Policies and Procedures

 

You are expected to familiarise yourself with the UBSS policies and procedures as they relate to your course of study:

Glossary

 

This glossary provides a general definition of terms commonly used at UBSS and is intended as a guide only. It is current as of February 2023.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

Any person who:

1. Is of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent
2. Identifies as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, and Is recognised by the Indigenous community in which they live as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

Academic Agreement

The agreement between the student and UBSS which details the rights and responsibilities of the student and UBSS.

Academic Activity

Includes and is not limited to developing, delivering, attending or otherwise participating in lectures, tutorials or other modes of delivery or otherwise sharing knowledge, experience, or skills with others.

Academic Award Document

See ‘Testamur’.

Academic Calendar

See ‘Academic Year’.

Academic Freedom

Academic freedom comprises the following elements: the freedom of academic staff to teach, discuss, and research and to disseminate and publish the results of their research without restriction by established scholarly consensus or institutional policy, but subject to scholarly standards; the freedom of academic staff and students to engage in intellectual inquiry, to express their opinions and beliefs, and to contribute to public debate, in relation to their subjects of study and research; the freedom of academic staff and students to express their opinions in relation to the Institution in which they work or are enrolled free from institutional censorship or sanction; the freedom of academic staff and students to make public comment on any issue in their personal capacities, not speaking either on behalf of the Institution or as an officer of the Institution; the freedom of academic staff to participate in professional or representative academic bodies; the freedom of students to participate in student societies and associations; the autonomy of the Institution which resides in its governors, executive and academic staff in relation to the choice of academic courses and offerings, the ways in which they are taught and the choices of research activities and the ways in which they are conducted.

Academic Grievance

An Academic Grievance is a grievance relating to student academic progress, student assessment, curriculum or awards in a course of study.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to act with honesty, fairness, responsibility and respect in all academic work.

Academic Leadership

Academic leadership in higher education providers is a subset of the overall institutional or corporate leadership of the provider, differentiated mainly by its focus on academic matters. Academic matters include teaching, learning, scholarship and related matters

Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct is conduct that allows an individual or group to obtain an unfair advantage though unethical practices. It can be intentional or not and is not limited to interring with others learning, collusion, cheating in exams contract cheating, plagiarism.

Academic Progress

Academic progression is the process by which a student is able to advance in their program of study through progressively meeting the academic and administrative requirements for the program.

Academic Transcript

Official document issued by GCA as a record of the student’s results received and award conferred.

Academic Staff

An academic employee holding a substantive academic position of lecturer

Academic Senate

The academic senate is committee of the GCA Board of Directors tasked for ensuring that Universal Business School Sydney maintains the highest teaching standards in teaching and scholarship.

Academic Warning

An Academic Warning is a formal warning letter sent electronically to students who fail to maintain satisfactory academic progress.

Academic Year

The academic year refers to the UBSS academic calendar. The academic year is divided into sessions usually of a fixed duration during which courses are conducted. Courses may be taken over one or more sessions. The academic year is defined by three 12 week blocks known as trimesters

Accreditation

Accreditation is the act of granting credit or recognition to a provider that maintains suitable standards. Accreditation is necessary to any person or provider in education that needs to prove that they meet a general standard of quality

Access and Equity

This refers to policies, procedures and practices which seek to ensure that individuals can participate and achieve equally, and that there is no impediment due to their age, race, colour, ancestry, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, political beliefs, veteran status or physical or intellectual disability.

Accuracy

Data forming any part of student’s records in either electronic or hard copy format is correct and factual.

Administration Fee

Includes the Enrolment fee.

Admission

The process of applying to study at UBSS.

Advanced Standing

See ‘Credit’.

Advertising

Any form of paid information placement provided to the public about UBSS product and services, including paid online or social media activity.

Agent

A person within or outside Australia who represents or acts on behalf of GCA to recruit and enrol overseas students in courses at various GCA Colleges.

Agreed Course Start Date

Day on which course is scheduled to start as stated in the Students Letter of Offer.

Appeal

An Appeal is the process by which a student requests reconsideration of a decision.

Applicant

Relates to an Agent who is engaged by GCA to recruit students and has a written agreement with GCA or to students who apply for enrolment directly with GCA.

Assessment

A process of collecting evidence and making judgments on whether or not learning outcomes have been achieved.

ATAR

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank

Attrition Rates

Also known as Student Attrition Rates - the proportion of students commencing a course of study in a given year who neither complete nor return in the following year.

At Risk

An outcome for a student who shows early indication of unsatisfactory academic performance

Assessment Criteria

See ‘Assessment’.

Attendance

Attendance refers to students physically and regularly attending classes at the UBSS campus either face to face or online.

Alumni

Former student who has graduated from UBSS.

AUD

Australian Dollar

Australian Consumer Law

The Australian Consumer Law (ACL) includes:

• a national unfair contract terms law covering standard form consumer and small business contracts
• a national law guaranteeing consumer rights when buying goods and services
• a national product safety law and enforcement system
• a national law for unsolicited consumer agreements covering door-to-door sales and telephone sales
• national rules for lay-by agreements
• penalties, enforcement powers and consumer redress options.

Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement

A supplementary statement to a testamur and record of results that provides additional information to enhance understanding of the qualification by students, employers, industry, professional associations and internationally.

Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is the national framework for ranking qualifications awarded by Australian education and training institutions. The Framework incorporates the qualifications awarded in each education and training sector into a single comprehensive national qualifications framework.

Authorised Staff

Include GCA Admissions, GCA Student Services, UBSS Dean, UBSS Academic Coordinator and the UBSS Learning Support and Event Coordinator who have the authority to assess and approve all student re-enrolment cases.

Award

A diploma, degree, Statement of Attainment, prize, or other certificate or recognition conferred on a student upon completion of a course or unit(s) of study.

Benchmarking

Benchmarking is comparing one's business processes and performance metrics to industry bests and best practices from other companies.

Benefit

Anything that provides either a direct or indirect personal gain, or the potential for a personal gain, which may be either financial or non-financial.

Blackboard

Online study facilitation site where course information is stored and hosts online classes. See also ‘Zoom/webinar’.

Cancellation Fee

The monies deducted by the provider from paid tuition fees as a result of student cancellation or withdrawal from the course and/or student default.

Case Manager

Means an individual appointed by GCA to manage through the various stages of a complaint, investigation and recommendation until conclusion.

Casual Staff

Staff who are engaged and paid on an hourly or sessional basis and have no entitlement to paid annual leave, sick or long service leave.

Cheating

A generic umbrella term for a range of student behaviours that undermine academic integrity. Cheating is academic misconduct. Examples are listed in this Glossary of Terms and include, but are not limited to: collusion, contract cheating, exam cheating, file sharing, impersonation, plagiarism, and fabrication or falsification of data/information, recycling or resubmitting previously submitted work.

Census Date

The final date for withdrawal from subjects without financial or academic liability.

Centre of Entrepreneurship

UBSS centre for creating an entrepreneurial mindset.

Close Personal Relationship

Includes a relationship with a spouse, including de facto partner, a relative, a person financially dependent on the staff member, a close friend, or any person with whom there is or has been an intimate or close relationship.

Code of Conduct

An agreement on rules of behaviour for staff and students of UBSS/GCA.

CoE

CoE is an abbreviation for Confirmation of Enrolment, which is a document issued by UBSS after a student has signed an Offer Letter for a UBSS approved course. It formalises the student’s enrolment in that course. The CoE is issued by UBSS on behalf of the Department of Home Affairs to meet international student visa requirements.

Collusion

Unauthorised collaboration in preparation or presentation of work including knowingly allowing a student’s own work to be copied by others. Collusion involves engaging in illegitimate cooperation with one or more other students to complete assessable work. This is different to working on group assignments that are set by lecturers, whereby authorised collaboration is encouraged and a fundamental aspect of the assessment task. Examples of illegitimate cooperation include working with a friend or group of friends to write an essay or report that is meant to be an individual piece of work. It can also include sharing quiz or test questions and answers with other students, as well as written assignments like reports and essays. Illegitimate cooperation can unfairly advantage a student or group of students over others. Students should also never share their work with others as there is a risk the person it is shared with could upload it to an illegal commercial cheating service or circulate it to others

Compassionate or Compelling Circumstances

Are generally those beyond the control of the student and which have an impact upon the student’s commencement of studies, payment of fees, course progress, attendance, behaviour or wellbeing.

These could include, but are not limited to:

• serious illness or injury, where a medical certificate states that the student was unable to attend classes
• bereavement of close family members such as parents or grandparents (where possible a death certificate should be provided)
• major political upheaval or natural disaster in the home country requiring emergency travel and this has impacted on the student’s studies
• a traumatic experience which could include but is not limited to:
  • involvement in or witnessing of a serious accident
  • a crime committed against the student
  • the student being witness to a crime, which impacts adversely on the student (these cases should be supported by police or psychologists’ reports)
  • inability to begin studying on the course commencement date due to delay in receiving a student visa.

Compassionate Leave

Leave based on compassionate and compelling circumstances.

Commencement Date

Date the course starts as indicated in the Letter of Offer.

Commencing Student

A student is commencing if he/she started studying in a course of study for the first time at UBSS.

Complainant

One who complains or raises an issue.

Compulsory Course

A course within a specialisation which is essential and be satisfactorily completed.

Computer Lab

The space where computers and library resources are available for UBSS students.

Concurrent Enrolment

Enrolment in two programs at the same time.

Conditional Enrolment

Enrolment restricted to reduced subject load due to poor academic performance.

Confidential Information

Inventions, discoveries, knowledge, methods, processes, techniques, potential patents, chemical compositions, biological materials trade secrets, and other information of any kind which, because of its confidential character, is capable of protection by contractual or equitable means, and includes information of a valuable commercial or technical character.

Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest is a situation in which a person or organisation is involved in multiple interest, financial or otherwise and serving one interest could involve working against the other.

Continuing Staff

A staff member who is employed on an ongoing basis with no ascertainable employment end-date.

Confidential Information

All information which is disclosed to a party by, or on behalf of, the other party, or which is otherwise acquired by a party from the other party, or any adviser engaged by the other party, which:

• (a) is by its nature confidential;
• (b) is designated by the other party as being confidential; or
• (c) the party knows or ought to know is confidential, but does not include information which:
• (d) is or becomes public knowledge other than through a breach of confidentiality;
• (e) was already in the possession of a party and not subject to an obligation of confidentiality;
• (f) is lawfully received from a third party; or
• (g) is independently developed by a party.

Contract Cheating

A form of academic misconduct. It means getting someone to complete part or all of your work and then submitting as it you had completed it. It can include asking someone to write your essay or sit your exam or assessment. There does not have to be any payment for something to be considered contract cheating.

Copyright

A type of legal protection for people who produce things like writing, images, music and films. It is a legal right to prevent others from doing certain things (such as copying and making available online) without permission.

Core Unit or Subject Unit

Units for which a passing grade is compulsorily required for the particular course of study.

Course

A course is an award offered by UBSS that has its own CRICOS code. Current awards include the Bachelor of Accounting, Bachelor of Business and nested awards of Diploma and Associate Degree, and the Master of Business Administration and nested awards of Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma.

Course Learning Outcome

A statement of the knowledge, skills, and application of knowledge and skills that students are expected to have achieved upon completion of the course.

Course of Study

See ‘Course’.

CPA

CPA is an abbreviation for the professional association Certified Practicing Accountant.

Credit

Credit means the principle of accepting a student’s prior learning or previous studies as being in whole or in part either identical or the equivalent of studies contributing to a UBSS award.

Credit Transfer

Credit process granted on a subject based on UBSS Credit and Recognition of Prior Learning Policy. Evaluation for Credit Transfer refers to the review and consideration of prior study against the assessment criteria for granting credit.

Credit Exemption

Credit granted on a subject based on UBSS Credit and Recognition of Prior Learning Policy. Evaluation for Credit Transfer refers to the review and consideration of prior study against the assessment criteria for granting credit.

CRICOS

Commonwealth register for institutions and courses for overseas students

Critical Incident

Is defined by the National Code as ‘a traumatic event, or the threat of such (within or outside Australia), which causes extreme stress, fear or injury’. Critical incidents are not limited to, but could include:

• missing students
• severe verbal or psychological aggression
• death, serious injury or any threat of these
• natural disaster
• issues such as domestic violence, sexual assault, drug or alcohol abuse.

 

Nonlife threatening events could still qualify as critical incidents.

DHA

DHA refers to the Australian Government Department, the Department of Home Affairs.

Digital Document

An electronic form of a document

Diversity

Ways in which people and groups of people are both alike and different.

Domestic Student

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

DEC

Department of Education and Training formerly known as Department of Education and Communities

Deferrals

See ‘Deferment’.

Deferment

Delaying enrolment in an accepted offer of admission.

Due Date

Refers to the due date for payment on a GCA invoice.

Duty of Care

Requires all Employees and Students to take reasonable care in view of reasonably foreseeable circumstances that may arise. Safety of Employees, Students and visitors on campus is the first priority in any situation.

EFSL

One equivalent full time student load. This is a measure of the study load for a year of a single student undertaking a course of study on a full time basis.

Emergency Contact

First person UBSS will be get in touch with in an emergency

Employee

An individual employed by GCA under an Enterprise Agreement or a common law employment contract.

English Language Proficiency

All applicants who have not completed formal studies at secondary or tertiary level in the English language must also demonstrate proficiency in English by achieving a prescribed level in an approved English examination. The approved English Language tests include the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (ToEFL).

Enrolment Fee

A fee charged for initial enrolment into a course and is non-refundable.

Equal Opportunity

Refers to everyone having equal access to opportunities in work and study.

Equity And Diversity

The creation of opportunities for equal access and success in Australian higher education among historically underrepresented student populations.

ESOS Act

Education Services for Overseas Students Act.

ESOS Regulations 2019

Education Services for Overseas Students Regulations 2019, establishes legislative requirements and standards for the regulation of education and training institutions offering courses to international students in Australia on a student visa.

Examination

A formal supervised assessment process conducted under controlled conditions and designed to test a candidate's learning.

Exit Award

An official award defined as an exit point from a coursework program. For example, if you were studying a Graduate Diploma and ended your study before completing the diploma, you could be awarded a Graduate Certificate if you had completed the requirements of that award.

Expulsion or Exclusion

Cancellation of enrolment and preclusion from a re-enrolment due to failure to meet academic standards or for disciplinary reasons.

Financial Hardship

Inability to meet basic living needs.

Financial Year

UBSS annual accounting period currently ending 31 December.

Final Grades

Grades that are awarded at the completion of a subject.

GCA

Group Colleges Australia

GCA Colleges

Covers all listed colleges under provider number 02571D including UBSS and all its campuses.

GCA Community

All people who use GCA's campuses or facilities for work, study or other authorised activity, and GCA's campuses and facilities.

General Work Experience

Any experience gained while working in a specific field, job or occupation.

Grade Appeal

Where a student believes that their final grade in a subject does not reflect their performance against the criteria

Graduate

A student who has their award conferred to them this definition differs from what is on website

Graduate in Absentia

To have an award conferred without being physically present at an official graduation ceremony.

Graduate Attributes

Generic Learning Outcomes that refer to transferable non discipline specific skills that a graduate may achieve through learning that have application in study work and life contexts

Grievance

A complaint can be defined as a person’s expression of dissatisfaction with any aspect of the GCAs services and activities, including enrolment/orientation processes, quality of teaching and administrative support, academic matters, privacy and confidentiality, and the way someone has been treated.

General Work Experience

Any experience gained while working in a specific field, job or occupation.

Government

Australian Government

Harassment

Harassment is generally defined as a course of conduct which annoys, threatens, intimidates, alarms, or puts a person in fear of their safety.

Higher Education

Higher Education is tertiary education leading to an award of an academic degree. Higher education is also called post-secondary education or tertiary education.

HEIMS

HEIMS is a web based information system that students can use to access information relating to Providers, courses and subjects and personal detail.

HELP

Higher Education Loans Programme.

Holiday

Fixed period of leave during the year. This is timetabled for students.

IELTS

International English Language Testing System: it is an internationally accredited test for students who need to demonstrate English Language proficiency.

Immigration Department

See ‘DHA’.

Indigenous Australians

Specifically refers to the Indigenous people of Australia who are otherwise known as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders.

Indigenous Education

The creation of equitable opportunities and outcomes for Indigenous Australians, and the opportunity and therefore process by which all Australians can gain knowledge about Indigenous Australia.

Intellectual Property

Those rights arising from the output of the human intellect. Intellectual property rights arise in relation to certain types of subject matter and those rights can be sold, purchased and licensed.

International Student/Overseas Student

A person applying to study on a student visa, who is not a citizen of Australia or New Zealand, or who is not an Australian permanent resident, or a holder of a permanent humanitarian visa.

International Study Centre

Dedicated facility for off shore students under the UBSS banner.

Intervention Strategies

Intervention Strategies refer to strategies adopted by UBSS to support students having difficulty making satisfactory academic progress. They include the provision of academic learning support and English language support to enhance academic knowledge and skills, as well as pastoral care or counselling when non-academic matters are identified as a major reason for students failing to make satisfactory progress.

Invigilated Exams

Supervised exams

Invigilator

An Invigilator is to a person contracted by UBSS to supervise mid trimester tests and examinations according to the rules of this policy and the procedures outlined in the Examination Policy and Guidelines.

Late Fee

Applies when a student does not commence by the agreed commencement date and/or fails to enrol by the Census date.

Law

All applicable statutes, regulations and by laws in force from time to time in Australia whether made by the Commonwealth, State or territory or local government

Lecture

A lecture is normally held in a large room with many students and one lecturer.

Lecturer

Teacher

Learning Material

Supplements the unit outline and details the fundamental mutual obligations and responsibilities of GCA and students, in relation to the unit. The guide makes explicit the links between each assessment activity and the unit learning outcomes; provides information about each assessment task, including due dates, instructions for submission, and details about the assessment criteria and standards; gives a clear description of what is expected in order for students to achieve particular grades in the unit and describes how content, assessment and learning activities are linked.

Letter of Offer

An offer of admission made to an applicant who has applied for an award course and who meets all the requirements for entry.

Liability

Penalty

Load

The number of subjects you are studying.

Local Tutor

A tutor that delivers the tutorial in the local campus or locally in an international study centre.

Major

A major is a specialisation within the Bachelor of Business (BBus) degree and the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree that comprises a set of related subjects. All BBus students must complete a major to be eligible to graduate.

Materials Fee

Cover resource costs related to a specified course.

Moderation

The practice of adjusting the marks of a group of students, to ensure the marking standards across cohorts of students are consistent and that the marks awarded are representative of the achievement of the cohort. The adjustment of marks is based on academic judgement, is usually supported by a statistical calculation and may involve reviewing a selection of assessed student work. Marks may be adjusted up or down.

Mode of Study

The range of options for study available to students. Examples include face to face, online.

Moodle

Moodle is an online learning system that may be used to administer tests or examinations.

MyGCA

A web-based college administration system used by UBSS International students, providing an easy online service from any computer around the world for all stages of an educational pathway, from initial inquiry, to enrolment and final graduation.

MyGCA Connect

A cloud based Student Management System used to manage all admission, enrolment, academic and assessment processes for students enrolled in BKK Study Centre.

National Code

Means the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018.

National Register

Refers to the National Register of Higher Education Providers. The Register was established and is maintained under section 198 of the TEQSA Act.

Nested Courses

Course of study leading to an award that includes articulation arrangements from a lower level award into a higher education award.

Non Academic Grievance

A Non-Academic Grievance is any grievance that does not relate to academic matters.

Non Award Course

A course of study which does not lead to the conferral of an award.

Non-Award ELICOS

English language study that does not result in a qualification

Non Award Student

Students enrolled in a course but they are not enrolled in the academic program that leads to a conferral of an award.

Non Award Unit

Study in single unit without undertaking an award.

Offer Letter

See ‘Letter of Offer’.

Offer

A particular course that will be available for enrolment in a particular teaching period.

Offer of Acceptance and Enrolment

The letter of agreement between the provider and student.

Online Classes

An online class is a course conducted over the Internet. it is conducted through Moodle. Students can communicate with their fellow students and see their lecturer as well as view any learning materials and view academic progress.

Online Learning

Use of digital technology or resources to deliver and support specific teaching and learning outcomes and aims.

Online Support

Online support is a web-based form of delivering a support service to students. It is a popular form of contacting lecturer / facilitator via chat, email or a phone call. The best advantage of an online support is to get a quick response either on the spot or within specified response time.

Orientation

Orientation session is an introduction session introducing prospective students to the course material, course requirements and relevant information.

Overseas Document Verification

Where overseas documents are assessed to determine the authenticity of a document. The process checks the validity of personal data, including: name, age, address, as well as document features like: stamps, watermarks.

Overseas Student

See ‘International Student’.

Overseas Students Health Cover (OSHC)

The medical coverage for the period of an overseas student’s stay in Australia and is subject to price increases not controlled by UBSS.

Payment Default

Means failure to have paid 28 days after due date of GCA invoice.

Provider Default

Occurs if UBSS fails to start to provide the course at the agreed start date and location, or after the course starts but before it is completed, the course ceases to be provided to the student at the location and the student has not withdrawn from the course.

Permitted Items

Permitted Items refers to items that students are allowed to bring into an examination room. They include student photo identification (student card, drivers licence or passport), stationery including pens, pencils, erasers and rulers. Non-programmable calculators may be brought into the examination room if explicitly permitted on the cover page of the test or examination paper. For restricted open book exams material explicitly permitted on the cover page of the test or examination paper.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the practice of presenting someone else’s ideas or work as one’s own, without acknowledging the source. It is a form of academic misconduct.

Principal Course of Study

The student’s main course of study leading to the highest qualification on the student’s current visa. If the student is on a packaged course, the course leading to the highest qualification will be the student’s principal course and the restriction will apply to the first 6 months of that course and any packaged course before it.

PRISMS

The Provider Registration and International Students Management System providing Australian education providers with the Confirmation-of-Enrolment (CoE) facilities required for compliance with the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) legislation.

Pre-Requisite

A unit which must have been satisfactorily completed, or a requirement which must have been satisfied, before a student may enrol in a particular unit.

Professional Development

Professional Development – includes the provision of development opportunities and activities to extend and broaden the scope of professional capabilities of employees in relation to their role and responsibilities.

Program

An approved combination of approved courses in which a student is enrolled.

Program Director

The Academic responsible for the entire program management.

Progress

See ‘ Academic Progression’.

Provider

Defined as a corporation that offers or confers a regulated higher education award.

Provisional Course Fee

Reserves a place in a selected course of study. If the prospective student continues successfully with enrolment, the fee is offset against tuition fees for the first enrolment period.

Publication

Research outputs, including:

• books and book chapters
• publications in academic, professional or other journals
• conference presentations; technical and other reports
• monographs
• abstracts
• poster presentations
• electronic and online publications
• software
• creative works and designs
• exhibitions or performances.

 

Recognition of Prior Learning

See ‘Credit transfer’.

Record of Results

A record of all learning leading to an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualification or an accredited subject in which a student is enrolled.

Reduced Study Load

Reducing the number of subjects a student is enrolled into during a particular study period.

Refund

The reimbursement of money from a provider to a student after the approval of a repayment in specified instances or Special Circumstances.

Review of Grade

See ‘Grade Appeal’.

Safety

A condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk or injury (physical and/or emotional).

Sanction

Penalty for disobeying a rule of UBSS

Sash Committee

A dedicated Task Force established as a stand-alone entity to regularly meet and review all matters relating to Sexual Assault, and Sexual Harassment.

Security

Safekeeping of the student records in both paper copy and electronic form.

Senate Approval

Means consent given by UBSS Academic Senate.

Sessional Staff

A staff member who is employed for a specified period during the year (normally less than 52 weeks). And whose employment period is aligned to a teaching session as published in UBSS academic calendar.

Special Consideration

There may be times when students experience serious misadventure, accident or extenuating circumstances beyond their control which affects their academic performance. Applying for and receiving special consideration means that those circumstances will be taken into account when their grade is calculated.

Special Circumstances

Exceptional conditions where a refund may be considered. “Special circumstances” under which a refund will be considered and which are beyond the student’s control.

• In the case of serious illness – verified by a medical certificate
• Family or personal tragedy
• Natural disasters
• Where a student visa has not been granted.

 

Special Measures

Acts which UBSS can take to enable substantive equality for individuals who belong to groups which have experienced past disadvantage, because of laws and rules, stereotypes and attitudes. Special measures aim to redress past disadvantage and improve employment outcomes and access to education for people from these groups. Anti-discrimination legislation enables UBSS to implement special measures for specific groups.

Specialisation

See ‘Major’.

Staff

Employees of UBSS including academic and professional staff whether employed on a full-time, part-time, contract, sessional, or casual basis and does not include visitors, honorary senior research fellows, honorary adjunct appointees, honorary conjoint appointees or honorary employees of another institution or entity who are physically located at UBSS.

Staff Member

Refers to all academic and professional staff of GCA including those employed under a full time, part time, casual or contractor basis

Statement of Attainment

An official record that may be issued to a student who has successfully completed subjects, which does not fulfil the requirements for completion of a course.

Stewards

Nominated UBSS employee with responsibility for student records.

Student

A person who is enrolled at UBSS in a course.

Student Contact Hours

Time spent by students in timetabled teaching and learning activities such as lectures, seminars.

Student Default

Occurs if the course starts at the location on the agreed starting day, but the student does not start the course on the that day and has not previously withdrawn, or the student withdraws from the course either before or after the agreed starting date or UBSS refuses to provide or continue providing the course to the student because of the one or more of the following - the student failed to pay an amount payable to UBSS or the student breached a condition of their student visa, eg, unsatisfactory course progress, or misbehaviour by the student

Student Handbook

Document from UBSS that details useful social and academic information for all prospective and current students of UBSS

Student Recruitment

Identification of potential students, provision of UBSS program and services information to assist them in their information search for higher education products and providers.

Student Satisfaction Survey

The Student Satisfaction Survey is a formal evaluation by the students in a class of both the subject and the lecturer in that class.

Students

See ‘Student’.

Study Load Requirements

Study Load Requirements refers to the minimum loading requirements for subject enrolment each trimester in order that students can complete their course of study within their CoE timeframe.

Study Period

A Study Period is the period required to complete a subject. It includes orientation period, the teaching period and the examination period. The maximum length of a study period is six months.

Subject

A unit of study normally of one session. Normally equating to 10 credit points. Students will study a number of individual subjects to make up their whole course.

Subject Credit

See ‘Cedit Transfer’.

Subject Learning Outcome

A statement of what students are expected to learn and/or skills they are expected to acquire in the unit and be able to demonstrate upon completion of the unit.

Subject Outline / SO

Refers to a brief summary of the topics covered in a particular subject. It includes subject Information, subject overview with subject summary and learning outcomes, graduate attributes mapping, teaching strategies, reading material, Subject content, schedule and subject assessment.

Supplementary Examination

A Supplementary Examination is a resit examination that is held for students who, for approved reasons, are not able to attend the regular examination or who failed the overall regular assessment but meet the criteria for the right to sit for a supplementary examination.

Suspension

See ‘Exclusion’.

Teaching Period

See ‘Study Period’.

TPS

Tuition Protection Scheme

Transfer

A student who starts with one provider and then moves to UBSS to complete their studies and vice versa.

Translation

Process of translating words or text from one language to another.

Transcript

See ‘Academic Transcript’.

Transport

Detailed information on various ways to get to campus.

Travel Concession

Travel concession passes allow students to use public transport at a discounted rate there are strict eligibility criteria.

Travelling

Going or moving to one place to another typically over some distance.

Timetable

Tells students where and when their classes are scheduled

Trimester

The academic calendar is based on three trimesters of study per year. Each trimester includes 13-week teaching period and two weeks for orientation and final exams, comprising total of 15 weeks. T1 refer to Trimester One, T2 refers to Trimester Two and T3 refers to Trimester Three of the academic year.

Tuition Fees

Fees for the provision of a student’s course according to their Letter of Offer.

Turnitin

Turnitin is a learning and teaching software technology. It scans and checks for plagiarism in submitted documents and is incorporated into the assessment submission process at UBSS.

Tutor

A tutor also known as an academic tutor is someone who gives lessons to a small group of students

Tutorial

A tutorial is a small class where set readings and lecture materials are discussed in detail each week. Students sometimes have to lead tutorial discussions or make presentations.

UBSS Academic Staff

See ‘Academic Staff’.

Unit Outline

See ‘Subject Outline’.

Unit of Study

See ‘Subject’.

Unlawful Behaviour

Refers to unlawful discrimination, unlawful harassment, victimisation, vilification and unlawful adverse action.

User

Any individual that uses IT system, hardware or services owned or leased by GCA

UBSS

Universal Business School Sydney

Undergraduate

A course which does not require students to have already completed a degree.

Undergraduate Course

A program of study leading to an award that does not require students to have already completed a degree course prior to admission.

Unlawful Discrimination

Occurs when a person, or a group of people, is treated less favourably than another person or group on the basis of characteristics as determined by Federal and state legislation. Unlawful discrimination can be direct or indirect.

Unlawful Harassment

When a person is made to feel intimidated, insulted or humiliated on the basis of certain characteristics as determined by Federal and State legislation.

Unsatisfactory Progress

Unsatisfactory Progress is defined as not successfully completing or demonstrating competency in at least 50 percent of course requirements in a study period.

Vacation

See ‘Holiday’.

Victimisation

The less favourable treatment of a person or persons for their participation in making, supporting or resolving a complaint of discrimination, harassment or vilification, whether that participation was actual, intended or presumed. This includes a person or persons who have agreed to be witnesses in relation to a complaint.

Vilification

A public act that could incite others to hate, have serious contempt for, or severely ridicule a person or a group of people because on the basis of certain characteristics.

WH&S

Workplace health and safety

Visa Rejection

Formal denial of the visa application

Visa Requirements

Something that is needed for your visa.

Visa

Document that allows a person to visit and travel to Australia

Visitor

Someone who is temporarily visiting UBSS campus

Warning Letter

A formal letter sent by UBSS alerting the student that they may be risk of failing or being expelled or suspended from UBSS

Weighted Average Mark

The average in the units of study completed by the student according to the unit value and academic level of the particular course

Withdrawal

Formerly withdrawing enrolment in subject. There are different procedures and penalties for withdrawing on and before census date.

Withdrawal without Academic Penalty

Application to withdraw the academic penalty and potentially the financial penalty applied to a subject which has been enrolled past the census date

Webinar/Zoom

Online study facilitation site which hosts online classes