Attendance Monitoring System

APC11/14 /2 22 September 2011

GLASGOW CALEDONIAN UNIVERSITY

Attendance Policy for all Glasgow Caledonian University Students

1. Attendance Policy Statement 1.1 Glasgow Caledonian University requires, during term time[1], all students, Undergraduate, Post Graduate Taught and Post Graduate Research, to undertake/attend all scheduled individual contact sessions, teaching sessions, seminars, tutorials, laboratory classes, work placements and requisite research activity, as appropriate, associated with the programme of study on which they are registered. The University will monitor students’ attendance and will take appropriate action, including reporting to the requisite authorities (UKBA, SAAS, Student Loans Company, etc), those students whose attendance is unsatisfactory.

2. Attendance Monitoring and Absence Reporting Procedures Attendance Monitoring and Absence Reporting procedures are detailed in Appendix 1 3. Reporting of Attendance Students whose attendance does not meet the requirements of this Policy will be reported, as appropriate, by Student Administrative Services to the following bodies in accordance with their procedural regulations: • Student Award Agency for Scotland • Student Loans Company • UK Border Agency • Overseas Loans Agencies 4. Student Absence 4.1 Students whose attendance is interrupted by illness or other medically related condition for more than 5 working days are required to submit a medical certificate to their School Programmes Office. Failure to do so may result in the student being withdrawn and the matter reported to the appropriate bodies by Student Administrative Services. 4.2 Students who are absent for any reason other than medical matters are required to inform their Programme Office immediately, together with the reason for their absence and their expected date of return. Students who are not covered by medical certification will be expected to return immediately, unless they are provided with written authorisation by their Programme Leader to be absent for a specific and stated length of time. If the authorised absence extends for a period beyond which a student reasonably may be expected to continue their programme of studies, the student’s registration will be suspended, their studies deferred and the appropriate authorities notified accordingly.[2] 4.3 Students who are absent from an assessment or failed to submit coursework, for reasons beyond their control, must follow the procedure as detailed under the “Consideration of Special Factors” page 39, Appendix 6 of the University Assessment Regulations: http://www.gcu.ac.uk/registry/secretariat/documents/UniversityAssessmentRegulations2010_11_000.pdf Top of Form 4.4 Overseas students who wish return to their home country to complete their programme of study by submission of coursework or dissertation may be permitted to do so at the discretion of their Programme Organiser and Dissertation Tutor. They must apply for authorisation from their School, normally from their Programme Leader or nominee. They will be required to show evidence that they are returning home (e.g.travel documents) and they will be informed that their date of last attendance will be reported to the UKBA and their leave to remain revoked from their date of departure. If they need to return to the UK for programme related matters, they will be required to obtain a new visa. If the period of required return to the UK exceeds 6 months a CAS will be issued by Student Administrative Services. If the period of required return is six months or less the student will not require a CAS and may apply for a student visitor visa for leave to re-enter the UK. Failure to obtain authorisation prior to departure from the UK will result in the student being reported to UKBA as having discontinued their studies. The School must inform Student Administrative Services when a student returns to their home country to complete their study as detailed in the Attendance Monitoring and Absence Reporting Procedures (Appendix 1)

5. UKBA Compliance
1. All reporting to the UKBA will be carried out by Student Administrative Services using the Sponsor Management System. The University must report to the UKBA all Tier 4 students who:

• arrive at the University, but fail to register and matriculate within 5 working days of the latest start date for their programme of studies. Students who decide to defer their start date will notify Admissions who will amend the start date on the CAS; • fail appear to begin their programme of studies (students in this position will withdrawn from the University and reported to UKBA by Student Administrative Services within 10 working days of the latest start date of their programme); • fail to meet the University attendance requirements; • are suspended from the University; • decide to transfer to another institution; • change significantly their circumstances, including moving to study at a different campus within the University (UKBA must be informed of the change of study location) or who complete the course of study earlier than planned; • have breached the conditions of their immigration permission; • decide to return to their home country as detailed in point 4 above.

5.2 Any suspicions the University may have that a student is breaching the conditions of their leave to remain (permission to be in the United Kingdom), must be reported to the UKBA Compliance Officer (tel: 1066) who will investigate and determine whether a report must be provided to UKBA.

5.3 In all cases where students are reported to the UKBA, Student Administrative Services will write to the student informing them of the action taken.

6 SAAS Compliance

All students who are funded by the Students Award Agency Scotland (SAAS)[3] are required to attend their programme of studies from the start date as detailed by the annually approved University Academic Calendar.

Students who have not completed their registration and, where appropriate, matriculation within 10 working days of the start date of their programme will be withdrawn and reported to SAAS accordingly. In such instances SAAS and the Student Loans Company will withdraw funding with immediate effect. The University is required to report to SAAS all SAAS funded students who:

• fail to register and matriculate within 10 working days of their programme start date; • fail to meet the University’s attendance requirements; • are suspended by the University

APPENDIX 1

STUDENT ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES: STUDENT RECORDS & FUNDING SUPPORT

Attendance Monitoring, Absence Reporting and Student Withdrawal Procedures

Introduction

1. Student Administrative Services is required to maintain accurate information regarding student attendance at GCU and regularly report, as required, to the relevant authorities. It is essential that Schools provide attendance and withdrawal information in accordance with these procedures and within appropriate timescales in order that the University may meet the statutory information requirements placed on it by the following external authorities:

• UKBA for International students,

• SAAS for SAAS funded students,

• HESA,

• The Scottish Funding Council,

• The Student Loans Company,

• Local Authorities for Council Tax purposes.

2. The regulations within Tier 4 of the UKBA Points Based System require the University to unsure that effective procedures are in place for the monitoring of students and the immediate reporting of those students who are not compliant with the attendance requirements of their visa and leave to remain in the UK. The University is required to regularly demonstrate to UKBA that it is fully compliant with the Tier 4 monitoring and reporting requirements for international students in order to annually maintain the status of Highly Trusted Sponsor on which its recruitment of overseas students is dependant.

3. In addition SAAS now require a weekly update of all student attendance information in order that it may maintain student fees and student loan data on a current and accurate basis. Failure to provide accurate current data under the SAAS requirements effective from 2011/12 may adversely impact on University funding.

Procedures

4. The following procedures are applicable to All Students:

• If a student fails to attend all classes on their programme of study for a period of 5 working days, the School /Department/Division should make contact with the student. If the student is ill they should ask their doctor for a ‘Fit Note’ covering the period of absence beyond 5 working days.

• In the case of International Students undertaking a Dissertation or Research Thesis, regular contact, including face to face meetings, must be maintained to ensure that the student is maintaining a full and active part in their programme of studies. If the student is not fulfilling their scheduled contact requirements or the University cannot guarantee that they will be able to maintain their duties as sponsor during the write up period, then sponsorship must be withdrawn and the student required to return home to complete their studies[4]

• If no response is received within 5 working days or the response is unsatisfactory, the School should inform Student Records and Funding Support (SRFS) immediately by completing the proforma ARSR 8 [5]

• A letter will be sent by SRFS to the student requesting that they contact their School/Division within five working days. If the student complies with this and indicates a return to study the School/Department should contact SRFS and confirm that the student will be returning to continue on their programme.

• If the student does not make contact within the timescale, the School must inform SRFS immediately. A second attendance letter will then be sent informing the student that they are now ‘withdrawn’. Schools will be notified that this letter has been sent and should complete a Withdrawal Form ARSR3. This information will be reported to the appropriate external authorities.

• If the student is absent for other than medical reasons they should be informed that they are expected to return to classes immediately. If they require a short period of authorised absence for any reason e.g. compassionate leave of absence, then this must be authorised in writing by the Programme Organiser with a specific date of return, normally not more than 10 working days, explicitly stated in the authorisation letter.

• Any authorised absence must be on the basis that the student will be reasonably expected to resume their programme without adverse effect to their studies or their expectation of progression. Where it is unreasonable, following a period of authorised absence, to expect a student to pick up their studies and proceed normally within the same Trimester, the student should be counselled accordingly, their registration suspended and the student advised to defer until an appropriate point of return. SRFS must be notified immediately, using the Withdrawal Form (ARSR3), in order that they may report to the appropriate authorities accordingly.

• Students who are failing to attend part of their programme, but have not missed 5 consecutive days, should be counselled as to why they are not attending. They should not be reported to Student Records in the first instance, but advised that they are required to attend all classes and any failure to observe this requirement will result in a report being made to the appropriate authorities.

5. In the case of the withdrawal of International students UKBA will be notified immediately by SRFS using the UKBA SMS system.

It is critical in order to maintain the University’s Tier 4 Licence and Highly Trusted Sponsor status that all absences and withdrawals are reported immediately to UKBA.

6. In the case of home students, this information will be communicated to SAAS, as appropriate, via the weekly attendance monitoring returns.

CBA /SR/JULY/10/Amended/EBF/Aug/11/Sept/11/Oct/11

----------------------- [1] This information is detailed in the University Academic Calendar approved annually by Senate: term-time and holiday or vacation times are defined by the University’s academic calendar. Where programmes do not follow the usual September to June pattern, term-time means any period when a student is scheduled to be undertaking academic work. For example, when a student should be: • attending classes and lectures etc; • preparing for exams; • undertaking coursework activities; • preparing essays, dissertation or thesis.
[2] Paragraph 470 of the UKBA Policy Document: “Tier 4 of the Points Based System – Policy Guidance (version 09/11) states:

“It is your responsibility to judge whether a student’s absence is authorised or unauthorised. For example, if a student will be absent for a prolonged period, perhaps because they are ill or pregnant, you may decide this is authorised. You must judge whether or not they will then be able to pick up their studies straight away without repeating a previous period of study. If they need to repeat, you and the student should probably agree that they will need to defer. See ‘Sponsorship ends’ for details of how to report that”.

Paragraph 474 (Under “Sponsorship ends”) states:

“If a student defers their studies after they arrive in the UK, their permission to stay will no longer be valid as they will not be actively studying. As well as telling us about their deferral you must also advise them to leave the UK. When they are ready to resume their studies they will have to make a new application for a visa”.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/employersandsponsors/pbsguidance/guidancefrom31mar09/sponsor-guidance-t4-050911.pdf?view=Binary
[3] This includes the payment of fees to the University even if no other financial award is received by the student.
[4] See “Writing Up (postgraduate students) paras 424 & 425 Tier 4 of the Points Based System – Policy Guidance, version 09/11” http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/employersandsponsors/pbsguidance/guidancefrom31mar09/sponsor-guidance-t4-050911.pdf?view=Binary [5] The Unsatisfactory Attendance Proforma (ARSR8) and the Student Withdrawal Form are not currently in ISIS, but can accessed using the following link:
Path: Login to My Caledonian > Staff tab > Scroll down to Administration Staff box, click on University Documents > Click on Academic Registry Documentation > Click on Student Records > Under Student Records Proforma, click on Attendance Letter Proforma