Mitigating Circumstances

Self-certification

Students may self-certificate absence from an examination(s) for a maximum of seven consecutive calendar days in an assessment period, and for a maximum of once per semester. This includes online exams, and other scheduled activities such as performances, it does not include coursework/assignment submissions, or practical placements.

Please refer to the FAQs before submitting your claim.

Students will be able to apply for mitigating circumstances online on ChiView.

Mitigating Circumstances are serious events which impact upon your performance and must be:

Severe
Unexpected
Unpreventable
Relevant
Corroborated

The claim must meet the requirements for independent documentary evidence outlined in the FAQs document.

Mitigating Circumstances FAQs [PDF]

Mitigating circumstances and extensions are often confused as the same thing, when they are two completely separate processes:

Extensions are applied for through the relevant Programme Coordinator
Mitigating circumstances through AQSS

What are migitating circumstances?

Any student who believes that there are circumstances (e.g. ill health or close family bereavement) which have seriously affected their performance in assessment is advised to submit a claim so that those circumstances may be taken into account when the Board of Examiners meet to discuss candidature, particularly in cases of failure or failure to submit.

What mitigating circumstances does is, in any case of failure or failure to submit in a module, a student is usually allowed to take that assessment again, at the next point of assessment, without a capped mark of 40%, as a resit would be. If you have submitted a claim for mitigation and you pass your module, mitigation will not be applied, and the original mark will be accepted. Marks are not normally altered because of a student’s mitigating circumstances. However, the Board’s decision on what to do in certain situations may be influenced by the mitigating evidence considered.

Claims for mitigation are only for the notification of circumstances which have not previously been taken into account by the University (for example: where a disability has been recognised by the University through a SARA, this has already been taken into account), or where it is felt that the effect of your circumstances on your performance has been greater than allowances which have already been made. All claims will be treated in confidence. The contents of the claim will normally be kept confidential to the Chair and Officers of the Board of Examiners.

Please note that claims for mitigation should normally be submitted before the point of assessment and no later than ten working days after the assessment deadline or examination or other assessment event. If this is not possible, claimants should liaise with mitcircs@chi.ac.uk in the Academic and Quality and Standards Service for guidance on the maximum timeframe for submission.

Guidance

Guidance on claims of mitigating circumstances versus intermission

Mitigation is only ever used in relation to assessment; mitigation cannot be used in relation to attendance (or rather absence). If a student has missed a significant number of sessions for good reason, they should be advised to intermit.

We have cases where students have not been in attendance since September and have not been able to submit work for four Semester 1 modules and have been advised to seek mitigation. This leaves the student in the position of attempting to hand in work for eight modules in Semester 2. If the student then fails three or more modules, they are required to move to part-time registration, having financial implications.

Any late application to intermission which is received in Registry with a signature date greatly at odds with the last date of attendance will be treated as intermitting from the date the form was signed and any tuition fee charge applied in accordance with the Tuition Fee Policy.

In exceptional cases where retrospective intermission is being claimed, (usually where a student has been incapacitated due to extreme ill health), this has to be authorised by VCG.

Guidance on claims of mitigating circumstances received after the relevant board of examiners has met

The University’s academic regulations allow for students to appeal the decision of a board of examiners on the basis that:

“… where, for good reason, the academic body was not made aware of a significant factor relating to the assessment of a student when it made its original decision. If the appeal is based on mitigating circumstances, evidence must be produced; if the appeal is based on evidence that the student had been previously unwilling to divulge to the Board of Examiners, the letter should set out the reasons why the student was unwilling to produce such evidence at an earlier stage and provide any appropriate supporting documentary or medical evidence.”

So, claims (appeals) submitted after the board of examiners has met will not be considered unless the student has provided a credible and compelling explanation explaining why he/she did not bring the circumstances to the attention of the board of examiners. Reasons such as not being aware of the procedure and/or deadlines/advised otherwise will not be accepted.

For a claim (appeal) to be accepted a student must produce independent documentary evidence to show that the circumstances:

a) have detrimentally affected their performance/submission/attendance in assessment or will do so

b) were unforeseen

c) were out of their control and could not have been prevented

d) relate directly to the timing of the assessment affected.

Students should be aware that discussing their claim with a member of staff does not constitute a submission of a claim of mitigating circumstances.

Appeals on the basis of mitigation must be submitted to the Director of Quality and Standards who will ascertain whether an appeal panel needs to be convened or whether the Chair of the relevant board of examiners might take Chair’s Action to allow the claim and set a first sit for the assessment/s concerned. All claims will be treated in confidence.

What if I am not satisfied with the outcome?

How to Apply

Please complete the mitigating circumstances claim form online via ChiView, and attach the relevant independent documentary evidence within the form.

Incomplete forms or those unaccompanied by independent documentary evidence will not be accepted, so please ensure that your information is completed in all sections and that you upload your evidence.

If you’re applying early in the semester and your assessment deadline is still some weeks/months away please consider an extension in the first instance. Extensions are often preferable in the long run as outlined above.

You are advised not to rely on a third party e.g. Academic Advisor, Counsellor, GP to forward evidence on to AQSS. See the FAQs for examples of appropriate evidence or contact AQSS for advice.

Contact Us

Rachael Clausen, (Tuesday, Wednesdays & Thursday mornings term-time only):
01243 816074
mitcircs@chi.ac.uk

Alexia Smith, (Mondays, Thursday afternoons & Fridays):
01243 816021
mitcircs@chi.ac.uk

In the unlikely event you are unable to complete an online application, please email mitcircs@chi.ac.uk to request a form.

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