What are Mitigating Circumstances?
Mitigating Circumstances are any circumstances which are affecting your academic performance. Some examples could be that:
- You are ill at the time of revising/sitting your exams
- You have experienced some family problems e.g. a death in the family, separation of parents, illness of a family member.
- You have had some personal relationship issues e.g. you have just come out of a relationship, you are having problems with housemates/friends.
The above is simply to give you a guide as to what a mitigating circumstance is, if you are not sure whether your circumstances would count please contact AWARE for advice.
Please note: Closure of A36 will not be considered as mitigating circumstances
The closure of the A36 at Limpley Stoke is currently causing severe delays to all main road routes to the University. Students travelling to the University by car or bus, especially if travelling from outside of Bath, should ensure that they allow extra time for their journeys. Late or non-attendance at examinations due to traffic delays will not be considered as a valid reason or as mitigating circumstances by Boards of Examiners.
I think I have Mitigating Circumstances, what do I do?
If you feel that there are circumstances currently affecting or which could affect your studies then we would recommend submitting a mitigating circumstances form to your department (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).
Do I have to provide any evidence?
If you are requesting mitigating circumstances 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 try to 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.
Will it remain confidential?
On the mitigating circumstances form we would recommend that you clarify to whom you would be happy for your circumstances to be disclosed, or if there is anyone you wish not to be informed e.g. a particular tutor, departmental administrator, Director of Studies etc. Departments are sensitive as to the nature of mitigating circumstances and will keep them as confidential as possible, however, there is a necessity to share information so that the circumstances can be taken into account.
If you are worried about this then please talk to your department as they will be able to give you more information about to whom your circumstances will be disclosed. Alternatively talk to AWARE about any concerns you may have regarding confidentiality.
There is an option on the form which allows you to ask that the Board of Examiners for Programmes are not to be informed of the nature of your circumstances. The Board of Examiners for Units will consider your mitigating circumstances and can then make recommendations accordingly to the Board of Examiners for Programmes without disclosing the nature of your circumstances should you wish.
How will disclosing mitigating circumstances help me?
Knowing about circumstances which are affecting your studies will help your department to support you through your studies and will help the Boards of Examiners to assess your overall performance fairly (by taking into account your circumstances) when making decisions about your academic progress or degree classification.
I think I have mitigating circumstances 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 come to the AWARE Centre or you can phone us on 01225 386906 or email aware@bath.ac.uk Alternatively you may wish to talk with your personal tutor about any concerns you may be having or make an appointment with the University Counselling Service.
I have 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 mitigating circumstances unless you have a reason for not disclosing within the correct time frame.
I have submitted mitigating circumstances 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 writing a letter requesting an academic review to the Dean of your Faculty.
Downloads
Mitigating Circumstances Form