Regulation IX

Registration, Attendance, Leave of Absence, Withdrawal and Transfer

(Version effective from 1 August 2020)

Scope of Regulation

1. This regulation shall apply to all students on taught programmes and to research students where specified in Regulation XXVI. The Academic Registrar may waive any of the requirements of this regulation in the case of individual students. Any such waiver shall be reported to the next meeting of Senate.

2. In this regulation Dean of School shall be taken to include any nominee of the Dean of School agreed with the Academic Registrar.

3. For the purposes of student financial support legislation the relevant academic authority shall be deemed to be the Academic Registrar

Registration as a Student of the University

4. Students must register as students of the University by a date prescribed by the Academic Registrar:

  1. At the start of their programme before registering on any modules
  2. Subsequently at the beginning of each academic year

Credit Transfer

5. The Academic Registrar or nominee, on the recommendation of the Dean of School, may permit credit transfer or exemption from part of a programme of study for new entrants holding credit from another Higher Education Institution. In such cases entrants will normally be permitted to transfer no more than one third of the credit required for the Loughborough University award, and only Loughborough University Module Marks will be used in determining the average mark for each Part and the Programme Mark.

6. Where students transfer between programmes in accordance with paragraph 7 hereof, the Dean of School responsible for the new programme must approve any element of credit transfer and shall determine:

  1. which if any Module Marks are to be carried forward from the original programme to the new programme for the purposes of Regulation XX or Regulation XXI, and
  2. whether a waiver of programme regulations is required.

Transfer Between Programmes

7. Students seeking to transfer programme must first obtain permission, in writing using the appropriate form, from the Dean of School responsible for the intended new programme.

Such permission may also be deemed as authorisation for the student to take leave of absence, if appropriate, in accordance with the requirements of paragraph 29 hereof.

8. Students must inform the Dean of their current School of the intended transfer of programme, although there shall be no requirement for approval from the current department.

9. Before permission to transfer is given, both the student and the Dean of School responsible for the programme to which they seek to transfer shall give due consideration to the student's ability to meet the requirements of that programme.

10. The effective transfer date shall be the later of:

  1. the date on which the Academic Registry receives formal notification of transfer from the student.
  2. the date indicated on the transfer form.

In exceptional cases, the Academic Registrar may permit the effective transfer date to be backdated.

Postgraduate Credit Accumulation by Module

11. Students may be permitted to register on and be assessed in postgraduate modules and to accumulate modular credit without being registered on a specific programme or subjected to the requirements of Programme Regulations. Such students shall hereinafter be referred to as Continuing Professional Development students.

12. Where a Continuing Professional Development student has accumulated credit, this credit may be considered under any of the University’s Programme Regulations subject to the following considerations:

  1. Any Module Assessments which can be taken into account for a particular programme must be taken into account for that programme.
  2. The time limits outlined in paragraph 8 of Regulation XXI and in Programme Regulations will commence from the date of the students registration on the first module that can be taken into account.

Module Registration

13. Students are required to register for modules which they are taking a particular year by a date prescribed by the Academic Registrar.

Late Registration and Failure to Register

14. Students who fail to register by the deadlines prescribed in paragraphs 4 or 13 hereof may be deemed to have abandoned their studies. The Academic Registrar may permit late registration for individual students and in such cases may require payment of a late registration fee.

Attendance Requirements and Failure to Attend

15. Students must be in attendance at scheduled teaching sessions for their programme of study (whether on or off campus), and to engage in the University’s attendance monitoring processes. If a student is unable to attend for a valid reason (e.g. illness or injury, bereavement etc.) they must notify their Academic School in writing before the start of the scheduled teaching session unless the nature of the issue means it is not possible for them to do so, in which case they should inform their Academic School of the reason for their absence at the earliest opportunity.

16. If a student is absent from a timetabled session in which work is assessed, a mark of zero will be awarded for the relevant session, and this zero mark will be used in determining the Module Mark.

17. If a student is absent from a timetabled session in which work undertaken is integral to the assessment process (for example, where the session involves the collection of data in a laboratory or fieldwork activity that will form the basis of a piece of assessed coursework), a reduced mark will be awarded for the relevant assessment. If failure to attend the sessions results in a student being unable to submit coursework which is their own, then a mark of zero for the coursework will be awarded.

18. Where timetabled sessions are assessed (paragraph 16 hereof), integral to the assessment process (paragraph 17 hereof) or attendance is necessary to guarantee future access to facilities (paragraph 20 hereof), students absent for good cause should submit a claim for mitigating circumstances in accordance with the provisions of Regulation XVII.

19. Schools/Departments shall ensure that students are made aware of:

  1. what attendance records are kept by the School/Department in relation to timetabled sessions, and for what purpose;
  2. when work in a timetabled session will contribute to the module assessment.

20. Where students must experience a timetabled session at first hand in the interests of their own, or others’, health and safety, students may be banned from the use of equipment or laboratories until they have completed the necessary training.
Such a restriction on access to facilities will not be accepted as cause for a claim of mitigating circumstances at a later date unless the reason for missing the essential session is accepted as a valid mitigating circumstances claim.

21. Where a School/Department considers that the absence of an individual student is detrimental to a session as a learning experience for the students who do attend, that student’s mark shall not be reduced for that reason. Students shall not be penalised for non-attendance at any timetabled session by reducing marks except in the circumstances described in paragraphs 16 and 17 hereof.

Termination of Studies for Failure to Participate

22. Where a Dean of School considers that a student is failing to participate adequately in their programme of study, the Dean of School may send a formal written warning to the student setting out the actions required of the student for adequate participation.

23. If the student's participation remains inadequate, the Dean of School shall inform the Academic Registrar.

24. The Academic Registrar (or their nominee) may write to the student advising that if they do not contact the School/Department within 10 working days with a view to agreeing arrangements for adequate participation, the student shall be deemed to have abandoned their studies and the student's registration will be terminated.

25. If the student contacts the School/Department within 10 working days, they will be given a final opportunity to establish participation to the satisfaction of the Dean of School. Where a student fails to adhere to the requirements for adequate participation, the Dean of School may inform the Academic Registrar who will arrange for the student's registration to be terminated with immediate effect.

Appeals Against Termination of Studies for Failure to Participate

26. The student will be informed in writing of any decision to terminate their studies under paragraphs 24 or 25 above or 30 below. Reasons will be given for the termination of studies. The student will be given the right to appeal against the decision within 10 working days. In exceptional circumstances only, the Academic Registrar may permit appeals to be considered after the 10 working day time limit has expired. Appeals may be made on the following grounds:

  1. that there are mitigating circumstances relating to ill health or personal difficulties which the student was not in a position to raise at an earlier stage;
  2. that the information held by the School/Department relating to the student's participation is incomplete or inaccurate and the student was not in a position to correct this information at an earlier stage;
  3. that there is evidence of prejudice or bias on the part of the School/Department.

27. The appeal should be submitted to the Academic Registrar's designated nominee in writing with supporting evidence.

28. The appeal shall be considered initially by the Dean of a School other than the student's own, who may take one of the following decisions:

  1. to dismiss the appeal in which case the student shall be given the reasons for the decision in writing. There shall be no further right of appeal against this decision;
  2. to uphold the appeal and direct the Academic Registry to re-instate the student's registration with or without a recommendation that the student be granted retrospective leave of absence. In such cases, in consultation with the Dean of the student’s School and the Academic Registrar, the Dean considering the appeal may specify conditions of reinstatement and the consequences of the student failing to adhere to these conditions. Should subsequent failure to adhere to these conditions result in the termination of the student's studies, the student shall have a further right of appeal on the grounds detailed in paragraph 26 hereof.

Leave of Absence

29.

    1. Students should apply to take Leave of Absence from their studies where they are unable to participate adequately in their programme for reasons beyond their control but they expect to be able to return to study within a limited timescale. Applications should be made to the relevant Dean of School in advance of the intended period of Leave of Absence. The Dean of School will consider, in light of the reasons given by the student, whether Leave of Absence should be granted.
    2. Part-Time postgraduate taught students who do not intend to undertake any modules within the next academic year should contact their School Administrator to be placed on a Leave of Absence. Where a part-time postgraduate taught student has not made contact to be placed on Leave of Absence and has not registered for any modules for the upcoming academic year, they will be placed on a Leave of Absence for the year and informed of this action. Where such students fail to register for subsequent modules within four weeks of the academic year following the original leave of absence, they will be placed on a further Leave of Absence for the year and informed of the action. Where part-time postgraduate taught students do not return after two years consecutive Leave of Absence, action will be taken in line with paragraph 30 hereof.
    3. Leave of Absence shall normally be granted for no more than 12 months at a time and the maximum consecutive period of Leave of Absence shall normally be two years.
    4. In exceptional circumstances, the Academic Registrar may permit retrospective leave of absence on the recommendation of the Dean of School.
    5. Students intending to return to a different programme should apply to the Dean of their intended School for leave of absence.
    6. Any period of leave of absence will be discounted for the purposes of determining the length of study for Programme Regulations requirements only. The maximum time periods specified in paragraph 12 of Regulation XX and paragraph 8 of Regulation XXI will still apply.

30. Where a student who has taken Leave of Absence does not re-register with the University within two months of their expected return date, their studies will be terminated. They will have the right to appeal against this decision in accordance with paragraph 26 above.

31. In exceptional circumstances, the Academic Registrar may place a student on Leave of Absence, without receiving an application from the student, if the student is unable to participate adequately and the Academic Registrar considers Leave of Absence to be in the interests of that student and/or other students and staff of the University. The student will be informed in writing of the decision and the reasons for it.

32. Students have the right to appeal against the decision of the Academic Registrar under paragraph 31. Appeals should normally be submitted in writing within 10 working days to the Academic Registrar's designated nominee with supporting evidence. In exceptional circumstances only, the Academic Registrar’s nominee may permit appeals to be considered after the 10 working day time limit has expired.

33. The appeal shall be considered by the Dean of a School other than the student's own who will decide whether to confirm or reverse the period of Leave of Absence.

Withdrawal from the University

34. Where a student withdraws from the University, it is that student’s responsibility to inform the Academic Registry.

35. The effective withdrawal date shall be the later of:

  1. the date on which the Academic Registry receives formal notification of withdrawal from the student;
  2. the last date of attendance.

In exceptional cases, the Academic Registrar may permit the effective withdrawal date to be backdated.

Withdrawal from Modules

36. Under no circumstances will a student be permitted to withdraw from a module after the provisional or final Module Marks have been published.

37. Withdrawal from a module before the Module Marks have been published shall be subject to the following rules:

  1. if a student withdraws from the University, they will remain registered on the module and a mark of zero shall be entered for any assessments not taken;
  2. if a student withdraws from a module within the first two weeks of the relevant Semester, the module will be permanently deleted from the student’s record, notwithstanding the fact that assessments may already have been taken; 
  3. in exceptional circumstances the Academic Registrar, on the recommendation of the Dean of School, may permit students to withdraw from a module after the first two weeks of the relevant Semester. In such cases, the module will be removed from the student’s record, notwithstanding the fact that assessments may already have been taken;
  4. if a student has been granted leave of absence in accordance with paragraph 29 hereof, all modules, the marks for which have not yet been fixed, will be permanently deleted from the student’s record, notwithstanding the fact that assessments may already have been taken. In such cases, which, if any, of the module assessment marks shall be carried forward and applied following the student’s return from leave of absence shall be determined according to the following scheme:
    1. if deadlines for coursework components amounting to 50% or less (weighted) of the total module assessment (including examinations) have passed prior to the Leave of Absence request being made, then the module will automatically be expunged from the record;
    2. if deadlines for coursework components amounting to over 50% (weighted) of the total module assessment (including examinations) have passed prior to the Leave of Absence request being made, then the module cannot be deleted from the record and the student should submit a mitigating circumstances claim in accordance with Regulation XVII.
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