Regulations for taught students: Section 4

SECTION 4: Attendance Monitoring Regulation

If you are struggling to attend your timetabled sessions and need to tell us, please contact the Student Engagement Team (SET).  You can book an informal attendance meeting with them for further support, and you can also access advice and support from the Students’ Union Advice Centre. 

 

4.1 Regulation introduction

4.1.1 You are required to attend all of your timetabled sessions both on campus and online, and to be present during all term time weeks. If you are undertaking a placement or a period of study off campus as part of your course, this regulation also applies to you. If you do not do this, you could be withdrawn from the course, and you might not be able to study with us again. 

4.1.2 You must record your attendance at timetabled on campus sessions by using the card readers to swipe your student ID card in each room. If you do not bring your student ID card to a timetabled session you will be marked as absent. For online timetabled sessions and if you are a distance learning student, your attendance will be automatically recorded and monitored.

4.1.3 You must tell us if you are going to be absent for good reason, using our online reporting system; this includes absence due to shielding, isolation or quarantine. This replicates expectations in the workplace and we expect you to behave in a professional manner when you are managing your absence. The Student Engagement Team may ask for independent documentation to support why you need to be or have been absent. 

4.1.4 You should be aware that some courses have specific attendance requirements and you must meet these requirements in addition to this procedure. 

4.1.5 Attendance at and absence from scheduled formal examinations are dealt with under the University’s examination regulations, the ‘Fit to Sit’ policy, as determined in Section 1.8 and the Exceptional Circumstances (ECs) Procedures, not under its Attendance Policy and Procedures.

4.1.6 If you are studying on campus, you must carry your student ID card with you at all times and make your card available to any member of University staff that asks to see it. If you refuse to allow a member of staff to see your student ID card this will be considered to be a breach of the Student Disciplinary Regulation (Section 12).

4.1.7 If you lose your student ID card, you must report this to the Student Engagement Team immediately and you must buy a new student ID card from iPoint.

4.1.8 You must only have one student ID card. If you have more than one student ID card this will be considered to be a breach of the Student Disciplinary Regulation (Section 12).

 

4.2 Spot checks

4.2.1 If you are studying on campus, your attendance will also be monitored by random spot checks. These will be carried out by the Student Engagement Team (SET). We expect you to be in your timetabled sessions. If you swipe into a timetabled session and leave before the end of a session without informing the session leader of the reason you need to leave, and a register is taken, you will have breached the Student Disciplinary Regulation (Section 12) and an investigation will take place under that procedure. 

 

4.3 Fraudulent swipes

4.3.1 You should not give your student ID card to another student and ask or allow them to swipe into a timetabled session for you.

4.3.2 You should not swipe into a timetabled session for another student.

4.3.3 We consider the above activities to be fraudulent and if you do either of these things you will have breached the Student Disciplinary Regulation (Section 12) and an investigation under that procedure will take place.

4.4 Additional information on right to study: visa students

4.4.1 If you are studying on a Student visa or have limited right to remain in the UK, then these sections are relevant to you. Please read them carefully as they are very important and you are responsible for making yourself aware of the necessary attendance regulations.

4.4.2 The Home Office requires students who are studying on Student visas to attend all timetabled sessions and to be fully engaged with their course as part of their visa conditions. You must swipe into every timetabled session on campus and attend each timetabled session online. If you have a Student visa the University is obliged to advise the UKVI of any absence exceeding ten contact points. 

4.4.3 If you are a taught Master’s degree student completing a dissertation you must swipe weekly at the designated point. 

4.4.4 If you do not attend your timetabled sessions, please be aware that this may have an impact on your Student visa and your permission to remain in the UK. Ultimately you will be withdrawn from the University, your student visa will be curtailed and you will be required to leave the UK.

4.4.5 If you fail a spot check, you will be required to report to the International Office, within five working days of the discrepancy. If you fail to report, we will issue a written warning and apply immediate sanctions. If you do not comply within a further 5 days, we will withdraw you from your course and withdraw sponsorship of your visa, both with immediate effect.

4.4.6 Please note, if you are sponsored by a government or corporate organisation we may inform your sponsor of any concerns regarding your attendance at any point.

4.5 Additional information for learners studying on Degree Apprenticeship programmes and Distance Learning programmes

4.5.1 If you are an apprentice and not able to attend University or join a planned face-to-face or online live session, you must inform the Apprenticeship team as soon as possible after first contacting your employer. If you miss any timetabled sessions these will be reported to your employer, and you will need to repeat these. 

4.5.2 If you are on an approved registered Distance Learning programme, your engagement and attendance will be monitored. We expect you to attend all timetabled synchronous sessions and engage proactively with online materials. Attendance at online timetabled sessions will be automatically recorded and your engagement with materials and activities in the VLE will also be monitored.

4.5.3 If you are on an approved registered Distance Learning programme, you will only be subject to the attendance and engagement procedure, not the visa compliance procedure.

4.6 Additional information for students required to repeat failed modules with attendance

4.6.1 As per Section 1.13, as an Undergraduate student if you are not able to progress to the next stage or complete your award because you are required to repeat one or more failed modules, you will in almost all circumstances need to attend the University in order to do that. This regulation is intended to ensure you have the support you need to stay engaged and increase your chances of success.

4.6.2 We recognise that there will be rare occasions when applying this regulation would mean you face a disproportionate difficulty, for example, undue financial hardship. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. In the first instance, you must complete the Repeat without attendance form, include your rationale for the request and send to your Course Administration team. They/Academic staff will complete their section, include a supporting statement and study plan if they support your request. The form will then be sent to Registry for final approval. The International office will also be notified to consider your request if you are studying on a Student visa. The Student Engagement team can also be contacted to help you support with this process.4.6.3 This regulation does not apply to you if you have remaining attempts outstanding, for example, because you had approved exceptional circumstances.

4.6.4 This regulation does not apply to you, if you are allowed to progress to the next stage of your study, even if you are trailing a module.