Student Attendance Monitoring Policy

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Teresa Hoover
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Student Attendance Monitoring Policy 1.0 Introduction In line with the Northumbria University Student Charter all students i.e. Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Postgraduate Research, are expected to attend all scheduled learning and teaching activities and engage with their relevant programme of study.

1 Student Attendance Monitoring Policy 1.0 Introduction In line with the Northumbria University Student Charter all students i.e. Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Postgraduate Research, are expected to attend all scheduled learning and teaching activities and engage with their relevant programme of study. Monitoring of attendance is recognised as an important element in supporting both student retention and performance. In addition, the document includes information on the requirements of the Home Office under the Points Based System applicable to international students. This document sets out the University s policy for student attendance monitoring and provides Faculties with additional guidance to inform attendance monitoring and absence reporting procedures for all students. Benefits of effective attendance monitoring are summarised as follows: It can help increase student focus and engagement with their programme of study. It encourages a better student experience due to staff being made more aware of pastoral and welfare issues. It has been demonstrated to enhance and facilitate group dynamics in tutorial sessions. First year students are known to be more likely to leave university prematurely and a proactive approach to attendance and subsequent pastoral care has been demonstrated to support improved retention and student wellbeing. A systematic approach to monitoring attendance from the start of a programme fosters a culture of attendance in subsequent years. It helps students to build work patterns appropriate for their time after university. The supportive follow up to student absence identifies students with issues and helps with resolution. The University responds to the requirements of the Home Office s license ssystem, whereby it is required to report international students who fail to fully register when expected or who are absent for a prolonged period without authorisation, as supplementary to the normal monitoring of the attendance of all our students (both home/eu and international). 2.0 Taught Students (Undergraduate and Postgraduate) 2.1 Monitoring of attendance is recognised as an important element in supporting both student retention and performance. Monitoring of individual student attendance will only be undertaken as defined by the policy and guidelines set out in this document For taught students, persistent failure to attend and/or absence without permission can result in serious consequences for the student through the Unsatisfactory Academic Progress Procedures (see below) given in Section of the University Handbook of Student Regulations (Taught Programmes): Research clearly demonstrates that students who engage in the full range of learning and teaching sessions are more likely to be successful. The University therefore monitors attendance in order to support and encourage full engagement 1

2 in academic work in an adult learning environment. The University also reserves the right to withdraw students who are no longer engaging in academic study. As noted above, for international students the University also responds to the requirements of the Home Office The following policy and guidance is intended to give staff greater clarity in relation to the University s expectations of an effective attendance monitoring process for Taught Programmes and to provide a co-ordinated response to the Home Office s reporting requirements It should be noted that individual programmes or modules may have additional attendance requirements (for Professional Body or academic reasons) and academic penalties may be applicable for failure to maintain a satisfactory level of attendance; these additional requirements should be specified in the programme handbook. 2.2 Attendance Monitoring Policy The attendance of all taught students must be monitored by the parent Faculty on average weekly throughout each semester. The events to be monitored must be agreed by the Faculty Registrar and the Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching) prior to the programme start and must be communicated to students The focus of attendance monitoring should be where individual students can be identified e.g. seminars, practical classes, lab sessions, other small group teaching sessions, etc. Faculties should also monitor, where possible, attendance at personal tutor meetings, handing in of coursework and examinations (as applicable) Faculties must have in place procedures for contacting students who either: (a) have failed to attend on two consecutive monitored attendance sessions in any one Module without authorisation or; (b) where there is a pattern of absence which is affecting the student s work or causing concerns for the student s wellbeing or academic progress. N.B. As absences are monitored by student, as well as by module, two absences from different modules in a seven day period may not necessarily trigger a contact. In accordance with Unsatisfactory Progress Procedure, the Programme Leader and Faculty Registrar are involved at relevant stages of the attendance monitoring operational procedure; the procedure should be clearly stated in the programme handbooks. The standard University attendance monitoring operational procedure is detailed in Appendix Failure to engage with an initial contact from the University, made in accordance with Section 2.2 above, or continued unauthorised absence on a further two consecutive monitored attendance sessions in any one module without authorisation should be considered, at the discretion of the Faculty, as part of the Unsatisfactory Academic Progress Procedures The monitoring of attendance of any modules taken outside the parent Faculty will be undertaken by the host Faculty and will contribute to student attendance records and any thresholds noted above Faculties should have in place mechanisms to formally report on the oversight and management of attendance monitoring to Faculty Executive or another appropriate forum The Academic Registry will prepare an overview annual report on the oversight and management of attendance monitoring to Faculty Executive or another appropriate forum Guidance on Attendance Monitoring and Absence Reporting 2

3 2.3.1 All students attendance must be monitored across all years and a standard, fair and auditable approach taken to ensure equity of treatment. On request, students are entitled to see the information held in relation to their absence record Academic staff must ensure that student attendance and absence is captured via the attendance monitoring IT system in a timely and efficient manner, ideally on the same day that teaching activity occurred, to facilitate appropriate follow up procedures based on complete data Absence from examinations, without approved personal extenuating circumstances, constitutes failure of that assessment In cases where students may be away from the University as part of their degree programme (e.g. work placement, distance learners, students with extensions for study, project research, study abroad), student attendance must be systematically monitored using alternate mechanisms e.g. via the following types of engagement: s and phone calls to and from the Faculty office/personal tutor/work placement coordinator/study abroad co-ordinator Electronic submission of work Engagement with electronic learning portal The University s definition of authorised absence is as follows: Acceptable reasons for absence to be authorised include health problems, bereavement and serious personal difficulties. Evidence is normally required. Traffic delays, attending family celebrations, paid employment or extra-curricular sports activities are normally regarded as unauthorised absence. Students are encouraged to report all absence to the University; this is mandatory for programmes where there are specific Professional Body requirements. Absence identified as part of attendance monitoring may result in follow-up actions The Student Attendance Monitoring system facilitates the recording of absence, both authorised and unauthorised, for agreed contact points for all students. The ability to report absence for various periods, facilitates the pastoral support of students, and provides a basis for meeting the legal requirements of the Home Office. In this respect the provisions of section above are of paramount importance. 2.4 Nomination of Teaching Activities In accordance with above, where practicable, Faculties are advised to select teaching activities as their primary monitoring events, and strongly encouraged to monitor smaller group activities, rather than large lectures for accuracy of information In accordance with 2.2 above, Faculties should advise students of which events are to be monitored. 2.5 Exceptions In some instances, the above policy may need to be adapted. The following guidance is provided in relation to exceptions Distance Learning Distance Learning students are expected to engage with all scheduled learning and teaching activities. Whilst engagement requirements and trigger thresholds for intervention can be adopted dependant on the nature of the specific programme, monitoring of student engagement would normally be via the electronic learning portal Work Placements 3

4 Students on work placement will be monitored both by the University and by the placement provider who is required to notify the University of any unexplained absence. Contracts with placement providers shall reflect this expectation Study Abroad Outgoing study abroad students should expect contact with their Personal Tutor at least twice a year if away from the University for a full year, or once if abroad for just one term. Hosting Faculties will be responsible for monitoring the attendance of incoming study abroad students Fieldwork The attendance of students participating in field work will be monitored by the fieldwork leader and any absence followed up through the briefings and progress meetings that students undertake as part of the normal activity Clinical Placements and other Professional Practice Placements (e.g. Social Work, Primary and Secondary Teaching) It is the student s responsibility to inform the Faculty and placement provider if they are unable to attend their placement. It is also usual practice for placement providers to inform the Faculty placement coordinator of a student s absence Visiting Students Visiting students studying at the University for under 6 months do not fall within this policy. 3.0 Postgraduate Research For postgraduate research students, failure to attend and/or absence without permission can result in serious consequences for the student through the Unsatisfactory Academic Progress Procedures given in Annex 1 of the University Handbook of Student Regulations (Research Programmes). The following guidance is intended to give staff greater clarity in relation to the University s expectations of an effective attendance monitoring process for Postgraduate Research students and to provide a co-ordinated response to the Home Office s reporting requirements. 3.1 Attendance Monitoring The attendance of all Postgraduate Research students must be monitored by the home Faculty Attendance of each student at the University, whether Home/EC or International is formally monitored and recorded at monthly supervision meetings between the student and their Principal Supervisor. Meetings may be face to face, or exceptionally via a virtual equivalent, such as a telephone or Skype meeting. Students and Supervisors share responsibility for maintaining contact. At the conclusion of each monthly meeting, and as part of their academic and personal development, each student completes an on-line Supervision Meeting Record Form within e:vision and submits it to their Principal Supervisor in a timely manner. For International students based at the University Campus, the completed monthly supervision record forms part of the attendance monitoring process for international students, as required by the Home Office. Where an International student fails to complete their monthly report, the University may report this absence to the UK Visa and Immigration as non-attendance at the University. Faculties confirm to Graduate School Committee that contact between student and supervisor has been maintained at the appropriate level Faculties must have in place procedures for contacting students who: a) have failed to attend monthly supervision meetings on two consecutive or; b) where there is a pattern of absence which is affecting the student s work or causing concerns for the student s wellbeing. Procedures related to Annex 1 of the University s Handbook of Student Regulations (Research Programmes) should involve the Principal Supervisor and Faculty Research Degrees Sub-Committee. The standard University procedure for Postgraduate Research Students is detailed in Appendix 2. 4

5 3.2.3 Failure to engage with an initial contact from the University regarding attendance should be considered, at the discretion of the Faculty, as part of the Unsatisfactory Academic Progress Procedures. 4.0 Equality and Diversity In line with the University s policy on Equality and Diversity, the University will make every effort to accommodate the needs of disabled staff and students for attendance monitoring purposes. Disabled students must make their needs known to the University Disability Support Team who, in conjunction with the Faculty Student Support Teams, will ensure that the requirements of disabled students requiring reasonable adjustments are communicated promptly to the Central Timetabling Team and Faculty staff with attendance monitoring responsibilities. Disabled staff should make their needs known in line with the Disability Disclosure and Reasonable Adjustment Procedure in order that required adjustments can be considered. The University understands that there may be times when a student is unable to attend a lecture or seminar due to religious observance. Where this is the case students, should advise their Faculty Student Support and Advice Centres in advance to explore whether alternative arrangements can be made to maintain the student learning experience and comply with attendance monitoring requirements. 5.0 Sources of Support and Guidance The Student Support Teams within Faculties offer specialist support and advice with technical issues surrounding attendance monitoring and can provide advice to academic staff on the implementation of the University s attendance monitoring policy. The Student Progress Team in Student Support & Wellbeing is able to offer advice on the support of students. Student Support & Wellbeing is able to offer specialist advice on attendance issues surrounding international students. Postgraduate Research Administrative Teams will offer specialist support and advice concerning postgraduate research students. 5

6 6 APPENDIX 1

7 7 APPENDIX 2

UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM CODE OF PRACTICE ON LEAVE OF ABSENCE PROCEDURE

UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM CODE OF PRACTICE ON LEAVE OF ABSENCE PROCEDURE 1 Index of points 1. Introduction 2. Definition of Leave of Absence 3. Implications of Leave of Absence 4. Imposed Leave of Absence