This project was funded by the Students as Partners Project Grants program.
Attendance and participation requirements are designed to help students stay engaged and connected to their learning. However, for UTS students who are managing disabilities or fluctuating health conditions, these policies can sometimes act as barriers rather than support systems.
This is the issue our recent Students as Partners (SaP) research project set out to explore. Laura Veasey and myself, supported by staff partner Timothy Boye, investigated how attendance and participation requirements impact students with fluctuating health conditions. In our research, we considered the perspectives of students currently registered with Accessibility to explore how UTS can continue to evolve toward a more inclusive model of academic engagement for those already being supported.
Why this research matters
Students with unpredictable health conditions often navigate unique challenges that don’t fit neatly into traditional attendance models. Missing a class often has less to do with academic motivation, and more to do with circumstances out of their control. However, the consequences can affect marks, wellbeing, and in severe cases, overall degree progression.
UTS currently allows faculties some flexibility in interpreting attendance and participation requirements. While this autonomy supports discipline-specific needs, it has also led to inconsistency. Some students’ needs are met, while others encounter rigid expectations that don’t align with their personal circumstances, alongside red tape preventing them from making the changes required.
Our project set out to better understand this gap by combining data and the lived experiences of students, to identify what equitable attendance and participation could look like in practice on a more holistic level.
What we found
Our findings were both clear and confronting. Of the 53 survey respondents registered with UTS Accessibility:
- 88% struggled to meet attendance requirements due to a fluctuating condition or illness.
- 82% found tutorials and laboratory classes particularly difficult to attend regularly.
- 55% reported adverse mental health outcomes as a result of attendance requirements.
- 50% experienced undue financial strain due to needing to repeat a subject, delayed graduation, loss of income, and/or additional medical costs caused by attendance requirements.
- 45.3% had not received reasonable adjustments, with 20.7% indicating they were unaware these even existed.
These numbers point to a fundamental misalignment between institutional expectations and the lived experience of students with fluctuating conditions. When physical presence becomes the main marker of engagement, students who do not have the capacity to engage in ways other than online contributions, catch-up work, or independent study are often overlooked.
What students told us
The human stories behind the data brought the statistics to life. While several respondents expressed gratitude for empathetic tutors who offered flexibility, it was also noted that such experiences were inconsistent on a university-wide level.
Many students described the anxiety of needing to repeatedly justify absences, even with formal documentation.
I had to apply for special consideration as a result [of my neurological condition] and get a doctors certificate, incurring costs from the certificate and significant stress. (ID14)
Others spoke about feeling excluded from group work or class participation marks when they were physically unable to attend.
Felt some classmates were making me uncomfortable, unsafe – made me isolate from people – affected group project marks, class participation. (ID35)
Another common theme was the emotional weight of having to “prove” their illness or disability repeatedly, often to multiple staff members, just to maintain equitable standing in a subject.
[There should be] the ability to submit a doctors note to UTS Accessibility a singular time instead of giving one to the tutor every time a student needs the day at home or at the doctors. (ID28)
Why this matters for UTS
The findings highlight a crucial truth: current attendance policies, while well-intentioned, can unintentionally reproduce inequities for students with disabilities. When attendance is tied to marks or participation grades, students who cannot always be physically present are disproportionately disadvantaged – even when they are committed, capable, and engaged.
This research reinforces that accessibility must be proactive, not reactive. Flexibility shouldn’t rely on individual goodwill or case-by-case exceptions. Instead, it should be built into the design of policies, assessments, and teaching practices.
Recommendations and next steps
University-wide framework for attendance flexibility
Establish a consistent policy recognising fluctuating and chronic health conditions, allowing alternative participation methods where learning outcomes can still be achieved.
Simplified administrative processes
Create a centralised Accessibility system so that verified documentation can be submitted once and applied across all subjects to reduce repeated paperwork and stress.
Alternative participation and assessment options
Replace attendance marks with equivalent engagement measures such as online discussions, short reflections, or take-home tasks when in-person attendance isn’t possible.
Remote and asynchronous learning access
Provide routine lecture recordings and online materials to maintain learning continuity for students approved for flexibility.
Improved coordination and staff training
Enhance communication between Accessibility Services and staff through early-semester coordination and clear subject outlines, supported by training to ensure consistent understanding and fair application.
Governance and implementation
The AAWG should oversee rollout, pilot testing, and evaluation to ensure lasting impact and transparency.
Overall, when flexibility is embedded into policy and practice, students with fluctuating conditions no longer have to choose between wellbeing and participation – an essential step toward genuine inclusion at UTS.