New Subject Codes
Unit codes will change
The University Executive, Project Steering Committee and Project Working Group have endorsed the recommended approach to new unit coding as part of the new SMS implementation. The Unit Codes used in our current Student Management System (Callista) are 6 digit numbers which have some meaning built in for administrative staff but this meaning is not obvious to students or other staff.
For example, the subject Programming Fundamentals (Level 1 Computing unit) has a Callista code of 300580.
Why are we changing it?
The current unit coding structure cannot be accommodated in Banner (the new Student Management System), and WSU must adopt a new code definition. Banner requires a unit to have a Subject Code of up to 4 characters and a Course Code (a course is the equivalent of unit in Banner) of up to 5 characters. Together these two separate codes make up what we would traditionally consider the unit code.
This is illustrated below, with the sample being shown for the Subject: Programming Fundamentals (Level 1 Computing unit).
| Callista | Banner | |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Code Definition | Primary discipline code + area of study (max 6 digits) + version number |
Subject Codes + Course Code (4 digits) + (5 digits) |
| Unit Code Sample | 300580.5 | COMP 1005 |
A more logically structured and meaningful coding system is required in Banner in order to meet the following requirements:
- Simplify the system mapping of course completion rules
- Make unit codes meaningful for staff and students
- Align to AQF unit levels
- Reduce confusion for students / staff looking at degree audits
Banner Subject Code (4 character code limit)
The recommendation is to use Banner Subject Codes which have been derived from the government field of education types. This provides a logical way of grouping units into areas of study which is already occurring and so can be used both for migration purposes as well as for
future unit coding purposes.
Banner Code Identifiers (5 character code limit)
The recommendation is to use the Callista Unit Level as the first digit of the Banner Course Code followed by 3 additional numbers which have no specific meaning. The recommended coding using Callista Unit Levels as first digit is as follows:
| Code Identifier | Unit Levels |
|---|---|
| 0000-0999 | Undergraduate Level 0 Preparatory units |
| 1000-1999 | Undergraduate Level 1 units |
| 2000-2999 | Undergraduate Level 2 units |
| 3000-3999 | Undergraduate Level 3 units |
| 4000-4999 | Undergraduate Level 4 units |
| 5000-5999 | Undergraduate Honours Level 5 units |
| 7000-7999 | Postgraduate Coursework Level 7 units |
| 9000-9999 | PhD and Research Masters Level 9 units |
Impacts
Changing the subject coding structure will have impacts on all downstream systems that need to use SMS unit data. We are currently arranging school and division engagements to analyse the specific impacts of this change and help identify ways to respond to the workload that this change would entail.