Engagement Monitoring Policy for Research Students

The University recognises that Supervisory sessions and research engagements are a key element in successful student retention, progression, achievement and employability. This approach serves to identify students who may be experiencing difficulties and might need particular support. The University also has a legal duty to monitor student engagement and to act on non-engagement to meet its reporting requirements to external sponsors, as well as meeting the sponsorship requirements of UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) for the monitoring of International students studying in the UK on a Student Route student visa. A centralised electronic system (RMS) has been developed for monitoring student engagement for these purposes.   

2.1

This Engagement Monitoring Policy will apply to Research students enrolled on an academic programme at Swansea University (including Masters by Research, the Direct Independent Learning Phase of a Standard/Extended Master’s programme and Visiting Researchers who are enrolled for a period longer than one month) whether they are in Swansea, elsewhere in the UK or across the world.  

2.2

It is expected that all students will engage with their research on a face-to-face basis. Although location checks will only take place for Student Route visa holders, as described in section 10 below, all Postgraduate Research students are encouraged to engage with their research in Swansea. Students who are not subject to specific visa requirements, are able to engage by virtual means (Zoom/Teams…) where appropriate. Please see section 4.6 below for information on remote study requests and section 8 for students studying at a partner institution. 

2.3

Postgraduate Research students will be subject to engagement monitoring until they have been awarded their qualification. 

2.4

The University expects students to attend all scheduled face-to-face learning sessions, including Supervisory meetings, training courses, modules and study groups associated with each programme of research which they have elected to pursue, supplemented by virtual learning sessions, where appropriate. The University also recognises the benefit of engaging with the wider research community and would encourage research students to attend regular office hours.

2.5

Research student engagement will be monitored at a Faculty/School or partnership level and by the Visa Compliance Team for Student Route students.

2.6

All notifications required by these regulations shall be sent in the first instance to the student’s official University e-mail address.

2.7

Engagement will be monitored by a student’s home Faculty/School or partner starting from the first research week of any given intake. Engagement will be monitored through regular meetings with the student’s Supervisory team. 

2.8

Students will be monitored every four weeks at a point defined by the Faculty/School. Students who study on a part-time basis will also be monitored every four weeks but with considerations for differing workloads. 

2.9

Any student who is absent from their monthly research engagement meeting with their Supervisor will enter into an escalation process. 

2.10

Students based in Swansea who are conducting research away from any University Campus must obtain permission to study remotely from their Faculty/School prior to leaving Swansea and will be required to adhere to the Engagement Monitoring Policy. 

Student Route (previously Tier 4) students will also require permission to study remotely from Student Compliance Services as detailed in Section 5 of the enhanced Engagement Monitoring Policy for Student Route students. Student Route students will also require permission to study remotely from the Visa Compliance Team. Students shall also be required to adhere to any engagement monitoring policies and procedures stipulated by the institution in which they are conducting their research.

2.11

Full-time Research students are entitled to take maximum of 31 days annual leave per year, plus statutory holidays per annum with Faculty/School approval. For part-time students this will be pro rata. Any holidays taken should be recorded on the RMS system. Students can additionally request a short temporary leave of absence for compelling, compassionate reasons as detailed in point 4.3 below.

2.12

Engagement reports shall be monitored and reviewed by the Faculty/School and the Student Attendance Team within Visa Compliance in the case of Student Route visa holders.

We understand on occasion that students may have to miss scheduled Supervisory meetings or research engagements for good reason, but if this happens students will need to make sure they keep up with their work. Absences of five working days or longer will be considered as a “temporary request for leave from study”. A “temporary request for leave from study” is a short temporary absence which has been accepted by the University. The following is a non-exhaustive list of circumstances which the University would commonly accept:

• Exceptional circumstances such as serious illness or injury.
• Death or serious illness of a close relative or friend.
• Significant adverse personal/family circumstances – such as divorce, burglary, fire, major court proceedings, financial difficulties beyond the control of the student, which require the student to leave the University at short notice.
• Jury duty.
• Sporting and/or arts commitments, normally where a student is a participant.

Requests should be made to the Faculty/School in the first instance and corroborating evidence must usually be provided. If a student is experiencing personal, familial, financial or medical difficulties that significantly affect their ability to engage with their studies, it is expected that they will normally be advised to suspend their studies instead.

Due to the risk to academic success, and in-person attendance requirements for Student Route visa holders, leave requests will usually be considered for a period of up to 2 weeks only and the period of absence must not mean the student will require more time to complete their programme. Students requiring longer periods of absence may be required to suspend studies. Students requiring a suspension of their studies and/or an extension to their candidature should consult the University’s Guide to Suspensions and Extensions for Research Students. Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. It is not expected that more than one such period of absence shall be granted per programme of study. Repeated requests for extended leave of absences will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and students may need to consider a suspension of studies, depending on the circumstances.

Students can request to conduct research away from any Swansea University Campus. Students must obtain permission to study remotely from the Faculty/School prior to leaving Swansea and will be required to adhere to the engagement monitoring policy during this period. Student Route students will also require permission to study remotely from the Visa Compliance Team. If a Student Route student’s request to study remotely exceeds one month this will be reported to the UKVI as a “Change of Study Location”. The maximum period for which a student can study remotely is six months. Students must remain enrolled and the request should not adversely impact their studies or effect the submission date. Arrangements must be made with the Supervisory and Faculty/School Administration teams prior to leaving Swansea and meet the requirements of the Engagement Monitoring Policy. The following is a non-exhaustive list of circumstances the University would commonly accept:

1. Fieldwork
2. Data collection
3. Study visit to library, archive or place of industry
4. Attending or delivering lectures, talks or conferences at another institution

Students are advised to wait until their request to study remotely has been approved before finalising any travel or accommodation arrangements. Students must also consult the University’s International Travel Policy before leaving.

Students shall also be required to adhere to any engagement monitoring policies and procedures stipulated by the institution in which they are conducting their research.

Students studying on Postgraduate research programmes are normally expected to remain in Swansea to engage with their research and attend supervisory meetings in-person up until their first submission. Students who would like to return home country after this point can opt to submit a “Request to Complete Studies Remotely”.

Requests will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by the Faculty/School and the Visa Compliance Team in the case of Student Route visa holders. Please note that submitting a request does not guarantee that the request will be granted. Decisions will be made based on the academic requirements of the programme of study and where applicable, the engagement monitoring requirements of the funding body and UKVI guidance. Swansea University reserves the right to refuse to authorise a request if it is deemed that such authorisation could pose a risk to Swansea University’s compliance duties and responsibilities as a Licenced Sponsor. Students will be informed in writing if their application is not successful.

Student Route students should be aware that if their request is approved, the University would withdraw its sponsorship of their student visa. The Student visa would then be curtailed as the student would no longer be required to travel/return to the UK to undertake their viva and complete the course.

Students whose visa has been curtailed become ineligible for the Graduate Route post-study work visa.

The Visa Compliance Team will require proof of exit upon the student’s return home to complete the authorisation of a request and report the withdrawal of sponsorship to the Home Office. Upon receipt of the proof of exit, The Visa Compliance Team will provide final confirmation that the student’s record has been updated and they are no longer subject to the University’s in-person engagement monitoring process for sponsored students.

6.1

Students enrolled on a MRes undertaking a taught element of the programme will be subject to the requirements of the Engagement Monitoring Policy for Taught Students, with the exception that the frequency of monitoring will take place on a fortnightly basis and the Programme Coordinator will assume the responsibilities of the Supervisor for the escalation process. 

6.2

When students enrolled on a MRes move to the research element of the programme, they will be subject to the engagement monitoring requirements of the Engagement Monitoring Policy for Research Students entirely and will be monitored on a four-weekly basis. The Supervisor will then assume the responsibilities for recording student engagement and the escalation process.

7.1

Students enrolled on the taught phase of a Standard/Extended Master’s programme will be subject to the requirements of the Engagement Monitoring Policy for Taught Students. Students who progress to the project/dissertation phase of a Standard/Extended Master’s programme will then be subject to the requirements of the Engagement Monitoring Policy for Research Students and will be monitored on a four-weekly basis up until the point of submission. The Supervisor will then assume responsibility for recording student engagement and the escalation process.  

7.2

Full time taught postgraduate students are expected to study continuously over the summer during the dissertation/project phase and are expected to engage with their Supervisor once a month in person on campus. Such students are considered to be in term time during the summer dissertation/project phase.

7.3

Students who are granted an extension to the project/dissertation phase of their studies will remain subject to the requirements of the Engagement Monitoring Policy for Research Students and will be monitored on a four-weekly basis up until the point of submission.

7.4

If work is not accepted by the examiners during the project/dissertation phase of the programme, and the student is allowed to resubmit, they will remain subject to the requirements of the Engagement Monitoring Policy for Research Students up until the point of resubmission within the time limit set by Academic Regulations for full and part-time students.

7.5

Students resubmitting their work will be expected to be fully engaged with their studies during the resubmission period and will be monitored on a four-weekly basis (one formal feedback session followed by welfare check ins, students are not entitled to additional supervision) up until the point of resubmission. The Faculty/School or Student Compliance Services will assume responsibility for recording student engagement during the resubmission period. 

7.6 

Students that have officially progressed to Part Two or the project/dissertation phase of a Septemeber start Postgraduate Taught Masters Programme who would like to leave Swansea for personal reasons can opt to submit a “Request to Complete Studies Remotely” as described in section 5.

8.1 

Students enrolled on a Postgraduate Research Programme delivered through a collaborative partnership where one of the awarding bodies is Swansea University, will be subject to the requirements of the Engagement Monitoring Policy for Research Students and will be monitored on a 4-weekly basis up until the point of submission.

8.1.1 

The Swansea University Supervisor will be responsible for recording student engagement in the RMS system and will liaise with the Partner Institution Supervisor to monitor the student’s progress irrespective of the student’s location of study.

8.1.2 

Students will also be expected to adhere to any engagement monitoring policies and procedures as stipulated by the Partner Institution.

8.1.3 

Students undertaking a taught element at Swansea University will also be subject to the requirements of the Engagement Monitoring Policy for Taught Students until the point they move on to the research element of their programme.

8.2 

Students enrolled on a Postgraduate Research Programme delivered through a collaborative partnership where the awarding body is the Partner Institution, will only be subject to the requirements of the Engagement Monitoring Policy for Research Students for the period in which the location of study is Swansea University and will be monitored on a 4-weekly basis. 

8.2.1 

The Swansea University Supervisor will assume responsibility for recording student engagement in the RMS system for this period only.

8.2.2 

Students undertaking a taught element at Swansea University will also be subject to the requirements of the Engagement Monitoring Policy for Taught Students until the point they move on to the research element of their programme.

9.1

Visiting Researchers who are enrolled at the University for a period longer than one month will be subject to the requirements of the Engagement Monitoring Policy for Research Students. The Supervisor will be responsible for recording engagement. 

9.2

Visiting Researchers will be subject to the escalation process for reasons of non-engagement. 

10.1

To aid the University’s compliance with its obligations as a Student Route sponsor, the Visa Compliance Team will undertake monthly checks of the RMS system to ensure Student Route students are meeting with their Supervisor each month in person on campus. Students who are found to have had Supervisory sessions via alternate means will be contacted to establish the reasons and ensure ongoing compliance with the Engagement Monitoring Policy.

10.2

Where Postgraduate Research students are engaging by distance learning (i.e. where a Temporary Leave of Absence Request or Remote Study Request has been approved), it is expected, and the preference, that engagement with monthly supervisory meetings will take place via Zoom/Skype rather than an email engagement. Students who are found to have had Supervisory sessions via email will be contacted to establish the reasons and encourage compliance with the Engagement Monitoring Policy, depending on the duration of the leave granted.

Students who receive a notice of withdrawal or suspension from the University, in accordance with the University’s Engagement Monitoring Policy, may request a review of this decision. Students may appeal the decision by submitting an Engagement Monitoring Appeal Form to the Student Attendance Team in Visa Compliance. This must be submitted within 5 working days of the date of the letter/email to the student confirming the withdrawal or suspension decision. The form will be reviewed by the Faculty/School, and in the case of Student Route students, the Visa Compliance Team. Some cases may be referred to a Head of Service (or their nominee) before final withdrawal or suspension action is taken. Students who are permitted to continue following an appeal outcome will need to meet the conditions set out in the corresponding completion of procedures letter. Failure to do so may result in the upholding of the previous withdrawal or suspension decision. The appeal will constitute the completion of internal University appeal mechanisms for the Engagement Monitoring Process.