Policy on Fixing of Fees for Domestic Students in Postgraduate Coursework Courses and the Distribution of Revenue

Approving Authority:	Council
Establishment Date:	18 October 2000
Date Last Amendment:	27 April 2006
Nature of Amendment:	Insertion of new clause 3
Date Last Reviewed:	16 December 2004
Publication Reference:
Contact Officer:	Academic Senate Secretary

1.	Fees for postgraduate courses must be established in compliance with relevant legislation and guidelines issued by the Commonwealth.
2.	Fees for postgraduate coursework will be determined on the basis of the fees charged for the topics comprising the courses.  Topics will be grouped into fee bands.  A standard fee per unit will be set for each band and will apply to all topics in each band.  A schedule of standard fees for each band will be approved by Academic Senate on the advice of the Fee Monitoring and Advisory Committee.  Academic Senate may approve, on the advise of the Fee Monitoring and Advisory Committee, variations to the standard fee for particular topics.
3.	Where postgraduate coursework courses are offered in partnership with one or more institutions and where a single fee level for such courses is to apply across institutions, the domestic student fee level for Flinders topics in these courses will be determined in negotiation with the participating institutions. Such fee levels will be subject to the approval of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) who will report the fee level approved to Academic Senate.
4.	In establishing the fee level for a band, for all courses which include topics in that band, consideration will be given to: - fees charged for other equivalent courses offered by Flinders and by other Australian universities; - the nature and size of the potential market for courses, and expected competition for students from similar courses. Where possible the full average cost of each course will need to be recovered, taking account of: - an estimate of costs, including academic and other staff time, services, materials, equipment and facilities; - modes of delivery; - expected enrolments in courses.
5.	Fees will be set at a level not less than the full student contribution amount for the relevant field of education (as a minimum) and below the fee set for a Flinders University fee-paying international students undertaking a comparable course (as a maximum).
6.	Of the revenue received, 75% will be payable to the faculty or faculties to which the EFTSLs are credited, and 25% will be allocated to cover central overheads, except that the proportion allocated to cover central overheads may be varied as follows, subject to approval by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic): - the central overheads proportion may be discounted for the first three years of a course, by negotiation, depending on the circumstances in each case; - off campus courses will be treated in the same way as on-campus courses with the proviso that, in recognition of differences in cost structure between the two, the period of any discount may, by negotiation, be extended beyond three years for off-campus courses.