If you're studying on taught, degree-level course and you hold a Tier 4/Student Route visa, read more about how UAL will monitor your attendance and engagement with your course. This includes undergraduate, postgraduate and Study Abroad students.
Find out what to do if you miss a session and how to request authorised absence.
Attendance monitoring
Your attendance at timetabled scheduled learning activities will be monitored on a weekly basis.
These activities may include lectures, seminars, tutorials, technical workshops, briefings and demonstrations, supervised studios, assessment submissions, and any other staff-led course activities on site.
Where possible, the University will use the SEAtS attendance software to support the monitoring of attendance, including beacons or card readers set up in rooms. Use your ID card to “tap in” to each session and your attendance record will be updated.
Missed sessions
If you miss 2 weeks of scheduled learning, you may be sent a link to download the Course Engagement Form (Word 50KB). This gives you the opportunity to confirm your reasons for non-attendance and provide evidence (where applicable).
You may also be sent a link to the Course Engagement Form if patterns of non-attendance are identified or your overall attendance on your course is considered unsatisfactory.
You’ll be asked to complete, sign and return the Course Engagement Form to confirm that:
- You understand the University’s attendance policy
- You understand the conditions of your Student route visa
- You understand the authorised absence process (see below)
- You understand the conditions under which you’ll be allowed to return to studies and the consequences of further non-attendance.
If you complete and return the Course Engagement Form within 7 calendar days and attend the following week, you’ll be able to continue on your course.
If you don't complete and return the Course Engagement Form within 7 calendar days, you’ll be sent a reminder asking you to do so.
If you then don't return your completed form within a further 7 calendar days after the reminder email, you may be suspended from your course until further notice.
Always complete the Course Engagement Form to continue on your course
If you don't complete and return the Course Engagement Form, you’ll be suspended even if your attendance has improved.
You must complete the Course Engagement Form to continue on your course.
Further missed sessions
If you’ve returned the Course Engagement Form once in the current academic year and you then miss another week of scheduled learning without authorised absence, you’ll be suspended from your course immediately.
Course suspension and withdrawal
If you’re suspended from your course for non-attendance, we'll send an email to both your UAL and personal email addresses confirming your suspension.
The suspension will mean your access to online College facilities (including your UAL email address, Moodle, and your timetable) will be removed until further notice. You won’t be permitted to attend any sessions or submit work whilst suspended.
You must make UAL aware of any reasons that you have not been attending so that these can be taken into consideration.
You'll be contacted 1 week later to confirm whether you will be withdrawn from your course.
If you're withdrawn from your course, your withdrawal will be reported to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), who will be instructed to cancel your Tier 4/Student Route visa. You’ll receive an email confirming this and outlining your next steps. Upon receipt of the withdrawal email, you’ll need to prepare to leave the UK within 60 days.
Planned absence
If there’s an event that will disrupt your attendance you must tell us. For example an appointment you cannot miss, personal circumstances, illness or a religious holiday.
Depending on your course, you'll need to tell your personal tutor, course director or course administration team.
Requesting authorised absence
In exceptional circumstances, you may need to be absent for a longer amount of time. You can apply for an authorised absence under 3 categories:
- Extended periods of illness. You must have evidence for this. For example, a medical certificate or doctor’s note.
- Attendance at appointments or commitments that you cannot miss. For example, hospital appointments, religious requirements or court attendance.
- Mitigating circumstances. For example, bereavement, serious illness of a close family member, childcare or technical issues related to online study.
All authorised absences will be considered on an individual basis. You must give evidence if your absence is more than 10 days. All evidence should be in English, signed, officially stamped and on headed paper. If the original documents are not in English, you must get an official translation.
Requests for authorised absence will be approved by your course leader. Apply for authorised absence using the online form.
More than 4 weeks absence
We can only support absences for up to 4 weeks during term time. For an absence of longer than 4 weeks, you may need to consider requesting time out from your studies. If your request for time out is approved, you’ll need to leave the UK within a given timeframe and return to study with a new visa.
Contact UAL’s Student Advice Service for more information on how taking time out will affect your immigration status.