Last updated: July 2024
Introduction
An appropriate level of engagement from all students with their programme of study is important and has a direct impact on their success. Sufficient attendance at relevant classes is a strong indicator of engagement and is essential for international students who have a Student visa, to ensure visa compliance.
It is therefore important for the University to undertake effective and efficient monitoring of student engagement and be able to produce and analyse attendance data.
The monitoring of student engagement is a mandatory requirement of the Home Office (UKVI) for the University to maintain its Sponsor Licence as a sponsor of ‘international students’. Loss of this status and hence the ability to admit international students, would be extremely detrimental to the University and would constitute a significant financial and reputational risk.
During a UKVI audit, St Mary’s staff will need to provide evidence of a robust engagement and monitoring policy/system. The minimum expectation from UKVI is that student engagement is recorded throughout the full academic journey. As a duty of care to our students we must maintain regular contact and keep records of any interventions where any authorised and unexplained absences have occurred. We need concise, user friendly processes that evidence how we monitor engagement, progress, wellbeing, authorised absence, unexplained absence and any non-academic progression of our students.
The Student visa Engagement and Monitoring Policy is to be used in conjunction with:
- St Mary’s Attendance Monitoring Policy
- Personal Tutoring Policy
- Fitness to Study Policy
- Leave of Absence Policy
- Extenuating Circumstances Policy
- Withdrawal Policy
- Tuition Fee Regulations
- Fitness to practise
- Academic appeals procedure
- Academic Misconduct Policy.
Read the Student visa Engagement and Monitoring Policy