Managing Unit Discontinuation

This section describes:

• setting up the discontinuation mechanism
• when a unit attempt is discontinued

Setting Up the Discontinuation Mechanism

NOTE: The procedures described below are likely to be performed only by a specialist user.

The effect of discontinuing a unit depends on when the student discontinues. At the very start of a unit attempt, the record may be deleted if the student withdraws. Later into the attempt, factors such as student load calculations, progression rules and grades can be implicated in a withdrawal, depending on exactly when it occurs.

This is handled in the System by tying such factors to administrative unit statuses, which in turn are matched to predetermined dates in the relevant teaching calendar for the unit attempt.

Setting up the discontinuation mechanism therefore involves:

• Setting up administrative unit statuses relevant to each type of teaching calendar, in the Maintain Administrative Unit Statuses form (ENRF0110). The number and names of administrative unit statuses is a matter for the institution.
• Recording which factors apply to these administrative unit statuses. The Maintain Load Calendar Structure form (ENRF01K0) is used to indicate whether the status incurs load. The Maintain Administrative Unit Statuses form (ENRF0110) is used to record, for each status, the effects of the discontinuation on progression, grades, and inclusion in official notifications.
• In the Calendar subsystem:
  • Creating date aliases which mark the points at which discontinuation effects change. These could be thought of as a 'set' of discontinuation date aliases which apply to a teaching calendar. One set may apply to many teaching calendar types. However, the System allows for different date aliases to be created for different teaching calendars where required.
  • Setting up actual dates (date alias instances) for these date aliases in current teaching periods (calendar instances).
• Matching the discontinuation date aliases to either a delete indicator or administrative unit statuses, in the form Maintain Unit Discontinuation Date Criteria (ENRF0170).

The diagram below represents this mechanism, using as an example one teaching calendar and only three administrative unit statuses. Note that where a unit attempt is to be deleted from the database, no administrative unit status is associated with it.

enr08

This diagram shows

• at the top, a teaching calendar SEM-1 with instances of discontinuation date aliases applied to it,
• and then the same calendar, showing how the possible statuses of the unit (and therefore the discontinuation effects) relate to the date alias instances. A status applies for the period from the date of its associated date alias instance until the day before the next instance.

Guidelines:

The first date in the set of discontinuation date aliases for a teaching calendar must be before the start of the teaching period. Those administering the system may find it convenient to set all 'first' discontinuation date alias instances in the various teaching calendars to one common date well in the past. In the diagram, UNIT-DELET is set to 1 January, 1950.

Where student load is to be reported to the government, an instance of a discontinuation date alias must coincide with each census date falling within the teaching period. This is because assigning load is one of the factors associated with administrative unit statuses. For more information, see the section Student Load Structure and Management in Understanding Enrolments, and the documentation for Maintain Load Calendar Structure (ENRF01K0).

When a Unit Attempt is Discontinued

When a student discontinues a unit attempt, the System finds the most recent date alias instance (in the relevant teaching period) before the date on which they discontinue. Because each date alias is matched to a status, the System can then automatically apply this. It may delete the student's unit attempt from the database, or record an administrative unit status against the attempt.

It is possible that instances of two (or more) different date aliases fall on the same date and therefore different administrative unit statuses can be triggered by that date. Setting up the instances in this way allows for a status other than the norm to be recorded for a discontinuing student in certain extenuating circumstances. A default status value may still apply in this situation, but it can be overridden. For a more detailed discussion of recording discontinuations, see Course and Unit Discontinuation (ENR3000g).

Example using the diagram above

A student decides to withdraw from a unit in the SEM-1 teaching calendar. She discontinues her unit attempt on 12 May. The system recognises that the last date alias instance before this date is for WDN-LATE, which is matched to the WD-LATE administrative unit status. WD-LATE is therefore automatically recorded against her discontinued unit attempt. This may have various implications - for example, her attempt may count for load calculations and progression. She will have a grade recorded.