Update on Attendance Tracking Emails

Over the past few weeks, a number of students have contacted the Students’ Union after receiving attendance warning emails saying their attendance had fallen below 80%. 

Why attendance matters 

Regular attendance is really important for student success. Attending classes helps you stay on top of your learning, engage with lecturers and peers, and access the right academic and wellbeing support if you need it. That’s why the University monitors attendance not to penalise students, but to check in and make sure everyone is getting the support they need. 

What’s been happening 

After listening to student concerns, the Student Voice Leader for Academic Experience (Precious) raised this issue directly with the University’s Timetabling and Attendance Team and Registry Services. 

The University has now confirmed that: 

• The recent emails were sent to a large number of students following an increase in the minimum attendance requirement to 80%. 

• Some students’ attendance may not have been recorded correctly because of ID card swipe errors or technical issues, such as: 

• Swiping too early or too late, 

• Swiping in the wrong room, 

• Faulty or invalid ID cards, or 

• Card readers not working properly in certain classrooms. 

• The University is already reviewing these errors, fixing faulty readers, and has revised the wording of the attendance letters to make them clearer, more supportive, and focused on offering help. 

What the letters mean 

An initial attendance letter is a supportive measure - it’s not meant to be punitive. It gives the University a chance to reach out to students to check if everything is okay and to offer help where needed. If a student has been attending, that will be noted. If attendance has dropped, the University will have a conversation about what support could help get things back on track. 

What to do if you’ve received an email 

If you have received one of these attendance emails and believe there may be an error: 

Step1: Contact your Faculty Student Advice Centre. 
They can check your attendance data and liaise with the Timetabling and Attendance Office if anything looks wrong. 

Step 2: If you would like independent support or help raising your concern, contact the DSU Advice Team using the “Get in Touch” form: 
👉 https://www.demontfortsu.com/support/advice/getintouch/ 

We’re here to help 

We understand that receiving an attendance email can be worrying, especially if you know you’ve been attending. Please know that this issue has been raised with the University and is actively being reviewed to prevent students from being unfairly impacted. 

If you’re still having problems, please reach out your Students’ Union is here to make sure your voice is heard and that the University takes the right steps to support you.