A big step in student engagement and wellbeing
18 Mar 2021
Pilot of new attendance system starts in April
We’re pleased to announce that we are piloting the University’s new online attendance system on a small number of programmes from 12 April.
This system is a positive development in supporting our students’ wellbeing. By making it easier to record and view attendance, we’ll be able to better identify where students may need support. The system should also make recording and reporting attendance more effective and efficient.
When do we start using it?
From 12 April, a small number of programmes will run a five-week pilot of the ‘Student Attendance’ system. Thank you to the teams taking part – if your programme is part of the pilot, your local team will be in touch.
The pilot will allow us to test the system in real-world situations, work out best practice, identify any issues and get feedback from staff and students. This will help us make improvements where needed.
Provided the pilot goes well, we hope to roll out the system to more programmes across the summer in preparation for the 2021/22 academic year.
How does the system work?
Students ‘check in’ at the start of timetabled activities, and staff can see and edit these check-ins in real time. Students can see their own attendance history, and staff can see attendance reports for their courses and their academic advisees.
Both staff and students access the system through My Manchester using a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer.
The new system will not change any attendance requirements or policies – it’s just a tool to more easily collect and view attendance information.
Find out more on the engagement monitoring StaffNet site.
What about our students?
Next week our student communications team will let all taught students know about the pilot, via My Manchester news and in their regular email newsletters.
Students enrolled on the pilot programmes will also receive further information and support from their programme teams.
If you receive enquiries from students, you can direct them to further information in the Guide to My Manchester.
Questions and feedback
Our FAQ about the system should answer most of your initial questions. If you still can’t find the information you need, you can email the project team at studentexperienceprogramme@manchester.ac.uk.
Myself and the project team are looking forward to working with you all and eventually seeing the system in action across the University.