On-Course Applications: Suspensions FAQs
The questions and answers below relate to the move of the Suspensions forms into eVision, effective from 5 November 2024.
The Suspension of status (GSO.17), Suspension of status for maternity, extended paternity and adoption leave (GSO.17b) and and Return from suspension of status (GSO.17a) forms moved online from Tuesday 5 November 2024.
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Student experience
Although the system provides the facility for students to attach documents to their application, if they need to share sensitive or confidential information, this should go directly to their college and Department Approver, off-system. This guidance is provided to students within the application form itself. If the student does not provide this to them separately, those involved in supporting/approving the request, should contact the student to obtain this, if required in order to support/approve the application. See guidance on medical evidence and certificates and check with your divisional contact if you have queries about local practice.
If the student wishes to request an extension to their suspension, they should apply for a new suspension with an effective date of the day/term following the end of the current suspension. The online applications for suspension will remain available to the student in Student Self-Service even while they are on suspension, for the purposes of requesting an extension/further suspension.
The Super User will be prompted to close the existing suspension before completing the approval of the new one.
Yes, a PDF showing a walkthrough of the student parts of the suspension application forms, using screenshots, will be available in the GSA SharePoint site along with the PDFs of the other online forms. We will also be providing this for the Milestones forms that moved online in May 24.
Contact details for Graduate Administrators can be found on the Graduate Studies webpage. For information about Department Reviewers, Super Users and System Administrators for On-Course Applications, please contact your divisional graduate studies office.
Guidance for students is available in section 5 of the Guide to Student Self-Service for Students. Note that this is generic guidance and not specific to suspensions as the navigation and functionality of all the OCA forms is very similar.
Applications in progress at the point of switchover to the online form can be completed off-system using the old process. There is no need for the student to resubmit online.
Suspension of Status process
Yes. We have accommodated this requirement by introducing an “Administrator Checkpoint” step. For specialisms where this is needed, the Graduate Administrator will have the opportunity to review the student’s suspension/return application before it proceeds to the supervisor.
When an application is submitted by a student with no supervisor it will go straight to the Super User for a supervisor to be allocated. See this guide for detail of how to allocate a supervisor.
Yes, the college or supervisor will be asked to record conditions for return as part of the online process. The Super User will have the opportunity to tweak the wording of the conditions if required, to ensure it is suitable for inclusion in the email to students.
Return from Suspension of Status process
Yes, the conditions for return that were agreed as part of the suspension application will feed through to the return application and cannot be changed at this stage.
The only exception to this is where the student’s initial application for suspension was made using the old Word form. In these circumstances, the conditions for return will not be available in eVision to pull through to the return application. Instead, as part of the return application using the online form, the college or supervisor will be asked to record the conditions for return that were agreed as part of the paper suspension process.
The student will have access to the application to Return from Suspension of Status from 50 days prior to the planned return date.
If the student wishes to return more than 50 days earlier than the planned end date, you will need to follow the existing process to get the end date amended on the student’s absence record. This will allow the student to access and complete the Return from Suspension of Status application via Student Self-Service.
General (applicable to all On-Course Applications)
Will the Graduate Administrator receive a notification when a Student has started their application?
The Graduate Administrator will receive an email notification when the Student submits their application (this applies to all On-Course Applications), provided they have not opted out of receiving notifications. Contact your divisional Super User if you need to request to switch notifications on/off.
Yes, all reviewers in the process will receive an email when the application is ready for them to review in their “To Action” tab (this applies to all On-Course Applications), provided they have not opted out of receiving notifications. Contact your divisional Super User if you need to request to switch notifications on/off.
No, in line with all On-Course Application outcomes, the Super User sends an email with details of the final outcome to the student, using an editable email template within the system.
Yes, a copy of the outcome email is sent to the Supervisor, College and Department Reviewer (DGS).
Yes, Department Reviewers can be set at student level if required.
