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Illness and other Mitigating Circumstances

Contributors: Quality Office

If your ability attend classes, study, or take assessments has been affected by mitigating circumstances:
1. Notify your department straight away (e.g. your personal tutor, your department/school office)
2. Supply substantiating evidence by the required deadline.
The evidence must be clear about how and when your performance was affected by your circumstances.

Mitigating circumstances are significant matters that have had an adverse affect on your ability to attend a class/classes, study, or take assessments. They are usually beyond your control and may be of an academic, personal, medical (physical or mental health) or other nature.

Examples of mitigating circumstances include but are not limited to:

  • personal illness (see 'Illness Reporting Procedures' table below)
  • illness/death of a close family member (e.g. mother, father, sister, brother)
  • signficant personal/psychological problems
  • severe family problems.

Tell your department at your earliest opportunity if you have mitigating circumstances. This is important even if you cannot provide substantiating evidence straight away. If you are aware in advance that you will need to miss a class (for example, you have a scheduled hospital appointment) tell your department as soon as you know.

Your student handbook contains details about your department's absence and mitigating circumstances procedures.

Substantiating evidence

In addition to informing your department of the mitigating circumstances, you must also supply substantiating evidence.  This must explain what the circumstances are, exactly how they affected you (i.e. the impact on your studies) and when.

Examples of evidence include:

  • medical certificate, including self-certification form (see 'Notification of ill health' below)
  • death certificate
  • GP letter/hospital letter
  • counsellor's letter.

Ask your department what kind of evidence it requires from you about your particular mitigating circumstances.

Deadlines for submission of evidence

You need to provide substantiating evidence to your department before the expiry of any deadlines it has for the submission of evidence of special circumstances. If you are unsure of the deadline by which any mitigating circumstances information should be submitted, contact your personal tutor or department/school office.

Appeals against academic decisions may be disallowed if the appeal is based on mitigating circumstances that should have been communicated to the department/school earlier.

Illness reporting procedures

The information below describes the University's standard procedure for reporting illness occuring in term time (in teaching or exam periods). Consult your student handbook for any departmental variations.

  • Illness in the teaching period (i.e. term time but not in an exam period)
Type/duration of illness What to do
Minor illness or illness lasting less than seven days If you suffer a minor illness for a period of less than seven days you must report this to your department(s) if either of the following apply:
  1. the illness leads to absence from classes at which your attendance is compulsory;
  2. the illness might contribute to a failure to meet a course deadline(s) or for you to perform up to expectations in any academic assignment. 
You must self-certify your illness using a standard form available from departmental offices and must report the illness as soon as you are fit to do so. 
Non-minor illness or illness lasting more than seven days If you are suffering from an illness that has lasted more than seven days or is of a non-minor nature, you should:
  1. seek medical advice;
  2. tell your department (e.g. personal tutor), if you have not done so already;
  3. submit an appropriate medical certificate to your department.
  • Illness in an exam period
    		•
    Duration of illness What to do
    Illness of any length
    • Seek medical help straight away for any ill health experienced during, or near to, the examination periods.
    • Tell your department (e.g. personal tutor) that your exams are/have been affected by mitigating circumstances
    • Submit medical evidence to your department before the expiry of relevant deadlines to support any absence from an examination.
    This applies whether you missed an examination in its entirety or left an examination early because of ill health.

    I have submitted a mitigating circumstances claim. What happens next?

    Your department/board of examiners will consider your case on its merits according to the information and evidence you have provided. It will make a decision according to the extent the circumstances you have alerted them to might reasonably have affected your performance or justified a failure to meet a deadline(s).

    Presentation of medical or other special circumstances does not guarantee that academic concessions will be granted.

    Help with mitigating circumstances

    As well as ensuring that the Board of Examiners is aware of your circumstances, your department/personal tutor may be able help you in dealing with your mitigating circumstances. For instance:

    • if your circumstances mean you might need time away from study your personal tutor/department will be able to advise you whether temporary withdrawal is a possibility and discuss arrangements for returning to your course;
    • if you have or suspect you have a learning difficulty (e.g. dyslexia) your personal tutor/department can refer you to the AccessAbility Centre;
    • if you are experiencing financial difficulties your personal tutor/department can direct you to Student Welfare Services.

    Your primary contact for support in your department is your personal tutor. But if for some reason you don't feel comfortable discussing your particular mitigating circumstances with your personal tutor don't worry. Approach another member of staff in your department instead.

    Remember:
    * It is your responsibilitity to inform your department of any matters (mitigating circumstances) that may be relevant to your academic performance and to supply substantiating evidence by the relevant deadline.
    * Presentation of medical or other special circumstances does not guarantee that academic concessions will be granted.