Student Attendance Policy - updated for the 2023/24 academic year
The Policy sets out how the monitoring of student attendance is a supportive measure designed to enhance student welfare, engagement and success, and has been updated for the 2023/24 academic year.
Why do we monitor attendance?
Regular attendance at teaching and learning activities is recognised as being linked to successful student retention, progression, achievement and employability. Conversely, poor attendance can help identify cases where students may be experiencing difficulties – academically and/or personally – and might need particular support.
A unified and consistent approach
The Student Attendance Project was set up as part of the Student Data Systems Programme, to establish a unified and consistent approach for collecting and reporting on both UK and international student attendance data in line with our Student Attendance Policy and to ensure we meet our academic, legal and contractual requirements in respect to student attendance monitoring.
New tools were developed and rolled out to support attendance and absence monitoring and reporting, with new ways of working being adopted across the majority of the University's taught programmes during 2022/23.
Following consultation with academic areas and central student administration, the Student Attendance Policy was reviewed. The updated policy, approved by Senate in summer 2023, sets out how academic areas are now expected to use attendance data to support students whose attendance level is below expectations.
Monitoring attendance and absence
Attendance monitoring functionality is integrated into the University’s central timetable system, and attendance data can be collected for any scheduled timetabled session. The process for collecting attendance data is very simple; a member of staff generates and shares a unique code with students, which students then use to register their attendance via their laptop/mobile device.
The University's absence system similarly provides a consistent and simple way for students to request absence from their studies outside scheduled vacation periods.
Guidance for monitoring attendance
Student guidance
The following guidance sets out the steps that student need to follow in order to register their attendance at timetabled activities using the unique 6-digit code provided for a specific timetabled activity.
Videos
- How to register your attendance using the browser version of your timetable
- How to register your attendance using the timetable mobile app
Step-by-step guides (PDFs for download and print)
Staff guidance
The following guidance sets out the steps that staff need to follow in order to generate a unique 6-digit code for each timetabled activity (on-campus and synchronous online).
Videos
- How to generate an attendance code in the browser version of your timetable
- How to generate an attendance code in the timetable mobile app
- Using the additional attendance features
- Medicine: How to generate a code on behalf of or in place of the activity lead
- How to generate an attendance code if you're not the activity lead
Step-by-step guides (PDFs for download and print)
- Staff - Academic checklist (attendance)
- Staff - Code generation app (attendance)
- Staff - Code generation browser (attendance)
- Staff - Generating a code - not activity lead (attendance)
- Staff - Non-modular attendance code generation (attendance)
- Staff - Using the roster (attendance)
- Staff - Using the roster - not an activity lead (attendance)
Guidance for managing absence
Student guidance
Students can access the absence system via the student intranet / browser and the MyLiverpool mobile app.
- Students can self-certify certain requests up to 7 days
- Approval required for absences greater than 7 days
- Easy to submit required documentation
- Students will have easily accessible record of their approved absences
The following guidance sets out the steps that students should follow to let us know if they are unable to attend the University.
Videos
- How submit an absence request in the browser version of the absence system
- How to edit and or cancel an absence request in the browser version of the absence system
- How to submit an absence request via the My Liverpool app
- How to edit or cancel an absence request via the My Liverpool mobile app
Step-by-step guides (PDFs for download and print)
Staff guidance
Nominated staff access to the absence administration system is via staff intranet. The following guidance sets out how staff should manage absence requests from students.
Staff video
Step-by-step guides (PDFs for download and print)
Student Attendance and Absence (SAA) Operations Group
This Operations Group oversees the delivery of the Student Attendance Policy, and provides governance, oversight, advice, and support in relation to the ongoing management and development of attendance and absence functionality, processes and reports. Please contact the relevant representative from your faculty / area f operation should you have any questions about monitoring attendance and managing absence.
Operations Group members
- Chair: Phil Leonard (Head of Student Administration)
- Faculty HLS: Jack Shepherd, Jenny Young, Kat Lawlor
- Faculty HSS: Gemma Paul, Jon Barlow, Liam McCormack
- Faculty S&E: Jayne Donoghue, Judith Birtall
Further advice and information
- Please raise any queries you have via this staff teams site, which is managed by colleagues taksed with attendance monitoring.
- Technical issues should be raised via IT Service Desk.
Through the CRM Project, we want to be able to use the University’s new customer relationship management (CRM) platform to help us deliver our attendance monitoring communications, building on benefits already delivered through the Student Attendance Project. More information on when this new functionality will become available will be issued during 2023/24.
Back to: Student Life (previously Student Administration and Support)