Help! Uni punishing me for being genuinely ill

melancholly

involve your students union.

i think the crucial element here is the timeline - the point in time that you submitted your mitigating circumstances form is central. if it was done after a delay it may help to make it explicitly clear why it took some time to hand in the form. for example if you only handed in the form after missing the deadline, then the uni will be difficult. if you can make it clear that you couldn't travel to uni or something like that, it may help.

often mitigating circumstances just means that a committee will consider peoples' marks if they end up on a boundary between two grades - they don't normally allow for sympathetic marking or for missing deadlines after the event. in the example of an asthma attack, the uni would not normally allow the person to resit the same exam a bit later, they would have to do a different exam in the resit period.

i think you might want to look at this without claiming discrimination for being disabled first as that is a strong accusation. can you ask for a meeting with someone on the committee to get more detailed feedback? i'd do that before going in all guns blazing as it may be more likely to help get a good outcome.

[Deleted User]

melancholly wrote: »

involve your students union.

always for any problem, in my experience the plebs in the departmental office avoid doing any work at all costs even if it may cost you your education I know this from personal experience.

lovely_jubly

I also got sick in my last year of uni. I got Lupus which is a life long illness. The consultant told me to get in touch with the uni. I did and was told to pack in as i had missed too much time. I put a complaint in and was assessed by the uni to see what support that could give me. I qualified and am now a teacher. Asked to be assessed as if you do have a pre exicisting illness under the disability and discrimination act the uni must make reasonable changes to help you.

Dont give in. You have got all the way to year 3.

bestpud

melancholly wrote: »

involve your students union.

i think the crucial element here is the timeline - the point in time that you submitted your mitigating circumstances form is central. if it was done after a delay it may help to make it explicitly clear why it took some time to hand in the form. for example if you only handed in the form after missing the deadline, then the uni will be difficult. if you can make it clear that you couldn't travel to uni or something like that, it may help.

often mitigating circumstances just means that a committee will consider peoples' marks if they end up on a boundary between two grades - they don't normally allow for sympathetic marking or for missing deadlines after the event. in the example of an asthma attack, the uni would not normally allow the person to resit the same exam a bit later, they would have to do a different exam in the resit period.

i think you might want to look at this without claiming discrimination for being disabled first as that is a strong accusation. can you ask for a meeting with someone on the committee to get more detailed feedback? i'd do that before going in all guns blazing as it may be more likely to help get a good outcome.

You took the words right from my mouth!

Did you apply in good time OP and did you keep the uni informed? You would have to have a very good reason for applying after the deadline at my uni.

Also, can they argue you had sufficient time before you were incapacitated to carry out the work? I ask because it is incumbent on the student to do the very best they can to work within their known limitations iyswim?

They also have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for people with illnesses covered by the DDA, but can they argue you had 'x' amount of time to complete the work and you should have started earlier (for example) given you know you could be incapacitated at any time? In that case, they can argue they were reasonable in that there was a lengthy time frame for completing assessments?

I also wonder if some of the problem is the assessments you did complete. What was different about those ones? Could they be wondering how you managed to do some and not others? It may actually have helped if you'd done none at all (ridiculous as that seems).

I'm trying to ask the questions the comittee may have asked, as that may help you decide what to do next (or may not of course!).

In short, you really need to find out why, exactly, they have made this decision and, if you have applied late, or not kept them informed, or whatever, then explain your reasons for this.

I'm quite shocked at the problems people are having with this, as I've applied twice and had no issues at all with it. Same condition too.

I'm assuming you informed them of your illness from the outset? If so then the DDA is an option but I agree it is a strong accusation and perhaps best avoided if you can?

Good luck with it.

koppite79

bestpud wrote: »

You took the words right from my mouth!

Did you apply in good time OP and did you keep the uni informed? You would have to have a very good reason for applying after the deadline at my uni.

Also, can they argue you had sufficient time before you were incapacitated to carry out the work? I ask because it is incumbent on the student to do the very best they can to work within their known limitations iyswim?

They also have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for people with illnesses covered by the DDA, but can they argue you had 'x' amount of time to complete the work and you should have started earlier (for example) given you know you could be incapacitated at any time? In that case, they can argue they were reasonable in that there was a lengthy time frame for completing assessments?

I also wonder if some of the problem is the assessments you did complete. What was different about those ones? Could they be wondering how you managed to do some and not others? It may actually have helped if you'd done none at all (ridiculous as that seems).

I'm trying to ask the questions the comittee may have asked, as that may help you decide what to do next (or may not of course!).

In short, you really need to find out why, exactly, they have made this decision and, if you have applied late, or not kept them informed, or whatever, then explain your reasons for this.

I'm quite shocked at the problems people are having with this, as I've applied twice and had no issues at all with it. Same condition too.

I'm assuming you informed them of your illness from the outset? If so then the DDA is an option but I agree it is a strong accusation and perhaps best avoided if you can?

Good luck with it.

I did apply before the deadlines, I honestly can't remember how long before but it was definately within what they told me.

There was I suppose time to complete the assessments before I became ill, but as all the assessments are set at the start of the year then this would be true for everyone and no-one would ever be granted mit circs. The fact is that I did not know I was going to become ill, especially at such a crucial time, or that it would last long enough to completely prevent me from even atempting the work.
Also, the nature of the some of the assignments (eg video project) meant that I could not start it until we had covered a sufficient amount of the course to know how to do it (many aspects of the training were not covered until very close to when I became ill), and I had not sufficiently recovered to be able to attempt it even by the end of term.

With regards to why I did some and not others, it was simply that I could only manage to work for a very short period each day, so some things got done before the deadlines, other took a little longer.

I did not know I could be incapacitated at any time any more than any other person might think this (anyone, after all, could get a slipped disk or anything else for that matter), my consultant was telling me it should get progressively better and the bouts should get shorter and less severe. He even told them this in a letter, to try to convey that the illness did the opposite of what even an expert was predicting.

Whether I kept them informed is an extremely sore subject, as they say that I never saw anyone in the student advice shop on this matter.
In actual fact I saw them on 4 different occasions in relation to this -

1. Nov -In response to a letter they sent to explain why I had missed some attendence.
2. Jan - After the sent me a letter saying that I had not previously responded and had continued to not attend (both not true) they were withdrawing me from my course. I went in furious as I had to wait 4 weeks over xmas to speak to them and had had a very stressed holiday, only to be told it was a mistake as the person I saw before hadn't updated th records.
3 Jan - After another flare up, went to see them to see if they could offer any support etc, so they made a appointment with the dyslexia and disability service.
4 Jan - apointment with the above service, who said there was little they could do as ot would take too long to get me a special chair, and as I only had one short exam I didn't feel I needed any extra time in exams.

The only record of any of this, according to them, is of me seeing the disability service, but even that does not say who I saw, why or any outcome. To say that the advise shop (mostly run by post grad students) in my uni is a bit of a joke and does not really inspire confidence that will help is an understatement!

bestpud

koppite79 wrote: »

I did apply before the deadlines, I honestly can't remember how long before but it was definately within what they told me.

There was I suppose time to complete the assessments before I became ill, but as all the assessments are set at the start of the year then this would be true for everyone and no-one would ever be granted mit circs. The fact is that I did not know I was going to become ill, especially at such a crucial time, or that it would last long enough to completely prevent me from even atempting the work.
Also, the nature of the some of the assignments (eg video project) meant that I could not start it until we had covered a sufficient amount of the course to know how to do it (many aspects of the training were not covered until very close to when I became ill), and I had not sufficiently recovered to be able to attempt it even by the end of term.

With regards to why I did some and not others, it was simply that I could only manage to work for a very short period each day, so some things got done before the deadlines, other took a little longer.

I did not know I could be incapacitated at any time any more than any other person might think this (anyone, after all, could get a slipped disk or anything else for that matter), my consultant was telling me it should get progressively better and the bouts should get shorter and less severe. He even told them this in a letter, to try to convey that the illness did the opposite of what even an expert was predicting.

Whether I kept them informed is an extremely sore subject, as they say that I never saw anyone in the student advice shop on this matter.
In actual fact I saw them on 4 different occasions in relation to this -

1. Nov -In response to a letter they sent to explain why I had missed some attendence.
2. Jan - After the sent me a letter saying that I had not previously responded and had continued to not attend (both not true) they were withdrawing me from my course. I went in furious as I had to wait 4 weeks over xmas to speak to them and had had a very stressed holiday, only to be told it was a mistake as the person I saw before hadn't updated th records.
3 Jan - After another flare up, went to see them to see if they could offer any support etc, so they made a appointment with the dyslexia and disability service.
4 Jan - apointment with the above service, who said there was little they could do as ot would take too long to get me a special chair, and as I only had one short exam I didn't feel I needed any extra time in exams.

The only record of any of this, according to them, is of me seeing the disability service, but even that does not say who I saw, why or any outcome. To say that the advise shop (mostly run by post grad students) in my uni is a bit of a joke and does not really inspire confidence that will help is an understatement!

Without wanting to ask the obvious, did you tell them in the claim and/or appeal why you could complete some assessments and not others?

When I said about keeping in touch, I meant with your tutors/personal tutor, rather than an advice shop.

I'm guessing you didn't inform them if you received letters about your attendance. That won't help your case. Why didn't you let your tutors know?

November to January is a long time without contact... Or, reading it again, had you gone back by that time? How long were you actually off for?

We have deadlines before the topics have been covered in a formal lecture - mostly where there is a choice of question though. I have that scenario now, as I have the first deadline three weeks before, and have to give feedback on the second part, just a week after the topic is actually covered, and as it involves interviewing someone... Daft isn't it? And it must be even worse for practical stuff.

I assumed you overall illness meant you could have expected to be incpacitated at some point. If not (as in you could expect to be able to perform as any 'normal' student), then I think it would be difficult to claim under the DDA wouldn't it?

koppite79

They didn't ask why I completed some and not others, it seems that this was not a factor in why the mit circs was denied. It is down to the fact the misinterpreted the condition as something akin to a chronic, long term disability which affects you every day, rather than something which causes unpredictable, accute and discreet (ie something that lasts for a period of time and goes away) bouts.

I did keep my tutors informed at all times as to why I would not be able to atted etc.
I did not miss the whole period nov - jan, I only missed a few lectures as my illness coincided with a reading week. However, in my university the teaching staff are completely removed from student welfare, and so are not consulted at all in any matters pertaining to this. It is all down to the 'advice' shop. This is why they did not know that I hadn't missed any more attendance. I think this system stinks as the advice shop do not know you even though lots of important decisions are left to them (all my tutors said they would support 100% my mit circs claim, alas their input is not required). The second attendence letter I had was because I forgot to sign a register and because they had not noted that I had already been in to see them it generated an automated next step response.

My illness was supposed to get better, saying that I could expect to be incapacitated is like saying you can expect to have any sort of ill health. It is likely at some point but you can't say when or how bad, and you hope it won't happen at all.

As far as whether this is covered by DDA, I honestly don't know, but the fact that the 'disabilty' is discreet rather than continuous I don't think would make any difference. Perhas someone could enlighten me?

Charl__x

I think most Unis are like this, I know mine is.

Every term we have to attend a review with our personal tutor. I had one last week. Now, in this 'review' he always asks if there is anything he should know at this point which could affect my final exams in May/June. It seems ridiculous really, because if you're going to be involved in something tragic like a car crash, you can't exactly predict it can you!

He said that the Uni will (most of the time) not accept any mitigating evidence which is submitted just before an assignment or an exam. I think in some cases this can be unfair. He said that one year he knew of a girl who needed surgery on her brain, it was all very sudden.. and the Uni didn't do much to help. He implied that they were questioning her condition although it was obvious how ill she was.

Basically, you need to be virtually on your death bed or both parents die for them to take you seriously.

I'm sure you can take this further though, good luck!

bestpud

Charl__x wrote: »

I think most Unis are like this, I know mine is.

Every term we have to attend a review with our personal tutor. I had one last week. Now, in this 'review' he always asks if there is anything he should know at this point which could affect my final exams in May/June. It seems ridiculous really, because if you're going to be involved in something tragic like a car crash, you can't exactly predict it can you!

He said that the Uni will (most of the time) not accept any mitigating evidence which is submitted just before an assignment or an exam. I think in some cases this can be unfair. He said that one year he knew of a girl who needed surgery on her brain, it was all very sudden.. and the Uni didn't do much to help. He implied that they were questioning her condition although it was obvious how ill she was.

Basically, you need to be virtually on your death bed or both parents die for them to take you seriously.

I'm sure you can take this further though, good luck!

That honestly is not the case! I have applied twice - once in my first year and once in my third year and both were accepted without any real hassle.

I did have to provide more info the first time as I was a bit vague but they didn't reject the claim; they just asked for the further info. It was the same problem for each claim and the second time, it did help that my tutor supported me by saying I'd kept in regular contact and done my utmost to get round the problems I was having. I didn't wait to be asked for this info, I just submitted it with the original claim. I also submitted it ater the assessment deadline and it was still fine.

There will always be the odd case which slips through and that will be the one everyone hears about, but I think for the majority of students, it works well.

OP - I'm not sure how many assessments you missed but, as you don't seem to have been off for too long, and your claim is about you being laid up, I think that may be some of the problem?

Won't your tutors still support you now?

koppite79

bestpud wrote: »

OP - I'm not sure how many assessments you missed but, as you don't seem to have been off for too long, and your claim is about you being laid up, I think that may be some of the problem?

Won't your tutors still support you now?

I was not laid up for long on that occasion and didn't miss any assessments after christmas, it was just that the advice shop sent me a horrible letter after this occasion because they screwed up. I only really mention it as to me it highlights how crap they have been, and yet they say that I should have sought help from them (I did, they just didn't give any decent help and now blame me for not doing what they failed to tell me to do. I feel like I'm going crazy!)
Anyway, it recurred just before the easter break and didn't fully ease up for months. Usually when this happens it resolves itself within weeks, so as I had quite some time before the end of term I soldiered on and hoped it would get better enough to enable me to finish everything. Unfortunately this didn't happen, and I'm being punished for trying rather than just give up.