Attendance
Essential information about our attendance policies, declaring you are unwell/unfit to study and how to report non-attendance formally.
MEE Late entry policy (LABS)
It is expected that students arrive at laboratory sessions on or before the start time advertised in the timetable. Punctuality is a valuable attribute of professional behaviour that is expected of engineers in the workplace for which your programme of studies is preparing you.
If you arrive after the start time of a laboratory class, it is likely you will not be allowed to take part in the activity and will be turned away.
There are a number of reasons why you will not be permitted late entry, including:
Operational delivery of certain activities requires everyone to be present at the start of the session, for example for the allocation of groups or hearing important safety information.
Latecomers may not have time to complete the activities with the time remaining.
Students arriving late can cause disruption to students already engaged in their laboratory class.
If you are permitted to enter a particular laboratory class late, it should not be inferred that this will be permitted again or that there is a policy of late entry being tolerated. It is always expected that students arrive at or before the start time advertised in the timetable.
Staff running the laboratories may not have time to explain to you why you have been turned away if you are late, as they will need to focus on teaching the class.
If you have been turned away from a lab for being late, you should contact your home department (you can find contact details for student support teams in each department on the MEE student website). If you have concerns or questions about this policy, please contact diamond-lab-support@sheffield.ac.uk
Attendance guidelines
You are not permitted to be absent from the University during term time without proper authorisation. Your attendance will be monitored. We monitor attendance so that we can identify students who are struggling or failing to engage with their course (i.e. not attending lectures or exams) so that we can offer appropriate support. There is a proven link between poor attendance at lectures and exam failure.
Your attendance may be monitored at a variety of activities, including lectures and tutorials, personal tutorials, examinations, and submitting coursework. You should assume that every activity will be monitored and should attend all timetabled activities.
International student attendance monitoring
Under Tier 4 of the Points Based System (PBS) all universities must have a UKVI approved sponsor licence to recruit and retain students on a student visa. In order to retain its sponsor licence, the University has a number of duties that it is required to undertake. Among these is a requirement for the University to report to the UKVI any international student with a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) who is absent without permission from their programme of study. Under the PBS, a record of a student's attendance must be stored and may be requested by the UKVI during a compliance visit.
Reporting an authorised absence
You are not permitted to be absent from your studies without proper authorisation. If you are unavoidably absent from a single lecture, lab class, or other timetabled activity for a good reason you should apologise for your absence to the member of staff concerned (preferably in advance).
If you miss more than one lecture, lab class, or other timetabled activity for good reason (e.g. due to medical or personal problems), you should notify the General Engineering Student Support Office about your short-term absence by submitting a self-certification or extenuating circumstances form. You will need medical evidence to support your form.
Non-attendance not affecting an assessment:
Non-attendance affecting an assessment (or absence longer than 7 days):
Extenuating circumstances form
If you have a more severe or longer-term problem, it may be appropriate for you to take an official Leave of Absence from your studies (in which case you would return to your studies when your circumstances have improved).
All forms should be submitted to the General Engineering Student Support Office either in person or by email to: gen-eng-support@sheffield.ac.uk.
What action is taken if I am regularly absent?
The General Engineering Student Support Office reviews the attendance data mid-Semester and at the end of the Semester. We take into account whether you have submitted extenuating circumstances and consider any available exam results. If you do not attend regularly and have not submitted extenuating circumstances form for your absence you can expect one of the following to happen, depending on how much study you have missed and your academic performance to date:
Email reminder from the General Engineering Student Support Offfice that your attendance needs to improve.
Discussion with your Personal Tutor regarding your engagement.
Progress review meeting with the General Engineering's Learning & Teaching Manager and/or your Year Tutor and/or the Course Director.
Formal report to the Faculty that your engagement with your studies is considered unsatisfactory.
Progress of students interview with Faculty Officer.
Review of your case by a Faculty Committee, which has the power to exclude students from the University.
Overseas students only: The University will report non-attendance to the UKVI, which will result in your being deemed withdrawn from the University. The UKVI will curtail your student visa and you will be expected to leave the UK.
What is Encore?
Encore is a lecture capture tool, where lectures are recorded and made available to students on Blackboard to allow students to revisit their lectures. Where lectures are not recorded, this may be due to a variety of issues, such as the nature of the session, the sensitive nature of the content, unpublished research or copyright issues.
Five Top Tips on How to Use Lecture Capture Effectively
Attend lectures - students who attend tend to get better grades.
Use Encore to supplement your studies. Dip into the parts you need to review to enhance your knowledge and understanding.
Don't wait until a few days before the examination to use Encore. Space your learning throughout the semester to enhance your knowledge and understanding.
Don’t binge watch! Again, spacing your learning across the semester is a more effective approach.
Watch at normal speed (if you speed the recording up you might miss key information).
Still have questions?
If you have any unresolved questions we ask that you contact the Course Support Officer: