Unistats record 2019/20
Unistats record 2019/20 - Data collection schedule
Version 1.4 Produced 2019-09-11
The document below is designed to guide providers through the stages of data submission for the Unistats record.
For the attention of English providers that registered with the Office for Students on or after 1 July 2019:
The deadline to have submitted and signed off a valid Unistats return is midday two months after your date of registration, or the next working day if that is a weekend. You do not have to work to the timetable below.
For example, if you registered with the OfS on 18 July 2019, you must submit and sign off your Unistats return by midday on 18 September 2019. For more information please contact [email protected].
At a glance
| August 2018 to May 2019 | Providers' local preparation |
| March 2019 | Validate data locally using validation kit |
| April 2019 | Preparation guide for HESA subscribers released |
| 24 May 2019 | Data collection opens |
| 10 July 2019 | NSS data added |
| 25 July 2019 (12pm) | Valid data submission required |
| 16 August 2019 (12pm) | Sign-off deadline |
| 11 September 2019 | Official Statistics publication of 2019 dataset on Unistats dataset page of HESA website |
| 12 September 2019 | Update of Discover Uni website with 2019 dataset |
| 18 September 2019 | First weekly update of Unistats data |
| 30 September 2019 | Deadline for up to date widgets on providers’ websites |
Detailed requirements
August 2018 to May 2019: Providers' local preparation
Providers should read the C19061 Unistats record coding manual and associated documentation for details of the requirements for the return.
During these months providers will need to load and maintain local record systems.
If you have any queries with the requirements for C19061 HESA subscribers should contact Liaison at [email protected] and FE colleges should contact [email protected].
March 2019 onwards: Validate data locally using validation kit
The C19061 validation kit is made available to download from Validation kits. The March 2019 release of the kit contains the updated schema and business rules for C19061 and is released to assist providers in preparing their data ahead of the data collection system opening.
The kit enables providers to test their data locally against the first-stage validation ahead of the data collection systems opening in May 2019. Providers are strongly encouraged to use the validation kit as part of their data preparations.
Further details on the checks included in first-stage validation can be found within the data items of the record specification and in the business rules document on the C19061 coding manual.
A guide to using the validation kit can be found at Help with validation kits.
Providers are advised to contact Liaison ([email protected]) if they encounter any issues with the validation kit.
April 2019: Preparation guide for HESA subscribers released
In advance of the main collection opening in May, HESA releases a preparation guide for HESA subscribers. This provides further guidance of the requirements for the collection year, with particular reference to any areas HESA's statutory customers wish providers to pay particular attention to during coding and submission and information relating to the data collection system. OfS will publish a separate communication for FE colleges.
Notification of the publication of this guide will be sent to HESA Unistats record contacts, and is also circulated on sector mailgroups such as the HESA-KIS JISC mailgroup. If you would like to join this mailgroup please contact Liaison.
24 May 2019: Data collection opens
The C19061 collection database opens on the HESA data collection system (for HESA subscribers) and the OfS extranet (for FE Colleges) for providers to test files against the full range of validation and exception checks ahead of the last submission and sign-off date deadline.
Data from the DLHE survey will be available when the system opens for files that pass validation.
For HESA subscribers only:
A user guide for the submission of C19061 Unistats record data to the HESA data collection system (HESA subscribers only) can be found at Support guides.
Access for this system will be automatically granted to HESA Unistats record contacts and those who have been assigned the appropriate privileges, through the HESA Identity System when the C19061 collection opens. An email will be sent to inform relevant colleagues when the data collection system becomes available.
HESA monitors all transactions on the data collection system to ensure providers are progressing reasonably and not encountering difficulties. However if you require assistance with the submission process, please contact Liaison.
10 July 2019: NSS data added
In July NSS data will be provided for providers. This will include the number of students represented by the data associated with each course and, where relevant, the level at which the data has been aggregated. The Unistats file and other reports which reference this data will then become available for providers to download and review. From this point onwards it will be possible for providers to sign-off the Unistats data provided all errors have been resolved.
25 July 2019 (12pm): Valid data submission required
By 25 July 2019, providers are required to have submitted a dataset which passes validation and contains the majority of their courses.
This schedule allows for providers to review their reports, perform quality checks and make any amendments required before sign-off.
If you are a HESA subscriber and have no courses that meet the eligibility criteria for the UNISTATS record, you will need to return a Nil Return Sign-off form to HESA by this deadline.
16 August 2019 (12pm): Sign-off deadline
As part of the data quality assurance procedures, OfS/HESA require the return to be signed-off by the head or acting head of your organisation. This verification offers both the providers and HESA assurances regarding onward use of the data.
Providers are required to submit and sign off a dataset including all eligible courses by 16 August 2019.
A single validation failure will result in no data being imported into the system. Data which fails validation or where sign off has not been received will not be considered to have been returned to HESA or OfS.
Sign-off must be returned to OfS/HESA by 12pm on 16 August 2019.
11 September 2019: Official Statistics publication of 2019 dataset on Unistats dataset page of HESA website
Data that was signed-off by 10 September will be published as Official Statistics on the Unistats dataset page of the HESA website on 11 September 2019 for prospective students to view. Thereafter, updates will be published on a weekly cycle.
12 September 2019: Update of Discover Uni website with 2019 dataset
Data that was signed-off by 10 September will be published on the Discover Uni website on 12 September 2019 for prospective students to view. Thereafter, updates will be published on a weekly cycle.
18 September 2019: First weekly update of Unistats data
The Unistats dataset is dynamic and any amendments will be published on a weekly basis. The first update will include changes signed off from midday on 17 September.
30 September 2019: Deadline for up to date widgets on providers’ websites
By the 30 September, providers must have up to date widgets embedded on their course pages for each course within the Unistats return. Further guidance on embedding widgets can be found in the Discover Uni widget user guide.
For providers submitting to HESA only:
| Once the submitted data has passed all stages of validation and all externally provided data is available a new icon will be made available from where the sign-off form can be downloaded and completed. Once completed, the form should be scanned and emailed back to [email protected]. Please note that the transaction number on the sign-off form must correspond to that of the data being signed-off. |
Contact Liaison by email or on +44 (0)1242 388 531.