Staffordshire University is required to monitor and demonstrate the attendance and engagement of all its registered Tier 4 / Student visa holders, in line with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) regulations. As a Sponsor with a record of compliance, Staffordshire University is committed to meeting all its duties under its sponsor licence. As such, the following attendance monitoring procedures have been put in place.
The policy also supports the improvement of the overall student experience by identifying where students may be experiencing difficulties and ensuring timely intervention and appropriate support.
Scope
This policy is to be adhered to by Tier 4 / Student visa holders who are currently registered on a programme of study with Staffordshire University. These students fall under the following categories:
- Students who currently hold a Tier 4 visa;
- Students who hold a Student visa (introduced on 05 October 2020);
- Students who have made an application for Student permission to stay within the UK using a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number from Staffordshire University and a decision on the application is outstanding;
- Students who have made an application for Tier 4 or Student permission to stay within the UK using a CAS number from Staffordshire University, have had their application refused and are currently undergoing an administrative review
This policy does not apply to students who currently hold permission to enter or stay in the UK that is outside of Tier 4 or the Student Route of the Points Based System. It also excludes UK Nationals and EU students who are in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme or other visa routes which is not Tier 4 or the Student Route of the Points Based System.
Taught Students at Undergraduate (UG)
- All Tier 4/Student route visa holders are required to have their attendance on their award monitored for the period of their Tier 4/Student route visa sponsorship.
- It is the responsibility of the Schools who own the award to monitor and record the attendance and to maintain oversight and responsibility in relation to this policy for all students sponsored on a Tier 4/Student route visa.
- Recording of attendance will be via. key contact events identified by each School. Key events are defined as: (but not limited to):
- Attending required lectures, seminars, tutorials
- Undertaking required laboratory work
- Undertaking research or fieldwork
- Submitting essays, assignments and attending examinations
The identification of key events is via. all timetabled activity to ensure that by student’s attending these events it will demonstrate satisfactory attendance and engagement with the course to allow successful completion of the award.
For the purpose of clarity, these events must be spread across the academic semester to allow the monitoring of attendance consistently through the study period and not clustered together. Artificial contact points should not be used.
- The recording of these interactions will take place via. Beacon. It is the responsibility of the School to ensure at the appropriate point in the timetabled session the code required for the student to record their attendance is made available in accordance with the Attendance Recording workflow (Appendix A)
- Schools to retain evidence of interactions and other activity which should be readily available at short notice for inspection for compliance audit purposes. Where the nature of the award does not meet the requirements above, monitoring arrangements must be formally submitted to the Registrar and Student Support and Experience Manager who will seek the approval of the Executive Dean of Students.
- The School is required to identify when the attendance of a student falls below the required threshold in any two week consecutive period or where there are patterns of behaviour that cause concern (for example, student is missing the same timetabled event each week). In these instances, the School are required to escalate and follow the Attendance Monitoring workflow (Appendix B).
- During University official vacation periods relevant to the teaching requirements of the award, monitoring is not required.
- All Tier 4/Student Route sponsored students are subject to this policy until the end of their studies on their student record or the expiry date of their visa, whichever is the earliest of the two dates.
- The Student Support and Experience (International) team will carry out a sample audit of the records of interactions to ensure compliance with our UKVI sponsor duties. In addition, internal audits maybe employed to ensure compliance.
- In order for Tier 4/Student route sponsored students present in the UK to fully comply with our attendance policy, the University expects students to live within a commutable distance from the University. The University defines ‘commutable distance’ as no longer than a 1-hour commute from the student’s location of study. The location of a student’s residential address cannot be considered as an adequate reason for non-compliance with this policy.
- Student’s wishing to take a period of leave must apply to do so in accordance with the University’s authorised leave process.
Postgraduate Taught (PGT) level
- PGT students will follow the same process for the recording of their attendance during Semester 1 and Semester 2 of their studies as UG students outlined above.
- As students move into Semester 3 of their award (i.e., Final project/Dissertation stage), there will be a change to the recording of their attendance.
- PGT students undertaking their final project/Dissertation are required to attend a minimum of one formal supervision session once a month, every month.
- It is the responsibility of the Supervisor/course team to keep a record of each formal supervisory session via. E:Vision in a timely manner in accordance with the Attendance Recording workflow (Appendix A part 2) (NB: E:Vision will be used on this occasion as supervisory meetings are not scheduled as a timetabled event but arranged on an individual basis with the supervisor and student).
- Supervisors are required to retain evidence of interactions and other activity which should be readily available at short notice for inspection for compliance audit purposes.
- The change in the reporting requirements in Semester 3 for PGT students is due to the independent nature of that element of the course.
- In the event of one missed interaction been identified, the School are required to escalate and follow the Attendance Monitoring workflow (Appendix B).
Postgraduate research (PGR) students
- Full-time PGR students are required to attend at a minimum of one formal supervision session each month. This requirement must take place once a month, every month. In addition, PGR students must be seen to be making sufficient progress in their research to meet the requirements of the Postgraduate Research regulations.
- It is the responsibility of the Supervisor to keep a record of each formal supervisory session via. e:Vision in a timely manner in accordance with the Attendance Recording workflow (Appendix A part 2)
- Supervisors are required to retain evidence of interactions and other activity which should be readily available at short notice for inspection for compliance audit purposes
- It is the responsibility of the supervisor to identify via. the Attendance Monitoring workflow (Appendix B) when a session has been missed or there are patterns of behaviour which are a cause for concern.
- All Tier 4/Student Route sponsored research students (see point below) are subject to this policy until the end of their research programme on their student record or the expiry date of their visa, whichever is the earliest of the two dates.
- Professional Doctorates will be included in these monitoring requirements when they reach their research stage; prior to this they should be monitored in line with PGT monitoring arrangements.
- In instances where the student is waiting their viva and no expected interactions are due to take place until the viva date, it will be the responsibility of the Graduate School to notify the Student Support & Experience (International) team in order for them to initiate monthly check-ins until such time as the viva has taken place.
- The Student Support and Experience (International) team will carry out a sample audit of the records of interactions to ensure compliance with our UKVI sponsor duties. In addition, internal audits maybe employed to ensure compliance.
- In order for Tier 4/Student route sponsored students present in the UK to fully comply with our attendance policy, the University expects students to live within a commutable distance from the University. The University defines ‘commutable distance’ as no longer than a 1-hour commute from the student’s base of study. The location of student’s residential address cannot be considered as an adequate reasons for non-compliance with this policy.
- Student’s wishing to take a period of leave must apply to do so in accordance with the University’s authorised leave process.
Work placements and Student Union Sabbatical Officers
- All students on a Tier 4/Student Route visa undertaking a work placement which forms an integral and assessed part of their programme or a student undertaking a Student Union Sabbatical Officer role is subject to attendance monitoring in accordance with UKVI regulations.
- Work placement students: Placement tutors or co-ordinators must inform the Student Support and Experience (International) team of a student’s placement details including location and duration for monitoring and audit purposes.
- Student Union Sabbatical Officer: In the instance of a Tier 4/Student Route visa holder being appointed to the role of Sabbatical Officer it will be the responsibility of the Deputy Chief Executive for the Students’ Union to notify the Student Support and Experience (International) team of the appointment for monitoring and audit purposes.
- Tier 4/Student Route students on placement (including PGCE & Nursing (Health) placements) or in a Sabbatical Officer role will be monitored on a monthly basis. It is the responsibility of the placement tutor or co-ordinator to ensure that students on work placement are contacted monthly and to keep a record of each contact via E:Vision in accordance with the Work Placement Attendance Recording workflow (Appendix C)
- In addition, the Student Support and Experience (International) team will be responsible for undertaking a check with the employer (for both student’s on a work placement or in a sabbatical role) on a monthly basis to ensure that the student is attending and engaging satisfactorily with their work placement/role from an employer perspective.
- When a contact session with the tutor has been missed or there are patterns of behaviour which are a cause of concern, the placement tutor or co-ordinator is required to identify via. The work placement Attendance Monitoring workflow (Appendix B part 2) to ensure appropriate follow-up and interventions are actioned. This process is also to be used by the Student Support and Experience (International) team where employer feedback indicates poor attendance and engagement.
- All Tier 4/Student Route students are subject to this requirement until the end of their work placement period or sabbatical officer role at which point they will revert to the attendance requirements for their programme of study outlined above.
- Student’s wishing to take a period of leave during their work placement or sabbatical role must apply to do so in accordance with the University’s authorised leave process.
Withdrawal of Sponsorship
- Failure by students to adhere to this Attendance and Engagement Monitoring policy is likely to lead to their withdrawal from their programme of study.
- Where a decision is made to withdraw sponsorship of the student’s Tier 4/Student Route visa, student’s will be notified by email to their University and personal email address as detailed on their student record.
- The student will be provided with an opportunity to submit a final review to the Student Support and Experience (International) team against the decision to withdraw them from the University before the withdrawal is actioned. This request will be forwarded to the Regulations and Compliance team for a review to ensure appropriate processes have been followed. The request for a review must be lodged within 5 working days of the student being notified of the withdrawal decision. It is expected that the student will receive a decision on the review within 5 working days of it being received.
- Following the student withdrawal, if the student is unable to provide satisfactory evidence of their attendance and engagement the decision will not normally be reversed. This is due to the student having failed to meet the conditions of their Tier 4/Student Route visa. Sponsorship of the student’s Tier 4/Student route visa will be withdrawn along with their student status.
For copies of the workflows contained in the Appendices please email attendance@staffs.ac.uk