• Section 1 - Purpose
• Section 2 - Glossary
• Section 3 - Policy
• Section 4 - Procedures
• Section 5 - Guidelines
• Part A - Approval of Post-graduate Fee Paying Courses
• Part B - Admission of Students
• Part C - Financial Arrangements
• Recommendations

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This document, as approved by the Board of Governors on 3 July 1991 (BG 91/98), provides the guidelines for postgraduate fee paying courses (Australian students).

Section 2 - Glossary

(2) Nil.

Section 3 - Policy

(3) Nil.

Section 4 - Procedures

(4) Nil.

Section 5 - Guidelines

Part A - Approval of Post-graduate Fee Paying Courses

(5) The approval and determination of funded load and quotas attaching to post-graduate fee paying courses will be coordinated by the Office of Strategic Planning and Information as part of the Educational Profile process.

(6) The Vice-Chancellor shall be responsible for determining fees for such courses, taking into account the course budget and fee recommendations that result from the application of these Guidelines.

(7) Academic approval for such courses will be conducted through the normal Charles Sturt University (the University) procedures with final authority for approval resting with the Academic Senate.

Part B - Admission of Students

(8) Responsibility for admission and for ensuring that all students are eligible to enrol in the course will be with the Division of Student Administration.

Part C - Financial Arrangements

Recommendations

Business Principles

(9) The University's fee-paying activities must be based on sound business principles. That is, such activities should be profit making. In the case of enrolments in courses that are not counted as part of operating grant load, the fee must be sufficient to cover all costs and ensure that the course does not reduce the quality of educational provision to grant students. The fee for any fee-paying activity needs to reflect both market and cost considerations. This means that rigorous budget procedures must be established so as to ensure:

1. proper fee levels are set;
2. an equitable distribution of income to faculties and sections of the University to cover costs; and
3. that only realised profit is distributed in an agreed manner.

Fee Setting

(10) A fee shall not be set until a budget has been established, agreed to by the major participants (normally this would be the Faculty involved and Open Learning Institute, with the Division of Planning and Development coordinating the process) and endorsed by the Chief Financial Officer.

(11) Distribution of surpluses should only take place after they have been realised, that is, about February of the following year.

(12) It is recommended that surpluses be distributed as follows:

1. Faculty Trust Fund - 60%;
2. Learning and Student Support - 20%; and
3. University Development Fund - 20%.

(13) In the event of a deficit resulting, any expenditure in excess of approved budget allocations would be borne by the Faculty or section incurring the expenditure. The Learning and Student Support would bear all deficits incurred because of insufficient fee income or because of justifiable expenditure in excess of budget. The Institute will be provided with a one-off contingency payment to support course developments and meet losses. Learning and Student Support profits will be used to maintain and, if possible, enhance the level of the fund. NOTE: A suggested marginal costing discount factor is 0.5.