The ISA held a forum to discuss the newly implemented attendance monitoring for Tier 4 students.
ISA Statement Post Tier 4 Attendance Monitoring Forum
The SU maintains the stance that we unequivocally support our international community and their rights to live, study and thrive whilst being students here at Bath. At a time which presents uncertainty, it is unacceptable and frightening that monitoring of individuals, irrespective of background and contribution, exists in such a way.
We the ISA, after the forum on 24 October with the international community on campus, have overwhelmingly decided that we are against the current Tier 4 attendance monitoring system. The questions being raised by students to the university during and beyond the forum expressed enormous concerns about the implementation and the existence of the current system.
What happens next?
· We ask that the university investigate attendance monitoring methods that other institutions have adopted as a result of the new policy, and consult with students over the options available prior to implementation.
· Working with the SU Community Officer, we intend to submit a paper to CSSU highlighting student feedback and our stance with recommendations of what we would like the University to be doing. CSSU is council/senate/ Students’ Union which is a joint Senate and University Council committee. It discusses emerging issues with student experience and is chaired by the Vice- Chancellor. Papers list recommendations which mandate the University to work on.
How was the forum run?
On the 24 October, we hosted an International Students’ Forum to discuss the issue of the Tier 4 attendance monitoring system. In attendance were Peter Lambert (Pro-vice Chancellor for Learning and Teaching) and Jessica Scott (Head of Immigration).
We wanted to give the university an opportunity to explain the reasoning behind the change and implementation of the system and listen to concerns from our international student community across the university.
Students were able to ask questions to the university representatives in the first part of the forum, which was followed by an opportunity for students to deliberate on the best way forward with this system. We as the ISA Executive Committee prepared 3 outcomes to be discussed, these were:
1. We as International students are in support on the new policy
2. We as International students are against the new policy but have alternatives
3. We as International students are against the new policy and have no alternatives
Those who attended overwhelmingly decided that they were against the current Tier 4 attendance monitoring system.
If you would still like for your voice to be heard on this issue or any of the deliberation outcomes, please email us: suinternational@bath.ac.uk