Attendance Hurdle
Authorised Absence Form: Click Here
This unit has an attendance hurdle associated with the twice-weekly workshops/problem classes, see schedule. There will be 20 workshops in total, two each in weeks 1-5 and two each in weeks 7-11 during which we will take attendance.
You must pass this hurdle, as well as the final exam, to get credit for the unit, and you need credit for all Year 1 units to progress into Year 2. To pass the hurdle, you must attend and be signed in to at least 15 out of these 20 workshops.
We will use a paper register to collect attendance during the workshop. It is your responsibility to make sure your attendance is recorded in every workshop, especially if you arrived late (which still counts, within reason). You should actively seek out a member of staff if you are not sure if your attendance has been recorded.
We expect all students to attend 19 out of 20 workshops. We do not mind if you miss one in total across the entire unit. You will note that the expectation (19 out of 20) is higher than the hurdle (15 out of 20). If you aim for 19 (or 20), then you really should not have to worry about the hurdle, and you will have also done the best you can to prepare yourself for the exam by coming to all classes.
Things that do not count for the hurdle
- Week 6 is reading week, in which there are no lectures or workshops.
- Week 12 is revision week, in which there are no lectures and the workshops are replaced by drop-in sessions. These are not mandatory, do not count for the hurdle, and cannot be used to make up for missed attendance earlier in the term.
- Lectures do not count for the hurdle. We highly recommend that you attend all of them, but we do not enforce this. You cannot use attendance at lectures to make up for missed workshops.
- Check-ins with the Bristol App, whether in lectures or in workshops, do not count for the hurdle. They are a separate system used among other things for monitoring overseas students for compliance with their student visas. Only the paper sign-in sheets in the workshops count as attendance records for the purpose of the attendance hurdle.
If things go wrong - authorised absences
If you need to miss a workshop for good reason (for example: illness, attending a funeral, or a job interview), then you can self-certify your absence for the day by completing this form. Self-certified absences count as +1 for attendance.
If anything goes wrong on the university side, for example a workshop is cancelled due to a fire alarm, then we will give attendance to all students.
If you have a registered disability, or are a parent or registered carer, then you should speak to the senior tutor for your year who can waive the hurdle requirement for you if necessary.
Consequences for hurdle fails
If you miss more than one workshop without self-certifying, your tutor may be informed, and repeated unexcused absences without good reason may be noted on your student record and lead to further consequences. In extreme cases, a student who is not engaging with their course may be required to withdraw from the university.
If you are struggling with the unit or the course for any reason, you must inform your personal tutor as soon as possible. On no account should you think “I’ve fallen behind - so I’ll stop going to the workshops”; that leads to falling further behind and usually to failing the year.