Thanks for bringing this up Nick - it's something that needs to be critically addressed (and resisted!), but that seems to have been largely ignored (though I hope there are examples to prove me wrong on this)
I found this article useful as background to what the UKBA expects:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network/blog/2012/jul/16/ukba-student-inspections-university-preparation
regards
Andrew
Dr. Andrew Burridge
Research Associate
International Boundaries Research Unit
Department of Geography
Durham University
Beyond Walls and Cages: Prisons, Borders and Global Crisis:
http://www.ugapress.org/index.php/books/beyond_walls_and_cages
-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for critical and radical geographers [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David C Gibbs
Sent: 07 February 2013 12:23
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: attendance monitoring and the UK border agecny
I think this is fairly common Nick - here the University asks all students to sign in once a week, but doesn't check the detail for each and every seminar/lecture etc. I'm not certain how this plays with overseas students, but can't imagine that it exactly makes you feel very welcome! The University had a UKBA visit last year and I think this system passed their scrutiny, but only just. As far as I know it hasn't been much of an issue amongst staff, though I'd need to get the views of those departments (especially our business school) which have large numbers of non-EU students.
David Gibbs
Professor of Human Geography and Head of Department Department of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences University of Hull Hull
HU6 7RX
Email [log in to unmask]
Tel. 01482 465330 (direct)
Tel. 07734 821968 (Mobile)
Fax 01482 466340 (Geography)
www.hull.ac.uk/geog/staff/Gibbs.htm
-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for critical and radical geographers [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Nick Megoran
Sent: 07 February 2013 12:03
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: attendance monitoring and the UK border agecny
Dear Critters,
My university introduced an attendance monitoring programme last September. My understanding is that this was a response to demands from the UK Border Agency that universities should be able to confirm that non-EU students on student visas are actually participating and attending, and concern that failure to demonstrate this could make it hard to grant visas. For my department this has involved a paper register passed round all lectures and seminars. This information is then collated by administrative staff. The university is currently devising a strategy for the next academic year.
I am emailing because I'd like to know what has been happening elsewhere. How have your universities responded? Have you run registers of all students at all lectures, seminars, etc? If not, what have you done? I for one would find this information useful as our university discusses how to move forwards.
And I am also interested in what resistance and critical reflection there has been. Has there been open debate, boycotts by staff or students, genuine consultation, etc? Has the data been used in other ways, for example passed to tutors for pastoral care to spot students in difficulty?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences here,
Peace - Nick
--
Dr Nick Megoran,
Lecturer in Political Geography,
Co-convenor, Northumbria and Newcastle Universities Martin Luther King Peace Committee, Honorary Chaplain to Newcastle University, School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, 5th Floor, Claremont Tower, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU.
Tel: 0191 222 6450
Personal website: www.megoran.org
Chaplaincy website: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/chaplaincy/
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