Absences: taking time off…
What if my son or daughter cannot go to lectures or attend exams?
But my son or daughter might need to be away from university for a while…
My son or daughter is ill…is this the same process?
What if my son or daughter cannot go to lectures or attend exams?
Occasionally a student might feel unwell, or have a family emergency, which means they have to be away from university for a short time. If your son or daughter is not able to go to lectures, or exams, or do laboratory work, it is important they let their department know as soon as possible so that staff know where they are and can take action to support them if needed. The sorts of help a department can offer include catch-up help with a tutor or advice on where to go for medical help.
Forms, called Special Circumstances forms are available online or from the Student Services Information Desk and should be filled in at times like this, so that your son or daughter isn’t just reported as “absent without authorisation” on attendance lists, but is reported as absent for a reason.
At exam time, filling in a Special Circumstances form is especially important because it means that a poor performance in an examination might be re-evaluated in the light of illness or distressing circumstances which the department have been advised of via the form. However, the Special Circumstances form should be submitted as soon as possible because it will be needed at the departmental Board of Examiners Meeting (sometimes called the Special Circumstances Meeting) (See “Exams, Results, Degrees, Prizes and other Awards” for more on this).
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TIP: Its important that your son or daughter keep their academic department informed promptly if they are ill or aren’t attending where they should be - the department can help. |
But my son or daughter might need to be away from university for a while…
A more serious problem or illness may need a longer period of time away from the course, and if this is the case your son or daughter might need to take a Leave of Absence (LOA). When on LOA a student is usually away from the University for either a semester or a whole academic year and then returns the next year ready to focus their attention on their studies again.
If this is the situation your son or daughter finds themselves in, they should talk to a member of staff in their department as soon as possible. This is to make sure that the department have helped them consider all the options available to them, and any implications that a break of study may have.
If your son or daughter does choose to go on a LOA, it’s up to the Taught Programmes Office to ensure the absence is recorded centrally, so that the correct people know, and so that any fees and refunds can be calculated correctly. However, we can only do this if the right form is filled in by the student. The form, which is available online or from the Student Services Information Desk (SSiD), is called a “Change of Status” form.
Your son or daughter should fill the form in - the department will help with this if need be - and the completed form should be signed by the department and then sent on to us at the Taught Programmes Office (TPO). Once approved in TPO the change is processed on the central computer record system. If your son or daughter is funded by the Student Finance England (SFE) (sometimes known as the Student Loans Company) we will inform the SFE of the dates of the leave of absence. Finally, your son or daughter will then be emailed or sent a copy of the completed form to confirm their student record has been updated.
My son or daughter is ill…is this the same process?
Yes, however, if the leave of absence is due to medical circumstances, a supporting doctor’s note or medical certificate should be attached to the Change of Status form. When the form is processed by TPO the doctor’s note will be sent to the University Health Service (UHS) because when your son or daughter returns to the University after their leave, they are required to see a doctor at UHS, even though they may not be registered as a patient with them, to confirm they are fit to return to their studies. Where medical circumstances are the reason for the LOA, the Change of Status form cannot be processed without a doctor’s note or medical certificate.
| TIP: A student can register with the University Health Service as soon as they start University. |