Professor Kate O’Riordan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students), sent the following email to all University staff on Friday 20 June:

The University is expecting to undergo an external audit by the Home Office this calendar year, to ensure that we are meeting our UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) obligations under the terms of our license to sponsor international students. We must ensure we have appropriate records of the contact we have with our international PGT students and can provide them during an audit.

Academic staff are asked to support this by ensuring dissertation supervision taking place in May and June is recorded, and where students have met with their academic advisor during the summer months, that this is also recorded. Professional Services staff are asked to support this by ensuring that any lab or other practical sessions have attendance records, and any check-ins with School Offices are recorded.

A mock audit, held in spring 2024, highlighted that our postgraduate taught sponsored students had no record of attendance after April when timetabled teaching ended. For five months of their full-time course, during a period that is still classified as term time for PGT students, the University was not able to evidence any contact with any student. Of course, students were being supported throughout the summer period and were engaging with their studies, but we could not evidence consistent records, or any records at all in many instances. That is why staff are being asked to help by ensuring we can produce these records now.

Although we have held our sponsor license for around 15 years and remain in good standing in terms of our overall compliance, it is important not to take our position for granted. By meeting, and maintaining, the various requirements we can have confidence that we are supporting our diverse community of international students to reach their full potential.

The Attendance, Absence and Engagement Policy now includes defined attendance requirements for the summer months. Operational guidance underpinning the policy has been shared with the Executive Deans and all staff are asked to work together to meet these summer attendance requirements so that we can reduce our risk in this key area.

Kind regards,

Kate

Professor Kate O’Riordan
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students)