Dear Valery Kisilevsky!

We are some of the international students of LSBF, registered for MSc International Business, writing to you to convey our frustration and total demoralization as a result of the actions recently being undertaken by the compliance department.

As you may know, being international students, we have invested a lot of efforts and money for applying to this program and obtaining our Master degree, we left our home countries and came from all around the world seeking to get our Master degree from a recognized university. We have been working hard during the last two terms to achieve successful results and we almost reached the final stage of dissertation where we can finally obtain our Master degree.

It is not easy for us to see our aspiration for getting finally what we have been working hard for is being jeopardized and threatened by sudden administrative disciplinary actions that are regarded from our side as not only being extreme but also frustrating and unfair.

First we want to clear that we are not arguing against applying the rules or accepting disciplinary actions when applicable. We do understand the whole responsibility and requirements of UKBA. But we are arguing against the extreme and aggressive application of the punishment system regarding attendance.

Some students have been invited to attend disciplinary meetings where they were asked to respond to questions regarding a spot check that has occurred 2-3 months ago. Students have responded to the interview questions and gave their justification of why they have missed that particular spot check.

Some of the students were not at the class at the time of the spot checks for many justifiable reasons (explained and evidenced during the meeting) but attended the class before and after the spot check (supported evidences and testimonies have been presented as well), but what was really chocking is the following:

· The aggressive and the extreme offended attitude towards students during some of these disciplinary interviews.

· Why such disciplinary interviews and punishment procedures are taking place 2-3 month after the spot check, where it makes it hard for students to re-call the incident and collect enough evidences.

· Total disregard of valid evidences that some students were in the university premises during the spot check and even attended/were inside the class either before or after the spot check. (Please note that the class duration was continuously from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM).

· Students received not a disciplinary warning but a punishment of expel which was based on only one time of missing a spot check disregarding the fact that the student might have been found attending the classes in all other previous spot checks during the year.

· We are surprised of how missing only one spot check is leading to an extreme punishment of expel and questioning where is the sequence of the degradation of punishment such as first or second warning as being followed in other academic institutions. Why factors like the overall attendance during the year is not taken into consideration?

· We appreciate if you can guide us as where the spot check procedure and its missing consequences also its punishment through expel is specified and noted in the students module handbook. Why it became announced only after the second semester still without mentioning the consequences (Expulsion).

· In the disciplinary interviews we were asked why we did not use the swiping in and swiping out as an evidence of our attendance, disregarding the fact that this attendance system is not applicable in the university, which shows a complete lack of communications.

· In the interview discussion it seemed that there was a huge disconnection and miss -communication between departments such as compliance, P.G. Admin to Lincoln University and the students.

· The fact that the university is facing issues in the area of the international student’s attendance matter should not mean that committed and innocent students should suffer extreme procedures and get expelled.

We have lost a lot of energy and positivity during the last two or three weeks being subjected to interviews and investigation and being asked to collect evidences and testimonies to support missing one attendance spot check 2 or 3 months ago, also being expelled and considering going through the appealing process.

Appreciate your urgent action and immediate intervention to support and resolve this matter considering your obligation and commitments towards your international students and towards your mission as an academic highly reputable university.

Thank you!

Group of MSc International Business, Intake 2