Next review Date: 01/01/2023
Policy Introduction
Attendance is a key component in student progression, achievement, employability and retention. Regular attendance and academic achievement are closely linked. UKBC maintains a rigid student attendance policy. Its policy is expressed in the following ways. Students who ignore the attendance policy of the College may be removed from the College rolls, whereas tier 4 students will be reported to the Home office, for further action as deemed necessary by UKBC.
Key Principles
1. The attendance record will be updated daily.
2. You are expected to attend all course classes. If you are an overseas student, you must be aware that the College is required to notify the Home Office UK Border Agency / Student Loans Company about any student who fails to attend at least 90% of his/her scheduled classes. You should make every effort to attend your classes. The attendance is duly recorded by your class tutor in the official register.
3. Students are expected to be in the class room and ready for work before the classes are due to commence. The tutor will not wait for latecomers and will make a note about late attendance in the register. Poor punctuality is not acceptable and anyone who is late by more than 15 minutes will be marked in the register as late. If you are more than 30 minutes late, you will not be admitted until the break (usually about mid-way through the class) and you will then receive half the normal attendance mark. Leaving early will also result in loss of a full attendance mark, and if you are present for less than half of a lesson you will be recorded as absent. Persistent late comers will be suspended from the College.
4. If you cannot attend the classes for the day, you must inform the College Administration Office as soon as possible. Please telephone or write an email to admin and give your name, the class you attend and the reasons for absence. It will be your responsibility to ‘catch up’ with the lectures you missed but do ask your tutor for support if needed.
5. Students must attend classes as directed by the College during term time. Where attendance falls below the accepted level by the College (90%), students are either suspended or may not be allowed to take examinations.
6. Absence of three days or more must be supported by a medical certificate from the student’s doctor.
7. Students must have sufficient funds to support their studies and to attend classes. Books and other relevant materials must be purchased within the first 3 weeks of a course commencing.
8. Students are expected to conduct themselves responsibly within and outside the College. Misbehaviours could result in a student being suspended.
9. Absent students are contacted by phone or e-mail upon missing 2 lectures consecutively. When a student is absent for four consecutive sessions, he/she is issued with a first warning letter, and if the student concerned does not respond/contact the college, and continues to be absent for a further four consecutive sessions, he/she will be issued with a 2nd warning letter, and for overseas students further absence up to the extent of 10 consecutive sessions without authorization will result in cancellation of CAS, when provided, and his/her name will be sent to the Home Office for necessary action, if appropriate. Any student missing 10 consecutive lessons will have their student status removed.
10. Electronic versions of all communications will be kept.
11. Students must make it a point of duty to be punctual to classes.
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT
· Students are expected to attend 90% of all learning and teaching sessions associated with their course of study.
· No un-authorised absence is permitted from any of the course / lecture.
· In extreme cases, authorised absence should not be more than 10% of the total lectures/classes including all the tutorial / professional development sessions.
· 10% allowance is only for medical and family emergencies and available only in very limited circumstances. All the emergencies should be verifiable and substantive evidence must be provided to Admin Office for the authorisation of emergency leave (e.g. medical certificate, etc.).
AUTHORISED LEAVE REQUEST
· Holidays are only available during term breaks.
· Students are required to notify the Admin Office and their module tutors/supervisors in advance (e.g. in person, by phone or email) that they expect to be absent from timetabled classes.
· Any such notice should be given not less than 5 working days before the planned holiday.
· Holiday request form should be duly completed by the student and the form must be signed by their Tutor/Supervisor for planned absence for any day during term time.
· The holiday request form must be submitted to the Admin Office before a leave is authorised of the student.
· Admin Office will record the leave request on the Information Management Systems (IMS) and will notify student for the same within 3 working days after they receive the holiday request form (through e-mail).
· If a student does not receive any written confirmation from the Admin Office within 3 working days after s/he submits holiday request form, the student must contact the admin office and ask for the leave request status.
· Students must not book routine medical appointments during classes/ session time in College.
ACADEMIC STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES
All the tutors / lecturers should be:
· Reminding students of the importance of regular attendance at learning and teaching sessions to the Academic Department.
· Recording student attendance in accordance with the College Student Attendance Monitoring Policy (twice in every class session – one at the start of the class and second 15 minutes before the termination of the class)
· Signing the attendance sheet before giving it back to the authorised person in the Admin Office while clearly writing down the number of students present, absent, late, leave, sick leave, early leaver, etc
· Advising ‘at risk’ (with low attendance record) students about support services available in the College e.g. Student Welfare Officer to discuss any personnel issues.
Reporting and Dismissals
Where a student’s attendance is unsatisfactory, one or more of the following actions may be taken:
· Course tutors may contact the student to seek an explanation for their unsatisfactory attendance;
· Students may be invited to discuss with their Personal Tutor/Course Leader how their attendance will be improved and any support that may be required;
· Students may be issued with a formal written warning about their attendance signed by the Principal;
· A formal report on a student’s attendance may be made to the student’s sponsor, including an employer, the Local Authority, the Student Loan Company or Student Finance England;
· Students who fail to respond to warnings about their attendance may be required to enter into a formal Attendance Agreement;
· Students may be withdrawn from their course if they fail to respond to warnings or breach the terms of their Attendance Agreement;
· In accordance with UK immigration law, a report will be made to the Home Office if an international student holding a student visa is absent from the Institution for more than ten scheduled interactions without authorisation;
· Staff writing references for students may refer to students’ record of attendance.
Attendance Monitoring and review:
l The College has established appropriate information and monitoring systems to assist the effective implementation of our Student Attendance Policy.
l The College ensures that adequate resources are made available to promote this policy effectively and are committed to reviewing this policy on a regular basis.
Appendix 1: UK BUSINESS COLLEGE STUDENT ATTENDANCE AGREEMENT
STUDENT NAME:
STUDENT ID:
COURSE NAME:
COURSE LEADER/PERSONAL TUTOR:
DATE:
Terms & Conditions:
1. I have read and understood the UK Business College Student Attendance Policy.
2. I acknowledge that my attendance/punctuality has been unsatisfactory and this is having an adverse impact on my academic progress.
3. I agree that I will attend all scheduled activities, including lectures, seminars, tutorials, etc.
4. I will observe the requirements on the College’s Student Attendance Policy in relation to obtaining prior permission to be absent from scheduled activities and to notify the College of unplanned and unforeseen absences and to supply corroborating evidence to explain such absence.
5. I agree to meet my course leader/personal tutor on a weekly/fortnightly/monthly basis to review my attendance and general academic progress.
6. I understand that if my attendance does not improve the College may inform any sponsor, including the Student Loan Company (SLC), and my employer and the College may terminate my studies on the grounds of poor attendance and/or poor academic progress.
Signed: _________________________ Tutor: __________________________