3.6 Registration, Attendance, Leave of Absence, Withdrawal and Transfer

Registration, Attendance, Leave of Absence, Withdrawal and Transfer are governed by Regulation IX.

A Flowchart of Process for Leave of Absence/Termination of Studies (PDF) shows the scenarios regarding Leave of Absence or Termination of Studies for students failing to participate in their programme.

Protocol for investigating students who are failing to participate in their programme

Where a student has missed two consecutive participation checks and/or where participation has become a concern for another reason, Schools/departments should begin investigating whether or the not the student is still participating in their programme of study.  The following list is a guide* of what steps Schools/departments might wish to take in order to make contact with the student:

1. Email student giving five working days to make contact and arrange to see someone in the School/department or give reasonable explanation of absence. Letter 1 (below) may be used as the template for this.
2. If student fails to make contact within five working days, the School/department should write to the student in accordance with Regulation IX, setting out actions required for adequate participation.
   Letter 2 may be used as the template for this.
3. The School/department should notify Academic Registry (Student Office) that the student has been contacted under paragraph 23 of Regulation IX.
4. Upon notification under point 3, the Academic Registry (Student Office) will consult with other support services to try to make contact with the student (see below).
5. If the student subsequently contacts the School/department, then Academic Registry must be notified so that other checks/procedures can be halted.

Where a student has been reported to Academic Registry as potentially failing to participate in their programme, the following checks will be made:

1. If the student is living in hall, warden will be contacted to establish whether they have been seen recently.  Wardens will be expected to encourage students to report to their School/department immediately. If there are reasons which the warden is aware of which prevent the student from doing so, either the School/department or Academic Registry must be alerted.
2. If the student is not living in hall, a Community Warden will be contacted to establish whether they have been seen recently.  The Community Warden will be expected to encourage student to report to School/department immediately. If there are reasons which the Community Warden is aware of which prevent the student from doing so, either the School/department or Academic Registry must be alerted.
3. The Heads of Student Services (Counselling and Disability Services, Student Support Centre) will be contacted to see if they are aware of the student in question. Details of individual circumstances will not be expected to be disclosed but colleagues will be expected to encourage students to contact their School/department or Academic Registry to discuss their situation. In exceptional circumstances, staff in Student Services may recommend to the School/department and Academic Registry that the student be placed on a Leave of Absence rather than proceeding with the termination of studies procedure.
4. Where a student is not known to Student Services, an email (see email 1) will be sent by the Academic Registry on behalf of Student Services alerting them to support available. Where a student contacts Student Services in response to this email, Student Services must inform Academic Registry and termination of studies process may be halted.
5. Where student cannot be contacted via any of the above processes, Academic Registry will commence termination of studies procedure in accordance with paragraph 25 of Regulation IX.

* this is the minimum that Schools/departments are required to do.  If they wish to add in additional steps such as chasing by phone and letter, then they are welcome to do so.

 

Templates for failure to participate letters / email