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Explaining your Mitigating Circumstances: what to do if you are unwell, or have problems that affect your studies.
Problems like illness, personal or family difficulties are known as mitigating circumstances. If you have any mitigating circumstances that you think may affect your studies, it is important that you let your School know about these right away. Your School might be able to take these into account when marking assessed work, or help you arrange extra re-sits, time out, or support to help you cope.
How do I tell my School about my mitigating circumstances.
When should I tell my School about my situation?
What happens when I tell my School about my mitigating circumstances?
What if I don’t tell my School about my mitigating circumstances?
What if I don’t want to discuss my problems with the School?
What if I have problems during an exam?
You must inform your School’s Examinations Officer about any mitigating circumstances. You can find out who the Exams Officer is from your School secretary. Check with your School secretary whether you need to fill in a form, or whether writing a letter or sending an email explaining your circumstances is ok. You should provide evidence of the illness or problems you have had, such as a doctor’s or counselor’s letter, or a supporting statement from a friend or family member.
If you write to your School, you must:
Keep a copy of anything you have written to your School.
You should inform your School of any problems as soon as you can, ideally before you sit any exams or hand in any assignments; if you have missed any classes, or think you might miss any. If you have already sat exams or handed in work you think was affected, you should tell your School as soon after these as you can.
Exam papers and assessed work are marked anonymously, and final marks are agreed by a Board of Examiners. A Special Cases Committee will consider any work which shows evidence of mitigating circumstances. If the Committee decides that your work was affected, they may increase the mark for an individual piece of work, or your overall degree classification. Marks are only usually increased by a very small amount.
If you have failed an exam or assignment, a Special Cases Committee may allow you an extra re-sit, or a first attempt re-sit. See LUU’s guide to re-sits for further information.
If your circumstances are serious and likely to last a long time, you and your School may decide that you should take some time out of your course. The Taught Student Guide explains how to go about taking temporary leave. You should get advice from the Student Advice Centre about the financial implications of taking temporary leave, and from the International Student Office about visa implications if you are an international student.
If you have problems that might affect essays or assignments, telling your School in advance means that they might be able to arrange an extension.
If you do not tell your School about any mitigating circumstances, then they cannot take into account how these might have affected your work.
If you delay telling your School about any problems, it will be more difficult for them to take action to help you. If your marks have been finalized by an Exam Board, you will probably need to lodge a formal appeal in order to have them altered. This will take several months, and will delay your graduation if you are a finalist, and could delay your progress if you are not a finalist. See LUU’s Guide to Appeals for more information about appeals.
If you miss several lectures, keep handing work in late, do not hand work in repeatedly or fail assessments very badly then your School may decide to refer you, or use the Unsatisfactory Student procedure. These are the procedures the University uses when it no longer wishes to be responsible for a student, and could result in you being excluded. If your School thinks that you are too unwell to continue with your studies, they can take steps to exclude you until you are certified medically fit to continue. Information and advice on all of these procedures is available in the Taught Student Guide. If you need help dealing with any of these procedures contact the Student Advice Centre. Formal action can often be avoided if you inform your School about any problems as soon as they occur.
If you don’t feel comfortable approaching your School, the Student Advice Centre can help. The Advice Centre is independent from the University, and we cannot tell anyone about your problems unless you give us your permission. We can help you decide what you want to do, and help you contact your School if you need us to.
The Taught Student Guide explains what to do if you are late for an exam, if you miss an exam, or become ill during an exam.
If you are late or miss an exam, you must explain the reasons, in writing and with supporting evidence, as soon as possible to the Examinations Officer.
If you become ill during an exam you must tell the Invigilator. You may be able to sit the exam in a sick bay, or at another time.
If you think your performance in an exam was affected by mitigating circumstances, you must explain these, in writing and with supporting evidence, to the School’s Exams Officer immediately after the exam. If you do not provide this before the Exam Board meets, it cannot be taken into account when finalizing your marks.
The Student Advice Centre
1st Floor, LUU
Tel: (0113) 380 1300, email advice@luu.leeds.ac.uk
http://www.luuonline.com/help/
Free, independent and confidential information and advice on explaining your mitigating circumstances, and all University rules and procedures as well as student funding advice.
Taught Student Guide http://www.leeds.ac.uk/qmeu/tsg/index.htm. Explains University rules and has links to regulations and procedures.
Information about exams is available on http://www.leeds.ac.uk/students/office/exams.htm.
Student Counselling Service
19 Clarendon Place, Leeds
Tel: (0113) 343 4107, email: stucouns@adm.leeds.ac.uk
Website: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/uscs/
Leeds Student Medical Practice
4 Blenheim Court
Blenheim Walk, Leeds
Tel: (0113) 295 4488
www.leedsstudentmedicalpractice.co.uk
Nightline
Listening and information service; 8pm-8am, term-time.
Listening line: (0113) 380 1381
Information: (0113) 380 1380
International Student Office
18 Blenheim Terrace, Leeds
Tel: (0113) 343 3930, email internationalstudents@leeds.ac.uk
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/international/aboutiso.htm
Please be aware that we are only able to advise current or prospective students of Leeds University.
These pages are for guidance only and are not a substitute for diverse legislation that they cover. The information was checked and correct at the time of writing.
If you have any comments or queries about this page please email advice@luu.leeds.ac.uk.
© LUU Student Advice Centre October 2007
