Student attendance statement
Student attendance statement
Solent University is committed to supporting student achievement and wishes to ensure effective and timely support mechanisms are put in place for any student who needs additional help and guidance. Part of the University’s overarching approach to supporting students is to monitor student engagement.
The University expects students on all taught courses and on courses that include taught elements to attend all timetabled sessions; full attendance is key to academic success. To participate fully in learning students should as a minimum:
- Attend all timetabled teaching sessions.
- Submit all assessments by the scheduled hand in date.
- Attend all scheduled assessments (e.g., in-class tests, presentations, or examinations).
- Undertake independent learning in support of classroom delivery or as directed by academic staff.
Students are also encouraged to participate in the wider life of the University and be involved with the extracurricular activities offered by the University and the Students’ Union.
Engagement monitoring
Poor engagement is an early indicator of non-participation in studies. The University, therefore, monitors students’ online engagement with the Virtual Learning Environment at module level and attendance at timetabled sessions using a digital system called ‘Check-In’. Students are expected to confirm their attendance at all timetabled sessions via the Check-In app by scanning a QR code or entering a six-digit code generated by lecturers.
Students' ‘Check-In’ data will be monitored against individual students’ timetables. Students who are identified as having a poor pattern of attendance will be contacted and encouraged to improve their attendance or advise staff of any problems that are impacting on their ability to study.
The University will make every effort to contact and re-engage students with their studies, however, students with continued unexplained absence from class will be contacted again in line with the formal engagement escalation procedure set out in the Student Attendance and Engagement Policy.
The University has a duty of care to all students to facilitate good learning. This not only includes the provision of appropriate facilities but also that classroom culture is conducive to learning effectively. Students who are poor attendees can be disruptive to the learning environment for other students and may, in particular, impact on the successful completion of student group work.
If a student’s attendance does not improve following several attempts of contact by the university, they will be withdrawn from their course, unless a request for suspension has been submitted and approved during this time.
Absence notification
Students should notify the University of known absences in advance via the Check-In app. If this is not completed, the absence will count as a missed point of contact. For absences of more than seven calendar days students must complete an authorised absence request form and provide supporting evidence. This request must be authorised by the relevant department and/or Student Success and Visa Compliance staff.
You will need to access Check-In via the MySolent app or via the apps page on the Student Portal >>> https://students.solent.ac.uk/apps. You will need to click on the three lines at the top, click on Absence and follow the instructions. You can enter up to 7 calendar days (self-certified). For any absences longer than 7 days, you will be required to submit the appropriate evidence. We only consider absence requests up to 14 calendar days, and in exceptional circumstances up to 4 calendar weeks.
Notified absence may reasonably include dental and medical related appointments that cannot be scheduled outside of teaching hours. The University will try to accommodate all reasonable requests, but where notified absence is due to matters that the University considers as non-essential, such requests may not be granted.
Students should not take holidays during teaching periods and assessment periods.
Student support
The University is aware that during the course of their studies students may experience a number of personal challenges that impact on their ability to attend class or sit and submit assessments.
There are a range of support services to help students during difficult times and measures can be put in place that will help students to succeed in their studies. These include financial support and guidance, a professional counselling service, diagnosis and assistance with disability matters, and additional academic support with key skills.
In order to determine the best way to meet a student’s needs, University staff must be made aware of any specific problems that may be impacting on their attendance. Students with a poor attendance record will, therefore, be contacted and reminded of the need to attend all teaching sessions and encouraged to seek help if necessary. Students can seek further information or support by visiting the Student Hub.
Students on a Visa
Engagement monitoring for students who require a visa for their studies will be supplemented by interim audits of attendance and student records by staff in the UKVI compliance team.
These measures, outlined in the University’s UKVI Student Route Compliance Handbook are designed to help the University meet its commitments as a Student Visa Sponsor under the national immigration policy.
The University is required to withdraw students who do not hold a current visa and are unable to evidence an application for a new visa, irrespective of a good attendance record.