Absences
Acceptable reasons for absence include health problems, bereavement and serious personal difficulties.
Traffic delays, attending family celebrations, paid employment or extra-curricular sports activities are normally regarded as unauthorised absence. However, we do consider each case on an individual basis.
You must inform your School/Institute in advance of (or as soon as practical after) any absence through illness or other personal circumstances using the online absence notification form, available as follows:
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Log into Minerva using your username and password.
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In the “My Leeds” page, go to the section ‘Tools and Other University Systems’
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Click the link to Student Services > Log in to Student Services > Click on the Registration & Student Records tab > Absence Notification.
If you have problems that may prevent you from attending sessions or continuing as a student at any time, talk to your personal tutor or a member of student support staff who will do their best to help you.
Taught students
Short-term illness
If you are absent from the University for five days or less due to illness, you must self-certify the illness on your return to University by completing the online absence notification form.
If you are ill for more than five days, you need to provide a doctor's medical certificate to your school SES team immediately on your return to University.
Remember: it is your responsibility to catch up with missed work, lectures and other academic commitments.
Long-term or indefinite periods of illness
If you are not well enough to continue your studies at the University, then you or your school can apply for temporary or permanent withdrawal on medical grounds. When you are well and can provide a certificate from your doctor that you are well enough, you will be able to resume your studies.
It is your responsibility to inform your school when you are absent due to illness or personal reasons. You must also inform the relevant funding body if you are absent from your course for 60 days or more in any one academic year.
Immediate temporary exclusion for ill health
If your parent school considers you to be suffering serious ill health and you have chosen not to seek medical help and advice, the school can request that you be declared, by the University, to be medically unfit to continue your programme of study.
If the University declares you medically unfit to continue your studies, you may be asked to withdraw from your course or programme.
Once you have been declared medically fit by the university medical officer, you will retain the right of readmission to the University.
If you are required to withdraw under this procedure, you will be recorded as temporarily withdrawn from the University for reasons of ill health. The Office of Academic Appeals and Regulation (Student Cases Team) will take the necessary action to have your student record amended and you will only be readmitted if and when you are declared medically fit by the university medical officer.
Subject to this and the maximum registration period for the programme of study as allowed by the relevant ordinance, you will retain the right of readmission.
International student illness
If you are an international student in the UK with permission as a student and, as a result of illness, you need to extend your visa to complete your studies in the UK, contact the Student Visa Advice Team (studentvisaadvice@leeds.ac.uk) for immigration advice immediately.
Research students
If you encounter events which disrupt your research progress you should check full information about absences for research students to see what help is available to you.
Jury service
You may get called to do jury service when you're studying at Leeds. Read our information on jury service to find out what you should do if you are summoned.