Section 6 - Sponsored Students

SECTION 6 SPONSORED STUDENTS

Responsibilities and conditions of visa requirements

19. You are expected to prioritise your study during your time in the UK and must engage fully with all aspects of your course as described above.

20.As a sponsored student, you must live within a reasonable daily commuting distance from the university. You should be able to easily travel from your term time address to the university campus regularly and at short notice where required.

Absence and travel

21.You must remain in the UK at your term time address for the full duration of the semester or term including during dissertation and project periods. You must inform the university in a timely way of any changes to your term-time address. You can leave the UK without seeking prior permission from us during official published vacation periods or on weekends.

22. Information about requesting an authorised absence or change to your study location along with the associated forms can be found on the Absence Guidance for Sponsored Student Page.

23.If you leave the UK without permission or without completing an Authorised Absence or Change in Study Location form, you are at risk of having your sponsorship withdrawn.

24.As a student sponsor, the University must notify UKVI when a student is studying in another location, e.g. outside the UK for 10 working days or more.

25.Absences should be kept to a minimum during term time.

26.If you are going to be absent from the university and/or the UK for 3 or more days (excluding weekends and published vacation periods) due to reasons including, but not limited to;

• temporary exceptional personal circumstances
• something related to your course e.g a field trip, data collection

Then you must request an absence from study. You should complete the required form and submit it to hallamhelp@shu.ac.uk as soon as possible. The university will consider if the circumstances you are reporting mean your absence will be authorised and will let you know via email if your absence has been approved.

27.Please refer to the Absence Guidance for Sponsored Students before completing the Notification of Authorised Absence Request form as any absence could break your continuous residence period in the UK and is not grounds for an extension to study. This means that you will not be eligible for a CAS extension if you fail any modules where you have missed teaching during your period of absence.

28. Postgraduate Research (PGR) students should complete a Change in Study Location Request Form if required to undertake data collection, research of field work away from Sheffield that is relevant to their study.

29.Absence may impact your academic progress, and it is your responsibility to complete any outstanding academic work arising from any absences. This includes accessing missed learning materials and contacting academic staff for support as required. If your Course Team advises that you will not be able to pass your course due to teaching missed during your absence your request will not be approved. Frequent and lengthy absences will not be approved and failure to correctly report absence may result in your sponsorship being withdrawn.

30. Frequent and lengthy absences may not be approved and failure to correctly report absence may result in your sponsorship being withdrawn.

31.If you are unable to engage consistently with your studies, or some circumstances impact your ability to engage, you must contact your Student Support Adviser via Hallam Help (hallamhelp@shu.ac.uk or 0114 225 2222) to discuss support options and taking a break from your studies. You should contact the International Student Experience Team to find out what impact taking a break would have on your visa.

32.If you are unable to sit an examination or submit coursework for assessment due to circumstances that have caused you to be absent from scheduled teaching sessions, you must request consideration of your Exceptional Circumstances. 

Monitoring and Recording Engagement

33. To comply with the requirements of its sponsor license, the University will monitor the engagement of student visa holders and must take action when students are not engaging with their studies. Patterns of non-attendance at taught study or non-engagement with other aspects of the course, such as placement, will be monitored. This includes engagement with repeated modules.

34.You must record your attendance at scheduled timetabled sessions on Study Goal. We will monitor your attendance on a fortnightly basis from the second week of your course. For placements, dissertations and major projects, sabbatical, and study abroad, we will check engagement every month. This will start after the first complete month.

35. For students

• on placement; or
• only have their Dissertation or Major Project to complete; or
• are a Sabbatical Offcier; or
• are studying abroad; or
• are a Post Graduate Research student

The University will check engagement every month. This will start after the first complete month.

36.If you are on a Foundation course, the minimum attendance requirement is 85%. This is monitored by recording your attendance on the Study Goal app. If you do not meet the minimum requirements without evidencing exceptional circumstances, you risk having your sponsorship withdrawn and being unable to continue your course.

37.Students who have not attended any campus-based sessions during the preceding two-week period, will be contacted at least fortnightly and instructed to take immediate action to improve their attendance. Students are expected to inform the University of the reasons for non-attendance and the University will inform students when they are risk of being withdrawn.

Assessment

38.You are expected to attempt and submit assessments and attend examinations unless impacted by exceptional circumstances as defined by the Extensions and Exceptional Circumstances Policy. The Assessment Board will identify any concerns.

Dissertation or project

39.You are expected to remain in the UK at your term time address whilst completing your dissertation or project unless you are a postgraduate student, and a period of off-campus research has been approved via the Authorised Absence process.

40.You are expected to engage with monthly in-person supervision meetings with your assigned supervisor and respond to any emails your supervisor sends. Your supervisor will record your attendance at these meetings on Study Goal.

Placement

41.Where your course has a short module placement and engagement requirements are set by professional statutory or regulatory bodies, placement providers will be asked to confirm that you have started attendance as planned and confirm your engagement regularly. They will notify the university if you are not meeting expectations.

42.For work placements, normally a year in length, unless it is a professional placement, your placement provider will be asked to confirm your attendance every month. 

Study Abroad

43.For short periods of study abroad, which are less than 60 days, we will update your record accordingly and report a change in study location to UKVI.

44.For any period of longer than 60 days, we will report a change in study location to UKVI and liaise with your host institution every month to confirm you are engaging in the course.

Sabbatical

45.If you are undertaking the role of Sabbatical Officer, the Student Union will be asked to confirm your attendance and engagement with your role every month.

Postgraduate research students

46.You are expected to meet your research supervisor once a month and record these meetings. The meetings must be in-person unless your supervisor or you are outside the UK on an approved period of off-campus study or during a writing-up period.

Impact of non-engagement for Sponsored Students

47.We will contact you about engagement concerns according to the following criteria: .

• Not attending and recording attendance at enough taught sessions
• Non-submission of assessment / non-attendance at examinations identified at an Assessment Board.
• Failure to attend an in-person meeting with your supervisor.
• Failure to engage with your sabbatical role.
• Failure to engage with your period of study abroad.
• Failure to attend your placement. 

48.If your engagement with your course is unsatisfactory, you risk being withdrawn from your course for non-engagement. If you are withdrawn, we will cease sponsorship and report you to the Home Office who will cancel your visa.

49.We will consider withdrawal for non-engagement in one or more of the following circumstances including, but not limited to;: 

• You fail to inform the university of the reason for you non-engagement. .
• There are repeated concerns about your overall pattern of engagement and compliance requirements are not being met.
• Despite a formal warning, your engagement does not improve to an acceptable level.
• You do not provide an acceptable reason for non-engagement.
• You do not provide independent documentary evidence to support the circumstances you report affecting your attendance. 
• You do not engage within 60 days of the first contact regarding lack of engagement. The only exceptions to this would be if you provide evidence of serious illness or injury.
• If for another reason, this will be communicated to you. 

50.A recommendation of withdrawal will be based on the following:

• Your engagement record for the academic year to date.
• Details of all contact made with you about your engagement with your course and any advice given.
• Evidence from tutors, Student Support Services, and other university staff where this is available and appropriate to obtain.
• Your term time address and whether this is impacting your attendance.

Appealing the outcome

51.You have the right to appeal a decision to withdraw you from your course within the grounds and timescales set out in the University Appeals Policy and Procedure.