Supporting evidence
We recognise that it can sometimes be challenging to provide evidence to support your Mitigating Circumstances (MC) claim.
So, please submit your claim anyway, providing sufficient details on your circumstances and the impact on your assessment(s). If you can provide evidence that will support your claim, please do so. Please note that your School might ask you to provide evidence to support your claim later.
What evidence can you submit
Any supporting evidence provided should confirm the nature of the circumstances(s) impacting you, and exactly how and when you have been impacted.
Please see Your Circumstances for specific examples of evidence that might help support your claim.
How to submit supporting evidence
You can submit your supporting evidence through the online form on Student Self-Service. To do this, you will need to scan or take a photo of your original documents and attach them to your online form. Please note that you should NOT submit photographic evidence of injuries or illness. In some cases, the Mitigating Circumstances (MC) panel may request to see the original copies of your supporting evidence.
If your supporting evidence is not yet available (for example, you are waiting for a medical certificate), then please submit your claim and submit your evidence at a later date, but before the deadline for submitting supporting evidence (see below).
Make sure that your supporting evidence is written in English as MC Panels will not consider evidence in another language. If your evidence is in another language, it is your responsibility to obtain and submit a verified translation along with the original evidence. You should seek advice from the Student Advice and Support Service if the cost of obtaining translations is unaffordable.
It is your responsibility to obtain and provide all your supporting evidence on time. The University will not request or support evidence on your behalf.
Deadline for submitting supporting evidence
You should submit your supporting evidence by the relevant Mitigating Circumstances (MC) deadline.
Mitigating Circumstances claim deadlines 2023/24
The deadlines for submitting a claim for the 2023/24 academic year are as follows:
- Semester 1: 08 February 2024
- Semester 2 (UG Finalist): 17 June 2024
- Semester 2 (PGCE students): 19 June 2024
- Semester 2 (Non-finalist/PGT): 21 June 2024
- SAP: 10 September 2024
- Semester 3: Please contact your School
If you are unable to submit your supporting evidence by the published MC deadline, then it is your responsibility to contact your School and find out when the MC Panel will be meeting.
Supporting evidence submitted after the published deadline but two full working days prior to the MC Panel meeting will be considered. However, supporting evidence submitted later than two full working days before the MC panel meeting, will not be accepted (unless it is relevant to a Semester 1 claim, in which case the claim can be deferred until the Semester 2 panel upon your request ahead of the MC panel meeting).
Requesting evidence from Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity
If you have been receiving support from Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity (SWAI), you can request SWAI to evidence your claim via the online form.
SWAI can provide evidence for your claim, providing that the circumstance(s) described are consistent with SWAI’s knowledge of your situation. SWAI will provide the evidence directly onto the MC Portal for you. You do not need to request SWAI provide you with written documentation to upload to the Portal yourself.
For evidence of engagement with University Counselling service, you will need to have had at least two separate appointments to discuss the circumstances described in your claim.
In some cases, SWAI may only be able to partially evidence a claim. In these cases a brief explanation for that will be noted on your MC submission. If SWAI cannot provide evidence for your claim, a brief explanation as to why will be noted on your MC submission.
Medical evidence
If you have medical evidence that can verify or support your claim, please submit this. However, the University does not expect you to obtain evidence from your GP or medical practitioner to support your claim.
GPs (general practitioners/medical doctors):
- Are not obliged to issue medical certificates (called “fit-notes”), particularly retrospectively - you should therefore seek treatment at the time of the event.
- Do not normally issue certificates for short periods of illness or minor sickness like colds, headaches, and stomach upsets
- Are entitled to charge for certificates issued
The University will not approach your GP or medical practitioner for confirmation of a medical condition as medical records are confidential.
Please note that you should NOT submit photographic evidence of injuries or illness.