Engagement Monitoring Policy for Taught Students

The University recognises that engagement with teaching and learning is a key element in successful student retention, progression, achievement and employability. This approach also serves to identify students who may be experiencing difficulties and might need particular support. The University also has a legal duty for the majority of students to monitor engagement with teaching and to act on non-engagement. This legal duty arises from the requirement to report engagement to UK student loan companies and 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 (previously Tier 4) visa. The University will use a range of data sources that represent participation with studies to monitor student engagement for these purposes and to ensure student welfare. 

Some programmes have an engagement requirement set by a professional body; where this is more rigorous than that set by the University the requirement of the professional body will prevail. 

2.1 

This engagement monitoring policy applies to all taught students who are enrolled on an academic programme at the University. Taught students who are enrolled on a programme delivered through a collaborative partnership, and who will be entirely based at the partner site, will be subject to the engagement monitoring policies stipulated by the partner institution. UK domiciled students at QAHE London will also need to follow the engagement monitoring policy stipulated at QAHE.

2.2 

It is expected that all students will engage with face-to-face learning sessions from the start of the academic year. Students who are unable to engage in-person will need to consider deferring or suspending studies. 

2.3

The Home Office (UKVI) expects students with visa sponsorship from the University to engage with their studies in person. This means that in order for Student Route sponsored students to fully comply with this policy, they must live within reasonable commuting proximity to the University to attend during core working hours if they are required to do so. The location of where a Student Route student chooses to reside will not, in any circumstance, be considered an adequate reason for non-compliance with this policy. Please see the University’s UK Travel and Accommodation Guide for International Students for advice on local accommodation options.

2.4

The University expects students to engage with all scheduled learning sessions associated with each module or programme of research which they have elected to pursue whether these are face-to-face or virtual. A scheduled learning session includes but is not limited to lectures, seminars, study groups, practical classes, example classes, tutorials, examinations, supervisory meetings, industrial placements, field trips or other activities which students are expected to engage with. 

2.5

Engagement monitoring is supportive and seeks to ensure that student welfare is our priority. This means that the University’s Education Journeys team or the Visa Compliance Team may contact students about their levels of engagement, or if students show concerning patterns of engagement such as non-attendance at face-to-face learning sessions or failure to register card swipes at face-to-face learning sessions, to establish the reasons for lack of face-to-face engagement and offer to help and/or encourage them to engage, even if they have met the University’s formal threshold. 

2.6 

The University will use a range of data sources to monitor student engagement with their studies. This will primarily be based on attendance at scheduled face-to-face learning sessions and engagement with course materials in Canvas. For Student Route students this will be based on attendance at face-to-face learning sessions only due to UKVI requirements Additional data may be taken into account when considering Engagement Monitoring Appeals for non-engagement such as submission of assessments and coursework, library data and engagement with personal tutor meetings. Please see point 13 for more information on the Engagement Monitoring Appeals process.   

2.7 

For students attending face-to-face learning sessions, attendance will be monitored by swipe card. Students will need to tap their card against the readers located in each teaching room when entering where their card should be recognised (the reader shows the student’s name). 

2.8

Student Route students will additionally need to check in manually via the Safezone app once a week during term time. Although failure to do so will not trigger any formal sanctions, the check-in will seek to ensure compliance with UKVI regulations to verify that students are on campus. The check-in should take place during one timetabled lecture or seminar each week. Data will be collated and verified by the Visa Compliance Team and students could receive reminders from the Visa Compliance Team if they haven’t checked in on the Safezone app.

2.9

A student is required to scan using their own card only at face-to-face learning sessions. Although engagement monitoring is supportive and not punitive, the University recognises the potential for abuse of the system in students scanning into scheduled learning sessions for others or scanning and then not attending the scheduled learning session. Any suspected abuse of the system will be investigated by the the University’s Education Journeys team or the Visa Compliance Team in the case of Student Route students and students suspected of abuse of the system will be subject to the process outlined in section 3 below. The Visa Compliance Team may conduct checks at face-to-face learning sessions during the academic year as a reminder for students to tap their card when entering teaching spaces. This will also serve to ensure the card readers at locations across campus are in good working order.

2.10 

Engagement will only be considered when it is capable of being monitored. If, for example, a card reader is missing or not working, then this will not count against a student’s overall engagement. Similarly, if scheduled learning sessions are cancelled by removal from the timetable, then this engagement data will not count against a student’s engagement record. 

2.11

Students are responsible for remembering to bring their card to face-to-face learning sessions and for replacing any lost or damaged cards as soon as possible. 

2.12

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

2.13

Students will be informed of the engagement procedures and requirements via Faculty handbooks and via communications that will be sent to their University email accounts at the start of each semester.

2.14 

Students who are required to withdraw or suspend as a result of this process will be liable for tuition fee costs covering the period up to the last date they last engaged with their studies, attended teaching or accessed online provision (during teaching periods, between Monday to Friday). Certain professional courses, for example those within the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences may refer to dates of placement when calculating the last date of engagement.

2.15

New students who are required to withdraw but have not engaged with their studies at all will have their last date of attendance/engagement recorded as the first date of term.

2.16

Students who re-enrol but do not engage at all will have their last date of attendance/engagement recorded as the last day of term of the previous teaching session. Students returning from suspension will have their last date of engagement recorded as the start of their previous suspension period.

2.17

Some courses have higher specific engagement requirements because of professional regulations. Faculties/Schools should inform students, as part of the course information, if there are any specific additional engagement requirements. 

2.18 

Students undertaking a study abroad element or an industrial placement that forms an integral and assessed part of their programme, shall also be required to adhere to the engagement monitoring policy. Such students will be monitored on a monthly basis at a minimum (see section 8). 

2.19

Students pursuing programmes delivered via short intensive periods of study shall be monitored during the intensive study weeks (see section 9).

As mentioned in 2.8 above, students on taught programmes are required to register their attendance at scheduled face-to-face learning sessions electronically by scanning their student card against the readers located in each teaching room. The University recognises the potential for abuse of the system with students scanning into scheduled learning sessions for others, scanning and then not attending the scheduled learning session or scanning at rooms not listed in their timetable. Any suspected abuse of the system will be investigated by the University’s Education Journeys team and the Visa Compliance Team in the case of Student Visa holders. The following process will apply to students who scan their card and leave a session, scan a card on behalf of another student, give their card to another student to register their attendance or who tap their cards to register attendance in rooms that are not in their timetable:

3.1

The student will receive an email from the University’s Education Journeys team outling the policy and explaining that any further instances could be escalated to withdrawal.

3.2 

If the student is found to have engaged in this activity for a second time, the student will need to meet with the Education Journeys team to explain the reasons. The Education Journeys team will assess the reasons provided and make a decision as to whether the student is permitted to continue or whether a withdrawal will be considered.

3.3

Student Route visa holders may also be required attend a series of check-ins with the Visa Compliance team to demonstrate their on-campus attendance. This could include the registration of biometrics and the use of the Safezone app. The details of the requirements will be communicated directly to the student via their student email address. Students who do not engage with this process, who fail to meet all of the contact points stipulated as part of this process or who engage with this process and are subsequently found to be engaging in fraudulent behaviour once again, may be issued with a notification of withdrawal.

Students enrolled on Adult Continuing Education courses will also be subject to the engagement monitoring process to ensure student welfare. Further information about the engagement monitoring procedures for these students can be found in the appendix section of this policy below.

Students enrolled on specific professional programmes in the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science will be monitored on a weekly basis via card swipe data at face-to-face learning sessions only during theory periods on campus due to the rigorous requirements of the programmes of study. Students will be informed at the start of the programme if their attendance will be monitored in this way.

Students who demonstrate unsatisfactory in-person attendance over a 3-week period will be invited to meet the Programme Director or their nominee to discuss their non-attendance. Students who do not attend the meeting with the Programme Director or their nominee, or who fail to provide satisfactory reasons for their absence during the meeting, may be sent a notification of withdrawal or suspension.

Some programmes in Medicine and the School of Health and Social Care have professional body attendance requirements which mean students need to attend all learning sessions, including allocated placements so that course engagement hours can be calculated. Students enrolled on a professional programme should report all absences, whether theory or placements, to the relevant team at the earliest opportunity. Students should refer to the relevant programme Canvas hub for specific requirements.

For Student Route students studying below degree level at The College and with ELTS (i.e. students studying at RQF level 5 and below, and those at RQF level 6 on the foundation stage), additional attendance and monitoring checks will be implemented to ensure compliance with the UKVI Academic Engagement policy for Higher Education providers.

Students studying below degree level (at RQF level 5 and below and those at RQF level 6 on the foundation stage) will be required to undertake 15 hours of study per week. 

Further details of how attendance will be monitored for these groups of students can be located in the appendix section of this policy.

We understand on occasion that students may have to miss learning sessions 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 Education Journeys Team in the first instance by completing the ‘Request for Temporary Leave from Study’ form, which is available from the Academic Forms page, and corroborating evidence must usually be provided. Requests will be checked with relevant Programme Directors. 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 Suspension of Studies regulations for taught programmes. 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.

8.1

Students undertaking a study abroad element or an industrial placement that forms an integral and assessed part of their programme shall also be required to adhere to the University’s Engagement Monitoring Policy for Taught Students. Students shall also be required to adhere to any engagement monitoring policies and procedures stipulated by the study abroad institution or industrial placement provider.

8.2

Students undertaking a study abroad element or an industrial placement that forms an integral and assessed part of their programme shall be monitored on a monthly basis at a minimum. Such students will be contacted by Swansea-based staff once a month and will be required to confirm their continued engagement with their programme. Students will be informed of this requirement and the process for making contact at the start of the placement.

8.3

Students who do not respond to the relevant team when contacted in accordance with 8.2 above will be sent a follow up email from the team reminding the student of the requirement to respond to confirm their continued engagement with their programme. Students who do not respond to the follow-up email will be considered for withdrawal if there is no evidence of extenuating circumstances. In the case of Student Route (formerly Tier 4) students, Visa Compliance Team will follow-up with the relevant students.

8.4

Students enrolled on professional programmes within the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science who reach a certain level of absence during theory periods, and who have a continued period of absence when commencing a placement period, resulting in the escalation process being triggered, may be required to meet with the relevant team to discuss their absence. Failure to engage with this process by attending a meeting with the relevant team, and providing satisfactory explanations for periods of absence, could result in students being sent a notification of withdrawal or suspension.

8.5

The following are examples of appropriate engagements for monitoring engagement for students on study abroad and work placements:

• Contact between the student and the Faculty/School academic coordinator or other designated staff member. This could be via Zoom, telephone call or email.
• Confirmation of student attendance from an appropriate designated representative of the host University for Study Abroad students or a company representative for students on work placements.
• Data from the host University’s attendance records.
• Some programmes also need additional evidence.

8.6

Students who fail to comply with the requirements of their programme or whose engagement is unsatisfactory will be considered by the relevant team and appropriate action will be taken.

9.1

Students shall be required to adhere to the engagement monitoring policy. For programmes taught over short intensive periods, the engagement monitoring process will be based on 2-day intervals during each period when scheduled learning sessions are timetabled. The Faculty/School will provide the dates of these periods to students at the beginning of the course. Note that some programmes are subject to higher attendance requirements because of professional accreditation. 

9.2

Students who do not engage with their studies during a 2-day period will be contacted by their Faculty/School with offers of support and to help them re-engage with their studies.

9.3

For students on short professional learner programmes of study, engagement will be monitored midway through the course and students who have not engaged with the course up to this point will be contacted by their Faculty/School to confirm their continued participation on the course. Students who do not respond to their Faculty/School will be issued with a notification of withdrawal.

10.1

Students enrolled on a taught postgraduate programme who are undertaking the research element of their programme (the directed independent learning module(s)) will be subject to the requirements of the Student Engagement Monitoring Policy for Research Students with regard to the frequency of monitoring (on a monthly basis).

10.2

Such students will also be subject to the Student Engagement Monitoring Policy for Research Students with regard to the escalation process. However, the Chair of the Education Committee or their nominee will assume the responsibilities of the Director of Research in Stage two of the process.

10.3

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

Requests will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by the Education Journeys Team and the Visa Compliance Team in the case of Student Route students. Please note that submitting a request does not guarantee that the request will be granted. Decisions will be made based on academic requirements of the programme of study and UKVI guidance in the case of Student Route students. 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 complete the course.

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

For Student Route  visa holders, 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, 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.

11.1

To aid the University’s compliance with its obligations as a Student Route sponsor, the Visa Compliance Team will undertake three Student Route attendance and engagement checkpoints in a rolling 12-month period. These allow further opportunities to analyse engagement data for Student Route students at all levels of study.

11.2

Engagement checkpoints are used to take action for students who, although will not have a pattern of consecutive low engagement (and therefore may not have been contacted about their engagement previously), may have a generally poor engagement record or patterns of non-engagement and whose continued sponsorship may cause a risk to the University’s Student Route licence without improvement. 

11.3

A full review of all engagement data will ensure the University is compliant in its responsibilities to the Home Office as a Licenced Student Route Sponsor to and may also highlight students who need additional clarity on their responsibilities as Student Route students. The Visa Compliance Team will contact all departments immediately before each checkpoint to request any related records or additional information. 

For the 2025/26 academic year engagement checkpoints are provisionally scheduled as shown below. The Visa Compliance Team may amend these dates during the academic year. 

Checkpoint 1 – Autumn 2025 during Christmas Vacation - This will be a review of all data for Student Route students at undergraduate and postgraduate taught masters levels of study and will include students on a period abroad/work placement, students enrolled with The College, Swansea University and with ELTS undertaking pre-sessional courses).

Checkpoint 2 – Spring 2026 during Easter Vacation -  Data relating to taught students only (undergraduate and postgraduate taught students, students on a period abroad/work placement, students enrolled with The College, Swansea University or ELTS undertaking pre-sessional courses).

Checkpoint 3 – Summer 2026 during August -  UG January entry students and postgraduate taught masters checkpoint. Postgraduate taught student summer monitoring during the dissertation period, a full review of all engagement data held on our RMS monitoring system. This checkpoint will also include a review of ELTS pre-sessional attendance, March intake Nursing students and students enrolled with The College, Swansea University and review of engagement during the summer assessment period for taught students. 

11.4

Should a student be highlighted at checkpoint, follow-up action by the Visa Compliance Team may include:

• Compulsory attendance at a Student Route Status Meeting.
• Compulsory attendance at a Student Route Attendance and Engagement Briefing and/or further clarity regarding a student’s attendance and engagement responsibilities. 
• Email contact with bespoke warnings/actions outlined.
• Email contact to praise exemplary engagement. 

11.5

If the student attends a compulsory checkpoint Student Route status meeting or briefing and provides a satisfactory explanation (and supporting evidence if applicable) to explain their non-engagement, they will be permitted to continue on their programme. The student will be required to sign a declaration stating that they will re-engage with their studies. The Visa Compliance Team will continue to closely monitor the student’s engagement until such a time where they are satisfied that the student has re-engaged with studies. Students will be informed of the dates of this re-engagement period at the meeting. A student will be deemed to have satisfactorily re-engaged if their levels of engagement remain within the acceptable threshold during the re-engagement period. 

11.6

If the student attends a compulsory checkpoint Student Route status meeting or briefing,but then fails to re-engage with their studies in the subsequent re-engagement period, the Visa Compliance Team will consider the withdrawal of the student from the University and the withdrawal of their Student Route sponsorship.

11.7

If the student attends a compulsory checkpoint Student Route status meeting or briefing but does not provide a satisfactory explanation for non-engagement, the Visa Compliance Team will consider the withdrawal of the student from the University and the withdrawal of their Student Route sponsorship.

11.8

If the student fails to attend a compulsory checkpoint Student Route status meeting or briefing, the Visa Compliance Team will consider the withdrawal of the student from the University and the withdrawal of their Student Route sponsorship.

12.1

The University will review student engagement with course materials in Canvas and face-to-face learning sessions on a 2-weekly basis. For Student Route visa holders, the University will review student attendance at face-to-face learning sessions only on a weekly basis. These reviews are designed to identify students whose engagement has fallen below the required threshold, to ensure student welfare, to establish the reasons for non-engagement and to assist students who may be experiencing difficulties or may need particular support to get back on track.

12.2

The process is explained below:

Students who are escalated through the process described above, and are permitted to continue with their studies, will be closely monitored for the remainder of the academic year and may be contacted about their engagement again if this shows worrying patterns following the 5 or 6-week stage. Students will be asked to provide evidence for any further non-engagement and risk being sent a notification of withdrawal or suspension if this is unsatisfactory.

Programme Directors will receive information regarding students who have been escalated through the process above on a fortnightly basis. This will be disseminated by the Student Attendance Team in Student Life.

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 Student Life. 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 Education Journeys Team or a Faculty/School representative, and in the case of Student Route students, the Visa Compliance Team. Some cases may be referred toA a Head of Service (or their nominee) before final withdrawal or suspension action is taken. Students who are permitted to continue following the 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.

Engagement Monitoring Process for Adult Continuing Education courses