The University has a Fitness to Study policy which takes a supportive, proactive approach to the management of physical, emotional and mental health in support of student wellbeing. There may be circumstances under this policy whereby a student is judged to be unfit to study because they pose a risk to themselves or others. This decision may be made on grounds of:
- Conduct – unacceptable and/or criminal behaviour
- Health – physical/mental
- Institutional Duty of Care / safeguarding
- Attendance and engagement
- Compliance monitoring: Visa’s, right to study
- In-programme continuation/Practitioner requirements
As an Academic Tutor, you may become involved in fitness to study decisions regarding your tutees. If you have concerns that a tutee is experiencing severe problems and you have noticed a rapid deterioration in their academic performance, you may choose to raise a Fitness to Study concern. Any concerns that you have regarding a tutee’s fitness to study should be raised with your Subject Director.
Under stage 1 of the Fitness to Study procedure, the University will arrange for a member of staff from the student’s school to raise the concerns with the student. This will normally be a member of staff who has knowledge of the student in question, and this could be the student’s Academic Tutor. In this scenario, your role would be to meet with the student as soon as practicable and to engage them in an informal, supportive, and open discussion. The meeting should be non-confrontational and should seek to establish facts and discuss the possible issues or problems. You should take notes of the meeting, including any plans you have agreed with the student, and provide a copy to the student. You should arrange to review the student’s case within a specified timeframe of the date of the original meeting. Any notes you make must be attached to the student record.
If the issues affecting the student’s fitness to study cannot be resolved through this informal route, the more formal stages of the Fitness to Study procedure will be invoked and you may be called upon as a witness to panels convened under this procedure.