Attendance monitoring and engagement policy

Transcription

1 Attendance monitoring and engagement policy Introduction 1. Whilst the University recognises that students come to Bath as adults and are expected to work independently and be responsible for their own decisions and actions, the University has a responsibility to external bodies such as the Loans Company, the Home Office and the Higher Education Statistical Agency to ensure that students are attending and studying so as to comply with regulatory requirements and the University s own requirements. 2. The University regulations state: s shall attend regularly. (Regulation 3.1). 3. Enhanced attendance monitoring procedures are deemed appropriate in order: To ensure that the University can provide appropriate advice and/or counselling to those students who are deemed not to be attending regularly and take action as necessary; To ensure that the University complies with its responsibilities as a Highly Trusted Sponsor under the Home Office s Points Based Immigration System; and to ensure that it maintains this status; To ensure that the University provides accurate information to external government bodies in respect of funding. 4. To ensure that the University can meet both its internal and external regulatory requirements the cooperation of all staff is essential in order to ensure the successful implementation of the policy. 5. The Attendance Monitoring and Engagement Policy is an important part of ensuring that students attend and engage with their studies. However, it is not the only way of ensuring this. The policy sits alongside the ongoing responsibility of all staff to ensure that to the best of their awareness students are engaging with their studies and, if an issue is identified, to act promptly in accordance with the procedure to respond to poor student attendance as set out by Regulation 3.1. Attendance Monitoring and Engagement Policy 6. This policy applies to all students who attend the University of Bath campus for the majority of their teaching/study and those full-time students who are studying/ working away whilst on /study abroad or are completing fieldwork or other study away from the University as part of their programme. The policy also applies to any other students studying under the sponsorship of the University of Bath on a Tier 4 student visa. 7. s attendance will be recorded at certain pre-defined points and/or for certain predefined activities. Some points of contact will only be relevant to Tier 4 visa holders. Tier 4 is the student category of the Points Based System for Immigration and the majority of students requiring a visa to study in the UK will hold a Tier 4 visa. 8. s will be expected to co-operate with University staff in the fulfilment of this policy, as indicated by Regulation 3.6: If any students are required by [ any Officer of the University ] to see such person, the students shall attend at such place and time as shall be specified. If any student is unable to fulfil this requirement due to disability or illness an alternative will be arranged provided that the student alerts their Director of Studies. 9. As part of the Attendance Monitoring and Engagement Policy the University operates a process to authorise absence from the University. This is to cover periods of teaching or study where a student would normally be expected to be on campus. The definition of authorised absence and the process whereby students can request to be absent is outlined in sections 22 to 29 of this document. 1

2 10. Attendance data will be recorded for the purposes of audit and also to allow analysis to identify those students who show irregular or inadequate patterns of attendance. 11. The University has an external requirement to monitor at least 10 expected contact points per year for Tier 4 visa holders. Some of the expected contact points will be for Tier 4 visa holders only with the remainder applicable to all full-time students. In order to show engagement with their studies the contact points must include those which indicate the student s presence on campus. Study away from the University 12. The University must continue to fulfil its sponsor duties for Tier 4 visa holders when they are studying or working away from the University, including when they are completing a or fieldwork. This may mean that these students are subject to additional centrally-monitored contact points whilst they are away from the University to ensure that the University can continue to fulfil its sponsor duties under Tier 4. Centrally-monitored contact points will take place via electronic methods and will be set up and monitored by the Compliance Team in the Records and Examinations Office and the International Advice Team in Services. Tier 4 students about to go on will be required to attend an information session with the International Advice Team to cover the visa requirements whilst they are on. A letter will also be sent to providers hosting Tier 4 students to clarify the University s responsibilities as a sponsor and the visa rules. Visiting students and scholars 13. The University has the same sponsor duties for inbound Study Abroad students and visiting PGR scholars who are studying here on a Tier 4 visa as for those Tier 4 students who are based here full-time to complete their degree. Additional central contact points are included for inbound Study Abroad students on Tier 4 visas to allow for the fact that they may select any units which may not necessarily contain sufficient pieces of coursework to reach a total of at least10 contact points and may be expected to be in attendance during the summer vacation period. Supervisors will be required to provide details of their meetings with PGR visiting scholars on Tier 4 visas. The number of contact points required will vary pro-rata based on the duration on the student s period of study at the University. This policy only applies to those visiting/ exchange students and scholars studying here on a Tier 4 visa and not to those on a Visitor Visa. Postgraduate students 14. Under the Tier 4 visa regulations postgraduate taught and research students are expected to continue to engage with their studies over the summer, as this is not designated as a vacation period for them. Postgraduate taught students intending to complete their dissertation away from the University will be required to request a period of authorised absence so that the University holds a central record of their whereabouts. A central contact point will be organised over the summer for Tier 4 PGT students, which will consist of a sign-in for those on campus and an electronic engagement point for those studying away from the University. Those PGT students completing a following completion of the taught element of their programme will be monitored by their department Expected points of contact 15. In the interests of consistency and fairness students can expect to have their attendance monitored as set out in the table below. As far as possible all types of students will have the same points of contact. Those students on or outbound Study Abroad will have alternatives as appropriate to their situation. s on thin sandwich programmes will have a mixture of contact points spread throughout the year to allow for the fact that they will be spending part of the year studying on campus and part of the year on. Alternative contact points must be agreed for specific groups of students if the standard contact points do 2

3 not apply to them. Where necessary, alternative contact points will be agreed for professional doctorates and other programmes. The points of contact are currently as follows, but this list may be changed by the University from time to time: Point of contact Type of student Extent of use Source of information Registration All students Once at the start of each year Presentation of original documents Completion of candidature form Attending visa information lecture Central contact point for Tier 4 inbound Study Abroad students/visiting PGR scholars Central contact point for Tier 4 students on /outbound Study Abroad Central contact point for students expected to be in attendance over the summer Recording of examination marks as evidence of exam having been sat or recording of marks for equivalent end of unit assessment Re-enrolment New Tier 4 visa holders and all new PGT and PGR students All new PGR students All Tier 4 visa holders Inbound Study Abroad Tier 4 students/ Tier 4 PGR scholars Outbound Tier 4 students on /Study Abroad only All Tier 4 PGT students plus those Tier 4 inbound visiting students expected to be in attendance over the summer All taught UG/PGT students All Tier 4 visa holders During enrolment Within three months of registration Semester 1 One per Three times per year Once per year (summer) End of each At the start of 2 Progress report All PGR students Every six months twice a year Completion of the Academic Integrity Training & Test unit All NEW students Throughout the year PGR skills training All PGR students Completion of one unit per year Course-specific contact points. These can include submission of coursework, attendance All taught UG/PGT students Three times per year (students in year 1) or five times per year Review of BEP report Academic (Data (data on SAMIS/Moodle/hard copy sign in sheet) 3

4 at any compulsory lecture/seminar/laboratory session, or other events that happen as part of the course. At least one contact point per must record student s physical attendance and students should not be informed in advance during which week attendance will be monitored Sign in at Graduate School Office Placement objective learning outcomes Placement visits/contact (in person/ /skype) Confirmation of attendance from provider All Tier 4 PGR students s on s on s on (returning students) Once per Once per At least once per At least one per (within three months of the start of the ) Meeting with supervisor All PGR students Four times a year (once every three months) (hard copy sign in sheet) (Recorded Staff responsibilities 16. It is the responsibility of the Faculties/School and departments to ensure that SAMIS is updated promptly with information (including PGR supervisor meetings) or that data which is not recorded on either SAMIS or Moodle is provided promptly to the Academic. Staff in the Compliance Team will liaise directly with staff as identified by each regarding the provision of data for taught programmes. PGR supervisors will be sent automatic reminders through SAMIS to record meetings with their students and cases where meetings are not recorded will be escalated to the Head of Department and if necessary the Dean to ensure the information is provided. If there have been any changes (e.g. the supervisor is no longer responsible for a particular student) then they should inform the Compliance Team and contact the Graduate School so that the change can be formally approved and recorded on SAMIS. 17. Staff in the Faculties/School and departments are responsible for monitoring student engagement and attendance and acting promptly where an issue is identified. This is a shared responsibility between staff that have contact with students. For students on taught programmes, the Director of Studies has primary responsibility for identifying any issues and coordinating the response and for students on postgraduate research programmes their supervisor has primary responsibility for this. 18. In addition, Academic staff will be responsible for analysing the data which will be held on central systems to alert Directors of Studies to lack of attendance/ engagement. Once two expected points of contact have been missed the Compliance Team will contact the Director of Studies/PGR supervisor to ask them to confirm that the student is in fact in attendance and engaging with their studies, and if this is not the case, what course of action is being followed. 19. Once poor attendance has been identified the Department/ of Management will follow the guidance provided to contact the student to determine if there is a problem. Please 4

5 refer to Appendix ii - Regulation 3.1 flowchart for details of the process. Regulation 3.1 states: If a student's attendance is not satisfactory, the Academic Registrar, authorised to act under power delegated by Senate, and following consultation with the student's Faculty or School, may determine that the student be precluded from continuing their studies and, where applicable, their registration be terminated. A person who ceases in this way to be a student of the University may make representations to the Vice-Chancellor, who may exercise statutory power to re-admit the student. 20. As detailed in the Regulation 3.1 flowchart, the Missing Protocol should be engaged when it is suspected that a student is missing. 21. If staff have any concerns about the attendance or engagement of a student, e.g. a student fails to maintain contact or submit work, they should contact the Compliance Team who will advise on the course of action to be taken. It is particularly important that any issues or concerns relating to Tier 4 visa holders are followed up promptly due to the reporting requirements and the strict deadlines set by the Home Office with which the University must comply. Authorised Absence Policy 22. As part of its Attendance Monitoring Policy the University of Bath has an Authorised Absence Policy for those students who are, or need to be, absent for 14 days or longer. This applies to all full-time students, whether they are studying on campus, on or studying abroad. Unauthorised absence will be dealt with by Regulation Under the Regulation 3.4.Apart from illness students will be granted leave of absence only with the prior permission of the Head of their Department or the person to whom the Head of Department delegates responsibility in this matter. In considering whether to authorise absence, students ability to submit assessments, sit examinations and progress normally will need to be considered. 24. Undergraduate students will not normally be allowed to be absent during designated teaching and examination weeks. During vacation weeks there is no requirement for students to be present on campus. Where students will be away from the University on a trip organised as part of their programme the relevant programme administrator (or equivalent) is required to notify the Academic so that a central record of this is held. 25. Postgraduate taught students will not normally be allowed to be absent during designated teaching and examination weeks unless the teaching and assessment pattern of the programme permits this. s completing an internship or other period of study away from the University which is not a standard part of the programme must request a period of authorised absence. During the summer vacation postgraduate taught students are expected to be studying for their dissertation or equivalent assessment, unless unable to do so because they have not progressed to the dissertation stage of their programme. s intending to return to their home country or complete their dissertation overseas should notify the University by requesting a period of authorised absence. 26. The maximum continuous period of absence which can be granted without suspending studies is 60 days, with the exception of PGR students needing to complete fieldwork or other study away from the University as part of their studies. s who intend to be absent for less than 14 days (such as in the case of illness) do not need to request absence under this policy unless their period of absence becomes 14 days or longer, in which case they need to contact their Director of Studies. s who are unable to return to their studies by the expected date should contact their Director of Studies to discuss a revised return date. The maximum continuous period of absence which can be granted for any other reason apart from fieldwork or other study away from the University (e.g. illness) without suspending studies is 60 days. 27. Postgraduate research students intending to complete fieldwork or other study away from the University should request this as a period of authorised absence where the duration of the absence will be 60 days or less. For periods of longer than 60 days, the student should complete the PGR study away form which will be available from SAMIS on the web. This must be authorised by their supervisor and provides details of the period of absence and how contact will be maintained and recorded. 5

6 28. s who are granted an authorised absence will not receive a refund of tuition fees; nor will their expected end date of studies be amended to reflect the period of time away from their studies. 29. s who wish to request to be absent from the University should make an application via SAMIS on the web. The Academic will be responsible for receiving the initial request from students, liaising with Directors of Studies or PGR supervisors and checking that students have returned as expected. Academic Skills Centre 30. The Academic Skills Centre (English Language Centre) has its own attendance requirements for the programmes it offers and maintains its own attendance records. It is important that students are made aware of these requirements and the action that will be taken in cases of poor attendance. If any issues arise, staff should liaise with the Compliance Team who will advise on the appropriate course of action. Effective from 1 September