PGR Attendance Monitoring Policy  Annexes 1-4

As a minimum, Faculties and Schools, with the support of the Graduate School, must ensure the following processes are in place:

• Graduate Schools will review supervision meeting records in GRAD on a quarterly basis and contact PGRs where gaps are identified. This ensures records are up to date and provides an opportunity to identify and address issues affecting engagement. Where unresolved, cases will be escalated to the Director of PGR Studies and may lead to consideration of options such as a non-engagement, the Progress Support Process (PSP), or the Fitness to Study Process.
• Supervisors must report to the Director of PGR Studies and Graduate School where there has been no contact with a PGR, or missed supervision meetings, for one month (unless absence has been formally authorised), or where there is a pattern of absence affecting progress or raising wellbeing concerns. The Director of PGR Studies or Graduate School will then contact the PGR promptly to explore any issues, consulting with Doctoral College Operations where appropriate. This supports early resolution and the identification of more serious concerns. Possible actions may include formalising an absence from studies, PSP, or Fitness to Study.
• Where issues cannot be resolved promptly, the Graduate School will work with Doctoral College Operations and relevant colleagues to determine appropriate support. This may include facilitating a return to study or formalising an absence from studies. Complex cases may require a case conference approach, taking into account academic, disability support, regulatory, health, personal, immigration, and financial considerations (including sponsorship implications).
• Academic progression or engagement concerns will be addressed through the Progress Support Process (PSP). This will include a meeting involving the PGR, Director of PGR Studies, and supervisors, with clear objectives and expectations set. The process aims to support the PGR while ensuring they are aware of risks to progression. Where issues persist, or absence is prolonged, suspension, withdrawal, or steps under the PGR non-engagement procedure may be required.
• Health-related concerns impacting progress or engagement may be managed through the Fitness to Study Process.
• Where a PGR disengages and remains out of contact, the PGR non-engagement procedures will be followed. This includes a series of formal communications from the Graduate School to re-establish contact and explore support options or, where appropriate, formalise a break in studies. Continued absence may be escalated.
• Where a PGR undertakes a period of study away from the University (e.g. fieldwork), Schools must ensure that the Change of Study Location workflow in GRAD is completed, in accordance with this policy.
• Supervisory contact must continue throughout all stages of the candidature, including the standard period, overtime, examination, and any referral period:
  • During the overtime period, supervisory contact will continue in order to keep the research on course for submission before the maximum time limit. PGRs are expected to attend in person for supervision meetings, with the exception of the circumstances described under 4. In the overtime period, supervision meetings may be in the format of reading and commenting on draft chapters of the thesis prior to submission..
  • During the examination period, supervisory contact must continue in line with the Code of Practice. This may take the form of examination preparation (including a mock viva), providing academic support with any corrections to the thesis, assisting with publication and conference preparation, providing ongoing pastoral support, offering career and employability guidance and mentorship, supporting with arrangements for the deposit and retention of research data or other materials before the PGR leaves the University. Where a PGR holds a student visa, this must take place in person to meet Home Office requirements. Remote supervision may be used for non-sponsored PGRs or those completing from overseas. All such contact must be recorded in GRAD.
  • During a referral period, supervisors should normally provide up to 6 supervision meetings per year. For PGRs in the UK on a student visa, standard supervision and attendance monitoring arrangements apply, including a minimum of 10 in-person supervision meetings per year, with gaps of no more than 8 weeks.

Any absences from study must be requested by the PGR, approved by the School and must be recorded in GRAD under one of the recognised absence reporting routes described below. PGRs must submit requests either before or at the point of absence. Retrospective requests are only accepted in exceptional circumstances and cannot normally be backdated by more than one month.  

Suspension of studies

A “suspension” is a period of more than one month when a PGR temporarily leaves the programme. During a period of suspension, a PGR is not expected to progress their research. Suspensions will not normally be backdated for more than one month. PGRs must submit suspension requests either before or at the point their studies are interrupted.  Suspensions will not normally be backdated for more than one month. For a student visa holder, a suspension of studies will be reported to UKVI.  Further advice is available in the suspension and extension policy.

Authorised absence

An authorised absence is a short period of approved absence in addition to any period of annual leave. During a period of authorised absence, the PGR remains registered but is not expected to progress their research. It is expected that the absence can be absorbed into the overall candidature, and the time away from studies must have no impact on the PGR’s ability to meet the final thesis submission deadline.

• Schools may authorise absence/s up to four weeks in any one twelve-month period. 
• In exceptional circumstances, an absence can be approved for a maximum of 8 weeks by the UKVI Student Immigration Compliance Manager, on the understanding that the absence can be absorbed into the overall candidature.

Annual leave

PGRs are entitled to annual leave (26 days for full-time PGRs;  pro-rata for part-time PGRs), plus the university closed days. Annual leave allocations are:

• Full-time PGR: 26 days per year
• 0.75 Part-time PGR: 19.5 days per year
• 0.6 Part-time PGR: 16 days per year
• 0.5 Part-time PGR: 13 days per year

Unauthorised absences from study may lead to instigation of the Progress Support Process, Fitness to Study or lead to a PGR being considered under the PGR Non-engagement procedures. 

Any significant concerns regarding absences, adherence to attendance and engagement processes, or UKVI compliance will be escalated to the Head of School.

Periods of study up to 12 months outside the University on academic grounds (for example fieldwork, research visits or a work placement that is an integral and assessed component of the programme of study) during the standard period of study can be approved by the School. Academic engagement, supervision meetings and progress monitoring arrangements should continue during periods of study away from the University. 

A Change of Study Location Workflow must be completed for any period of study away from the University of four weeks or more. This must be completed before any period of study away commences so that the University is informed of the dates and location of study for attendance monitoring, student support and UKVI reporting purposes. The University is required to report to UKVI where a PGR will be undertaking an approved period of study away from the University for one month or more.  

Applications for periods away from the University on other grounds, e.g. for personal, family or health reasons, should instead be managed under authorised absence, annual leave or suspension of studies processes. The University is only able to continue to sponsor a PGR under the Student Visa route for study away from Leeds on academic grounds.

Subject to programme requirements, once the standard period of study has been completed, there is often no requirement for PGRs to remain in Leeds during the overtime period. PGRs may choose to either:

1. Remain in the UK during their overtime period. PGRs must continue to attend the University in person for the 10 formal supervision meetings and any other activities as required by their programme or the Faculty/School. 
2. Complete the write-up and submission of their thesis from outside the UK if research/data-collection is complete and/or they no longer require access to on-campus facilities. Supervision meetings must continue online and be recorded in GRAD.  Normal engagement monitoring processes will continue to apply.  A change of study location workflow must be completed. 

For PGRs who hold a Student Visa and choose to leave the UK in the overtime period, the University must withdraw sponsorship of the Student Visa. A report will be made to UKVI, which will lead to UKVI cancelling their Student Visa. The withdrawal of visa sponsorship will impact PGRs’ ability to apply for a Graduate visa after their degree award. PGRs should take advice from the Student Visa Advice Team before submitting a change of study location request. 

At any stage, staff may contact the Student Counselling and Wellbeing Duty Service for advice. 

Initial steps 

Where a PGR has an unexpected or unexplained absence (e.g. failure to attend a supervision meeting, or absence from the lab or shared working space), the Supervisor should:

• make prompt contact with the PGR to check in;
• rearrange any missed meetings, and where appropriate
• signpost the PGR to relevant support services or the Graduate School.

Supervisors must report to the Director of PGR Studies and Graduate School where:

• there are recurring short periods of unexplained absence
• there is a pattern of absence affecting progress or raising wellbeing concerns 
• there has been no contact with a PGR, or missed supervision meetings, for one month (unless absence has been formally authorised).

The Director of PGR Studies or Graduate School will contact the PGR to explore any issues. Possible actions may include formalising an absence from studies or a meeting with the PGR to identify any underlying issues and determine appropriate support. Depending on the circumstances, this could include consideration of the Progress Support Process (PSP) or the Fitness to Study Process. 

If it becomes clear that a PGR is no longer engaging with their programme, and they are not in contact, have not returned from a period of suspension, or have not completed registration, the formal steps outlined below should be initiated.

Formal steps

Where a PGR is no longer engaging and remains out of contact, more formal communications will be sent from the School to formally raise concerns about engagement, while seeking to re-establish contact, understand the reasons for absence, and identify appropriate support or actions. Contact attempts will include email (University and personal), Teams, telephone and a hard-copy letter to the PGR’s UK home and/or term-time address. The PGR will also be invited to attend a support meeting with the Graduate School.

Where the PGR responds, next steps will be considered in light of their individual circumstances. This may include:

• Engagement with relevant support services
• Agreement to temporary leave via an authorised absence or suspension of studies
• Agreement to permanent withdrawal via the Leavers Process 
• In some cases, the Progress Support Process or Fitness to Study Process may be required.

Where no response is received and the absence continues:

• The case will be escalated to the Student Counselling and Wellbeing Duty Service
• The Duty Service will attempt to contact the PGR and will liaise with the School regarding any further steps or actions required.