Support and Fitness to study

This process is designed to support you if you are experiencing difficulties that affect your ability to continue studying and engaging with university life. Where concerns have arisen within your department/faculty, the department/faculty will work with you to identify appropriate support. At the same time, it has to ensure that your circumstances do not have a detrimental impact on your mental and physical health, your safety and welfare, and that of other students and staff.  Where there are concerns about your ability to study, and engage with university and college life without a detrimental impact on yourself or others, the Support and Fitness to Study process is used to address these.

Being invited to a Stage 1 meeting does not mean you are in trouble. Your department/faculty has invited you to because there are concerns that you may be struggling to meet the demands of your course, or about your emotional and physical wellbeing and its impact on your ability to study or engage with university life. The purpose of the meeting is to understand your situation and identify what support may help you.

Stage 1 is the term used to describe the first meeting between you and a representative of your department or faculty (if you are studying on a graduate degree, this is likely to be the DGS – Director of Graduate Studies) about your study and support needs. It marks the start of the Support and Fitness to Study process. This meeting will normally lead to an action or support plan. The focus is on support to study, but it is also the moment that concerns about your wellbeing are formally recorded.  

You should check that you can attend the meeting. It is important to attend if you can, but if you are unable to attend, contact the department/faculty representative as soon as possible to request an alternative date/time.  

If you need any reasonable adjustments to be able to participate in the meeting, let the departmental representative know. It is helpful to share your Student Support Plan (SSP) if you have one.  

Think about whether you want to take someone with you to the meeting.

At the Stage 1 meeting, you will be given the opportunity to respond to the concerns outlined in the invitation. In planning your response, you may want to think about: 
•    What has contributed to/led up to these concerns? 
•    Are there any circumstances that are affecting your studies, health or behaviour? For example, family issues, health or financial worries. Do you have any evidence of these circumstances that you could share? 
•    What support do you currently have? 
•    Is there any support that could help you achieve your best from your studies?

You may also wish to seek advice or support in advance of the meeting, for example from your college, welfare services, or the Students' Union.
 

You will discuss the concerns your department/faculty has raised and what support might be appropriate. Normally you will discuss what your Support and Action Plan might contain, and plans for a Follow-Up meeting.

The department/faculty representative will write to you to let you know what happens next. Normally, they will send you a Support and Action Plan and arrangements for a Follow-Up meeting. If you and the department/faculty representative are unable to agree at Stage 1, or the representative decides it is appropriate, they will refer you to Stage 2, and will write to you to confirm this.

The Support and Action Plan is written by your department/faculty representative after the Stage 1 meeting. It will be informed by your discussion but may also include other actions for you or the department/faculty. The plan will normally include actions you and the department/faculty are expected to take and an implementation period.

You should discuss progress against and any concerns about your Support and Action Plan at the Follow-Up meeting.
 

You will discuss your situation with your department or faculty representative and decide next steps. If you both agree that the concerns are resolved, you will receive a letter to confirm that the process is concluded. You may agree to establish another Support and Action Plan, and a further Follow-Up meeting. If you and the department/faculty representative are unable to agree, or the representative decides it is appropriate, they will refer you to Stage 2, and will write to you to confirm this.

Your head of department/faculty (or their representative) will write to invite you to a Stage 2 meeting, letting you know who will be present and what evidence the meeting will be considering. The invitation will include details of who will attend, the information that will be considered, and any evidence you are asked to provide.

If you cannot attend for good reason, you should contact the head of department/faculty (or their representative) with evidence of the reason to request a different date. If you do not attend the Stage 2 meeting without good reason, a decision may be made based on the information available.

If you need any reasonable adjustments to be able to participate in the meeting let the head of department/faculty (or their representative) know as soon as possible.

Decide whether you want to take someone with you to the meeting, and inform the head of department/faculty (or their representative) at least 5 working days before the meeting.

You may want to think about: 
•    Have you understood the concerns?
•    If you have had a Support and Action Plan at Stage 1, have you or others been able to implement the actions? To what extent have these helped? Is there any additional support that could help you achieve your best from your studies?
•    Are there any circumstances that are affecting your studies, health or behaviour that you have not previously disclosed? For example, family issues, health or financial worries. Do you have any evidence of these circumstances that you could share?
•    Do you have any questions about the process?

Your head of department/faculty (or their representative) will check that you have understood the concerns, give you an opportunity to explain your perspective and respond to any new information. You will have the opportunity to suggest any support you believe you need which you do not have. You may be asked to leave the meeting and then invited back to hear about the outcome or the next steps. You will be sent an outcome letter after the meeting.

You can appeal the outcome within 10 working days of the date of the Stage 2 outcome letter by emailing the Support and Fitness to Study Panel Secretary at [email protected] There is no appeal form. Grounds for appeal are set out in the Procedure. 

You can bring a supporter or friend to any meetings you’ve been asked to attend. This should usually be a student member or member of the university, college or Oxford University Student Union staff. Your supporter is there to support you during the meeting, for example by taking notes, reminding you of questions you wanted to ask, and checking your understanding of next steps. They can’t speak, answer questions, or provide evidence on your behalf.

The procedure is designed to be supportive, to understand the issues you are facing, and provide you with additional support. The process starts when you are invited to a Stage 1 meeting with a representative from your department/faculty to plan and put in place extra support. You are expected to engage and attend these meetings. If you don’t attend, this may lead to a referral to a Stage 2 meeting. If you do not attend the Stage 2 meeting without good reason, a decision may be made based on the information available. 

Yes, you can at any stage, and the definition of ‘appropriate medical evidence’ is set out on this page.