Academic Engagement Policy for Student Visa Holders

Introduction

The University is required to monitor and demonstrate the attendance and engagement of all its registered Student Visa holders1, in line with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) regulations. As a Sponsor with a record of compliance, the University is committed to meeting all its duties under its sponsor licence. The policy also supports the improvement of the overall student experience by identifying where students may be experiencing difficulties and ensuring timely intervention and appropriate support.

Undergraduate and Postgraduate (taught)

All student route visa holders are required to:

  • Must be in attendance on campus for all timetabled classes. Students who fail to attend for more than 15 days may be withdrawn from their studies unless there is good cause that can be authenticated by a third party (for example, a GP letter to confirm illness).

  • Submit essays, assignments, reports, projects, presentations and attend examinations.

  • Must attend all three engagement points (September, January, April) to confirm current address and visa status.

  • Must register attendance when attending lectures, seminars, tutorials, labs, etc using CheckIn+ (also known as Study Goal) with a smart phone or laptop or mobile device.

  • To fully comply with our attendance and engagement requirements, the University expects students to live within a commutable distance from the University. The University defines ‘commutable distance’ as normally no longer than a 100-minute commute from Dundee.

  • Student’s wishing to take a short period of leave must apply to do so in accordance with the University’s authorised leave process.

Research students

All student route visa holders are required to:

  • Full-time PGR students are required to attend at a minimum of one formal supervision session each month. This requirement must take place once a month, every month. In addition, PGR students must be seen to be making sufficient progress in their research to meet the requirements of the Postgraduate Research regulations.

  • It is the responsibility of the Research Supervisor to keep a record of each formal supervisory session and keep a record on Pebblepad.

  • Must attend all three engagement points (September, January, April) to confirm current address and visa status.

  • Pass the yearly review panel.

  • To fully comply with our attendance and engagement requirements, the University expects students to live within a commutable distance from the University. The University defines ‘commutable distance’ as normally no longer than a 100-minute commute from Dundee.

  • Student’s wishing to take a short period of leave must apply to do so in accordance with the University’s authorised leave process.

Work placements and Student Association Sabbatical Officers

All students on a student visa undertaking a work placement which forms an integral and assessed part of their programme or a student undertaking a Students’ Association Sabbatical Officer role is subject to attendance monitoring in accordance with UKVI regulations.

Work placement students: Placement co-ordinators must inform the Quality Assurance and Compliance Officer of a student’s placement details including location and duration for monitoring and audit purposes. Student visa holders on placement (including Mental Health Nursing placements) will be monitored monthly. It is the responsibility of the placement tutor or co-ordinator to ensure that students on work placement are contacted monthly and to keep a record of each contact.

Students’ Association Sabbatical Officer: In the instance of a student visa holder being elected to the role of Sabbatical Officer it will be the responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Students’ Association to notify the Quality Assurance and Compliance Officer of the appointment for monitoring and audit purposes. Student visa holders who are Sabbatical Officers of the Students’ Association (including Mental Health Nursing placements) will be monitored monthly. It is the responsibility of the CEO to keep a record of each contact.

When a contact session has been missed or there are patterns of behaviour which are a cause of concern, the placement tutor or co-ordinator or Students’ Association CEO are required to ensure appropriate follow-up and interventions are actioned. If the student visa holder fails to maintain contact notice should be issued to the student that the process withdrawal from the university will be followed.

Student visa holders are subject to this requirement until the end of their work placement period or sabbatical officer role at which point, they will revert to the attendance requirements for their programme of study outlined above.

Student’s wishing to take a period of leave during their work placement or sabbatical role must apply to do so in accordance with the University’s authorised leave process.

Withdrawal of Sponsorship

Failure by students to adhere to this Attendance and Engagement Monitoring policy is likely to lead to their withdrawal from their programme of study.

Where a decision is made to withdraw sponsorship of the student’s visa, student’s will be notified by email to their University email address as with all official university communications.

Students can use the university’s academic appeal process against the decision to withdraw them from the University. The University will expedite academic appeals submitted by student visa holders as swiftly as possible.

1 Students who currently hold a Tier 4 visa; Students who hold a Student visa (introduced on 05 October 2020)

 

July 2023

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