University teaching at\npostgraduate level is often less \u2018hands on\u2019 than you may be used to from your\nprevious studies. A key outcome of university\u2010level education, and particularly\npostgraduate education, is that of student independence and initiative: we\nexpect our graduates to possess the skills and confidence needed to find things\nout for themselves, rather than requiring significant and ongoing direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the early stages of your\nprogramme we seek to accustom you to becoming proactive in directing your own\nlearning, especially in seminars and tutorial sessions. You will then be\nincreasingly challenged to make practical use of the independence, confidence\nand initiative you have developed. Through participation in discussions, and\noccasionally through giving presentations in tutorials, crits, tutorial\u2010like\nseminars, and studios, your progress as an independent learner will be\ndemonstrated (and in some cases, evaluated). You will also be encouraged to\nengage in extra-curricular seminars and events, many of which will have a\nparticipatory element. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your involvement in all\nsuch activities will play an important role in you taking ownership of your\nlearning and academic development, and in many cases will be central to\nachieving the intended learning outcomes of our courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Attendance\nmonitoring varies across programmes and between undergraduate and postgraduate\nprogrammes. ECA, like other areas in the University, will take\nattendance\/engagement registers at a range of events which may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\nmonitor your engagement with your studies across a range of events and across\nthe duration of your studies. If you do not attend or engage with your studies\nand start to miss these engagement\npoints<\/strong>, we will follow this up with you. \nUsing these engagement points assists ECA in identifying where you may\nbe experiencing difficulties and ensures that timely and appropriate\nintervention can be made to prevent non-attendance becoming a serious matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If\nyou know you are going to miss a seminar\/tutorial\/studio then you must let us\nknow (see below). You should outline the\nreason for not attending.<\/strong> If you have a valid reason<\/strong> for not attending, i.e. something out with your\ncontrol such as illness, emergency care for a dependant etc., then we will mark\nyou as exempt from attending. Please\ncontact us in advance \u2013 if this is not possible then contact us within 5\nworking days of the event. It is important to note that poor time-management is\nnot a valid reason, so the following would\nnot<\/strong> be accepted as valid reasons for being absent: you slept in; you had\ncommitments to other work\/paid employment, etc. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whilst\nwe realise that not every student will have a 100% attendance record, we do expect\nyou to engage with your studies throughout your time in Edinburgh. As outlined\nbelow, we will contact you if your attendance is lower than expected\/required\nfor the programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Who to contact about not attending:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nEscalation Procedure is a formal, recorded structure of communications with a\nstudent who has a demonstrable lack of engagement with their studies, such as\nthough attendance that falls below the agreed level of engagement required by\nthe University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\nwill enter the Escalation Procedure if you meet one of the following criteria:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately,\nthe Escalation Procedure can lead to exclusion for non-attendance<\/strong>. For Tier 4 sponsored students, exclusion\nimmediately results in losing sponsorship by the University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If\nwe notice a pattern of non-engagement with your studies then our first response\nis normally pastoral in nature i.e. to make sure that things are OK. If your\nengagement continues to be poor, or if you fail to respond to communications\nregarding your non-engagement or attendance, then we will escalate as outlined\nbelow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If\nyou reach this Final Stage, you will normally be referred to College (i.e.\nCAHSS) by your School (i.e. ECA). College will then invite you to a formal\nmeeting, with one possible outcome being your exclusion <\/strong>based upon the issue of persistent non-engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Please note that all attendance and\nengagement communications will be sent via email to your University email account<\/strong>. It is your responsibility to check your\nemail regularly and to respond to emails in a timely fashion. Not checking your\nemail will not be considered a valid reason if you have entered the Escalation\nProcedure. This includes situations where you may be studying away from the\nUniversity (e.g. study abroad, ERASMUS, work placements etc.).<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are\nrecorded as having 0% attendance in your teaching activities, and you have no\ncontact with anyone at the University, you will be at risk of expulsion after\n60 days. Your situation will be considered under an Accelerated Escalation\nProcedure, and will immediately progress to the next stage if no response has\nbeen received after 7 days, and no other contact has been made with the\nUniversity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As\na Tier 4 student, the University of Edinburgh is the sponsor of your UK visa.\nThe University has a number of legal duties to manage its sponsorship of your\nvisa. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n As\na student with a Tier 4 visa sponsored by the University of Edinburgh, the terms\nof your visa require you to, (amongst others): <\/p>\n\n\n\n Please\nnote that any email relating to your Tier 4 sponsorship, will be sent to your\nUniversity email address<\/strong> \u2013 it is your\nresponsibility to check this regularly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Please\nfamiliarise yourself with your Visa responsibilities and restrictions by\nreading the following links:<\/p>\n\n\n\n www.ed.ac.uk\/global\/immigration\/while-you-are-here\/rights-responsibilities-and-restrictions<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Students\nwith questions related to their Tier 4 visa should visit the Student\nImmigration Service website at: <\/p>\n\n\n\nAvoid problems\n– Keep in contact with us<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What happens if\nyou don\u2019t engage with your studies?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What Happens If You Don\u2019t Attend Any Classes At\nAll?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
International\nStudents on a Tier 4 visa<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n