Student Attendance Tracking & Exam Eligibility

1. Overview & Business Value#

This comprehensive operational guide details the architecture, business workflows, configuration parameters, and execution steps for Student Attendance Tracking & Exam Eligibility within SmartERP.

Record lecture and laboratory attendance, enforce the MoE 80% attendance rule, and issue automatic exam disqualification alerts.

{screenshot:attendance-tracking-and-leave-management-overview-dashboard}

2. Prerequisites & Security Access Groups#

• Required Modules: smarterp_higher_education, smarterp_student_records
• Security Groups:
  • Admissions Officer (Technical ID: smarterp_higher_ed.group_admissions_user)
  • Registrar / Academic Dean (Technical ID: smarterp_higher_ed.group_registrar_manager)
  • Faculty Member / Instructor (Technical ID: smarterp_higher_ed.group_faculty_user)
• Master Data Dependencies: Faculties, departments, ECTS modular curricula, academic semesters (Ethiopian/Gregorian calendar), tuition fee schedules, and student master files.

3. Step-by-Step Configuration & Execution#

Step 1: Navigating to the Module Interface#

1. Log into your SmartERP instance at https://smarterp.et/odoo.
2. Open the main App Switcher (grid icon in the top-left corner).
3. Select the Higher Education app icon.
4. From the top navigation bar, open Higher Education → Academic Registry → Students / Admissions / Courses / Grading.

{screenshot:attendance-tracking-and-leave-management-app-switcher-navigation}

Step 2: Creating and Parameterizing Records#

1. Click the New button in the top-left control panel.
2. Complete the mandatory fields in the record form:
   • Student ID Number (Mandatory): Unique institutional student registration identifier
   • Full Name & National ID (Mandatory): Legal name matching Ministry of Education (MoE) enrollment records
   • Academic Program & Faculty (Mandatory): Approved undergraduate or postgraduate modular program
   • Semester Term (Mandatory): Active academic term adhering to ETA curriculum guidelines
3. Configure optional operational parameters and localized tags as required:
   • Course Prerequisite Override (Optional): Authorized waiver for advanced module enrollment
   • Tuition Sponsorship (Optional): Cost-sharing agreement or private employer corporate sponsorship
   • Dormitory & Campus Facility (Optional): Assigned residential block and meal plan access
4. Click the Save icon in the control bar to commit the record.

{screenshot:attendance-tracking-and-leave-management-record-creation-form}

Step 3: Validating and Processing Transactions#

• State Transitions: Execute operational state progression (Applied → Admitted → Registered / Enrolled → Active Study → Grades Finalized → Graduated).
• Ledger & System Impact: Semester registration automatically generates student tuition invoices in Accounts Receivable; fee settlement via Telebirr/CBE Birr marks student financially cleared.
• Audit Verification: Automated recording of author ID, timestamp, and immutable revision history.

{screenshot:attendance-tracking-and-leave-management-transaction-processing-state}

The Statutory 80% Attendance Requirement#

Under Ethiopian higher education regulations, students must attend a minimum of 80% of scheduled instructional contact hours to remain eligible to sit for final examinations in any registered course.

$$\text{Attendance Percentage} = \frac{\text{Attended Lecture and Lab Sessions}}{\text{Total Conducted Sessions}} \times 100\%$$

If attendance drops below 80% without approved institutional justification, the system flags the student as Ineligible for Final Exam (NG / I Grade).

Recording Classroom Attendance#

Instructors record attendance using three flexible mechanisms:

1. Faculty Mobile / Tablet App: Instructor opens the active session on their phone and marks students as Present, Late, Excused Absence, or Unexcused Absence.
2. Student Portal Self-Check-in: Instructor displays a time-sensitive, dynamic 6-digit PIN or QR code on the lecture projector; students verify attendance via their mobile portal within 5 minutes.
3. RFID / Biometric Classroom Scanners: Wall-mounted smart card readers at lecture hall entrances log student ID scans directly into SmartERP.

Automated Attendance Warnings & Disqualification#

SmartERP runs daily background integrity checks:

• First Warning (Notice): Triggered when absences reach 10% of total term hours (SMS and portal alert to student and advisor).
• Final Warning (Critical): Triggered when absences reach 15%.
• Automatic Exam Barring: When absences exceed 20% (attendance $< 80\%$):
  • The student's exam permit status for that course locks to Disqualified Due to Attendance.
  • The course instructor and registrar receive automated notification.
  • The student must petition the Academic Council with verified medical records to request reinstatement.

4. Advanced Configuration Points#

• Automated Actions & Scheduled Tasks (Crons):
  • Education: Compute semester GPA and cumulative CGPA (smarterp_higher_ed.ir_cron_cgpa_calc): Runs at the end of each examination period to compute student academic standing
  • Finance: Generate semester tuition fee invoices (smarterp_higher_ed.ir_cron_tuition_invoices): Runs prior to semester registration deadline
• Custom Print Templates & Reports:
  • Official Student Academic Transcript (MoE & ETA Standards)
  • Semester Course Registration & Clearance Slip
  • Student ID Card with Cryptographic QR Verification
  • Examination Results & Faculty Grade Distribution Ledger
• Multi-Company Rules: Record-level security isolation under Company 1 (Ashewa Technology Solutions S.C.), preventing cross-company ledger leakage across parent and subsidiary legal entities.

5. Comprehensive Troubleshooting Matrix#