Heriot-Watt Uni Mitigating Circumstances: Notification & Application | Study notes Acting

Mitigating Circumstances Policy

Approved by the University Committee for Learning and Teaching, 9 May 2018; updated March 2021

Approved by the Senate, 6 June 2018

Purpose:

This document outlines University’s Mitigating Circumstances Policy and should

be read in conjunction with the following documents:

 Submission of Coursework Policy

 Temporary Suspension of Studies Policy

It is essential that students who have submitted a mitigating circumstances

application are notified at every stage of the process (see Appendix 3 for a

visual aid of the stages and notification timeline).a

The underlying operating principle of this policy is that the University will always

endeavour to act in the best interests of the student through establishing a

consistent and connected process from application through to mitigation.

Scope:

The policy applies to students studying on all Heriot-Watt University taught

programmes of study across all forms of assessment (including examinations).

Policy

Statement:

There are certain circumstances which, through no fault of the student, mean

that they have not been able to perform to their potential. The University

defines these instances as ‘mitigating circumstances’ and this policy outlines

how students can request that their studies be considered for mitigating

circumstances to be applied.

Heriot-Watt University has a clear and transparent set of acceptable

circumstances which will normally be recognised as grounds for consideration.

This also encompasses circumstances which affect groups of students (see

Appendix 1).

The confidential nature of information provided by students in support of an

application for consideration of mitigating circumstances will be respected by

Heriot-Watt University in compliance with General Data Protection Regulations

(GDPR). Confidential information will only be shared with the relevant

individuals within the University on a ‘need to know’ basis, all of whom are

required to keep applications securely to avoid unauthorised access or other

breaches of information security.

This policy has been redesigned to offer students the opportunity to apply for

mitigating circumstances and receive the following courses of action within ten

working days from the point of submission:

 Accepted for referral to the Mitigating Circumstances Committee for the

mitigation decision to be made;

 Not Accepted/Rejected (with reasons provided); or,

 Referred to the Mitigating Circumstances Committee for decision

whether to accept or reject the mitigating circumstances.

Students are advised to submit for a whole semester and are not required to

submit for every individual piece of assessment. Instead of submitting multiple

mitigating circumstances applications, students should summarise their entire

mitigating circumstances at the end of the semester.

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Approved by the University Committee for Learning and Teaching, 9 May 2018 ; updated March 2021

Purpose: This document outlines University’s Mitigating Circumstances Policy and should be read in conjunction with the following documents:  Submission of Coursework Policy  Temporary Suspension of Studies Policy It is essential that students who have submitted a mitigating circumstances application are notified at every stage of the process (see Appendix 3 for a visual aid of the stages and notification timeline).a The underlying operating principle of this policy is that the University will always endeavour to act in the best interests of the student through establishing a consistent and connected process from application through to mitigation. Scope: The policy applies to students studying on all Heriot-Watt University taught programmes of study across all forms of assessment (including examinations). Policy Statement: There are certain circumstances which, through no fault of the student, mean that they have not been able to perform to their potential. The University defines these instances as ‘mitigating circumstances’ and this policy outlines how students can request that their studies be considered for mitigating circumstances to be applied. Heriot-Watt University has a clear and transparent set of acceptable circumstances which will normally be recognised as grounds for consideration. This also encompasses circumstances which affect groups of students (see Appendix 1). The confidential nature of information provided by students in support of an application for consideration of mitigating circumstances will be respected by Heriot-Watt University in compliance with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Confidential information will only be shared with the relevant individuals within the University on a ‘need to know’ basis, all of whom are required to keep applications securely to avoid unauthorised access or other breaches of information security. This policy has been redesigned to offer students the opportunity to apply for mitigating circumstances and receive the following courses of action within ten working days from the point of submission:  Accepted for referral to the Mitigating Circumstances Committee for the mitigation decision to be made;  Not Accepted/Rejected (with reasons provided); or,  Referred to the Mitigating Circumstances Committee for decision whether to accept or reject the mitigating circumstances. Students are advised to submit for a whole semester and are not required to submit for every individual piece of assessment. Instead of submitting multiple mitigating circumstances applications, students should summarise their entire mitigating circumstances at the end of the semester.

Approved by the University Committee for Learning and Teaching, 9 May 2018 ; updated March 2021

Students applying for mitigating circumstances should, where possible, do so as soon as possible. However, the University will accept retrospective applications until the deadline date for submissions, for all assessed work (e.g. coursework and examinations) with appropriate supporting evidence. The dates for the three semesters will be agreed prior to each academic year and published and displayed on University website, by the Registry and Academic Support Directorate. The Student has the option to request that their mitigating circumstances application applies to any, or all, of the courses to which they are enrolled on for that semester only. In exceptional and extreme circumstances, the Chair of the Mitigating Circumstances Committee may consult with the Director of Learning and Teaching (or their nominee) to determine the mitigation for a student prior to a Mitigating Circumstances Committee. In such cases, Chair’s Actions must be recorded and reported to the appropriate Exam Board. However, this would be rare and non-normal event. Any case which has not already been agreed within the Mitigating Circumstances Student Guide should be referred to the Mitigating Circumstances Committee. The Mitigating Circumstances Committee will determine the agreed course of action. The Student Guide should be updated accordingly for future similar cases. The approval process for considering whether mitigation ought to be applied is as follows:  Stage One – within ten working days from receipt of a mitigating circumstances application, the Mitigating Circumstances Administrator, will review the application and ensure that the evidence submitted is complete and determine the course of action (as above).  Stage Two – the Mitigating Circumstances Committee: o will review all applications that have been accepted for referral to the Mitigating Circumstances Committee and determine the mitigation decision to be made; o consider all applications that have been referred to the Mitigating Circumstances Committee for a decision and either:  determine the mitigation decision to be made, where the mitigating circumstances are accepted; or,  provide a reason(s) as to why the mitigating circumstances have not been accepted (i.e. rejected). Students will be advised of the outcome of Stage Two, following the applicable Exam Board.  Exam Board (if required). The Exam Board must: o Consider the recommendation from the relevant Mitigating Circumstances Committee. Students will be advised of the outcome of the Exam Board.

Approved by the University Committee for Learning and Teaching, 9 May 2018 ; updated March 2021

Appendix 1: Acceptable Examples of Mitigating Circumstances The following table outlines circumstances which would normally be recognised as grounds for considering whether or not mitigating circumstances are applicable: Acceptable Circumstances Not Acceptable Circumstances

Significant illness or accident affecting the student
Bereavement - death of a close relative or significant other
Significant adverse personal or family circumstances (e.g. students with caring responsibilities).
Other significant exceptional factors that are outside the student’s control (e.g. Jury Service, although student assessments would normally be a reason for a student to be permitted to stand down), or for which there is evidence of stress caused
Circumstances affecting the University’s ability to schedule, set or deliver courses and/or assessments, including marking of assessments, e.g. staff participation in industrial action, or problems affecting infrastructure or IT systems
Severe adverse weather, political unrest or natural disaster  Holidays or other events that were planned or could reasonably have been expected  Assessments that are scheduled close together or on the same day, or that clash due to incorrect registration by the student  Misreading the timetable for examinations or otherwise misunderstanding the requirements for assessment  Inadequate planning or time management  Last-minute or careless travel arrangements  Consequences of paid employment for full-time students  Exam stress or panic attacks not supported by medical evidence Supporting Evidence: Students are required to submit supporting evidence which accompanies every mitigating circumstances. Every piece of evidence must stipulate the period of time by which this applies from and, where possible, until. Examples of what constitute acceptable supporting evidence include:  a medical letter/certificate;  a letter from a relevant qualified practitioner (e.g. Counsellor);  official documentation (e.g. Death Certificate) outlining the death of a relative or significant other;  Jury Service Letter;  evidence outlining severe adverse weather, political unrest or natural disaster;  a doctor’s letter confirming that they have the responsibility of caring for a close friend, relative or neighbour and any perceived impact on the student. See the Supporting Student Carers Policy for exhaustive list of acceptable supporting evidence. Approved Absences: Although not usually approved as a matter of course, there are also situations in which students can apply for an approved absence such as religious and cultural observance (for further guidance refer to the University’s Religious and Cultural Observance Statement: http://www.hw.ac.uk/policy/students/religious- and-cultural-observance.pdf), representing the University at a national event, or participating in some other significant/prestigious event.

Approved by the University Committee for Learning and Teaching, 9 May 2018 ; updated March 2021

Mitigating Circumstances Affecting Groups of Students: In other cases, such as adverse weather, significant computer software/hardware issues, political unrest, or industrial action, which could be common to a group of students, there is a requirement for active management by the Head of School, working together with the Senior Management Team. In such cases, the responsibility for initiating action lies with the Head of School, who does so within the stipulations of Regulation 31: Authority of Heads of Schools and Examiners in Exceptional Circumstances (http://www.hw.ac.uk/ordinances/regulations.pdf).  Heads of School proposing to take action under Regulation 31 should contact the Deputy Principal (Learning and Teaching) in the first instance.  The circumstances should be evaluated, taking into consideration factors such as the number of students affected, the extent of the disruption, the delay until the next scheduled exam etc.  A decision will then be taken either to reschedule an examination/assessment or to take another form of action, as appropriate.  Examinations or assessments which are cancelled on one site/campus, due for example to adverse weather, should not normally be cancelled on other sites which are unaffected by the mitigating circumstances. When an examination or assessment is cancelled in one location but continues elsewhere, a new paper or assessment should be prepared for the affected location.  If action is taken by the Head of School in accordance with Regulation 31, affected students are not required to submit an application form and supporting documentation for consideration of mitigating circumstances. However, such students should contact their personal tutor as soon as practicable to provide information on their situation.  Note: adverse circumstances related to completed examination scripts should not be dealt with through this policy. The University’s policy on the Management of Examination Scripts (on and off campus) applies if a completed examination script goes missing or is damaged and becomes illegible (for further information refer to: http://www.hw.ac.uk/registry/resources/policymanagementscripts.pdf).

Approved by the University Committee for Learning and Teaching, 9 May 2018 ; updated March 2021

Chair’s Action will allow for timely and straightforward decisions to be made only for students where:  it is clear that difficult circumstances have affected their wellbeing and ability to perform to their potential;  the relevant Mitigating Circumstances Committee has well-established practice with respect to how to mitigate the circumstances reported by the student. In such cases, Chair’s Actions must be be recorded and reported to the appropriate Mitigating Circumstances Committee and Exam Board. However, this would be rare and non-normal event. Any case which was not on agreed Mitigating Circumstances Student Guide, should be referred to the Mitigating Circumstances Committee to determine the agreed course of action. The Mitigating Circumstances Student Guide should be updated accordingly for future similar cases.

Approved by the University Committee for Learning and Teaching, 9 May 2018 ; updated March 2021

Appendix 3: Flowchart and Notification Timeline Student submits a completed MC application with relevant supporting evidence (via the online MC workflow form) Within 10 days the MC Administrator will ensure the form and evidence submitted is complete and determines which course of action to take Accept and refer to MC Committee for determination of what mitigation to take. Not Accepted/ Rejected (reasons provided) Refer to MC Committee for decision whether to accept or reject the MC submission Students will be advised of the outcome. Exam Board considers the recommendation from the MC Committee when full student profile is available to consider overall impact. Student considers submitting a mitigating circumstance (MC) application Students should talk to their personal tutor/course coordinators and also consider online support to ensure that this is the best option available for them. Stage One Stage Two Students will be advised of the outcome. MC Committee will determine, where the MC has been accepted, the mitigation to recommend to the Exam Board

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