International students must now download the SafeZone app and enable GPS/location services to record their attendance
On January 8, in an email sent by the University, international students holding a visa sponsorship were told that they are required to provide information on their attendance at classes starting from the 13 January 2025. To do this, they are required to ‘check in’ at classes at least once per week using the SafeZone app.
Students are invited to download the app, log in using their student email address, enable GPS/location services and allow notifications on their devices. It is noted that students must enable GPS/location services for the SafeZone app.
Students must be physically present within the classroom and must check-in during their scheduled class time. This check-in will work as a self-recorded attendance.
There is a requirement to check in at a minimum of one class per week during teaching time, although they encourage checking in at every class.
The University reminds that attendance is recorded for visa sponsorship purposes. They will contact students who do not register their attendance to establish the reasons behind their absence in class. Further, they note that a failure to register attendance might result in the withdrawal of visa sponsorship.
The Glasgow Guardian has previously reported on attendance tracking requirements for international students. At the beginning of the academic year, students had to record attendance through a barcode displayed by University staff during class. The barcode was linked to attendance records in the University’s Moodle system. The University stated that this was aimed at all students, and not just international students. The new attendance report system is seemingly only mandatory for international students.
A University spokesperson said: “Our attendance monitoring system is a supportive measure that applies to all students, helping us identify where additional assistance might be needed. While we have specific obligations regarding international student engagement as part of UK visa requirements, these have been standard practice across all UK universities since 2008. Compliance with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) regulations is essential for international sponsored students to retain their visas.
“We have streamlined our procedures to make registering attendance for international sponsored students as easy and as accessible as possible, via the SafeZone app or the UofG Helpdesk engagement form. From 13 January 2025, international students will be required to ‘check in’ to classes at least once per week using the app. Full guidance and information for students can be found at: www.gla.ac.uk/attendance
“The wellbeing of our students remains our highest priority, and we encourage any student with concerns about attendance or any other aspect of their studies to reach out to their School or College office, where staff are ready to provide guidance and support.”
