Mitigating Circumstances Guidance for Academic Year 2021/22

It is not possible to list all circumstances which constitute an eligible MC claim. However, this section provides non-exhaustive lists of the kinds of claims that are, and are not eligible for consideration.

1. Examples of the kinds of claims that are normally eligible for consideration
   1. Claims referring to a serious or significant medical condition or illness (including both physical and mental health problems).
   2. Claims referring to exceptional personal circumstances (e.g. serious illness or death of a close family member or close friend, including participation in funeral and associated rites (Claims referring to serious illness or death of a wider family member (e.g. grandparent) may also be eligible for consideration if evidence is provided demonstrating a particularly close relationship with the family member concerned and the significant impact on you of their death/serious illness (see Question 4, section 3 below for more information on the kinds of supporting evidence required in relation to specific circumstances); being a victim of a crime).
   3. Claims referring to situations where you have unfortunately been a victim of, or impacted by, racist incidents, homophobic or transphobic incidents, sexual or domestic violence, or because of other sensitive personal and family circumstances.
   4. If you have been affected by the recent global events; either through direct experience, or through family members associated with the regions of the world where they are taking place, then you are encouraged to submit a Mitigating Circumstances claim, taking care to explain the impact of the situation on you. No supporting evidence is required for such claims.
   5. Claims referring to exceptional travel circumstances beyond your control which prevent you from attending an examination or other scheduled assessment.
   6. For part-time students only, claims referring to paid employment where exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated, and evidence provided by your employer.
      
      
2. Examples of the kinds of claims that are NOT normally eligible for consideration
   
   1. Claims which do not state clearly and in detail how you feel your performance in specific assessments has been affected.
   2. Claims relating to serious illness or death of a family member or friend where the information you provide does not demonstrate that there has been a significant impact on you. (see Question 4, section 3 below for more information on the kinds of supporting evidence required in relation to specific circumstances). However, claims relating to absence from an exam or class test due to attendance at the funeral of a wider family member taking place on the same day WILL normally be eligible for consideration without the need to provide evidence of the closeness of the relationship.
   3. Claims referring to ‘bunching’ of examinations or coursework deadlines.
   4. Claims where your circumstances have already been fully addressed by the granting of a coursework extension.
   5. Claims where the problem is caused by English being an additional language. In such circumstances you should seek advice in good time from the Student Support Centre.
   6. Claims arising from poor time management or personal organisation (e.g. failure to plan for foreseeable last-minute emergencies such as computer crashes, printing or travel problems resulting in late submission of coursework; misreading the examination timetable).
   7. Claims referring to circumstances within your control (e.g. family wedding or holiday; getting a cheaper flight; choosing to miss an assessment or coursework deadline for something considered more important).
   8. Claims referring to missing an assessment or coursework deadline due to attending an interview for a job or placement. (Where an interview for employment or a work placement clashes with a scheduled assessment, students are expected to rearrange interviews for a more appropriate time, and Schools are expected to provide support for students in liaising with employers in this regard).
   9. For full time students, claims referring to paid employment (note: part-time students may make a claim referring to paid employment where exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated, and evidence provided by your employer).
   10. Claims referring to minor ailments such as colds, headaches, stomach upsets, etc (where you feel well enough to attempt the assessment/exam).
   11. Claims referring to a long-term illness or disability, where the University has already put in place reasonable adjustments for assessments (or where such arrangements could have been made if the University had been made aware of the situation in a timely manner). HOWEVER, claims relating to unpredictable flare-ups of a disability, regardless of adjustments having already been made, are permitted.
   12. Claims referring to circumstances which were known to you prior to the date of your registration as a student (except where there is a material change to the pre-known circumstances, and/or any arrangements in relation to the circumstances prove to be inadequate as a consequence of unforeseeable events).
   13. Claims relating to group coursework. (Issues arising in relation to group coursework (e.g. intra-group conflict or absence/non-cooperation of one or more group members) should be reported directly to the module leader at the earliest opportunity and addressed as part of the agreed arrangements for the delivery and assessment of the module concerned, in accordance with the University Policy Statement on Group Working – see also Question 7 below).
   14. Claims relating to a religious event beyond your control, such as a requirement to observe certain dates by attendance at collective worship or some form of abstinence or ritual (note: the
       University has an Assessment Flexibility (Religious Observance) Policy).

1. When should I submit a claim for Mitigating Circumstances?
   
   You should only submit a claim for Mitigating Circumstances if you feel your performance has been affected by the kinds of circumstances described above.
   
   You should submit a separate claim for each Semester or Special Assessment Period (SAP) in which you feel your performance has been affected. For example, if you submit a claim relating to the impact on you of ill-health during Semester 1, and you continue to be affected by the same illness during Semester 2, your illness will only be considered in relation to your Semester 2 assessments if you submit a further claim in Semester 2, explaining with supporting evidence how your Semester 2 assessments were affected by your ongoing illness. The same principle is applicable in the case of modules spanning both Semesters – if you submit a claim relating to the impact on you of extenuating circumstances affecting your Semester 1 assessments for the module, and you continue to be affected by the same circumstances in relation to your Semester 2 assessments for the same module, you will need to submit a further claim against the same module, explaining with supporting evidence how the Semester 2 assessments were affected.
   
   
2. How do I make a claim for Mitigating Circumstances?
   
   Claims for Mitigating Circumstances should now be submitted via the new online portal. The online form linked below has been designed to ensure that submitting a claim is simple and straightforward. You will be taken through the process, step by step, to ensure that all relevant information is collected and you will only be able to submit your claim once all relevant sections of the form have been completed.
   » Mitigating Circumstances claim via the Self-Service Portal
   
   
3. How do I submit my supporting evidence? (if available)
   
   Ideally, you should provide evidence to support your claim as this will often provide additional information about the seriousness of the situation and its impact on you. If you have submitted evidence already to Student Services or they know about the difficulties you have experienced, please make that clear on your claim and ask them to evidence the claim for you. However, we recognise it may not always be possible to provide evidence - please do submit the claim anyway and always provide as much detail as you can about how you have been affected, including the timing of the impact. If your Mitigating Circumstances claim is accepted as valid then the most likely outcome will be that you will be given a further opportunity to sit the assessment (or assessments) during either the Special Assessment Period (SAP) or the next academic year.
   
   All independent supporting evidence should be submitted via the same online portal that you use to submit your Mitigating Circumstances claim. In order to do this, you will need to scan your original documents and attach them to your claim, via the upload facility which forms part of the online submission process. (Please note that in some cases, the Mitigating Circumstances Panel may request sight of original copies of your supporting evidence.)
   
   If your supporting evidence is available then you should submit it at the same time as you make your claim. However, if your evidence is not available (i.e. you may be waiting for receipt of a medical certificate), then it is still possible to submit your claim without supporting evidence in the first instance. Supporting evidence can be attached to your claim (via the upload facility) at a later date. 
   
   Where possible, your supporting evidence should be submitted by the Mitigating Circumstance Panel deadline relevant to that particular Semester or Special Assessment Period (SAP). However, evidence submitted after this deadline will be accepted so long as it is received by your School two full working days prior to the meeting of the relevant Mitigating Circumstances Panel. If your supporting evidence is submitted after the deadline on the MC form, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to find out from your School when the relevant Panel will be meeting, and to ensure that your supporting evidence is submitted two full working days prior to that. Supporting evidence submitted later than two full working days before the meeting of the relevant Panel will NOT be accepted, unless it is relevant to a Semester 1 claim, at which point the claim can be held over until the Semester 2 Panel (further information below).
   
   
4. Is there a deadline for submitting a claim for Mitigating Circumstances?
   
   Schools will convene Mitigating Circumstances Panels after each Semester and Special Assessment Period (SAP) to consider each claim. Therefore, there will be an administrative deadline for submitting a claim, which will be set to allow Schools sufficient time to compile information ahead of their Panel meeting.
   
   Undergraduate students: If a claim relevant to a Semester 1 assessment is submitted after the Semester 1 Mitigating Circumstances deadline, then the claim will be carried forward and considered by the Semester 2 Mitigating Circumstances Panel. Please note, however, that late Semester 2 and Special Assessment Period claims cannot be carried forward as the associated Panels for these periods will be followed by Programme Boards at which marks are fixed. 
   
   Postgraduate students: If a claim relevant to a Semester 1 assessment is submitted after the Semester 1 Mitigating Circumstances deadline, then the claim will be carried forward and considered by the Semester 2 Mitigating Circumstances Panel. Please note, however, that late Semester 2, Special Assessment Period and Semester 3 claims cannot be carried forward as the associated Panels for these periods will be followed by Review Boards at which marks are fixed. 
   
   The deadlines for the 2021-22 Academic Year are as follows:
   
   

   Period	Deadline
   Semester 1	10 February 2022
   Semester 2 (UG Finalist)	20 June 2022
   Semester 2 (Non-Finalist/PGT)	24 June 2022
   SAP	13 September 2022
   Semester 3 (PGT only)	Please consult with your School, as dates may vary in 2022.

    
5. Late claims for Mitigating Circumstances
   
   If you submit your Mitigating Circumstances claim after the published deadline for Semester 2 or Special Assessment Period (SAP) then it will only be considered if, following consultation with your School, the Academic Registry is content that relevant information can be compiled in time for the associated Mitigating Circumstances Panel, and provides approval for it to be considered at the meeting.
   
   Late MC claims submitted after meetings of the Programme or Review Board at which your marks for the modules which are the subject of your claim have been confirmed will NOT be accepted under any circumstances. If you wish to alert the Academic Registrar to circumstances which you feel may have affected your performance after the meeting of the Programme or Review Board at which your marks for the affected modules have been confirmed, you should follow the procedure in Regulation XIV (Student Appeals against Programme Board or Review Board Decisions, www.lboro.ac.uk/governance/regulations/14/current/). Such appeals must normally be submitted within 10 working days of the publication of the decision of the Programme Board or Review Board, and you will be required to demonstrate that you had good cause for not submitting a Mitigating Circumstances claim prior to the relevant deadline. 

All claims will be considered fairly and sympathetically. You need to explain, in as much detail as possible, how you have been affected, including the timing of the impact. You should provide supporting evidence if you are able to, but we recognise this might not be possible in some cases - please do submit the claim anyway.

1. As part of your MC claim you should (wherever possible) aim to provide one or more pieces of independent supporting evidence such as:
   • a medical certificate
   • if you have been receiving support from them, the online claim form allows you to request that Student Wellbeing and Inclusion (formally Counselling and Disability Service) provide evidence for your claim (see Question 5. below). If you require evidence from the University Counselling Service, you must have attended at least two sessions relating to the content of your claim. Please do not request that these services evidence your claim if you are not known to them.
   • a copy of a death certificate or funeral programme.
   • a police crime reference number.
   • an email and/or supporting statement from your Personal Academic Tutor, Hall Warden, Wellbeing Advisor or other appropriate third party.
     
     The supporting evidence should confirm the nature of the circumstances affecting you, and exactly how and when you have been affected (identifying specific affected assessments where possible).
     
     
2. Other important points to note about supporting evidence:
   1. GPs (general practitioners/medical doctors):
      1. Are not obliged to issue medical certificates (particularly retrospectively).
      2. Do not normally issue certificates for short periods of illness.
      3. Are entitled to charge for certificates issued.
   2. The University Medical Centre, as an NHS organisation, will issue Certificates of Illness for students, but normally only for cases where you have sought treatment at the time (rather than after the event), and not normally for minor ailments like colds, headaches and stomach upsets. There is a charge for this service.
   3. It is your responsibility to obtain all of your supporting evidence and ensure it is submitted on time; the University will not request evidence on your behalf. In particular, it is not appropriate for you to suggest on your MC form that the University approach your GP (based within the University Medical Centre or elsewhere) for confirmation of a medical condition, for the above reason, and because medical records are confidential.
   4. Only supporting evidence written in English can be considered. It is your responsibility to obtain and submit a verified translation, together with the original evidence, if the original evidence is in another language. (If the cost of obtaining translations is prohibitive for you, you should seek advice from the Student Support Centre).
   5. On its own, substantiation by the University Counselling Service (UCS) will not normally be considered sufficient as supporting evidence. Instead, Mitigating Circumstances Panels will normally only consider substantiation by UCS if it is accompanied by other forms of evidence, or a clear explanation of the circumstances that have had a negative impact on your studies (please section 3, below).
      
      
3. Examples of the types of supporting evidence required for specific circumstances:
   
   In all cases, your supporting evidence should make clear why the circumstances to which it relates prevented you from attending/completing an examination or scheduled assessment; affected you during an assessment; and/or affected your ability to study, prepare or participate in your programme of study more generally.
   
   You should provide supporting evidence if you are able to, but we recognise this might not be possible in some cases - please do submit the claim anyway.
   
   
   1. BEREAVEMENT / SERIOUS ILLNESS AFFECTING A FAMILY MEMBER OR CLOSE FRIEND
      1. Claims relating to the death of close family member or close friend
         
         • You should provide a brief explanation of your relationship with the deceased where this is not obvious, confirm the date of the bereavement, and be as specific as you can about the impact. 
         • Where the death occurred some time before the assessment you feel was affected, you should provide a further explanation of the impact that the bereavement had on your academic performance. If you have been receiving support from SWAI during this time, then they will be able to evidence your claim (via the online form).
         • If the bereavement had an indirect impact on you (i.e. you were providing support to a close family member who suffered the loss), please provide a full explanation of the impact that this had on you and your academic performance.
      2. Claims relating to serious illness affecting a family member or close friend: Ideally, you should  provide evidence of:
         • The illness (e.g. a letter from a medical professional).
         • The nature of your relationship with the person affected by illness (e.g. birth or marriage certificates, documentation indicating that the person is a member of your household). 
         • Where the illness occurred sometime before the assessment you feel was affected, this additional evidence should also refer to the ongoing impact on you.
           
           
   2. LONG-TERM HEATH CONDITION OR DISABILITY
      1. Claims relating to a long-term health condition or disability where adjustments or special arrangements have not already been made: Normally you will be expected to have engaged with and secured evidence from Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity (SWAI) (see Question 5 below). Evidence from a medical professional external to the University may also be submitted.
         
         
      2. Claims relating to a long-term health condition or disability where adjustments or special arrangements HAVE already been made, but where these prove inadequate because of unforeseen circumstances (e.g. because of a sudden and unexpected worsening of your condition)
         
         
   3. SHORT-TERM SERIOUS OR SIGNIFICENT ILLNESS
      1. Claims relating to a short-term serious or significant illness: Normally you will be required to provide medical evidence from that time period (e.g. a Certificate of Illness or letter from a medical professional who saw you while you were ill), confirming the nature and extent of your illness, and the dates on which you were affected. In some instances, it will not be possible to obtain evidence of a short-term illness (i.e. in the event of a sickness bug). In these cases, submit the claim anyway - but please provide a full explanation of the impact that the illness had on your assessment.
         
         
   4. VICTIM OF A CRIME
      1. Claims relating to being the victim of a crime: Normally you will be required to provide a crime reference number and/or a report from the police, confirming the timing and nature of the incident concerned. (If you are unable to obtain such evidence, you should seek advice from your School/Department in the first instance). You may also be required to provide other evidence confirming the impact on you (e.g. a doctor’s note referring to any injuries you incurred; substantiation, via the portal, from Student Wellbeing and Inclusion confirming your engagement with the service over a period of time; a letter from a person of good standing (e.g. a professional person) who is aware of how you were affected).

You may want to contact LSU Advice for additional help in completing your Mitigating Circumstances claim. You can find further details on the LSU website.

1. If you have a long-term illness or disability, we aim to put in place adjustments to the delivery and assessment of your programme which support you to achieve your full potential and mean you do not need to submit a mitigating circumstances claim. However, we recognise that occasionally there may be delays in implementation of agreed adjustments and that some conditions fluctuate, or an unforeseen event may make an otherwise well managed condition more challenging.
2. A disability in this context is defined by the Equality Act 2010 as "a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term (i.e. 12 months or more) effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities." (For the purposes of the Act, examinations are considered "day to day activities").
3. The above definition covers the following (non-exhaustive) list of conditions:
   1. Physical and sensory disabilities
   2. Neurodiversity e.g. dyslexia, ADHD, dyspraxia
   3. A mental health condition which is either episodic in nature, or of currently indeterminate length (e.g. bipolar disorder).
   4. An autistic spectrum condition e.g. Asperger’s Syndrome.
   5. A long-term health condition (e.g. chronic fatigue syndrome, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy) (including medical conditions with potentially long term effects but where the prognosis is currently unclear). The definition also covers progressive illnesses (e.g. Systemic Lupus Erythematosis (SLE), HIV and cancer) from the point of diagnosis.
   6. Short-term acute mental distress (e.g. after a traumatic incident such as a bereavement) which is potentially affecting mental health, where you have previously sought support through SWAI.
4. If you are intending to claim MC in relation to a disability or for mental or emotional distress, you can invite SWAI to provide evidence (SWAI includes the University Counselling Service, Mental Health Support Team and Disability Support Team. The supporting evidence that SWAI may be able to provide would be to evidence, via the portal, that the circumstances you described in your claim are consistent with SWAI knowledge of your situation. For SWAI to be able to evidence your MC claim you will need to have had sufficient contact with them (prior to the claim being submitted) so that they have enough knowledge of your situation. This would normally be at least two separate appointments. For students supported by the Disability Support Team one appointment may be sufficient. SWAI will not evidence your MC claim if you have not had any prior contact with them.
5. The role of SWAI in relation to your MC claim is as below:
   1. They will view your completed MC claim on the portal.
   2. They will evidence a claim where they have had sufficient contact with you to be able to corroborate the circumstances described in your claim. If they have not had sufficient contact or have not discussed the circumstances described in your claim during their contact with you, they will not be able to evidence your claim.
   3. If they do not evidence the claim they will provide a brief explanation in their portal entry.
   4. They may only be able to partially evidence a claim in some circumstances and will give a brief qualification for that on the portal.
   5. They will NOT evidence or verify claims relating to temporary conditions or illnesses (i.e. any form of temporary injury or illness which has not lasted, or is not likely to last, for more than 12 months)
   6. Evidencing of a claim by SWAI is not a recommendation that the MC Panel should automatically find that your performance has been impaired. Likewise, if SWAI are unable to evidence your claim, then the MC Panel should not automatically find that your performance has not been impaired.

If you have exceptional personal commitments such as sporting activities at the highest level (normally representing your country), cultural activities, or caring responsibilities, which are likely to impact upon your assessments, you should consult your School/Department for advice well in advance and not wait to submit a Mitigating Circumstances claim after the event. Such commitments will normally be dealt with outside the Mitigating Circumstances procedure.

1. Group MC claims may be initiated at the discretion of the Academic Registrar in relation to an incident or set of circumstances where a group claim rather than a series of individual claims is most appropriate. The initiation of a Group MC claim will normally be prompted by one of the following:
   1. the submission of several individual MC claims all relating to the same incident/set of circumstances;
   2. the submission of one MC claim signed by several students;
   3. an incident or set of circumstances affecting multiple students being brought to the attention of the Academic Registrar by a member of University staff.
2. Where a Group MC claim is initiated, the following should take place:
   1. All affected students should be informed in detail of the circumstances covered by the Group MC claim, and advised to submit a separate, individual claim with additional supporting evidence only if they feel they were affected in other/additional ways not covered by the Group MC claim. 
   2. Where the claim is one which relates to a group of students belonging to more than one programme, and which will therefore be considered by more than one MC Panel/Programme Board, the secretaries of the MC Panels/Programme Boards concerned should liaise in order to ensure consistency of decision-making (noting that this does not necessarily mean that the same action will be taken in relation to all affected students, as each student’s individual performance in the assessment(s) covered by the Group MC claim and in other assessments, both impaired and unimpaired, will be taken into account in the decision-making process).
3. Issues arising in relation to group coursework (e.g. intra-group conflict or absence/non-cooperation of one or more group members) should be reported directly to the module leader at the earliest opportunity and addressed as part of the agreed arrangements for the delivery and assessment of the module concerned, in accordance with the University Policy Statement on Group Working. Individual or Group MC claims relating to group coursework will not therefore normally be eligible for consideration, except where there are exceptional circumstances which did not allow for the issue to be reported to the module leader and addressed as above.

Any student suspected of submitting a fraudulent MC claim and/or falsifying or fabricating supporting evidence may be charged with a disciplinary offence under University Ordinance XVII (Conduct and Discipline of Students).

1. Your claim will be dealt with by the University in confidence as far as possible, taking into account the need for appropriate staff to consider the circumstances described. Concerns relating to confidentiality will not normally be taken to constitute good cause for not submitting a timely Mitigating Circumstances claim. If you are worried about confidentiality, please talk to the student support team in your School.
2. Each School will convene a Mitigating Circumstances Panel following each Semester and Special Assessment Board prior to the Undergraduate Programme Boards and Postgraduate Review Boards. Each Mitigating Circumstances Panel will consist of at least three internal examiners, one of whom will act as Chair. Where possible, the secretary to the MC Panel will be the secretary to the associated Programme and/or Review Boards, and the membership of MC Panels will be the same for all claims from students in each part of each programme.
3. The role of each School’s Mitigating Circumstances Panel is to consider MC claims submitted by students belonging to that School and make a decision on the appropriate courses of action to the relevant Programme/Review Boards. The relevant Programme/Review Board will then award the appropriate reassessment rights.
4. Mitigating Circumstances Panels should liaise with MC Panels in other Schools/Departments in relation to claims concerning modules delivered by other Schools/Departments, in order to ensure consistency of decision-making (noting that this does not necessarily mean that the same action will be taken in relation to all affected students.

1. When considering your MC claim, the Panel (see Question 9 of this guidance) will decide initially whether the claim is eligible for consideration in accordance with Question 2 of this guidance. If not, the Panel will make the decision that no action be taken.
2. Where your claim meets the criteria for eligibility, the MC Panel will decide whether there is evidence that your performance has been impaired. In reaching this decision, the Panel will take into account the content of your claim and any other relevant information.
   
   In the event that your performance is in line with or better than expectations, MC Panels will be open to the possibility that higher marks could have been achieved if the circumstances described in your MC form had not occurred, and Panels will not attach undue weight to performance in previous years. If the Panel concludes that there is no evidence that your performance has been impaired, it will make the decision that no action be taken in relation to your claim.
3. Where the MC Panel decides that there is evidence that your performance has been impaired it must instruct the Programme/Review Board to take one of the following courses of action. (regardless of whether you have performed sufficiently well to progress to the next part of your programme or to receive an award, and/or whether it would be impossible/highly unlikely for any recommendation to result in a change to your degree classification):
   1. If you are a non-finalist:
      1. The MC Panel will normally decide that you be permitted to repeat any or all parts of the module assessment on a first or second attempt basis (depending on whether you were taking the module on a first or second attempt basis).
      2. Where you are permitted to repeat any or all parts of a module assessment on a first or second attempt basis, the repeat assessments must always be undertaken before you are allowed to progress to the next part of your programme, even where progression requirements have been met. E.g. If you are allowed to repeat a Part A module following an MC claim, you cannot progress to Part B and retake the Part A module alongside your Part B modules.
      3. Where you are permitted to repeat any or all parts of a module assessment on a first or second attempt basis, and the repeat assessment is unavailable in the Special Assessment Period (for example because it contains laboratory or fieldwork), the repeat assessment must be undertaken in the following academic year.
      4. IN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES ONLY, the MC Panel may decide to make a minor increase to your component marks (normally between 1%-5% depending on the severity of circumstances and the extent of the impairment) and/or the substitution of an alternative component mark.
      5. It is not possible to define all circumstances which may be considered exceptional in this context, but the MC Panel may recommend an outcome other than a permitted repeat attempt where, for example:
         • the affected assessment is unavailable to retake in the Special Assessment Period, and/or
         • the circumstances giving rise to the MC claim are likely to be ongoing during the Special Assessment Period, and
         • there are compelling personal, medical, financial, visa-related or other reasons why the award of a permitted repeat attempt to be undertaken during the following academic year would be inappropriate.
   2. If you are a finalist:
      1. The MC Panel will decide that you should be permitted to repeat any or all parts of the module assessment on a first or second attempt basis (depending on whether you were taking the module on a first or second attempt basis), or a minor increase to your component marks (normally between 1%-5% depending on the severity of circumstances) and/or the substitution of an alternative component mark.
      2. For finalists, MC Panels should seek to award a permitted repeat attempt where possible, and should be conscious of circumstances where not awarding a permitted repeat attempt would result in you losing an opportunity to improve your degree classification. However, as the award of a permitted repeat attempt will normally result in a delay to your graduation date if you are a finalist, there are likely to be more circumstances (as compared to non-finalists) where for employment-related, visa-related, and other reasons, alternative outcomes are appropriate.
4. In all cases, the MC Panel should record details of its membership, and the rationale for its recommendations on:

• whether your claim was eligible for consideration;
• whether there is evidence that your performance was impaired; and
• the course of action to be taken.