Bereavement

Coping with grief and the death of a close relation can be exceptionally challenging and can have a significant impact on you and your academic studies.

If you have experienced bereavement, we encourage you to let the University know and seek additional support as soon as possible. The following University services can provide support:

• Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity (SWAI)
• University Chaplaincy
• Wellbeing Adviser

Chaplains offer 1:1 listening sessions. These provide a space to be heard and a confidential space to reflect. Each session usually lasts about one hour. There is no limit to the number of sessions offered, although chaplains may also signpost to counselling services if they feel this would be beneficial. To access the chaplaincy listening service for staff and students, email Chaplaincy and someone from the team will be in touch.

Additionally, chaplaincy offers a bereavement course called The Bereavement Journey. This is for anyone who would like to take some time to work through a bereavement in a safe, supported environment with others. The course lasts 6 weeks (each week is 1.5hrs), with an optional seventh week in which bereavement is explored from a faith perspective – otherwise, the course does not include any religious content. Each session uses videos, group discussion, and leaves time for personal reflection. Topics covered include attachment and separation, the pain of grief, grief and anger, coping with changed identity, signs of recovery and finding the ‘new normal’.

The next student course will begin in January 2026, with an introduction to the programme and the chance to meet other students who have taken part previously on 19 November 2025. Details are on the web at The Bereavement Journey for Students - Taster Session.

To request to be added to a list for future dates and for any contact regarding bereavement support please email chaplaincy@lboro.ac.uk.

If your bereavement has negatively impacted your assessment or preparation for an assessment, then you should submit a Mitigating Circumstances (MC) claim. Similarly, you should submit an MC claim if you have been absent from an examination or class test due to attendance at the funeral of a close relation or friend taking place on the same day.

If you experienced a bereavement that had an indirect impact on you (for example, you were providing support to a close relation who suffered the loss), then please submit a MC claim. Your claim should explain the impact that this had on you and your academic performance.

• As much detail as possible on your bereavement including the date and relationship with the deceased.
• A full explanation outlining how your circumstance(s) has impacted your academic performance in your assessment(s).
• Which assessment(s) were impacted by the circumstances outlined in your claim by selecting the relevant components on the online form.
• If you can provide evidence that will verify and support your claim, you should include this. However, we recognise that it can be challenging to gather evidence for some claims so please submit your claim anyway. Suitable evidence would include, for example, a death certificate.
• If you have received support from Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity (SWAI) for the circumstances outlined in your claim, you can ask SWAI to provide the evidence via the tick box in Student Self-Service.