Have the mitigating circumstances regulations changed? My handbook does not refer to Individual Mitigating Circumstances.
The procedures for notifying your department of a mitigating circumstance have changed in order to make things clearer and to ensure that the same principles and procedures are applied across the University in all departments. From Monday 2nd November 2009 all requests for mitigating circumstances to be taken into consideration will need to follow the new IMC policy.
What are Individual Mitigating Circumstances (IMC)?
IMC’s are defined by the University as “conditions which temporarily prevent a student from undertaking assessment or significantly impair the student’s performance in assessment”. They are focused on the impact that these circumstances have on your assessment not the impact that they have on you personally. Some examples of what is and what isn’t an IMC are given in the University’s ‘What are IMCs’ document <input link for IMC document>.
I’m not sure whether my circumstanceis an IMC?
If you are not sure please contact AWARE, your personal tutor or your Director of Studies for advice. It is important to consider how these circumstances have affected you and your studies as everyone can be affected in different ways.
I have an on-going condition or illness, is this an IMC?
If you have an on-going condition or illness which affects your ability to study and/or undertake certain kinds of assessments, this would not normally be considered as an IMC. On-going or longer-terms conditions should be discussed with the Student Disability Advice team who will advise you and your department. On-going conditions or illnesses would only be considered valid for an IMC claim if they are first diagnosed or first appear during your assessment period or if they become unexpectedly worse during your assessment period.
I think I have a valid reason for an IMC claim, what do I do?
If you feel that there are circumstances affecting your studies then we would recommend submitting anIMC form to your Director of Studies (this form can be downloaded below or collected from AWARE or your Department Office). You can do this at any time leading up to an assessment or up to 3 days after an assessment (this could be an exam or coursework assessment). The form will ask you to write a brief description of your circumstances, AWARE recommends that the least you should include here is a description of what the circumstances are, the time frame in which they have occurred and most importantly the affect that they have had on your studies. AWARE can help you put your description together if you are not sure how much detail to include.
Is there a deadline by which I have to submit an IMC form?
It is better to submit an IMC form before the assessment if you are able to. If this is not possible the form must be submitted no later than 3 days after the assessment. If you have more than one assessment you will need to ensure that you either put all assessments on one form and submit it no later than 3 days after the first assessment, e.g. if you have exams on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday and wish all to be considered your IMC form must reach your Director of Studies no later than Wednesday (3 days after your first assessment), or you can submit individual IMC forms for each of your assessments.
Do I have to provide any evidence?
If you are submitting an IMC form because you are ill then you will need to provide a medical letter or certificate from your doctor. It will also be beneficial if a family member is ill causing you concern that you obtain a letter from their doctor. If your circumstances do not relate to illness it will assist with your application if you can provide some form of evidence. If you are unsure about what evidence is applicable please contact AWARE.
I am worried about confidentiality
The form allows you to limit who will see the information you provide. You do need to remember, however, that in order for a judgement to be made about the effect of the circumstance on your assessment, the contents of your form will be seen by the Director of Studies and others.
What happens to the form once I’ve submitted it?
Your request will be considered by the IMC Panel in your Department or School, which will decide whether your IMC claim is valid. If it is, the IMC will be taken into account by the Board of Examiners for your programme of study. Either way, you will be notified about whether the claim is a valid one.
I think I have a valid IMC claim but would like to talk with someone before filling in the form.
You can talk to AWARE about anything which you feel is having an impact on your studies in confidence. You can contact the AWARE Centre by visiting our office in 1 East Level 3 or you can phone us on 01225 386906 or email Alternatively you may wish to talk with your personal tutor or Director of Studies or make an appointment with the University Counselling Service.
I have individual mitigating circumstances but don't want to complete a form/have missed the 3 day deadline, what can I do?
If you feel that you have mitigating circumstances but don't want to complete a form then we would suggest coming to AWARE to talk through your circumstances and your reasons for not wishing to disclose. You may also wish to consider talking to your personal tutor or Director of Studies.
If you have missed the 3 day deadline we would recommend coming to AWARE to talk about your circumstances and why you have missed the deadline. It is unlikely that your department will accept your individual mitigating circumstances claim unless you have a valid reason for not disclosing within the correct time frame.
I submitted an IMC form and have now received my results, but feel that my mitigating circumstances were not fully taken into account. Is there anything I can do?
You can request an academic review under the grounds that you feel that your mitigating circumstances were not taken into account. If you wish to do this we would strongly advise that you contact the AWARE Centre for advice and support in completing the Academic Review form and writing a supporting statementbefore you send it to the Dean of your Faculty.
Downloads
University’s guide to Individual Mitigating Circumstances
Individual Mitigating Circumstances Form
University Regulations