Absence from classes and attendance requirements
At the time of registration, students will have ticked a box on the Student System to indicate an agreement to follow the University of Manchester’s regulations. These regulations require students to attend all scheduled/timetabled classes on their programme of study, including submission of all written work by deadlines specified by Course Unit Directors.
Non-attendance is only acceptable on health or compassionate grounds. In this event, if you miss class, (lecture or seminar/workshop/lab) you must follow the procedure outlined below. There is an expectation that you will catch up on any missed work and be adequately prepared for the next class of that course.
In the event of injury or illness which is likely to lead to absence of a longer period of time, students must contact the Student Support and Wellbeing team ambs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk as soon as possible.
Please refer to the University's Regulation XX for full information about attendance requirements:
The School will monitor student attendance and engagement throughout the academic year. Should attendance/engagement be deemed unsatisfactory or raise concerns, the School will contact the relevant students and give them the opportunity to provide an explanation and also improve their attendance/engagement going forward.
Appropriate support will be provided in the event of welfare concerns or issues.
For those students whose do not have a credible reason for their absence and who show no improvement in attendance, the University has the power to refuse them permission to attend exams with the consequence of being excluded from their programme of study.
Should a students’ examination results be marginal, the Board of Examiners will take into account attendance/engagement records which could impact progression.
Student Route Visa Attendance Responsibilities
All our students on a student visa / tier 4 visa must regularly register their attendance:
- Check-in at in-person taught sessions
- Check-in on campus twice a week
Checking-in is required to maintain your visa – we must show UKVI that you’re attending and engaging with your course. If you don’t check-in, we’ll contact you to see if there’s an issue and you need help. If you continue to miss check-ins, your visa could be at risk.
Taught session check-ins
Use the online forms linked below to check-in at all your in-person taught sessions. Make sure you click the correct week to access the right form.
You can check-in up to 20 minutes before your teaching session starts and 20 minutes after it ends. If your teaching session is cancelled, you do not have to check-in.
| Week | Check-in link |
|---|---|
| 25 September - 1 October | Week 1 check-in |
| 2 October - 8 October | Week 2 check-in |
| 9 October - 15 October | Week 3 check-in |
| 16 October - 22 October | Week 4 check-in |
| 23 October - 29 October | Week 5 check-in |
| 30 October - 5 November | Week 6 check-in |
| 6 November - 12 November | Week 7 check-in |
| 13 November - 19 November | Week 8 check-in |
| 20 November - 26 November | Week 9 check-in |
| 27 November - 3 December | Week 10 check-in |
| 4 December - 10 December | Week 11 check-in |
| 11 December - 17 December | Week 12 check-in |
On campus check-ins
Go to The Hive (second floor) in the AMBS building with your student ID card.
New students do not have to start check-ins until they pick up their student ID card. Returning students should start check-ins from Monday 2 October.
You can drop in any time Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.
You must check-in twice every week during term time and those two check-ins must be on different days.
You cannot send someone else to check-in for you - a Hub staff member will check your ID card photo to verify your identity. If you cannot come to campus (e.g. you’re ill), you should inform us by email: ambs.hub@manchester.ac.uk
Note: For returning students, please note that the My Attendance app in My Manchester is not being used this year.
What to do if you cannot attend one or more Alliance MBS classes
- Please fill in the 2023/24 AMBS UG absence from teaching form AND
- For absences up to seven (7) days: If you are unable to attend any of your classes - seminars, tutorials, workshops, labs or lectures - because of illness or other good reason, you do not need to provide a medical certificate. You are only required to fill in the 2023/24 AMBS UG absence from teaching form at the link above.
- For absences of more than seven (7) days due to illness or other serious circumstances, you must send suitable supporting evidence (e.g. a medical certificate) to the Student Support & Guidance team at ambs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk. When sending in your supporting documents, please put ‘Supporting documents for absence’ with your full name and student ID in the subject box. You are also required to fill in the 2023/24 AMBS UG absence from teaching form at the link above. You should also notify the Course Unit Director or seminar/workshop leader that you will miss teaching.
- For short-term and prolonged illnesses which might affect your attendance and/or your completion of assessment: You should refer to the Mitigating Circumstances section of the handbook which provides information on the certification needed for both short-term and prolonged illnesses which might affect your attendance at classes and/or your completion of assessment - either coursework or examinations.
- Unless the above procedure is followed, no allowances will be made by Boards of Examiners.
- Students who fail to attend for or submit a formal assessment (such as a class test, an examination or piece of assessed coursework) should follow the procedure indicated in the assessment section of this handbook.
Unsatisfactory progress
- Students' attendance at all classes is compulsory and will be monitored across seminars, tutorials, labs and workshops. Spot checks across lectures may also be undertaken each year. Alliance MBS will take action in response to absences - see below.
- If, in either semester, your engagement has been deemed to be unsatisfactory, you will be contacted by a member of the Student Support and Wellbeing Team and asked to provide an explanation (unless you have already completed the 2023/24 AMBS UG absence from teaching form and are in contact with the Student Support and Wellbeing Team). Failure to respond to this request to contact the Student Support and Wellbeing Team is a serious matter, so students must ensure that they check their University email accounts each day during teaching periods.
- If you fail to respond to the request from the Student Support and Wellbeing Team, your Academic Advisor/ Programme Director will contact you to arrange a meeting to discuss your situation and possible ways to improve your attendance/ engagement.
- If you receive a warning letter and fail to comply with the requirements laid down in it, Alliance MBS's Director of Undergraduate Studies will issue a letter of refusal, which will exclude you from formal assessment and thus terminate your degree programme.
- If you are refused permission to take an examination or other form of assessment on the grounds of unsatisfactory attendance you may submit an appeal against that decision within twenty working days of notification of the decision in accordance with the provisions of Regulation XIX (Academic Appeals).
Students on joint programmes
Students on joint programmes are required to follow the attendance regulations operated by their 'home/registering School'. The same applies for students on Alliance MBS programmes taking non-BMAN courses in other Schools, i.e. you are required to follow the procedure as set out above.