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PGR students: Recording your engagement with your studies

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Attendance and engagement are widely recognised as being essential for academic success, from January 2019 we will capture and monitor your engagement using records of your supervisory meetings.

Attendance and engagement are widely recognised as being essential for academic success. As self-directed research students, meeting regularly with your supervisory team, and attending centrally coordinated activities, provides you with opportunities to receive feedback and guidance on your progress. It also enables you to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully achieve the outcomes of your programme.

The University of Greenwich is keen to support you to maximise your potential. In January 2018, the Student Experience Committee introduced a new Attendance & Engagement Policy to set out our expectations for student attendance, and provide a framework in which attendance and engagement is monitored.  As well as supporting students in their studies, it also allows us to fulfil our duties as a sponsor for students on a Tier 4 visa. 

From January 2019, we will capture and monitor your engagement using records of your supervisory meetings. Your Postgraduate Research Student Logbook already contains a section to record supervisor meetings and from January, you will need to submit this part of your Logbook to your faculty on a monthly basis.  Updating the Log takes only a couple of minutes, and you will be able to submit the completed Log to us online.  

You will need to submit your Logbook for the first time by 31 January 2019. 

The Attendance & Engagement Policy sets a minimum expectation for the recorded engagement of postgraduate research students. This is considered to be monthly contact with your supervisor or faculty/departmental research coordinator or administrator. If we notice that you are not in regular contact with your supervisor, the policy will provide us with the opportunity to address this.

We appreciate that this monthly exercise represents a change in our arrangements with you.  We have prepared some FAQs below to help with questions you may have. For full details of the policy, and for guidance on recording and submitting your engagement on your Postgraduate Research Student Logbook, please see our webpages:

Peter Griffiths
Director of Greenwich Research and Enterprise

Frequently Asked Questions

Why am I being asked to provide details of my engagement with the University?

In 2018 we introduced an Attendance & Engagement Policy, which requires students to engage regularly with their studies.  Evidence shows that regular engagement from students leads to more successful outcomes, and we want to be able to support students who are studying at the University.  In addition, as a registered Tier 4 Sponsor, we have a duty to ensure that students studying with us on a Tier 4 Visa are fully engaging with their studies. 

I am on a taught programme of studies – do I need to submit my Logbook?

No.  The exercise is only for research students.  As a taught student, we are able to monitor your engagement via attendance at classes.  

I am studying on the EdD programme – do I need to submit a Logbook?

Students on the EdD programme are exempt from completing the Postgraduate Research Student Logbook but are required to write summary reports following each supervisory meeting.  These summary reports of supervisory meetings should be submitted each month as evidence of your engagement.

Will a Skype call or a phone call with my supervisor count as a contact point?

We appreciate that it's not always possible to meet with your supervisor face-to-face, particularly if you are undertaking research away from campus for a period.  A remote meeting with your supervisor held over Skype or by phone call will also count as an engagement point and you should record the details on your Postgraduate Research Student Logbook. 

Is this initiative a way to monitor my academic progression?

No – we will use it to ensure that you are engaging with your studies.  Your academic progression will continue to be monitored by the RDA Framework, which will not be affected by your engagement monitoring. 

What if I miss one or more contact points?

If we don't receive a submission for you or if you haven't engaged with your studies over the past month, following the monthly deadline we will write to you to offer support.  You should be aware that if you do not engage with your studies for three consecutive months, or if you show a pattern of poor engagement over a period of time, we reserve the right to withdraw you from your studies although you would contacted by us several times beforehand.

I am not going to be able to engage with my studies for a period of time – what should I do?

If you know that you won't be able to engage with your studies for a while, you may wish to interrupt your studies.  You can find more information about interrupting your studies on our website.  For shorter breaks of up to two months, you can submit apologies to us online, giving a reason for your absence.  Please see guidance  on submitting apologies. 

I am in the exam phase of my research studies.  Do I need to submit my learning log each month?

If you have submitted your thesis and are awaiting your Viva examination, we don't need you to submit your learning log each month.  We will try to avoid including you in our requests; but if you are contacted after submitting your thesis, there is no need to make a submission. 

I have had my examination and need to carry out amendments to/resubmit my thesis.  Do I need to submit my Logbook each month?

If you are undertaking minor amendments to your thesis, we don't need you to submit your Logbook each month.  If you are undertaking major amendments or are required to resubmit your thesis, you will be required to submit your Logbook each month, until your thesis is submitted/resubmitted for approval/re-examination.