Combined student/module record 06/07
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06011: Student instance number
Field Information
| Number: | 151 |
| Name: | Student instance number |
| Abbreviation: | NUMHUS |
| Length: | 20 |
| Status: | Compulsory for HE level students (i.e. field 41, General qualification aim of student, coded 02-52, 61, 62, 97 and 98). Not compulsory for FE level students. |
| Description: | An identification of the basic unit of 'programme of study leading to qualification aim' which is described in the coverage description of the manual. This field complements the HUSID field to identify the separate programmes of study that some individuals take. Fields 4, 2 and 151/136, HUSID + INSTID + NUMHUS (HIN), together form a unique identifier. |
| Notes: | Field length 20 is to allow institutions to use a student instance identifier already held internally. Where a student instance identifier held internally is used, institutions must continue to use this number even when transfers or natural progressions occur. As a consequence of this institutions may find it easier to number student instances sequentially starting from 1 or A etc. A new instance number format can only be introduced for records, which have not been returned to HESA. This will be the case for new entrants and for continuing students commencing programmes of study that have not previously been returned to HESA. C06011 HIN Reports provides further guidance on the importance of maintaining the HIN link across years. A student instance identifies studies leading to a qualification aim. Where the same Student instance number is kept, field 30, Year of student on this programme, would be expected to increment each year but there would be no up-dating of field 26, Date of commencement of programme, nor of other fields giving information on entry to the student instance (e.g. fields 19,21,26,27,148/133,169/154 - an exception being, if, for example, an error had been found in the information provided in the previous year). With the commencement of a new student instance, a new Student instance number would be allocated. Field 30, Year of student on this programme, would be expected to be 01. Field 26, Date of commencement of programme, and other fields giving information on entry to the student instance, should all be up-dated (e.g. fields 19,21,26,27,148/133,169/154). A Student instance number is required since the basic unit of coverage of the record of "a student on a programme of study leading to a qualification aim" is not uniquely defined by HUSID x INSTID x QUALAIM. This is the case, for example, where qualification aim changes or develops within a programme of study e.g. MPhil/PhD or Cert HE/Dip HE/Degree. It is also the case that the qualification aim code in certain circumstances is not sufficient to define a qualification aim uniquely, e.g. a student studying concurrently for more than one professional qualification (field 41, code 25) or other undergraduate diploma or certificate (field 41, code 32). Once a record has been returned for one HESA year, records for that student instance will be required for subsequent years until: (a) A record is returned with fields 33, Reason for leaving, and 35, Date Left, completed OR (b) A record is returned with field 152/137, Suspension of active studies, completed (used to indicate a student was active within the reporting period but has now suspended studies) OR (c) A record is returned with field 70, Mode of Study, showing mode of study 'Dormant', (used where a student has been dormant for the whole of the reporting period). In order to assist institutions with making their returns to HESA, HESA will make available to institutions electronic lists of students for whom a record is expected i.e. those records where there is neither Field 33, Reason for leaving, and Field 35, Date left, nor completion of the Field 152/137, Suspension of active studies, nor Field 70, Mode of study, 'Dormant'. These will be produced as part of the July check documentation and will be applicable to the following July's return. The following July return's check documentation would include feedback on the matching to the previously generated target list as well as generating the target list for the next year's return. For further details, seeC06011 HIN Reports. |
| Example: | Although a number of examples are given, it is accepted that the identification of a student instance will reflect the perceptions and practices within an institution. In general, the assumption should be that if a student continues to study at the same level (that is undergraduate or postgraduate) at the same institution, then this is treated as the same student instance. Where a student transfers programmes by changing subject or even qualification aim within the same level this would not, in general, lead to a change of the student instance. 1 A student studying for a first degree and a separate professional qualification at undergraduate level is following two distinct programmes of study concurrently and therefore would have two Student instance numbers. YEAR HUSID INSTID NUMHUS QUALAIM 1 9811681234562 0168 1 21 1 9811681234562 0168 2 25 2 A student studying BA Business Studies with French in Year 1 transfers to BA Business Studies in Year 2. HESA guidance is that transfers should not give rise to multiple records. This is the case in this example, hence the same Student instance number is kept. YEAR HUSID INSTID NUMHUS QUALAIM 1 9811681234562 0168 1 21 2 9811681234562 0168 1 21 3 A student registers first for an MPhil then switches to a PhD. This is regarded as the normal progression route for this qualification aim at this institution, hence the same Student instance number is kept. YEAR HUSID INSTID NUMHUS QUALAIM 1 9811681234562 0168 1 04 2 9811681234562 0168 1 02 4 A student completes an undergraduate degree, then proceeds to take a masters degree at the same institution. These are two distinct programmes of study at different levels (undergraduate/postgraduate) and therefore would have two Student instance numbers. YEAR HUSID INSTID NUMHUS QUALAIM 1 9811681234562 0168 1 21 2 9811681234562 0168 2 05 5 A student transfers after two years from an HND course to the second year of a degree course (with or without being awarded the HND). The programme may be represented in two different ways, depending on how it is viewed by the institution. If within the institution this is regarded as a seamless continuation of studies, then it is the same student instance and the same Student instance number is kept and the information on entry fields should not be up-dated. Field 30, Year of student on this programme, increments by one year. In this case: field 26, Date of commencement of programme = not up-dated field 72, Year of programme = 2 field 30, Year of student on this programme = 3 field 21, Highest qualification on entry = not up-dated. field 151/136, Student instance number = not up-dated. However, if within the institution this is regarded as two student instances, then a new Student instance number is allocated and the information on entry fields should be up-dated. Field 30, Year of student on this programme re-sets to 01. In this case: field 26, Date of commencement of programme = up-dated to commencement date of degree field 72, Year of programme = 2 field 30, Year of student on this programme = 1 field 21, Highest qualification on entry = up-dated to HND if appropriate field 151/136, Student instance number = new number allocated. When an institution does not have a clear preference between the two methods of reporting the progression to degree via study for an HND, it is recommended that the first method, using a single student instance, is used. This general guidance would also apply to other similar cases. |
| Reason Required: | To distinguish/identify episodes of study by the same student (HUSID should be maintained) at the same institution (same INSTID); a vital tool (through the generation of HIN) to support year-on-year linkage, and thus used in the IER calculation made by DIUS. |
Valid Entries
| An up-to 20 character alphanumeric code. |
Validation Rules
| 029935 | This field must be completed for students with QUALAIM 02-52, 61, 62, 97 or 98. (Severity: 99) |
IsValidInteger(_QUALAIM_,02L,52L) ||IsValidInteger(_QUALAIM_,61L,62L) ||IsValidInteger(_QUALAIM_,97L,98L) ? M_NOTEMPTY : M_TRUE | |
| 029936 | If completed this field must be left justified. (Severity: 99) |
M_NOTEMPTY ? !M_ISFIELDN(uiCurFieldNo," ",0,1) : M_TRUE |
