Transcript Mitigation and Extenuating Circumstances Presentation for
LEEDS BECKETT UNIVERSITY
Mitigation and Extenuating Circumstances
Quality Assurance Services
Aims of session
• Overview • Process • Membership of University mitigation panel • Remit of University mitigation panel • Case study exercise • Questions
Overview
Issues that prevent students from fully engaging with their course, submitting pieces of work, sitting exams, poor performance • Submission of extenuating circumstances form • Mitigation at the point of assessment (extension) • Mitigation considered by a panel
Purpose of a mitigation panel
mitigation panels at scheme/ faculty level
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level) Purpose: • Consider extenuating circumstances • Make recommendations to the relevant Board of Examiners i.e. accepted / rejected
Process
• At cognate subject area / partner level • As a minimum one per semester • Prior to Examination Committee • Feedback to students post panel meeting via a letter • Decisions recorded on template for recommendation to the Board of Examiners
Agenda of mitigation panel
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Membership and Attendance Consideration and determination of requests for late submissions Reporting of requests for mitigation at the point of assessment Consideration of individual requests for extenuating circumstances Arrangements for notification to Chairs of Boards of Examiners Arrangements for the retention of appropriate documentation AOB Date of next meeting
Membership of mitigation panel
• A Chair (senior member of academic staff) • One experienced member of academic or senior support staff external to the faculty/ school in which provision is located • A minimum of two members of academic staff internal to the faculty/ school in which provision is located • A secretary (student administration) *
All staff involved should be trained
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Outcomes of a Mitigation panel
Mitigation panels will consider the extenuating circumstances and will report to the relevant Board of Examiners: • Advise as to whether circumstances should be accepted/ rejected • Categorise the seriousness; A, B, C • Identify the assessments which were affected • Note any spent extensions to avoid double counting
Categories of mitigation
A - Very serious - a range of options open to the Board of Examiners B - Sufficient to warrant deferral C - Not sufficiently serious to warrant deferral
Disclosure
• The precise nature of the extenuating circumstances will NOT be disclosed to the Board of Examiners • All discussion will remain confidential to the membership of the panel, except where a student late submits an appeal against a decision of a Board of Examiners
Documentation
• Independent supporting documentary evidence may include: - A medical certificate - A letter from a medical professional treating a family member - A letter from an employer - A letter from a transport company e.g. bus/ rail - A statement from an academic member of staff (at the request of the student) - A statement from a counsellor
Third party submission
There is provision for a third party to submit on behalf of the student where it is not possible for the student to submit – normally due to a serious medical condition.
Statement by staff
There is provision for staff to present statements but these must be at the behest of the student and not the member of staff.
These must be in writing and detailed information must be provided.
Case study scenarios
Resources
• • Academic Principles and Regulations: C15 Guidance on mitigation and extenuating circumstances • Registration of Extenuating Circumstances for Extension or Mitigation form • Franchise mitigation outcome letter • Outcomes of a mitigation panel template