Help! University appeals system, mid-degree

is the decision related to exam results, attendance, a disaplinory issue or something else?

Thanks Peter. It's exam results after August resits.

then its very awkward. The equality act 2010 doesn't cover qualifications / marks awarded. You can't for instance say 'oh i'm dyslexic therefore all spelling mistakes should be ignored in my work.' However if you were due reasonable adjustments (more time, taking the exam in isolation etc) and didn't get them you may be able to ague for another resit as a first attempt. Also if the exam result isn't obviously nessicery for progression (eg requiring individuals on a physics degree to pass a knitting exam) and if your autism contributed to you failing you could argue preventing you from progressing with out the pass is discrimination. But generally speaking the law doesn't provide for the 'tweaking' of exam results because the person taking them had a disability. #notlegaladvice

Thank you Peter. I've shown him this thread now and he's working on it.

I strongly suggest he lodges that appeal even if it's very short and bare bones. The 4 points to get across

1. he is autistic (or if not formally diagnosed believes he is autistic)
2. his autism negatively effected his ability to adapt to the changes made to studying and assessment because of the lockdown.
3. he believes this inability to adapt has had a significantly adverse effect on his academic performance
4. he believes it would be reasonable to allow him to retake the entirety of year 2 to achieve a better grade.

that way they are on notice that there is an issue and autism is a factor. that's helpful if it ever gets into court later.

Again thanks, I'll speak to him about it this afternoon. 

He never made himself known to disability services at uni but I know they are aware of him, I'm disappointed there's been no kind of outreach but again that's the benefit of hindsight. We never thought he'd be in the situation he's in now.

And he only has until next Tuesday to submit an appeal with some kind of evidence, which just feels like another stress filled deadline that he's so worried about not meeting that he'll possibly just not attempt it. Even if he gets through that stage there's the '15 minutes to get your case across' interview, not exactly autism friendly!

Sorry for the massive brain dump.

ok that gives you a bit more space to manoeuvre. To start with it sounds like you haven't really engaged with the uni yet. Yes they can't speak to you with out him but they can speak to him with you present and able to interrupt. I'd look into that to start.

Now it sounds like he should of had reasonable adjustments of some sort, for his whole course. It doesn't nessicerally matter that he didn't have a note or piece of paper from the uni ... in fact under the circumstances you can argue that letting him retake year 2 is in itself a reasonable adjustment.

If he was forced to study, and was assessed, under conditions that placed him at substantial disadvantage in relation to his autism he's probably due a reasonable adjustment and retaking the year seems quite reasonable.

ok that gives you a bit more space to manoeuvre. To start with it sounds like you haven't really engaged with the uni yet. Yes they can't speak to you with out him but they can speak to him with you present and able to interrupt. I'd look into that to start.

Now it sounds like he should of had reasonable adjustments of some sort, for his whole course. It doesn't nessicerally matter that he didn't have a note or piece of paper from the uni ... in fact under the circumstances you can argue that letting him retake year 2 is in itself a reasonable adjustment.

If he was forced to study, and was assessed, under conditions that placed him at substantial disadvantage in relation to his autism he's probably due a reasonable adjustment and retaking the year seems quite reasonable.

Thank you Peter. I've shown him this thread now and he's working on it.

I strongly suggest he lodges that appeal even if it's very short and bare bones. The 4 points to get across

1. he is autistic (or if not formally diagnosed believes he is autistic)
2. his autism negatively effected his ability to adapt to the changes made to studying and assessment because of the lockdown.
3. he believes this inability to adapt has had a significantly adverse effect on his academic performance
4. he believes it would be reasonable to allow him to retake the entirety of year 2 to achieve a better grade.

that way they are on notice that there is an issue and autism is a factor. that's helpful if it ever gets into court later.

Again thanks, I'll speak to him about it this afternoon. 

He never made himself known to disability services at uni but I know they are aware of him, I'm disappointed there's been no kind of outreach but again that's the benefit of hindsight. We never thought he'd be in the situation he's in now.

And he only has until next Tuesday to submit an appeal with some kind of evidence, which just feels like another stress filled deadline that he's so worried about not meeting that he'll possibly just not attempt it. Even if he gets through that stage there's the '15 minutes to get your case across' interview, not exactly autism friendly!

Sorry for the massive brain dump.