Student Engagement and Attendance Policy

The University expects all students to engage fully with their studies and to attend all timetabled sessions associated with the course on which they are enrolled. Full and active participation provides students with opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge needed to successfully complete their course. To this end, students are expected to:

• Organise their personal, social, work, residential and other arrangements to facilitate attendance and engagement, as required by their specific program of study;
• Attend all timetabled sessions, which may include lectures, tutorials, workshops, labs, placements, site visits, and in the case of research students, scheduled meetings with supervisors;
• Arrive on time for sessions and remain for the duration of the session;
• Participate fully in group work and group meetings, as required by their course of study;
• Notify their module tutors in advance if they expect to be absent from any module event.

It is not normally expected that students pursuing Undergraduate and Graduate programmes will be absent during term-time. Any leave or holiday must always be taken outside of term time – please refer to published academic calendar.

Students who have an unavoidable absence from their studies for any period of time must inform the University immediately. While absence notifications may be taken into account when considering a student’s overall attendance profile, as the University expects all enrolled students to be fit to study, it does not guarantee that no further action will be taken.

If students are experiencing serious personal, financial or medical difficulties that are disrupting their attendance, they will normally be advised to intercalate (that is, take a break from their studies).

For periods of absence between one and four weeks:

• Students should refer to the University’s Mitigating Circumstances Policy.
• Students should speak with members of academic and/or support staff to negotiate an appropriate study plan.
• For absences longer than 7 days, a student must also submit to the Head of Admissions a medical certificate or other third part evidence in support of their absence.

For period of absence longer than four weeks:

• It may be deemed in the best interest of the student to intercalate their studies and return at a specified time in the future, normally in the following academic year, that will enable the student to resume the programme appropriately.
• Academic staff may seek advice and guidance from Head of Academics and Head of Admissions, including:
  1. Advice on personal matters if the student has given consent to discuss.
  2. Advice on referrals to University services.
• Advice may also be sought from the Student.

If it is considered that a student is not engaging with their studies or not undertaking the requisite assessments, they will enter an escalation process. The student will receive the following notifications from the Admissions Department:

• Engagement Notification 1: Normally sent via email to their BSU and personal accounts, this communication will notify the student of concerns regarding engagement with studies and will signpost support facilities that may be of use and information about mitigating circumstance and intercalation processes.
• Engagement Notification 2: If a student’s engagement does not improve following Engagement Notification 1, they may receive a second communication from the University, normally via email to their BSU and personal email accounts, outlining the next steps in the process. This communication will again include details of support available but will also inform the student that a continued lack of participation may result in consideration of a range of options, including intercalation, withdrawal, suspension or even exclusion. Students will be asked to reply to this email within a set timeframe.
• Engagement Notification 3: If the pattern of engagement does not show significant improvement after Engagement Notification has been received, students may be required to attend a meeting to discuss their situation with appropriate members of staff. At this meeting an action plan to re-engage them with their studies may be agreed.

If a student does not attend or rearrange the Participation Meeting, or if an action plan is put in place but not adhered to, the student’s case may be referred to the Heads of Academics and the Admission for consideration of further action.

If the University has concerns for the wellbeing of a student, every effort will be made by Head of Admissions along with the relevant Head of Academics to put in place appropriate support mechanisms.

Note: Students who are repeating the year have been granted the opportunity to do so on the basis that they are ‘fit to study’ and engage fully with their course. If repeat year students are not engaging as expected, they may more quickly progress to the Participation Meeting stage.