Student Guidance on the Absence Reporting System
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When is it necessary to report an absence?
You are required to report any absence from your studies which causes you to miss:
- More than five consecutive working days[1] during semester time.
- Compulsory labs, lectures or tutorials.
- Assignment deadlines or examinations.
- Any other School requirements for the award of credit (e.g. a minimum level of attendance at tutorials or lectures). Check your course handbook or contact your Course Coordinator for details.
And which cannot be compensated for through alternative arrangements (see 'Do I have to report all absences?').
These are known as significant absences.
The normal submission deadline for the completed Absence Report is five working days after return to university.
An Absence Report should be submitted as soon as is practical. We do recognise that there may be factors which delay your ability to submit an Absence Report (e.g. if you are in hospital and therefore unable to access the system). In such cases you should still try to make contact with your School or Adviser to make them aware of your circumstances.
You can, in extreme circumstances, ask a friend or family member to pass a message on if you are unable to make direct contact. This will also help us to understand your current difficulties and advise you of any support that may be available.
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[1] Monday to Friday are counted as working days except when the University is closed for a public or other Holiday. Saturdays and Sundays are not counted as working days.
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Absence Report or Extenuating Circumstances Claim?
The way you report your absence depends on whether you have missed any assessments. If you have missed an assessment that took place during a period of significant absence then you should complete an Absence Report and an Extenuating Circumstances claim. This is explained further in the policy.
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What is a ‘significant absence’?
A significant absence is any absence which fulfils the reporting criteria, where you cannot compensate for that absence through alternative arrangements. E.g. in the case of a missed compulsory tutorial, where a repeat of the tutorial is open for anyone to attend. (NB some Schools use absence reporting as a mechanism for reallocating students to alternative tutorial or lab groups even in cases where the absence was not significant. You should consult with the Teaching Office in your School on any local practices you should be aware of.)
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Do I have to report all absences?
No. Absence does not always mean falling behind in your studies; it is often possible to arrange a suitable alternative with your lecturers and tutors. For example:
- If you miss a seminar or laboratory session, your tutor may agree to allow you to attend one of their other groups held on the same material but at a different time.
- Many larger lectures are repeated in morning or afternoon sessions - it may be possible to attend one of these repeats.
In both of the examples above it should be possible to compensate for your absence by attendance at a similar session held at another time: your absence is therefore not considered significant (see 'What is a significant absence?') and does not require reporting. You should, however, seek confirmation from the appropriate lecturer or tutor where necessary that the alternative arrangements are possible and appropriate.
In situations where the appropriate lecturer or tutor indicates that this isn’t possible (e.g. one- off class tests or lab experiments which are only run once) an absence report must be submitted through MyCampus.
On some courses you may be required to attend a minimum proportion of a series of classes. You are advised to complete an Absence Report for absence from any such classes.
Students with a disability related absence and who have their support co-ordinated by the Disability Service are not expected to complete multiple Absence Reports for absences related to their disability. However, you may choose to do so in order to formally record any absences.
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What constitutes an acceptable reason for absence?
Absence can significantly affect your understanding and grasp of the material on your course, and missing too many tutorials or lectures can have serious implications for progression in your studies.
It is important that absence is avoided wherever possible and never undertaken without good reason.
In general at least one of the below should apply:
- The reason for your absence was unavoidable and out of your control (e.g. serious and unexpected transport problems).
- You were absent due to illness or other health problems.
- You were dealing with a personal or family emergency requiring urgent attention that could not be dealt with outside of University hours (e.g. serious family illness).
- You had obtained prior permission to be absent (e.g. to participate in a faith- based event, to attend a medical or equivalent appointment either as the patient or as support for an individual for whom you have caring responsibility).
On receiving a completed Absence Report, Course Coordinators and/or Heads of School may suggest remedial work which you are required to complete, or alternative classes that you should attend, on return to university. The Progress Committee may review your Absence Report when considering your progression on your programme of study. The UKVI Compliance Team may also use your Absence Report to assess whether you have become non-compliant with the engagement policy.
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Who should I contact prior to an expected absence?
The most relevant person to inform will depend on the material missed or the nature of the event:
|
Event |
Suitable Contact |
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Lectures, labs and seminars |
Relevant Tutor or Lecturer |
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Assessment deadlines and examinations |
Relevant Course Coordinator (as well as submitting an Extenuating Circumstances Claim) |
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General absence |
Adviser of Studies, Student Support Officer |
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Pregnancy-related absence |
Adviser of Studies, Student Support Officer, or another member of staff with whom you may feel more comfortable |
|
Maternity support / paternity leave |
Adviser of Studies, Student Support Officer, or other School / College member of staff |
|
Time out of study to fulfil caring responsibilities |
Adviser of Studies, Student Support Officer, School or College member of staff |
|
Faith-based event or holiday |
Adviser of Studies, Head of School, Course Convener or other appropriate member of staff (but advance permission to be absent from classes and / or examinations must be requested as early as possible after class enrolment) |
This will give staff an advance opportunity to arrange remedial measures where necessary.
Where an absence is considered significant (see 'What is a 'significant absence'?') you must submit an Absence Report, Extenuating Circumstances Claim or both (depending on the circumstances), regardless of any prior notification.
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How do I report an absence?
You should report significant absences (see 'What is a 'significant absence'?') through the ‘My Absence ’ section of MyCampus. There are two parts to an Absence Record:
Part One
- Part one requires you to fill in the first date of your absence and the expected date of return.
- This section should be completed as soon as possible.[2]
- You can personally delete part one if you make a mistake or decide later that an absence report is no longer required as a result of alternative arrangements made with staff.
Part Two
- This section requires additional information on the reason for your absence and has facilities to upload supporting documentation which corroborates this (more on suitable documentation below).
- This should be completed within five working days after your return to University.
- Part two cannot be removed manually.
Your absence record will be invalid unless both sections are completed.
If you believe you have had adverse circumstances which have affected your attendance, submission or performance in an assessment, you should submit an Extenuating Circumstances Claim.
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[2] Extenuating Circumstances Claims must be submitted within five consecutive working days of the relevant exam date or assessment submission date.
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What additional information should I provide?
For Absence Reports, you should include as much relevant information as possible to justify the reason for your absence. For example:
- If you were ill, briefly describe your condition / symptoms and how this would have affected your ability to carry on as normal.
- If you missed your regular bus / train you should explain what alternative modes of transport (if any) you attempted.
- If you were forced to stay in due to personal emergency or a problem with your home requiring urgent attention (e.g. a broken boiler) make sure to detail this as fully as possible.
Be as full and specific as possible in justifying your absence.
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What constitutes supporting documentation?
Supporting Documentation of some form is required for all significant absences. Your absence report will be considered incomplete unless supporting documentation is attached.
The following are examples of evidence that is normally accepted:
Medical Documentation
This is only required for absences due to a medical condition which has caused you to miss five consecutive working days or more; however, you are recommended to submit medical documentation for absences of a lesser duration where available.
Examples of suitable documentation include:
- A medical certificate or report.
- A note from a hospital staff member.
- A hospital or GP appointment letter or reminder card.
- A prescription or printed instruction label on prescription medicine.
If you miss an exam due to ill health you should aim to submit confirmation from a medical practitioner that you were unfit to sit the exam, although we recognise that this is not always possible. This also applies to other types of assessment.
If your doctor charges for preparing a report and you cannot afford to meet this cost, you may be able to get help from the University Hardship Fund; visit the student services desk in the Fraser building for details of how to apply.
In order for medical documentation to be useful, you must have consulted the doctor at the time that you were ill. If it was not possible to consult a doctor at the appropriate time, you must explain why.
Please note that you should only make an appointment with a GP if you require advice and/or treatment in relation to a medical matter. The University does not expect Absence Reports to be supported by GP letters in relation to minor matters that did not require advice and/or treatment. It is therefore not appropriate to make an appointment with the purpose of obtaining a doctor's letter in such circumstances. For supporting an Absence Report, there is little value in a letter from a GP saying that you told them that you recently had an illness such as a stomach upset or flu. It is also not a good use of a busy GP surgery's time to be asked for such letters. In those cases, the following may be considered:
- Letter from a member of University staff such as your tutor or Adviser of Studies.
- Letter from a leader/manager or senior colleague of a group or club that you belong to, an organisation where you volunteer, or a place of employment.
- Someone who saw you when you were unwell (e.g., personal friends, flatmates or family members). Letters of support from them may be submitted, but these carry less weight. You should explain why this is the best evidence available to you.
Other Documentation
This is required in all other cases of significant absence. Suitable forms of documentation will be specific to each situation but may include:
- A letter from your landlord.
- Evidence from a member of staff who was alerted to the circumstances surrounding your absence at the time.
- A letter from a student counsellor (provided you have already attended an appointment with the Counselling & Psychological Services) or other professional.
- A note from the Police.
- A note from any other independent responsible person who can confirm the circumstances that led to your absence
You should contact your Adviser of Studies for guidance if you are unable to identify a suitable individual to provide supporting documentation.
Keep copies of all supporting documentation in case you are required to present it at a later date.
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I don’t feel comfortable uploading my supporting documentation - is there an alternative?
We understand that some circumstances are extremely sensitive, such as sexual assault, pregnancy termination, or family crises. In rare cases, there may be highly sensitive personal information that you believe is pertinent to your case, but which you might be reluctant to disclose. You should contact your Head of School in the first instance, and they will assign a member of staff (such as your Adviser of Studies) to discuss arrangements for sufficient but restricted information to be passed to appropriate colleagues so that your circumstances can be considered. In such cases, you must still submit an Absence Report in MyCampus, indicating who you have contacted with the details, but you would not need to submit the evidence, on the basis that you have already shared this with the staff member supporting your claim. If you have discussed your circumstances with a member of staff, please provide an email address for them so that when the claim is being considered, they can provide confirmation that there are significant adverse circumstances relevant to the claim.
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Who should I contact to make alternative arrangements for missed work?
The most appropriate contact may well differ depending on the work missed. In general you should speak to the lead member of staff overseeing the work which you have missed (e.g. for seminars, this will be your seminar leader).
If you are unsure of who to speak to, contact your School Teaching Office or Adviser of Studies for guidance.
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