You need to attend timetabled sessions regularly and must attend any mandatory sessions for your course. This is a key action for you under the Student Agreement and our policy and procedure on academic engagement. It is also really important so that you can progress your studies and make the most of your time at BU.
However, we know that there are times where circumstances can impact your ability to attend classes or engage with your studies in other ways, such as illness, bereavement or family circumstances. Find out when and how you need to tell us about any absence, what information we need and how we will use this information during your degree.
What to do if you are going to be absent from university
What you need to do if you are going to be absent from university will vary depending on your situation and chosen course of study. Find information for:
Student visa holders
Apprentices
Students on professional registration courses
All other students
What to do if there is an impact on an assessment
If the circumstances causing your absence will impact an assessment or you have an assessment due in the period of your absence, you may be able to request an extension and/or submit a request for exceptional circumstances.
Notifying us of your absence does not automatically lead to any action related to your assessments. You will need to make a separate request for any extension or exceptional circumstances by following our usual processes detailed in our important information webpage.
If you are not sure what you need to do, please ask your Programme Support Officer for help with this.
What to do if you have a health condition or disability which can affect attendance or other engagement
At BU we aim to support all our students and to provide an accessible and supportive environment.
If a disability or condition is affecting your attendance it’s important that you tell us about your circumstances, so that we can manage the engagement review process appropriately and work with you to ensure the right support is in place to support your attendance and wider academic engagement with your studies. We will make reasonable adjustments to our processes to take account of disabilities and long-term conditions where you tell us about them.
We do not necessarily withdraw students only based on low attendance as long as you are engaging with your course in other ways, communicating with us about your situation and making reasonable academic progress. However, we do need to understand your circumstances and have an agreed plan in place to support you.
We may use our Support to Study process to help us work out what support you need to make reasonable academic progress and decide whether or how this can reasonably be provided.
If a health condition (including a recurring condition) or disability may affect your ability to meet assessment deadlines or take part in particular course activities, again it is really important that you let us know. We can help you take the right steps to manage the situation. You may need request an extension for any assessment coming up on your course and/or submit a request for exceptional circumstances. Please ask your Programme Support Officer if you need further information.
If you had specific learning support or adjustments in place at school or college, or if you receive a new diagnosis with recommendations for specific support in managing your learning, please contact our Additional Learning Support team as soon as possible so that they can help get support in place.
