course delivery mode".
This is the status which a student has in relation to the national student financial aid scheme
run by TEFSA. The eligibility criteria are those set by the institution with the approval of TEFSA. The award decision is that taken by the institution itself.
This is a person who satisfies the statutory requirements for entry into a formally approved qualification offered by the institution, who is effectively registered for an approved course, but who is not registered for an approved qualification.
PERMANENT/TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT STATUS
A person is a permanent staff member if he/she contributes to an approved retirement fund of the institution.
All other persons are to be classified as having temporary employment status.
The personnel category indicates the type of duties to be undertaken in a position which a staff member currently occupies in the institution, and the qualifications and experience normally required by the incumbent of that position. The duties, qualifications and experience referred to relate to those of the position, not to the duties, qualifications and experience of the staff member who is actually occupying the position.
The personnel categories are:
Instruction/research professional: A position in which (a) at least 50% of time is spent on instruction and/or research activities, and (b) the position requires a higher education qualification equivalent to at least 4 years of higher education study.
Executive/administrative/managerial professional: A position in which (a) the primary function is the management of the institution or one of its major divisions or sections, and (b) the position requires an educational attainment equivalent to at least 4 years of higher education study.
Specialist/support professional: A position in which (a) there are no major managerial responsibilities and (b) the primary function is the provision of academic or institutional or student support services, and (c) the position requires an educational attainment equivalent to at least 4 years of higher education study.
Technical: A position in which (a) the primary function is undertaking technical duties (mainly in laboratories), and (b) the position requires a qualification equivalent to three years of higher education study (e.g. a 3-year diploma from a technikon or a 3-year bachelors degree).
Nonprofessional administration: A position in which (a) the primary function is clerical, secretarial or administrative duties, and (b) an educational attainment equivalent to 4 years of higher education study is NOT required.
Crafts/trades: A position in which the primary function is manually skilled activities in a craft or trade.
Service: A position in which the primary function is unskilled activities.
See Staff programme.
A qualification is the degree, diploma or certificate which an institution awards to a student on the successful completion of a programme of studies.
Qualifications are placed in 2 categories:
Approved: those approved by the Minister of Education for government subsidy purposes.
Not approved: those not approved by the Minister of Education for government subsidy purposes
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT STATUS
This is a student's status in terms of the completion of all the academic requirements for a qualification, as determined at a particular point of time, taking into account all examination information and other relevant information which is available at that time.
If the data are reported in the second submission, the date at which the status is to be determined is 15 March of the year after the reporting period.
If the data are reported in the third submission, the date at which the status is to be determined is 30 June of the year after the reporting period.
The qualifications of universities are classified in the following ways:
University undergraduate certificate: a qualification which has a minimum duration of less than 3 years and which does not have a bachelor’s degree or diploma as an entry requirement
University undergraduate diploma: a qualification which normally has a minimum duration of 3 years and has a grade 12 pass or equivalent as a minimum entry requirement.
General academic first bachelor’s degree: a qualification which has a minimum duration of 3 years and which has a grade 12 pass with matriculation exemption as a minimum entry requirement.
Professional first bachelor’s degree: a qualification which has a minimum duration of 4 or more years and which has a grade 12 pass with matriculation exemption as a minimum entry requirement.
Postdiploma diploma: a qualification which has either a university or a technikon diploma as a minimum entry requirement and which has a minimum duration of 1 year.
Postgraduate certificate: a qualification which has a bachelor’s degree as a minimum entry requirement and which has a minimum duration of 1 year or less.
Postgraduate diploma: a qualification which has a first bachelor’s degree as a minimum entry requirement and which has a minimum duration of 1 year.
Postgraduate bachelor’s degree: a qualification which has a first bachelor’s degree as a minimum entry requirement and has a minimum duration of either 1 or 2 years.
Honours degree: a qualification which has a first bachelor’s degree as a minimum entry requirement and has a minimum duration of 1 year.
Master’s degree: a qualification which has either a first bachelor’s degree or an honours degree as a minimum entry requirement, which is of a level higher than that of an honours degree and which has a minimum duration of 1 year.
Doctoral degree: a qualification which has either an honours or master’s degree as a minimum entry requirement, which is of a level higher than a master’s degree and which has a minimum duration of 2 years.
The qualifications of technikons are classified in the following ways:
National certificate: a qualification which has a grade 12 pass as a minimum entry requirement and which has a minimum duration of 1 year.
National higher certificate: a qualification which has (a) a minimum duration of 2 years with a grade 12 pass as a minimum entry requirement or (b) a minimum duration of 1 year with a national certificate as a minimum entry requirement.
National diploma: a qualification which has (a) a minimum duration of 3 years with a grade 12 pass as a minimum entry requirement or (b) a minimum duration of 1 year with a national higher certificate as a minimum entry requirement.
Postdiploma diploma: a qualification which has a national diploma as a minimum entry requirement and a minimum duration of 1 year.
National higher diploma: a qualification which has (a) a minimum duration of 4 years with a grade 12 pass as a minimum entry requirement or (b) a minimum duration of 1 year with a national diploma as a minimum entry requirement.
Baccalaureus technologiae degree: a qualification which has (a) a minimum duration of 4 years with a grade 12 pass as a minimum entry requirement or (b) a minimum duration of 1 year with a national diploma as a minimum entry requirement.
Master’s diploma in technology: a qualification which has (a) a minimum duration of 5 years with a grade 12 pass as a minimum entry requirement or (b) a minimum duration of 1 year with a national higher diploma as a minimum entry requirement.
Magister technologiae degree: a qualification which has a minimum duration of (a) 5 years with a grade 12 pass as a minimum entry requirement or (b) 1 year with a BTech as a minimum entry requirement.
Laureatus in technology: a qualification which has a minimum duration of (a) 7 years with a grade 12 pass as a minimum entry requirement or (b) 2 years with a master’s qualification as a minimum entry requirement.
Doctor technologiae degree: a qualification which has a minimum duration of (a) 7 years with a grade 12 pass as a minimum entry requirement or (b) 2 years with a master’s qualification as a minimum entry requirement.
A related entity is an entity of one of the following types:
(a) An entity which in legal terms is separate from the university or technikon itself, but is controlled by the university or technikon through the composition of the entity’s management or board.
(b) An entity which is jointly funded and operated by the institution and another institution or institutions and is located on the premises of the institution.
See "Staff programme".
A research postgraduate course is one which meets both these criteria:
it is coded "07", "09", "28", "30", "32" or "34" on Element 034 (Course level code), and
the qualification for which it is
being undertaken by the student is coded "07", "08",
"27", "28", "29" or "30" on Element 005 (Qualification type).
A staff member is a person who is either:
(a) compensated by the institution by pay or other means for services rendered, or
(b) while not being paid or compensated by the institution, performs services which relate to the institution's normal activities and those activities which would otherwise have been performed by staff receiving compensation from the institution.
Staff members include:
(a) Persons who have been on the payroll of the institution at some time within the collection year and including any such people who:
are permanent employees
are temporary employees (and including students who had temporary employment)
were on sick leave, long leave, sabbatical leave, maternity leave, study leave or military leave
were on secondment to an external organisation, but the secondment is funded by the institution
(b) Persons who while not being on the payroll have provided services which relate to the conduct of the institution's normal activities and which services would otherwise be performed by persons on the payroll, including the following types of persons:
persons compensated by the institution through a means other than pay, or
persons who have donated such services, or
persons who are paid in full by an external organisation (e.g. an accountant who works as a seconded lecturer), or
persons whose major time appointment is with an external organisation with which the institution has a partnership agreement (e.g. medical specialists who assist with the clinical training of medical students).
People working for external organisations which are being paid by the institution to provide "contracted" or hired services (e.g. for cleaning, grounds maintenance, building and plant maintenance, catering, security) are NOT to be counted as staff members.
A numeric or alphanumeric number or code which uniquely identifies a staff member. The code can be either the real staff number or some other “dummy” number. If it is a dummy number it must be used for that person every year.
The same real number or same dummy number must be used for the person in the collection year and in all future collection years. If the person ceases to be a staff member but later becomes a staff member, they should be assigned the same staff number as the one they were assigned in the first unit record collection in which information for them was reported.
A staff programme is a type of programme for which a staff member is undertaking duties. The staff programmes are:
Instruction: Activities directly involved in the teaching of students, including preparation, marking, setting examinations, curriculum development, lectures, seminars, practicals, and supervision of research projects, theses and dissertations.
Research: Activities which are designed to further human knowledge, either by the creation of new knowledge or the application of existing knowledge.
Public service: Activities which make available to the public the resources and skills of staff in order to meet a specific community need.
Academic support: Activities which support in direct ways the activities of instruction, research and public service, including library and museum services, educational media services, academic computing support, technical support, and academic administration at the course, departmental and faculty level.
Student services: Activities, other than instructional ones, which relate to student development, social and sporting clubs, counseling, career guidance and health services.
Institutional support: Centralised activities which are carried out to support the day-to-day as well as long term viability of the operations of the institution, including executive management, financial management and administration, human resources management, facilities management, financial aid, student admissions, records and examinations, administrative computing support, public relations and fund raising.
Operation and maintenance of plant: Activities which are associated with building and plant maintenance, building and plant renovations and alterations, landscaping, gardens and grounds, custodial and security services, parking, cleaning services, and the provision of utilities.
Auxiliary enterprises: Activities which are related to the provision of primary support and convenience services on campus for students and staff, including student housing, staff housing, food services, bookshops and child care services.
Hospital services: Activities which are related to the operations of a teaching hospital or clinic, and teaching health sciences centers.
Independent operations: Activities which are independent of and unrelated to the above programmes.
This is a numeric or alphanumeric number or code which uniquely identifies a student within the institution. The code can be either the real student number or some other “dummy” number.
This real number or dummy number must be used for the student for all effective registrations reported, throughout all years of his/her undertaking of any qualification or any programme of studies at the institution.