Academic engagement and absence

Content Accordions

• When you must attend

  Term dates are the time during which you are expected to be in the UK studying and attending your course activities. Term dates include exam periods and the time during which you are expected to be writing your dissertation or thesis.

  Vacation dates are different for each level of study. Please read the information for the relevant level of your course in the sections, below.

  Undergraduate students

  The vacation dates for undergraduate students are the Christmas and Easter vacation dates and University closure dates, as stated on the University key dates webpage plus the summer vacation from the end of the summer term until the beginning of spring term for the next academic year.

  Postgraduate taught students

  The vacation dates for postgraduate taught students are the Christmas and Easter vacation dates and University closure dates, as stated on the University key dates webpage. At all other times postgraduate taught students must show attendance full time in the UK up to the end of their programme end date as specified on their CAS. For some students this may such as those on advance practice programmes, including (depending on course duration) during the summer.

  Postgraduate research students

  The vacation dates for postgraduate research students are University closure days, as stated on the University key dates webpage. When you are writing up your thesis or when your status is nominal you must continue to show attendance full-time in the UK.

  Students should consult with the Principal Supervisor regarding any period of holiday they wish to take during the course of their studies. International students who intend to go overseas for any period od time are required to also seek permission from the University’s Immigration Compliance Manager. Students may do this by completing an Authorised Leave Form, copies of which are also available from Student Administration (PGR). Principal Supervisors must be kept informed of any periods of sickness which may impact on their student’s engagement or progression. Students experiencing prolonged or re-current ill-health issues should discuss their circumstances with their Principal Supervisor to decide whether a period of suspension may be appropriate. Time taken as holiday leave, or sick leave, will not result in an extension to your registration period.

• How you can show attendance & how we monitor

  How you can show attendance

  You must show attendance by:

  • Attending all scheduled study activities such as: lectures, exams, meeting with your tutor or supervisor, labs and workshops; and
  • Submitting all assessed work; and
  • Using the University electronic systems which are monitored for attendance.

  How the University monitors attendance

  Wrexham University uses an electronic attendance monitoring system, which enables you to show attendance easily when you study online or on-campus. The electronic systems used to monitor attendance are:

  • Blackboard and Moodle
  • Celcat
  • Door entry points across the University e.g. Library. Swipe your student ID card.
  • E-Assignment
  • EDUroam wireless system
  • PGR Tracker (postgraduate research students only)
  • ARC during data collection/fieldwork/placement
  • University desktop computers
  • University network printers. Swipe your student ID card

  Please note: no data can be seen apart from a record that you have accessed the system.

  If you do not use any of the electronic systems listed here, during term dates, you will receive electronic attendance reminder emails from the University. If you are not actively studying and your absence from studies is not authorised, the University cannot continue to sponsor your Student visa.

  If there is a reason why you cannot attend your studies during term dates, you can find more information about what to do in the next section: What to do if you cannot attend your studies.

• What to do if you cannot attend your studies

  If you need to leave the UK or will not be actively studying during term dates you have a few options:

  • Apply for an authorised absence.
  • Suspend your studies and return to complete them later.
  • Withdraw from your studies.

  If you are considering leaving the UK to complete your thesis or dissertation, you can find more information in the next section: Leaving the UK before you complete your studies.

  Apply for an authorised absence

  You can Authorised Leave Form to take a short time away from your studies or leave the UK for a short time for any of the following reasons:

  • Remote study
  • Compassionate/medical leave

  Your absence should be authorised before you take time away from your studies. This will make it easier for you to show you have the approval of your Student Sponsor when you travel through the UK border and will enable the University to continue to sponsor your Student visa during your absence.

  Remote study

  This type of authorised absence is available for postgraduate research students only. Remote study may include: data collection, field work, attending a conference or other research which is necessary to your current programme of study. Leaving the UK to write up your dissertation/thesis is not considered remote study. You can find more information about leaving the UK before you complete your studies in the next section.

  To be able to approve your absence, your supervisor must confirm:

  • This period of remote study is essential to the student’s course.
  • The work the student is doing must necessarily be done outside of the UK and could not be completed on-site at the Wrexham University.
  • The amount of the time the student has requested is proportionate to the work they are undertaking.
  • This student will remain in regular contact with the university (i.e. supervisor or other appropriate member of staff) throughout this period of remote study.

  If your supervisor cannot confirm all of the above, they will not be able to approve your absence and you will need to discuss alternative options with them, which may include completing your study activity in the UK or suspending your studies.

  Compassionate/medical leave

  This type of authorised absence could be for reasons which include a family emergency, a wedding of a close family member or a serious health condition which requires a short absence from studies. Requests for compassionate leave are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

  If you are not sure if the reason for your absence will qualify for compassionate leave, you can speak to an advisor within the University’s  Immigration Compliance Team. To speak to a member of the Immigration Compliance Team or otherwise book an appointment please email  immigration@glyndwr.ac.uk.

  In all requests for compassionate leave, your tutor or supervisor must confirm that they:

  • do not consider that this absence will have a detrimental effect on the students’ academic studies

  This means that you must still be able to successfully complete your current programme of study before your current Student visa expires and your absence must not directly result in you having to extending your stay to complete your studies.

  You may be asked to provide evidence to support your request for authorised absence.

  If your absence is for a medical leave, you must provide a letter from your doctor at the hospital or medical centre on official headed paper which includes all of the following:

  • the name, address and phone number of the hospital or medical centre
  • details of your medical condition
  • the signature of your doctor
  • the official stamp of the hospital
  • the date the letter was printed

  If your evidence is not in English, you must provide a certified translation which contains all of the following:

  • confirmation from the translator/translation company that it is an “accurate translation of the original document”
  • the date of the translation
  • the translator’s full name
  • the translator’s signature
  • the translator or translation company’s credentials (qualification or registration as a translator)
  • the translator or translation company’s contact details

  Suspend or withdraw from your studies

  You must contact your Faculty Office to find out the process to apply to suspend or withdraw from your studies.

  When you suspend or withdraw, you will no longer be actively studying so the University cannot continue to sponsor your current Student visa. On the date you are suspended or withdrawn, the University will remove sponsorship of your Student visa and report your change of circumstances to UK Visas and Immigration. We will email you the same day to explain that:

  • Unless you submit a new immigration application to remain in the UK, you must leave the UK within 60 days.
  • You cannot work or study in the UK during this 60-day period.
  • The end date printed on your visa is no longer relevant.
  • You can use your current visa to leave the UK to go home but you cannot then use it to re-enter the UK.

  If you suspend your studies, you will need a new visa to return to your studies. When you know the date you are planning to return, you must prepare to apply for a new visa. Please contact our  Immigration Compliance Team for more information.

• Leaving the UK before you complete your studies

  Writing up your dissertation or thesis outside of the UK

  If you are considering writing up your dissertation or thesis outside of the UK, you must discuss this with your Faculty Office and supervisor before you leave the UK. If your Faculty and supervisor are able to approve your decision to leave the UK, you must inform the University’s Immigration Compliance Team at  immigration@glyndwr.ac.uk. When you inform the Immigration Compliance Team that you will complete your dissertation or thesis outside of the UK, the University will remove sponsorship of your Student visa on the date you plan to leave the UK.

  When the University removes sponsorship of your Student visa, we will report your change of circumstances to UK Visas and Immigration and we will email you on the same day to explain that:

  • Unless you submit a new immigration application to remain in the UK, you must leave the UK within 60 days.
  • You cannot work or study in the UK during this 60 day period.
  • The end date printed on your visa is no longer relevant.
  • You can use your current visa to leave the UK to go home but you cannot then use it to re-enter the UK.

  Repeating externally

  The University will remove sponsorship of your Student visa when we are informed about your decision to repeat externally.

  If you need to return to the UK to attend examinations when you are repeating externally, you will need to apply for a Short-term study visa.

  Following successful completion of your repeat external period of study, you will need to apply for a new Student visa from outside the UK to continue with your programme of study at Wrexham University. Please contact the Immigration Compliance Team for more information.