About Transnational Support Services
Transnational Support Services (TSS) is a unit developed in 2001, to
oversee the administration functions of transnational programs of the Division of Business(DivBUE). There are
approximately 8000 University of South Australia
transnational students and approximately 5000 of these study through the
Division of Business. DivBUE transnational programs are offered in Asia
primarily, although there is a small program in Switzerland. As of October 2006, TSS administers 20
programs in 7 different countries.
Transnational students study in their home country and are not required to travel to Australia to complete their study. Most students have full time jobs and study part time. Transnational teaching incorporates a mixed mode delivery consisting of face-to-face seminars and distance learning. The University sends academic staff to the offshore locations to deliver lectures in person, once or twice each semester. The lectures or workshops are a series of intensive two hour to one day seminars over two to five days. The lectures are usually held at night or on the weekends and transnational partners provide the teaching facilities. Students study by distance learning for the balance of the semester. The University provides students with online study support materials, course materials and access to online library databases in program and course websites.
The University delivers transnational programs in collaboration with several transnational partners. These partners are either tertiary institutions or private education providers. The offshore partners facilitate face-to-face enquiry management for students, collection of fees from students and mail outs to students and provides appropriate teaching facilities. TSS staff communicate daily with partner staff, primarily by email, and phone or fax.
TSS staff correspond on a regular basis with partner staff regarding student and program issues and facilitate students and partner staff interaction with the Uni's online environment.
The International Student Service Advisers at TSS manage the lifecycle of the students involving enrolments, admission to graduation, student records. The terms, semesters or intakes in which the students study, are unique to each location, program and partner, and differ from the Adelaide on shore semester dates. These rolling terms, which can start at any time during the year, depending on new student numbers, are one of the most significant differences between administering offshore students compared with local Adelaide onshore student administration.
Some of UniSA's transnational programs are delivered in other languages, for example the Chinese BBA and MBA are delivered in Mandarin.
Overseas awards ceremonies are held for graduates and students can also choose to come to Adelaide to graduate. All Transnational students receive the same parchment as onshore students. The Division of Business hosts a function to congratulate graduates who choose to attend an Adelaide Graduation, twice each year.