Attendance and engagement is widely recognised as being essential for successfully achieving your full potential when studying. Attending your lectures, seminars and workshops, having regular supervisory meetings with your supervisory team, or practical training, provides you with opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully achieve the outcomes of your programme.
We are keen to support you to maximise your potential, and by monitoring attendance we can identify patterns and provide support with any issues that may be affecting your ability to attend so that you can stay on track.
Where circumstances are such that you are unable to continue studying, we can provide early intervention support and explore appropriate options with you.
The University has a Student Attendance Policy which aims to:
- improve the engagement and attendance of all students
- ensure a proactive approach to providing support when you need it
- enable you to maximise your full potential, increasing success and achievement
Attendance - what do we ask of you?
You are expected to engage according to the requirement of your programme of study:
- Students on Taught programmes – You are expected to attend all timetabled face-to-face teaching sessions along with seminars, workshops and tutorials.
- Students on Taught Postgraduate programmes at Project/Dissertation Stage – You are expected to have regular meetings with your supervisor, which are evidenced by the completion of an online form every 2 weeks.
- Students on Postgraduate Research programmes – You are expected to maintain regular contact with your supervisory team every month and record this via the PULSE system.
- Students on Degree Apprenticeship programmes – You are expected to attend all timetabled sessions, along with all off-the-job training.
- Students on Distance Learning programmes – You are expected to engage with your studies in line with the expectations of your individual programme of study.
- Students on Work placement – You are expected to maintain regular contact with your placement tutor or Faculty placement team on a 2-week basis.
- Students on Clinical/Professional placement – You are expected to attend all placement sessions agreed with your placement setting in keeping with your programme requirements.
- International Students (on a study visa)- In addition to the above, your attendance and engagement will also be monitored in line with visa sponsorship regulations.
All students are expected to respond to communication regarding your engagement.
Please check your attendance records and your University of Greenwich email account regularly.
How we monitor attendance
We will measure your attendance according to your programme of study – these are called 'Contact Points'.
Type of student | How attendance is recorded | Definition of Missed Point of Contact for students on a visa | Definition of Missed Point of Contact for non-student visa holders |
Taught students | In-person timetabled sessions | An entire week with no recorded attendance | Two weeks with no recorded attendance |
Postgraduate taught students at project/dissertation stage | Supervisory meetings | Two consecutive weeks without recorded engagement | Four consecutive weeks without recorded engagement |
Taught students on work or clinical/professional placement | Contact with the placement tutor or faculty placement team | Two consecutive weeks without contact with the placement tutor/team | Two consecutive weeks without contact with the placement tutor/team |
Postgraduate research (PGR) students | The student writes up of a supervisory meeting with a member of the supervisory team on the PULSE system that is confirmed by a member of the supervisory team. | An entire calendar month without a confirmed supervisory meeting recorded in PULSE with a face-to-face meeting required at least once in a two-month period | An entire calendar month without a confirmed supervisory meeting recorded in PULSE with a face-to-face meeting required at least once in a four-month period |
Flexible degree students | Listed in the programme documentation | Listed in the programme documentation | Listed in the programme documentation |
Students’ Union Officers | Contact with the Head of Information, Advice and Participation (or their nominee) | Two consecutive weeks without contact with the Head of Information, Advice and Participation (or their nominee) | Two consecutive weeks without contact with the Head of Information, Advice and Participation (or their nominee) |
- Students on Degree Apprenticeship programmes – Attendance with university-based study days will be monitored in accordance with Taught programme engagement monitoring. Degree Apprenticeship students are also required to have a minimum of 85% attendance with timetabled sessions. Engagement is also monitored through off-the-job (OTJ) training, which includes teaching of theory, practical training such as shadowing, mentoring, industry visits and participation in competitions along with learning support and time spent writing assessments. Apprentices are expected to record non-timetabled sessions in their OTJ Moodle and these are reviewed at tripartite reviews.
- Students on Distance Learning programmes – Your engagement will be determined and monitored by the programme team based on the structure of your programme.
A missed contact point will normally trigger the attendance escalation process.
Missed contact points
Escalations
The attendance policy is there to identify low levels of attendance and ensure you have access to support. We know receiving an escalation may cause concern, but the Retention and Success team is here to help. There is lots of support available at each escalation stage, so we encourage you to engage in the process and respond to communications in a timely manner.
Persistent non-attendance may result in withdrawal from your studies. We hope to avoid this action and help you get back on track at the earliest opportunity, or consider support options with you, such as interruption, where applicable.
Stage 1
At Stage 1 of the process, you will be notified that your attendance has fallen below the expected level. We will provide information about the support services available to help you improve your attendance as soon as possible. You will also have the opportunity to discuss any ongoing or significant attendance concerns with a member of our team.
Stage 2
If your attendance continues to be affected, you will be asked to contact the Retention and Success Team as a matter of urgency. This is a supportive meeting designed to help you address any challenges you may be experiencing. We will discuss your circumstances in more detail and explore additional ways to support your re-engagement with your studies. Where appropriate, we may also consider alternative options, such as an interruption of studies (an approved period of time away from the University).
Stage 3
If your attendance does not improve and you have not indicated that you wish to interrupt your studies, your case will be referred to an Attendance Scrutiny Panel for review. The Attendance Scrutiny Panel will review your full attendance record to date, engagement with the course and any relevant available evidence to determine whether you should be withdrawn or if the process is halted. A final communication will be sent to you confirming the outcome. Where the process has been halted, you will be given guidance on next steps and what expectations the university has for your ongoing attendance. Please be assured that University staff will be available to support you throughout this process.
A missed contact point will normally trigger the attendance escalation process. More information on this is available in our article: Meet the Retention Team.
Reporting absence
We recognise that occasionally attendance may not be possible due to external factors. If you do need to notify the University of an absence, you should use the appropriate procedure.
For absences of up to 7 calendar days
If you are absent for up to 7 calendar days or less, you should report this absence by submitting a self-certification form - Self-Certification - Absence Request Form 2026/27. Students can submit a Self-Certificate form once per term, therefore we only encourage you to submit this form when you require a full week of absence. A few days of absence will not trigger an escalation.
For absences of more than 7 days
For absences of more than 7 calendar days, students must complete an Authorised Absence Request Form authorised absence form, which you can also find on the student portal under My Learning. Authorised absence forms must be supported by appropriate evidence.
Appeals against a withdrawal decision
You have the right to appeal a decision relating to a withdrawal made on attendance grounds. Your appeal must be submitted within 14 calendar days of the date of the email informing you of the withdrawal.
You will need to set out the reasons why you believe that the withdrawal was not justified with evidence, where applicable
And provide a compelling reason why the information and evidence on which you are basing your appeal, could not have been made available before the decision to withdraw you was reached.
Appeals are processed by the Academic Registry. For full details of how to submit an appeal and the procedure for consideration of your appeal, please refer to Section 7 of the Student Attendance Policy.
For further support, you can contact the GSU Advice Service here.
Support during your studies
Academic Support
If you believe your absence might affect your academic performance, you should read our guidance on Extenuating Circumstances in case you need to make a claim.
You can also contact your Faculty Student Adviser to discuss any impact on your studies.
Wellbeing Support
If you need personal support at any time, the University’s support services include a Wellbeing team, a Counselling service, and Spectrum Life (with Spectrum Life available to students 365 days a year, 24 hours a day).
Interrupting your Studies
In some cases, where attendance may be impacted for a long period of time or circumstances cause ongoing academic impact, you may decide to request to interrupt your studies. Students will normally interrupt from the current academic year (which normally runs from Sept- July), so that you can return the following September to re-start your current academic stage.
Example -If you interrupt your second year of studies, you will return as a second-year student next September. This break from your studies will hopefully help address circumstances and you can return with additional support in place. Please note, interruption will delay graduation.
The Retention Team can guide you through the application process and support your return, but please seek academic advice from your Faculty and any financial advice, where applicable, before applying.
Contacting the Retention and Success Team
Please contact the team if you have any questions or concerns relating to your attendance. You don’t need to have received an escalation email to get in touch.
Please include your Faculty (FEHHS, FES, FLAS, GBS) and your student ID in the subject title.
FEHHS- Faculty of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
FES- Faculty of Engineering and Science
FLAS- Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences
GBS- Greenwich Business School
Appointments
If you would like to speak with a member of the Retention team, please send an email to student-retention@greenwich.ac.uk . We are based at all three campuses – Greenwich, Avery Hill and Medway. We offer both in-person and online meetings.
We look forward to supporting you this academic year.