Mitigating Circumstances in Assessment

 

What are Mitigating Circumstances?

Mitigating circumstances (or "Mitigation") are circumstances which have occurred during the assessment process and which have, in some way, detrimentally impacted on your performance or even prevented you from completing one or more assessment tasks (Mitigation is sometimes alternatively referred to as "extenuating circumstances" or "extenuation").

This page provides you with a brief overview of the mitigation process including:

• acceptable grounds for mitigation
• submitting a claim (including access to an electronic version of the Mitigation form)
• supporting documentary evidence
• process
• outcome
• the Academic Regulations

View the notice about mitigating circumstances posted around Anglia Ruskin

Introduction

If you believe that there have been serious sudden and unforeseen circumstances which were beyond your control (eg: illness) which have:

• prevented you from undertaking an assessment task (eg: you were unable to attend an examination, give a presentation or submit a coursework assignment) OR

• impaired your performance when undertaking an assessment task (eg: you became ill during an examination)

.…then you can submit a claim for mitigation. The circumstances should be current and have been unanticipated and beyond your control rather than disadvantageous conditions experienced throughout your studies (students with serious, long-term/permanent difficulties should contact Student Support Services).

 

Please note that the mitigation process is designed to assist students with serious circumstances which have prevented them, for example, from either attending an examination/submitting a piece of coursework or which have impaired their performance during an examination/presentation. It is NOT designed to be used by students who, for example, have failed to ensure that they know the time and date of their examination, failed to prepare properly (eg: revise!) for an examination or simply not completed a piece of coursework due to poor time management.

 

Grounds for Mitigation

The following reasons ARE considered as acceptable grounds for mitigation at Anglia Ruskin:

• a serious personal illness which is not a permanent condition
• the death, or serious illness, of a close family member, a friend or person for whom the student has a responsibility of care
• sudden or unforeseen circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the student

 

The following reasons are NOT considered as acceptable grounds for mitigation at Anglia Ruskin:

• family, work, financial or other general problems which lie outside of the circumstances identified above
• poor awareness of Anglia Ruskin’s Academic Regulations
• being unaware of, or misunderstanding, a submission deadline or the date of an examination
• computer, disc, printer or any other technical failure for which the student is responsible (students should ensure that they keep a back-up copy of their work).

 

Submitting your claim

The deadline for all claims is 5 Working Days after the relevant Examination Date / Presentation Date / Assignment Submission Date

All claims must be submitted by using the official Mitigation form (AO MIT) available from any iCentre (or equivalent at Associate Colleges) and your Student Adviser, counter-signed by your Faculty Student Adviser or Director of Studies. In exceptional circumstances (e.g. when a student has been hospitalised), the form may be submitted by a Faculty Student Adviser OR Director of Studies on your behalf.

 

Documentary evidence in support of your claim

This is very important - you will need to provide details of any medical certificates or supporting documentation or statements from responsible third parties to explain the absence of/from any assessment. Medical certificates must be in the English Language or, if not, accompanied by a notarised translation, together with precise dates of illness specified.  In the case of bereavement, please provide a coy of the death certificate.

 

Process

Your claim will be considered in strict confidence by the formally constituted Anglia Ruskin Mitigation Panel, making formal recommendations on the outcome of your claim to the Anglia Ruskin Awards Board.

 

Outcome

Please note that a successful mitigation claim means that any mark you achieve for the assessment task in question will be annulled and you will be given another opportunity to undertake the assesment task in the future.

You can view the progress and outcome of your mitigation claim by logging onto e-Vision.  For details on how to understand the information on e-vision, read the Guide to Your Results.

 

Section 6 of the Academic Regulations provides full details on the mitigation process.

 

 

Go to right hand side links go to local menu Go to main menu