This page is still being updated for the academic year 25/26. Students will be informed when the Handbook update is complete.
Mitigating Circumstances
What are Mitigating Circumstances?
Students must draw the Department’s attention to any circumstances which they feel may have affected their academic performance. Examples are: if you are ill; serious illness of a close friend or relative that results in a significant impact on your studies; death of a close friend or relative; extreme family situations leading to stress; extreme financial circumstances leading to stress; any other factor that has a serious and significant impact on your academic performance.
Formally these are known as Mitigating Circumstances and details of them must be submitted to Tabula so that they can be considered by the department. Possible actions resulting from the submission of Mitigating Circumstance include some assignment scores being waived or examinations being taken as Further First Attempts.
Students with reasonable adjustments that permit flexibility with deadlines must request an extension via a mitigating circumstances submission with at least one working day's notice, deadlines will not be extended automatically. Students must submit a case per extension request, ahead of the deadline and upload their adjustment document as evidence.
These will be considered on a case-by-case basis but note that
- one late submission late would be generally be considered to be covered by the n - 1 out of n rule, where there is such a thing for the module
- the release of solutions can limit opportunities to give extensions
- the department will endeavour to act in the best interest of the student, working with them to try to manage deadlines going forward, pushing several deadlines back is not always the best solution, as more deadlines then get squeezed together later on.
For additional support, you may wish to speak to your Personal Tutor, Year Tutor, or the Senior Tutor. They will then provide advice on the formal submission of Mitigating Circumstances to Tabula (see below).
More information can be found in the University Mitigating CircumstancesLink opens in a new window guidance for students.
Extenuating or mitigating circumstances are those events which have had a detrimental effect on your study, to the point that it is in your interest to draw your department’s attention to them and ask for them to be considered in mitigation of poor performance. Such circumstances include (but are not limited to) illness, both bodily and emotional; the severe illness or death of a close family member; a shocking or traumatic personal experience. In addition, sudden, unexpected changes in family circumstances might affect your ability to make academic progress as a consequence of their demonstrable emotional impact upon you, and may also be considered as mitigation.
The University is aware that in some cultures it is considered shameful or embarrassing to disclose the details of these kinds of circumstances to those outside one’s family. This is not the case in the prevailing UK culture and you should be aware that your department and the University are fully supportive of students in difficult circumstances and want to assist if at all possible.
If you feel inhibited from talking to a tutor or other member of staff in the first instance, you may also consider talking to a member of your SSLC, the Students’ Union, or a counsellor for initial, informal advice.
Clearly, though, in order for your circumstances to be considered as mitigating by your department, they must be conveyed formally to someone in your department (a tutor, the Director of Graduate/Undergraduate Studies, a course/module convenor, for instance). The University expects that you will discuss your circumstances before Exam Boards meet, so that they may be taken into account in good time.
You should be aware that, in the event you feel you need to appeal the outcome of an Exam Board, offering extenuating or mitigating circumstances at that point will need to be accompanied by a good reason why you withheld the information earlier. Without wanting to invade your privacy, the University does expect that you bring such circumstances to your department’s attention in a timely manner. Failure to disclose such circumstances at a time when you could have done so may subsequently be problematic. Your department will do all it can to support you in difficult situations.
How to submit Mitigating Circumstances
Submission of Mitigating Circumstances is via the personal circumstances page on Tabula. Information on how to use the portal is available here.
The form must be accompanied by appropriate evidence which should be third party independent confirmation of the circumstances. This may include an original medical certificate; copy of a death certificate; a letter from the University Counselling Service; and original bank statements. Please submit your mitigating Circumstances form as soon as possible - supporting evidence can be submitted later, although please make sure you provide this as soon as it becomes available and at least two weeks before the appropriate examiners’ meeting.
Students should note that a future appeal may be prejudiced if they did not bring mitigating circumstances (together with supporting documentation) to the attention of the Department at the correct time. Cases can only be considered when appropriately evidenced, as per the University's guide on evidenceLink opens in a new window. You should also be aware that it is your responsibility to ensure you have provided evidence to support your case; you won't be chased for it by the department.
The Department does recognise that, in a case where the mitigating circumstances are extreme and/or of a very personal nature, a student may not wish to divulge details of these unnecessarily. Nevertheless, if there is any possibility that they may be cited in an appeal, one of the official channels (tutor, Senior Tutor, University Counselling Service) must be informed of their existence within the timescale outlined above.
When it comes to long term conditions, these should be mitigated via a reasonable adjustment - if a permanent condition has already been adequately adjusted through Special Examination arrangements or other reasonable adjustments, it is only the flare-up, deterioration or significant change of circumstance that can be considered as a Mitigating Circumstance.
Submission deadlines for Mitigating Circumstances
You should submit mitigating circumstances when they occur, it is possible to update a mitigating circumstances submission.
The deadline for submission of mitigating circumstances in relation to assessed work is Monday 12th May 2025 (but see above regarding timely submissions at the time the circumstances occur).
The deadline for the submission of mitigating circumstances to be considered in summer examination boards is midday on Friday 13th June 2025*. After 13th June 2025 we will only accept mitigation for cases relating to exams that took place after the 13th June.
The deadline for the final mitigating circumstances board of the academic year is 12noon on Thursday 11th September 2025.
Deferral of exams
If you are experiencing severe personal circumstances around an examination period and the Senior Tutor and you agree that it would be in your best interests to postpone that examination period, the Senior Tutor can request (with your permission) a deferral of those examinations to the next opportunity.
More information about exam deferrals, as well as Resit without Residence and Temporary Withdrawal, can be found on the Deferrals, Resit without Residence and Temporary Withdrawal pageLink opens in a new window of the University website. This page also includes the full procedure for submitting a request for deferral.
It is worth noting that exam deferrals as a one-off are mitigating circumstances, but that, as a reasonable adjustment, Disability Services can recommend exams be spread between the April/Summer and September exam periods.
Temporary withdrawals
A temporary withdrawal is an approved period of time when a student is not studying for their award and is governed by University Regulation 36.1
More information including the reasons that students may request a temporary withdrawal and how to apply is provided hereLink opens in a new window.
Students and the department may be in a position where they are considering whether a temporary withdrawal or deferral in exams is the best option, this will depend on the circumstances and more information about this is provided hereLink opens in a new window.