As your Student Visa sponsor, Aston University is required to meet a number of UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) conditions to ensure that you are actively studying with us. We call this Engagement Monitoring.
To meet the full Engagement Monitoring requirements of your visa you will to log an on campus and academic engagement at least once every 2 weeks during term time. Ways to log engagements will be listed below. If you are on an approved placement or study abroad programme, you will have to engage with your course in other ways also listed below.
It is your responsibility to log engagements and ensure your engagement record is up to date. During term time, we will monitor your engagement and we will also send you reminders by email and phone. You can check MyAttendance for your timetabled event attendance information.
Some other activities are registered automatically for you, for example if you have attended an exam, or if you have submitted a piece of coursework electronically using the barcode system, and these can be seen on MAP.
- Placement Monitoring
Please use this to log your attendance whilst on placement.
- What is engagement monitoring?
Engagement is any activity students undertake as a part of their academic studies. Engagement is important for your success in your course and ensuring you are keeping up with your studies.
Engagement monitoring is how the university ensures you are interacting with your studies both on campus and off campus for UKVI regulations. We need to monitor your on-campus engagements to demonstrate that you are in the UK and engaging with your studies. This is to ensure you are following UKVI regulation and keeps your visa safe.
- The requirements
You must register an engagement activity at least once every two weeks.
It is your responsibility to:
- To use your ID card to register attendance to timetabled sessions. Ensure you are on time to sessions as attendance may not be recorded if you arrive late
- Ensure your engagements and meetings with staff members are recorded on MAP
- To maintain contact with the university and inform us if you encounter any issues that will impact you in meeting your engagement requirements
- How do I register an engagement activity?
It is your responsibility to register engagement activities regularly.
Here are examples of how to log engagements, please ensure you log regular on-campus engagements.
Both On-campus Academic Attending Timetabled sessions and swiping your ID card Studying in the Library Attending online sessions on Collaborate Undertaking laboratory work Visiting the Hub Submitting Assignments Attending meetings with academics on campus Visiting your College Reception Using Blackboard Attending on campus exams Swiping into rooms on campus Undertaking field work off campus Attending meetings with academics online - When is Term Time?
Undergraduates – All Schools
- Engagement Period 1: 18th September 2023 to 16th December 2023
- Engagement Period 2:8th January 2024 to 28th March 2024
- Engagement Period 3: 22nd April 2024 to 8th June 2024
Postgraduate Taught Programmes
Please note engagement period 3 runs until September. Once the teaching elements of your course have been completed in May/June you are still required to be engaging with your studies on the University campus. Any absences during this period must be authorised, including any periods you will be writing up your dissertation from another location.
- Engagement Period 1: 18th September 2023 to 16th December 2023
- Engagement Period 2: 8th January 2024 to 28th March 2024
- Engagement Period 3: 22nd April to 30th September 2024
*Please note January 2023 Masters students are still required to engage with the university in the Teaching Period beginning September 2023 until the end of their course.
Latest term dates can be found on our webpage.
Postgraduate Research Programmes
As a full time research student, you are expected to be engaging with your studies on a full time basis as if you were in full time employment. All holidays, absences and research periods away from the campus and any periods of paid or unpaid work (including voluntary work) must be approved by your supervisor BEFORE they take place.
- What happens if I do not log an Engagement
Stage Zero
If you record your engagement activities regularly, no action will be taken and no communications will be sent to you.Stage 1 – 2 week reminder
If you do not record any face to face engagements and miss all your scheduled teaching events in a 2 week period you will be contacted by email, reminded of the requirement to engage with your studies, and signposted to sources of support.Stage 2 – 4 week reminder
If you do not record any face to face engagements and miss all your scheduled teaching events in a 4 week period, you will be contacted by email and contacted by phone to discuss the reasons for non-attendance and offer appropriate pastoral support where required. You may also be required to attend a Support Meeting with the Student Engagement Team.Stage 3 – 6 Weeks Final Warning
If you do not record any face to face engagements and miss all your scheduled teaching events falling within a 6 week period, you will be contacted by email with a meeting initiation to meet with the Student Engagement Team, the Visa Compliance Team and your College to discuss your non-engagement. The Teams will review your entire student profile including interactions with Blackboard, Panopto, Assessments, Examinations, Personal Tutor Meetings etc. and will be discussed in your meeting.Stage 4 – Notice of Withdrawal
If you do not record any face to face engagements and miss all your scheduled teaching events falling within an 8 week period then you will be referred to your School with a recommendation to withdraw you from the programme.Appeals
If you reach Stage 4 you will have five working days in which to lodge an appeal in line with the University Appeals Process. An appeal should be submitted in writing to the Head of International Student Services that demonstrates why you have not been able to respond to previous communications. If an appeal is not received, or if evidence in support of an appeal is not deemed satisfactory, you will be withdrawn for non-attendance and officially informed of this in writing. You will be reported to the UKVI and your Tier 4 visa will be withdrawn.- Going on holiday/authorised absence
We understand you may need to be away from university during term time. In these cases, you must request your absence prior to the leaving the university. To do this you must contact your College with the dates you request off and the reason for your absence. In some circumstances, you may need to provide evidence for your absence, such as medical documentation if you are absent due to illness. Your College may have specific requirements for absence or a specified absence policy. A decision would be made on whether the length of absence would impact you academically and how you can engage with your course while absent.
If this absence is approved, your School will give you a letter to confirm your absence, and if you are leaving the UK, this will help you on your return to the UK when you pass through immigration control. Once your Short Absence is in place, you will not be required to do any face to face engagements at the University, and should the Home Office request information about you, we are able to confirm that we know where you are, and that this has been approved.
You do not need permission to travel during official vacation periods, but we recommend that you request a 'Confirmation of Study' letter in MAP before you travel to show to UKVI Border Officials. If you are unclear regarding your official term dates, please check the 'When is Term Time' section of this webpage.
Postgraduate Taught Students – please note that your engagement period runs all the way until the 30th September, even though the taught part of your studies may have completed. You are still required to be studying full time writing up your dissertation. This means you must still attend face to face engagements during the summer holidays. You cannot work full time during this period as you are still classed as being in term time.
Postgraduate Research Students - any periods of absence must be authorised by your supervisor and your School BEFORE they take place. Information on requesting leave is available in your Graduate School handbook.
- I want to complete my studies/dissertation from abroad
If you wish to complete your studies from abroad, you must seek permission from your college. If this is approved, they will update your record accordingly. You will need to speak with International Advisors to discuss visa implications of this choice. If you choose not to return to the UK, we would notify the UKVI accordingly. When this has been fully approved, you will no longer need to engage on campus.
- I am on placement, what do I do?
Once your placement has been approved by the Careers & Placements team or your College, you would be expected to complete off campus engagements. This can be done by engaging online on Blackboard, keeping contact with the Careers and Placements Team or keeping in contact with your Placement supervisor or personal tutor.
- I have completed my studies, do I still need to engage
If you have completed your studies with Aston and are still receiving engagement reminders, please contact your College in the first instance. You can also email the Student Engagement Team to update us on your situation. Your College will need to update your study status. Once they have removed you from the monitoring list then you should stop receiving engagement reminders.