Town Hall Meeting Actions 11 September 2024

Updates since April’s Town Hall

Changes to Academic Engagement and Attendance Policy – explained in GS Director Briefing in July and communication to PGRs on a Student Route visa  

Supervisions for full-time PGRs should be in-person and on-campus.

Supervision meeting notes should be stored on PGR Manager (the agreed platform).

Student Route PGRs should complete a short form to confirm details are correct at each supervision.

Final request for interest in a new cohort of the PGR Wellbeing support group

People news

New GS Director – Clare Warren.

PGR Organisers appointed:

• Agni Banerjee (Community Organiser)
• Issam Fawaz (International Support Adviser)
• Efrat Marcu (Housing Adviser)
• Jurgi Giraud and Gandhar Joshi (Training Moderators)

Welcome to Andrew Wilson as OU Student Association Deputy President.

Questions sent in advance from STEM

How has interpretation of UKVI sponsorship guidance changed?

Lindsay briefly explained the advice that Graduate School received from our legal team.

• Law firm considered student feedback and UKVI’s requirements of sponsors and drew on experience of UKVI audits. 
• The University may have additional considerations when forming policy to ensure that students can successfully complete their course. 
• UKVI guidance recognises the fact that education providers are best placed to determine what academic engagement is required from students to successfully complete the relevant course of study.
• However, if the student does not need to be based in the UK to carry out their research, then UKVI may question the need for sponsorship.). 
• The University updated its Academic Engagement and Attendance policy to shift emphasis to in-person engagement points rather than required attendance.  
• UKVI audits showed this was good practice to prove that PGRs had not been out of the country longer than their visa allowed.
• Now there is greater responsibility in Faculties to know that PGRs are engaging with studies. Supervision meetings on campus will demonstrate this.
• GS has tried to balance flexibility for PGRS on Student Route visas and recognise that on-campus is a welcoming environment.  The OU has to be mindful of its duty as a sponsor.

There are new expectations around monitored academic engagement. The University now requires a minimum of 12 in-person monitored academic engagement points per year for UKVI purposes including :

• Supervision meetings (always in-person with at least one supervisor unless very exceptional circumstances)
• Example: Training events and skills audit where these are required by the supervisor
• Example: Summer conference
• Example: Viva voce exam
• Example: Faculty events – all-in days

The notes from these engagement points evidence in-person engagement.

How is the Graduate School mitigating the impact of the transition from pre-covid to post-covid working arrangements and research culture on the PGRs that started between 2021 and 2023?

Student queried the text in the briefing for Student Route visa holders which said:  'These changes were made in recognition of the changing research environment and in response to feedback from our community of international students'. Re. questions around attendance – if the Home Office required it, what changed?  The student feels that Graduate School doesn’t understand the impact it has had on this student’s life journey over a 3 year period.  Has legislation changed or is it just GS’s interpretation?

Answer – The OU follows UKRI – we tag our policies to their expectations.  We follow their guidance and expectations for funded students to mitigate and adapt their studies.  We offered additional funding twice, with expectations that it was mitigation as you go along – i.e. living alongside the significant changes we all had.

ACTION Graduate School will confirm when regulations changed from 5 days to 2 days per week. UPDATE: Emily can't find a briefing where we asked PGRs to come back 5 days a week, but several where the 2 days a week were mentioned, e.g., Graduate School Director's Briefing November 2021 (mailerlite.com).

Academic engagement and attendance policy – Sara says this was a rule for ALL students.  It’s not a legal requirement.  It was to make sure that that there was no distinction between Home and Student Route students.

Considering being on campus, engagement and community – we didn’t envisage so many people not coming back to campus after lockdown.  Following PGR feedback, we took legal advice and revised the Academic and Engagement policy.  We still recommend 2 days per week or more on campus, but it’s not mandatory.  We are only required to monitor attendance for student route students.

Why did University gather copies of passport and boarding pass prior to August? What’s changed?

It has always been the case that PGRS are required to do passport checks and show boarding passes: 1) for student safety, 2) UKVI – if you don’t return on date stated, UKVI will query it in their audit.  We were last audited in 2019.  UKVI said that the process was excellent.  We didn’t have the same international student numbers as larger institutions.  It changed from passport to boarding pass, as it has a date on it.

This is just used as evidence for UKVI that you’re back in the country.  It was changed to boarding pass to make it easier.  If you use the e-gate, it won’t show the date.  In future this won’t be necessary, it will be the responsibility of supervisors to ensure that students are back in the country.  Apologies if there is confusion for international students around documentation.

Helen Clews (University's new Senior Immigration Manager) says immigration rules keep changing and it is complicated.  Staff are as frustrated as students are with the constant changes.  We work with UKCISA and other universities to get this right – interpreting complex changes.  We hear your frustration and we do our very, very best.

International students have received emails telling us to get an E-visa which is confusing

There is confusion about how rules are communicated e E-visas.

PGRS feel they weren’t getting clear information from Graduate School.  PGRS may have paid visa fees they didn’t need to pay.  Clearer communication is needed please.

Lindsay said this has been noted.  We are looking at our communications and really apologise for any confusion.

Sue clarified that E Visa information went to all international students.  PGR may not have known that he needed an EV.  This might need an explanation from Sue.  Apologies if not clear.  PGRS weren’t sure what kind of visa they had. 

ACTION Sue, can take individuals’ concerns outside of this meeting.

Emily said we will be reflecting on this in relation to how the information went out, to ensure understanding etc., unfortunately we sometimes need to communicate things quickly and communications could be improved.

Questions sent in advance from WELS

What is the Immigration rule/law on the number of days one can travel out of the UK for field work?

Fieldwork – is it The OU’s interpretation of the rules or is it UKVI?  It affects the student’s budget having to return to the UK.  Also planning and accommodation etc – as well as mental pressure.

Sue confirmed that the rule is 60 days.  You can go and come back, but can’t be out of the country for longer than 60 days in one go, or 180 days in total in a year.  There are exceptional circumstances where students can go for fieldwork for longer periods on a case-by-case basis.  So, it is 60 days with a possible extension.  If UKVI permit longer than 60 days, you are not allowed longer at the end of the PhD if you need an extension to complete.

Lindsay says it’s important for PGRS to check.  UKVI don’t have to give us a reason as to why they make their decisions.

PGR – The problem is budget – where is the money coming from?  Sue says, we would have to contact UKVI and make a case.  Fieldwork doesn’t count as exceptional circumstances. 

ACTION Sue will try to get a list of exceptional circumstances to circulate.

Is there a maximum period they can be away?  It will depend upon the circumstances.  UKVI would want this evidenced and need a good reason why.

If a student applies for a visa extension and student has had more than 60 days, their visa won’t be approved.  PGRS have to think about the Graduate Route as well.  Sue tries to explain the process on a one-to-one basis with students, as it can be complicated.

Action: Graduate School to provide as much information as we can.  The UKCISA website is also an excellent source of information.

“In terms of per capita number of the population with a PhD, Palestine is one of the highest.  Education is highly valued. But schools and universities have been destroyed by Israeli bombs. Now Palestine has the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world. What is the Graduate School doing to show solidarity and provide support to our PGR and academic colleagues in Palestine? Can we, as PGRs, with the Graduate School and Open University mobilise to create stipends for students/graduates from Palestine, or the diaspora?”

The OU granted University of Sanctuary status so will continue to host 12 Sanctuary students.

The Open University has joined the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA) network and will also have another CARA academic at risk position in STEM (potentially from Palestine).

The Open University has supported 5 CARA fellows in the past

https://www.cara.ngo/news/gaza-crisis-2  - Council for At Risk Academics

Action Emily: There is more information which Emily can send to Babs.

Babs hopes she isn’t the only PGR concerned about the situation in Palestine.

Lindsay advised that Arlene Hunter makes a decision as to The Open University’s position on this type of issue and we do follow that guidance.  Lindsay thanked Babs for raising the question.

Questions sent in advance from FASS

A FASS student raised problems with the rollout of their second OUCU account.  They said that after several days where they couldn’t get into their ‘new’ student account and many calls to the IT helpline, it turned out that their account had not been migrated.

It seems as though their account hasn’t migrated.  This is of great concern to the PGR.  It’s very challenging, especially for a part-time student who doesn’t have as much time to spend on admin.

Are there any updates on how the roll-out is going?

Ellie – this is an IT project (i.e., it is project managed in the IT department).  We are in touch on a regular basis.  Ellie has a meeting with IT on Friday to discuss how many students are affected and the service level they provide.  Further details are available here Research Student OUCU transition project.

Action Ellie - will be able to provide an update after that meeting. 

Action PGRS - Please do let Graduate School know of your issues so that we can follow these up.

Please note that there is an IT guide on the GSN (IT for PGR Students.docx (live.com))

IT also offers ‘Out of Hours’ cover as follows:

Helpline number is +44 (0) 1908 541166 and the helpline will be open at the following times:

Monday - Friday: 8am to 8pm

Saturday: 9am - 4pm

Sunday: 10am - 3pm

Ellie is working with the student who is having the issue.

We encourage students to reach out re. issues.  We are working with the wider University to review IT issues for PGRS.

We advise this PGR to reach out to us and their supervisor if this is impacting on their studies.  Thank you for raising this issue.

Jake – we are working with the University Secretary etc. to compile a problem statement re. issues and letting down of the systems etc. – please do keep feeding back to Ellie trying to resolve as a systemic issue as well as individual PGRS.

Campus 2030 – presentation by Jake Yeo

Question: What is the impact of this for PGRS and are PGRS involved in the process?

Feedback: Potentially this would make The OU look like every other University, but would offer good opportunities for teaching.

Action: PGRS - Please do feed into the Postgraduate Research Experience Actions pulse survey https://forms.office.com/e/iSqhZ6bzqV

• Are these the right actions?
• Are we moving it in the right direction?

​Action Emily and PGRS – Emily will put in Team and Digest for feedback please.