This handbook explains how and why the College of Arts and Law records and monitors student attendance and engagement.
Last Updated: 19th January 2024
Why does the College of Arts and Law record attendance?
So that we can offer students enhanced support.
Non-attendance can sometimes be an indicator that a student may benefit from further support or guidance from either an academic or wellbeing perspective. Similarly, improved attendance and continuous attendance can lead to higher academic achievement. By recording and monitoring student’s presence and engagement we aim to provide you with suitable support, and help you perform to your highest standard.
So the University can hold students to principles and standards.
The University Regulations and Codes of Practice contain principles and standards designed to control or govern conduct or provide direction at a more detailed level than Ordinances. As such, the University of Birmingham requires that all students attend and engage with their programmes; this is done by attending their teaching sessions, such as Lectures, Seminars, Supervisions or Personal Tutor Sessions, and submission of all assessed and unassessed work on time.
It is a legal requirement.
All students are liable for the tuition fee set by the University which is payable in full at registration, unless they have opted to take out a UK government loan or opted to pay via an instalment plan. In order for the Student Loans Company (SLC) to accurately assess a student’s eligibility for fee and maintenance support and for the University to receive correct tuition fee payments our internal attendance monitoring systems must be effective.
The UK Visas and Immigration Office (UKVI) requires that international on a Student Route Visa are monitored for academic engagement through a series of contact points throughout the academic year. Recording and reviewing attendance helps the University demonstrate that students are not only meeting the required contact points, but are also engaging academically.
So the University can offer the best service possible.
By monitoring and recording attendance and engagement the College and the University can continually review the standard of resources and provisions and provide the best possible service to its students.
How Attendance is recorded
Attendance at your in-person timetabled seminars will be recorded via the MyAttendance tile on the MyUoB app or it can be accessed online. Your wider engagement is recorded through Canvas and Zoom. To ensure that we can accurately maintain your attendance record, please login to services such as Zoom with your University login details.
For any problems with finding, sharing, or inputting codes both staff and students can contact CALSAT to resolve the issue.
The MyAttendance app produces codes for each taught session that are then shared with students within sessions by academics.
Students then input this code into the app, which then records their attendance. For more information on how to access/use the app, please check the Student FAQs.
Academics can find the code to share with students via the app. However, if there are any issues Academics can contact CALSAT who should be able to provide them with the code for their session.
Please note that session codes are only available a maximum of 48hrs before the session is due to take place.
If students encounter any issues with the app then the first port of call should be the IT Service Desk. However, if there are problems inputting the code or the code appears to be incorrect, then students can fill out a CAL Attendance Confirmation Form which will inform CALSAT of the error and ensure their attendance for that session is recorded.
Where can I go for more help and information on attendance recording?
You can find a more thorough list of Frequently Asked Questions at our Staff FAQ and Student FAQ pages. These outline in more detail what to do in case of a problem with MyAttendance or the interim attendance capture, as well as how to inform the University of any issues you may be facing.
You can find a list of the links associated with attendance recording below:
What happens if I don't attend my sessions?
The Reasonable Diligence process is designed to identify students who are not meeting the minimum required amount of attendance/engagement during each reporting period. Once students are identified they are emailed and notified of their attendance and offered various support. The RD process is a supportive mechanism and not a punitive one, designed to help our students achieve the most out of their learning.
Ultimately, low attendance can and will affect any student as these matters are taken seriously by the University as we need to ensure all students are engaging a sufficient amount (above 70%) in order to ensure the student are attending the minimum required amount of teaching in order to provide them with the best opportunity and learning experience.
It is vital you log your attendance at your seminars and workshops (only Law students are required to log their attendance at lectures), as soon as you are given the attendance code. Attendance codes are expected to be provided by your lecturers, if you have not been provided with one at the beginning of our seminar and/or workshop (and lecture for Law students) – please request this from your lecturer. It is vital that all student record their attendance via the myattendance app for their seminars and/or workshops.
I won't be able to attend, what should I do?
There are two main forms you may need to complete to report an absence or change in study location. If you are planning on taking a long term absence from your studies, you should fill out the appropriate form below.
Previously, you may have submitted a Declaration of Absence for short term illness or absence. The Declaration of Absence form is now closed, and you do not need to declare short term absences, instead there is a range of support on offer.
The CAL Student Support Hub has lots of resources that can help with study skills that may provide you with ideas on how to catch-up with missed work. In addition, you can attend our Keeping Up and Catching Up Workshop, which is held each semester. Details on workshops can be found here.
You may also find it useful to book a meeting with your seminar leader in their office hours to catch up on what you have missed and to answer any questions you may have about the content. To make the best use of this opportunity, our suggestion is that you:
- Work through the Panopto recordings and any module handouts / content for each of the weeks
- Read two to three of the pieces of directed reading for each of the missed sessions. From this, try and write down three or four clarifying questions that you’d like to pose to the seminar leader.
Undertaking the above preparation before attending the academic’s office hours will mean that you will get the most out of the slot.
If you feel your overall attendance percentage may be affected due to illness or another short term absence, please contact both the Wellbeing team and your Personal Academic Tutor so that they are aware of your circumstances and how they may be affecting your studies as well as offering you support with this. You can find more information about Wellbeing on the CAL Wellbeing Canvas pages.
If you encounter any problems with any of the forms linked to on this page or if you have any suggestions as to how we can improve their functionality and ease of use, please contact the Student Attendance Team for your school on the appropriate email address:
I am a Postgraduate Research Student, how is my attendance monitored?
Postgraduate Research Students (PGR) are required to attend a supervision meeting every month with their supervisor. During this meeting you and your supervisor will fill in a "GRS2" form which outlines the progress you have made, the things you discussed, and any actions you have committed to. It will record the date and format of the meeting, which should be an in-person meeting.
If you cannot attend a supervision meeting you should inform your supervisor and the CALSAT team as soon as possible. This is of particular importance if you are a visa-holding student as failure to attend your supervisions may impact your visa.
Where can I go for more information?
You can visit the Student FAQ pages on the CALSAT Intranet site for more information, or contact the CALSAT team using the below School email address.