SEAtS Attend

Different programmes carry different attendance obligations. Module groups let you apply separate thresholds, monitoring schedules, and alert templates to distinct sets of sessions — all within the same platform instance.

• Create a module group in Attend → Config → Module Groups → New Group
• Assign course codes, session types, or programmes to the group — each course belongs to one group only
• Set an independent threshold for the group; it calculates and alerts separately from the global threshold
• Module group compliance rates appear on the Attend dashboard alongside the institution-wide rate
• Alert templates for module groups can be customised separately — useful for clinical programmes requiring more formal language

eAttend is SEAtS's browser-based digital register for rooms without card readers, off-campus settings, fieldwork, or clinical placements. It requires no additional hardware and works on any device with a browser. Records flow into the same database as card swipe and QR check-ins.

• Open eAttend from the Lecturer Portal or SEAtS app and select the current session
• Students check in by tapping their name on the lecturer's screen, or scanning a displayed QR code
• The register auto-saves every 30 seconds and syncs when connectivity is restored after offline use
• Students not marked before the lecturer closes the register are automatically recorded as absent
• Lecturers can add a session note to the eAttend record, visible to administrators reviewing later

Consecutive absence monitoring catches run-of-absences patterns and generates a distinct flag — one that can trigger welfare-focused outreach even when the overall percentage hasn't yet crossed a policy threshold. This is particularly valuable for first-year students and those with known mental health disclosures.

• Configure consecutive rules in Attend → Config → Consecutive Rules → New Rule
• Set the trigger — number of consecutive missed sessions (typically 2, 3, or 4)
• The counter resets to zero when the student next attends any session
• Consecutive flags appear in the timeline as a distinct event type, filterable independently from percentage alerts
• Configure separate workflow actions for consecutive flags — e.g. a welfare check email rather than the formal policy email

Attendance thresholds are the operational engine of SEAtS Attend's monitoring. Each threshold defines a percentage point at which a named policy stage is triggered, along with the automated actions — emails, case creation, escalation — that follow.

• Configure in Attend → Config → Thresholds; a common three-stage model: Stage 1 below 80%, Stage 2 below 70%, Stage 3 below 60%
• Each stage can trigger independent actions: email template, automatic case creation, tutor notification, or workflow sequence
• Stage changes are recorded in the student's activity timeline with the date and stage name
• Thresholds can be suspended institution-wide (campus closure, semester break) from Attend → Config → Suspend Monitoring
• Use the threshold impact preview before saving — see how many students would change stage under the proposed rule

Physical card readers are the most reliable check-in method for high-volume sessions. Installation decisions have a direct and lasting impact on data quality — a poorly positioned reader generates systematic missed swipes that accumulate into material inaccuracy across an estate.

• Mount readers at 90–120cm height beside the primary entrance — avoid door frames prone to glancing contact failures
• PoE (Power over Ethernet) is the preferred standard; wireless models require stable 5GHz Wi-Fi with sub-50ms latency
• Register each device in Admin → Devices → Add Device before deployment — unregistered readers record nothing
• Run a test-swipe plan at go-live: 10 taps per reader, verify records appear within 60 seconds
• Label every reader's admin record with room number, building, floor, and installation date

SEAtS Attend's accuracy depends entirely on the quality and timeliness of the timetable feed. Feed health monitoring is a daily responsibility — not a set-and-forget task.

• Supported formats: SITS, Scientia Syllabus+, and generic flat-file CSV
• Standard delivery: SFTP, files arriving by 23:00, processed 00:00–03:00 overnight
• Room changes must flow through the timetable feed — manual room changes in SEAtS are overwritten by the next sync
• Monitor feed health in Admin → Integrations → Timetable; failed imports show in red with a categorised error reason
• Configure an alert recipient in Admin → Integrations → Notifications to receive email when any feed fails to arrive on schedule

Student, module, and enrolment data enters SEAtS via SFTP in a defined folder structure. Understanding this is critical for diagnosing import failures and ensuring new students appear before their first session.

• Standard folders: /students, /modules, /enrolments, /timetable — files must follow the SEAtS data specification naming convention exactly
• Rejected records are written to /errors with a reason code — common causes: missing student IDs, unrecognised course codes, date format mismatches
• Retain source files in /archive for 90 days minimum — SEAtS support will need them if a re-import is required
• Co-ordinate delivery timing with your project manager; processing windows are typically 02:00–05:00 local time
• New student records appear in SEAtS within four hours of the file being processed

Placement years, year-abroad programmes, part-time students, and session types that shouldn't count toward a percentage all require custom rule configuration. Getting these right avoids the most common source of student complaints: incorrect alerts for circumstances your policy explicitly excuses.

• Exclude session types from monitoring in Attend → Config → Session Types — set "Monitored" to No for optional sessions
• Placement students should be moved to a "Suspended Monitoring" cohort for their placement period; monitoring re-activates automatically on their scheduled return
• Part-time monitoring uses a configurable pro-rata calculation — set in Admin → Custom Rules → Part-Time Students
• Year-abroad students can be linked to external attendance data via the SEAtS external attendance API
• All custom rules are date-versioned — changes take effect from the configured date only and never retroactively alter historical records