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1. Governing policy

The ELICOS and Foundation Attendance Procedures gives effect to the ELICOS and Foundation Attendance Policy. These procedures specify:

  • the requirements for achieving satisfactory attendance for the course based on its scheduled contact hours;
  • the method for working out minimum attendance;
  • processes for recording course attendance;
  • the Institution’s intervention strategy to identify, notify and assist students who have been absent for more than five consecutive days without approval, or who are at risk of not meeting attendance requirements before the student’s attendance drops below 80 per cent; and
  • processes for determining the point at which the student has failed to meet satisfactory course attendance.

2. Scope

These procedures apply to all international students on a student visa who are studying an ELICOS program or a Foundation program.

3. Procedures

These procedures set out the processes involved in monitoring and recording student attendance in ELICOS and Foundation programs.

Table 1.

Process Responsibilities Timeframe
Recording attendance
1.1 Academic staff closely monitor student attendance to identify students in difficulty and failing to meet attendance requirements in every class.

1.2 Academic staff record attendance for all of their classes and electronically log attendance records in the student management system within 48 hours of the end of each class.

1.3 Academic staff must notify Student Services of any students who are failing to attend classes.

1.4 Student Services runs an attendance report at the end of each week.

 Academic staff

Student Centre Manager

 Every class

End of each week
Monitoring attendance    
2.1 Students are required to maintain a minimum 80% attendance throughout each study period. For ELICOS students, this equates to 192 scheduled contact hours within each study period (i.e. at least 8 weeks out of 10). For Foundation students, the scheduled contact hours are calculated based on the number of subjects in which the student is enrolled (normally five subjects).

2.2 Students are informed about attendance requirements (as outlined in these procedures and the student visa) during orientation sessions.

2.3 If a student is absent for more than five consecutive days without approval, the academic staff member must notify Student Services. If the student is under 18 years of age, the staff member must notify Student Services within one hour of the class start time.

2.4 For those students identified in 2.3, Student Services contacts the student by email and/or telephone to check on their safety and welfare and to remind them of the minimum 80% attendance requirement.

2.5 The Institution enacts its intervention strategy where a student has been absent as per 2.3, and for those students considered at risk of not meeting attendance requirements, where their overall cumulative attendance is below 85%. Student Services emails a warning letter to these students including:

  1. a reminder to maintain at least 80% class attendance;
  2. an invitation to meet the Student Centre Manager to ascertain reasons for their absence and any support services that might be required;
  3. a warning that they will be reported to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) if their attendance continues to fall as this would be the point at which the Institution determines that the international student had failed to meet satisfactory attendance.

2.6 Students are responsible for acting on intervention strategies to ensure that they continue to meet satisfactory attendance requirements for their course.

2.7 Students who continue to miss classes and fail to meet 80% attendance for that study period are sent a letter notifying them that the Institution intends to report them to DHA for unsatisfactory attendance. The letter advises students of their right to request a review of the decision within 20 working days by lodging a formal complaint.

2.8 The Institution may decide not to cancel enrolment or report an international student to the DHA for breaching the attendance requirements if the student is attending at least 70% of the scheduled course contact hours and they can provide genuine evidence demonstrating that compassionate or compelling circumstances including (but not limited to):

  • serious illness or injury affecting a student’s ability to study;
  • witnessing or being the victim of a serious crime;
  • bereavement of close family members, such as parents or grandparents;
  • major political upheaval or natural disaster in a student’s home country; or
  • traumatic upheaval.

The supporting documentary evidence may include (but not limited to):

  • medical certificate/letter;
  • death certificate;
  • police report; and/or
  • other supporting documentation, including return air tickets to home country, as applicable.

2.9 All correspondence concerning students under 18 years of age is also sent to the student’s parent or guardian.

2.10 Students are required to commence their course when expected. Student Services monitors attendance and reports students to the DHA in accordance with the Non-commencement of Study Procedures.

 Academic staff and Student Centre Manager (or delegate)

 

Student Centre Manager (or delegate)

 

 Within 24 hours (after the three consecutive day period). For under 18 students, within one hour of the class start time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Within two days (after the five consecutive day period)

 

 

 

 

Within 7 working days
Complaints    
3.1 The student may submit a complaint if they disagree with a decision made by the Institution relating to their attendance as per the Complaints and Appeals Procedures. Student Within 20 working days
Reporting and recording    
4.1 Decisions relating to students who have failed to maintain satisfactory attendance are recorded on the student management system.

4.2 A student’s failure to maintain satisfactory attendance is reported to DHA in PRISMS in accordance with the Suspension and Cancellation Procedures.

4.3 Records are retained for at least two years after a person has ceased to be an accepted student.

 Student Centre Manager Paragraph 4.2 – within 10 days

4. Roles and responsibilities

4.1 The Head of English Language and Foundation Programs is responsible ELICOS and Foundation programs and for ensuring academic staff are informed of their responsibilities for recording and monitoring requirements.

4.2 The Student Centre Manager is responsible for analysing attendance records, initiating contact with an absent student, formally corresponding with a student regarding attendance matters and reporting via PRISMS.

4.3 Teaching staff are responsible for recording student attendance and advising and reporting students at risk of non-compliance with the ELICOS and Foundation Attendance Policy.

4.4 Students are responsible for:

  • maintaining minimum attendance requirements; and
  • seeking support services at any time in the student lifecycle.

5. Compliance and monitoring

These procedures are written in accordance with Standard 8 of the National Code 2018.

6. Records management

As detailed in Table 1 above, attendance is recorded in the student management system and any required reporting is performed in PRISMS and records filed and saved for at least two years after a person has ceased to be an accepted student.

Approved by Academic Board on 27 November 2020