UoB monitoring expected contact and reporting to the UKBA

PBS monitoring stakeholder group meeting 16th March 2010

Background to PBS requirements & current implementation at UoB

The university has new responsibilities as a Tier 4 sponsor of migrant Students• New format paper visa letters issued March 2009• New record keeping (passport copying) requirements implemented

September 2009• Frameworks for CAS student monitoring agreed 23rd January after

consultation• Visa letters replaced with electronic CAS (Certificate of Acceptance of Study)

from 22nd February 2010• Interim monitoring process started after 22nd Feb 2010 for visa extension CAS

students (managed by Registry and will run to Sept 2010) • New Reporting requirements for CAS sponsored students

– Process for reporting significant changes implemented after 22nd Feb 2010

Purpose of the third stakeholder working group meeting

• Help Schools reach final decisions on their monitoring implementation by: – discussing the support SITS might provide in logging

engagements.– Sharing best practice with other Schools– Discussing some of the CAS sponsoring issues that are

associated with monitoring• For Registry to communicate the next steps in

monitoring framework implementation

UKBA Monitoring Requirements(Extract from Tier 4 sponsor guidance)

Sponsors must notify us where a student has missed 10 expected contacts. For students in schools, Further Education and English language colleges this will normally be where the student has missed 2 weeks of a course. In the Higher Education sector, where daily registers are not kept we will accept this reporting where the student has missed 10 expected interactions (for example, tutorials, submission of coursework etc).

UKBA expected interactions: Examples from UKBA Tier 4 sponsor guidance

Some examples of expected interactions would be:•attendance at any lesson, lecture, tutorial or seminar (as relevant to the level of study); •attendance at any test, examination or assessment board; •submission of assessed or un-assessed coursework; •submission of 'interim' dissertation/coursework/reports; •attendance at any meeting with a supervisor or personal tutor; •attendance at any 'research method' or 'research panel' meetings. or at 'writing up' seminars or 'doctoral workshops'; •attendance at a viva; •registration (matriculation/enrolment); and •attendance at an appointment with a welfare advisor or an international student adviser. •This list is not exhaustive

Suggested School monitoring screen in SITS

SITS screen discussion points

• The process in Schools– Chasing up on red crosses– Students able to redeem a red cross– Flexibility in when automatic emails are sent out

• The process in Registry– Exception reports

Sponsoring issues: re-sits,repeats and extensions

Small group output

• List the key points that your group believes that are covered by a best practice implementation of the guidance frameworks

Sponsoring issues: The 60 day rule

We can sponsor a student while they are repeating as long as we require their continued participation within 60 days of the next academic period (with the exception of university vacations).

When this is not the case we should notify the UKBA and advise the student to leave the UK or, if their CAS is due to expire, we should not assign a CAS for an extension but advise them to leave the UK.

We may at a later date sponsor the student when they apply for a new visa to return to the UK.

Next steps• Schools agree their implementations of monitoring frameworks and

submit to their Faculty Offices* by a date to be decided within the Faculty

• Registry refine the SITS engagement monitoring screen(s)• Registry deliver SITS engagement monitoring training• Registry provides advice to QA officers in Faculties about UKBA

requirements• Faculty Offices* agree each School’s monitoring implementation in good

time for it to be implemented by the start of the 2010/2011 academic year

• School monitoring begins on the School’s first course start date in 2010/2011

* This process is to be agreed with Deans and Faculty Offices

Undergraduate, postgraduate taught and foundation degrees When What Action

End of enrolment

New student no show

Returning student no show

Registry pick up from SITS & report to UKBA

Failure to complete on-line enrolment counts as a missed contact

End of semester 1

Full enrolment plus5 assessments or key engagements

New student: Maximum of 5 contacts missed send “are things OK?” email

Returning student: include last year’s contacts and if:Maximum of 5 contacts missed send “are things OK?” emailMaximum of 7 contacts missed send stronger communicationMaximum of 9 contacts missed student must meet Head of School or authorised delegateNon attendance at meeting and/or 10 contacts missed notify Registry who report to UKBA

End of semester 2

4 assessments or key engagements

Same rules as for returning students in semester 1

Anytime Student withdraws, intermits or is withdrawn by school

Use SITS student maintenance process to notify Registry immediately for report to UKBA

Postgraduate research students monitoring frameworkWhen What Action

End of enrolment

New student no show

Returning student no show

Registry pick up from SITS & report to UKBA

Failure to complete on-line enrolment counts as a missed contact

Suitably spaced intervals throughout the year

At least one progression panel review (PRP) meetingPLUS 8 further contacts, which may be:- any thesis panel meeting-tutorials with supervisor-presentations - an additional PRP-attendance at a student day.

New student: Maximum of 5 contacts missed Research Student Division Administrators will contact both the supervisor and the student to ensure that everything is alright.Maximum of 7 contacts missed will result in a formal letter from the Research Support Team in RegistryMaximum of 9 contacts missed meet with Research Student Division Leader10 contacts missed report to UKBA

Returning students: include last year’s contacts and act as above.

Anytime Student withdraws or is withdrawn by Research Division

Use SITS student maintenance process to notify Registry immediately for report to UKBA

Monitoring framework for students on long placements

When What ActionRegularly at suitably spaced intervals throughout the placement

Full enrolment plus 9 further contacts throughout the academic year.

For UK based placements a minimum of 4 of the 9 further contacts should be either face to face or telephone contact to the student’s place of work.

For overseas placements only 2 of the 9 further contacts need to be either face to face or telephone contact to the student’s place of work.

Maximum of 5 contacts missed send “are things OK?” emailMaximum of 7 contacts missed send stronger communicationMaximum of 9 contacts missed student must meet Head of School or authorised delegateNon attendance at meeting and/or 10 contacts missed notify Registry who report to UKBA

Anytime Employer contacts the UoB to report the absence of a student on a placement.

According to the length of absence count as n missed contacts and take appropriate action from list above

• Students on short placements will be monitored according to the framework for Undergraduate, postgraduate taught and foundation degrees.

• The number of contacts with a student on a long placement that are electronic as opposed to face to face will vary according to whether the placement is in the UK or overseas as shown in the “What” column below

Monitoring framework for students on pre-sessional English Language courses

When What ActionEnd of enrolment

New student no show

Student arrives

Registry pick up from SITS & report to UKBA

Completion of enrolment counts as first contact (picked up automatically by SITS)

Regularly at suitable checkpoints according to the length of the course

Full enrolment plus9 assessments or key engagements (Daily registers will be kept and reviewed weekly for key engagements, which will be defined according to the course)

Maximum of 5 contacts missed send “are things OK?” emailMaximum of 7 contacts missed send stronger communicationMaximum of 9 contacts missed student must meet Head of School or authorised delegateNon attendance at meeting and/or 10 contacts missed notify Registry who report to UKBA

Anytime Student withdraws, intermits or is withdrawn by school

Use SITS student maintenance process to notify Registry immediately for report to UKBA