Concerns about a student’s wellbeing may be raised by a variety of individuals, including, but not limited to, staff, other students, health professionals or family members, as well as the particular student concerned at any point during a student’s studies. 

LSE aims to promote early intervention and  active collaboration between students, staff and third parties, where applicable, to ensure a consistency of approach. 

Examples of circumstances that may trigger this procedure are:

• The student has told a member of staff that they have a problem and/or provided information, either directly or as part of another School procedure, which raise concern with regard to their fitness to study;
• The student’s manner indicates that they may have a medical condition which is having an adverse impact on their health;
• Elongated periods of absence from a student’s programme of study because of illness;
• The student’s academic performance or their behaviour gives cause for concern and this is thought by the person raising the concern to be because of an underlying medical condition;
• A member staff, a student or a third party (e.g. relative, guardian, medical professional, friend, fellow student or member of the public) reports concerns about the student that raise questions about their fitness to study. 

There are three stages of the Fitness to Study Policy:

• Stage One: Initial or emerging concerns
• Stage Two: Continuing and/or moderate concerns
• Stage Three: Severe and/or enduring concerns

Whilst the stages above will be followed in the majority of cases, depending on the severity of the situation, the panel may choose to start at Stage Two or Stage Three.  It will be explained why this is the case when you are asked to attend a meeting.

Stage One concerns are usually low-level risks which would not require immediate or specialist support for example not attending classes or seminars.  

What staff will attend a Stage One meeting?

If you are invited to a Stage One meeting you will normally meet with one or more of the following staff members:

• Your Academic Mentor;
• Your Departmental Tutor (UG students only)
• Your Departmental Adviser/ Departmental Senior Student Adviser
• Student Advice and Engagement Team
• Doctoral Programme Director  (PhD students)
• Dean of the General Course ( General Course and GO LSE students)

Potential Outcomes of a Stage One meeting may include one or more of the following:

• No further action;
• Ensuring you are aware of the support services available within the School;
• Ensuring you are aware of relevant School processes, including deferral and exceptional circumstances;
• Agreeing an Inclusion Plan or similar support if required;
• Agreeing a short period of time off, in liaison with the student’s department, of usually no more than three weeks. You can find out more about approved absences here.
  
  If you have a Student visa, the Deputy Head of the Student Advice & Engagement Team will need to consulted regarding the length of any agreed absence and you will need bto seek specialist advice from the Student Advice & Engagement Team on the consequences for your visa and your right to remain in the UK;
• Asking you to moderate their behaviour and/or address any concerns that have been raised, which may include seeking further internal or external support.

Any actions confirmed in the meeting will be sent to you in writing to your LSE email address, normally within five working days.

Stage Two of the process may be started if:

• You failed to respond constructively/refuse to engage with the process at Stage One;
• You are unable to engage with the process at Stage One due to extenuating circumstances;
• The concerns require appropriate and timely intervention from on or more internal support services at the School and as such Stage One is not suitable for example non-engagement with teaching and non-submission of coursework alongside wellbeing concerns.

Concerns of this nature would require you to meet with a Panel for a formal review preferably in-person, although it may take place online.

What staff will attend a Stage Two meeting?

A Stage Two Panel will comprise of:

• Departmental Tutor (UG)/ Dean of the General Course (GC and GO LSE)/Programme Director (PGT)/ Lead PhD Supervisor (PGR) or nominee, who will Chair the meeting
• Academic Mentor (lead PhD Supervisor for research students)
• Head/Deputy Head of the Student Advice & Engagement Team or in some cases the Head of the Departmental Senior Student Advice Team. For Research students a senior member of the PhD Academy will be asked to attend.
• Student Wellbeing Service representative
• Warden/School Representative (where the student lives in an LSE Hall of Residence)

In some cases it may be possible to request other staff are able to attend if they are able to provide more context. For example, your Programme Manager or your Departmental Adviser/Departmental Senior Student Adviser.

What happens at a panel?

You should normally be given at least five days notice of the panel in advance and be informed who is attending.  When being invited to the panel, you should be made aware of the circumstances or behavious that has led to your fitness to study being raised as an issue and, where appropriate, let you know of any risks perceived by the School.  

Panel members should be introduced and let you know their role in the process.

Your views should be heard and considered and there should be the opportunity to explore with you any explanations for the behaviour that has caused concern about your fitness to study. 

You may bring a friend or family member to the meeting for support and also a member of the Students’ Union Advice Team. 

The meeting may go ahead in your absence at the discretion of the Chair if it is felt that the concerns are of a level that intervention is required.

Potential Outcomes of a Stage Two meeting may include one or more of the following:

• No further action;
• A review of the initial meeting that took place, as well as the agreed actions following it, to determine what happened or needs to happen;
• Putting in place reasonable adjustments for you, by way of an My Adjustments or Central Exam Adjustments,
• Putting in place support mechanisms to aid your wellbeing. This may include regular appointments with the Student Wellbeing Service, LSE LIFE student advisors, external agencies or some combination of these;
• Recommend that you defer your assessment;
• Recommend that you take an interruption of studies.
  
  Any such recommendation will take due regard of the potential impact on Student visa holders and the Panel will, if necessary, take further advice on this prior to confirming the recommendation;
• Recommend that the case is referred to the next level of the procedure. 

A review period will be set in the discussion, and follow-up email, to monitor the situation. 

Any actions confirmed in the meeting will be sent to you in writing to your LSE email address, normally within five working days.

Who do I contact if I do not accept the recommendations?

If the student does not accept the recommendations, they should put their reason(s) in writing to the Chair of the panel, or nominee, within five working days of receiving the recommendations.  The Chair will then decide as soon as practicable if the recommendations should be amended or if the matter should be referred to Stage Three of the process.

Stage Three concernsmay need an immediate or emergency intervention. A concern of this nature would require the student to meet with the Fitness to Study Panel for a formal review. Minutes of the meeting will be kept.

What staff will attend a Stage Three meeting?

The Fitness to Study Panel will comprise:

• Deputy Head of Student Services (Advice & Policy), who will act as Chair. In some cases the Head of Student Advice and Engagement may attend as his nominee depending on the urgency of the individual case
• Representative from the student’s Academic Department who has had no previous involvement in the case.
  
  A departmental professional support staff member may attend meetings of the Panel in order to act as secretary but will not be a member.
  
  For General Course and GO LSE exchange students, the Dean of the General Course may be invited; however, if they have been involved in earlier decisions as part of this process they will only act in an advisory capacity and will recuse themselves from any decision at this stage.
  
  For research students, a senior staff member from the PhD Academy will be asked to attend. 
• Deputy Head of Student Services (Wellbeing)
• An LSE Students’ Union sabbatical officer
• Head of Residential Life (where the student lives in an LSE Hall of Residence)

What happens at a panel?

You should normally be given at least five working days’ notice of the meeting. You will be provided with any documents that may be considered by the Panel. You may also submit additional documentation to the Panel, no later than two working days before the meeting.

The Panel can invite others to attend in order to provide information or witness proceedings.

You can bring a friend or family member to the  meeting for support and also a member of the Students’ Union Advice Team.  A third party, chosen by you, will be permitted to submit a supporting statement or evidence on your behalf.

You will be made aware of or reminded of the circumstances/behaviour that has led to fitness to study being raised and, if appropriate, the risks perceived by the School. 

Your views should be heard and considered and there should be the opportunity to explore with you any explanations for the behaviour that has caused concern about their fitness to study. 

The meeting may go ahead in your absence at the discretion of the Chair if it is felt that the concerns are of a level that intervention is required.

The Panel, wiif you are not present present, will endeavour to reach a unanimous decision regarding the appropriate action to take; however, if this proves not to be possible it will reach a majority decision with the Chair having a casting vote if required. 

Any decision will take due regard of the potential impact on Student visa holders and the Panel will, if necessary, take further advice on this prior to confirming the recommendation

You should have the options discussed with them by an appropriate member of the Panel if and when they are fit to make informed decisions. Where the Panel is convinced that the health, safety or wellbeing of you, or others, is at significant risk, the School may enforce an outcome.

Potential Outcomes of a Stage Three meeting may include one or more of the following:

• That exceptional circumstances are submitted, directly by you or, exceptionally on occasion, on your behalf;
• That you defer your assessments;
• That you move to part-time study where permitted (except at UG level or if your require a Student visa); 
• An interruption of studies, agreed by you or exceptionally enforced by the School;
• That you withdraw from your studies, agreed by you or enforced by the School. 

We understand that these outcomes may cause concern, but each case is considered individually and some of the outcomes above may not be suggested for your circumstances.

Any actions confirmed in the meeting will be sent to you in writing to your LSE email address, normally within five working days.

Who do I contact if I do not accept the recommendations?

Students reserve the right to appeal any decision made. This will be conducted via the Fitness to Study Appeal Panel.

The grounds on which an appeal can be made are:

•  A significant procedural flaw or irregularity that compromised the fairness of the process, and/or:
• New material evidence, which must be supported by an explanation of why it is being submitted at this late stage, and/or:
• An outcome being unreasonable or disproportionate.

If you wish to appeal against the final decision, you must put this in writing to the Fitness to Study Appeal Panel, stating your ground(s) of appeal, within ten working days of the decision being communicated to you.You must detail the nature of your appeal and submit any applicable corroborating evidence. A third party, chosen by you, will be permitted to submit a supporting statement or evidence on your behalf.

The Appeal Panel will acknowledge the appeal within seven working days.  The Appeal will be considered based on the written papers unless it would assist the Panel’s consideration or otherwise be in the interest of fairness to invite the student to attend an appeal meeting. 

Who will be on the Appeal Panel?

The Appeal Panel will comprise of:

• Head of Department
• Head of Student Services
• Director of Residential Services (where the student lives in an LSE Hall of Residence)

 After considering the appeal, the Appeal Panel may:

• Affirm, set aside or vary any decision reached;
• Refer the matter, or any part of it, back to the Stage Three Panel for further consideration;
• Dismiss the appeal for any of the following reasons:
  • It is received after the deadline without a reasonable explanation why it could not be submitted on time;
  • It does not clearly state the grounds on which the appeal is being made; o It does not disclose any reasonable grounds for appealing the decision; o It is entirely without merit;
  • It is vexatious or repetitious.

The decision agreed by the Appeal Panel will be confirmed in writing to you following the meeting normally within five working days.  The decision of the Appeal Panel is final, and a Completion of Procedures letter will be issued to you. 

LSE will only permit you to return to study if it is satisfied that the student is fit to study.  For example, if, after receiving medical advice, the School is satisfied that you are fit to study and able to comply with any conditions imposed on your return.

The Head of Student Services will determine whether to permit you to return to study. To make a decision they may consult with relevant School staff, including staff previously involved in the process, your Department, and/or external professionals. 

You should provide, or the Head of Student Services may request, independent confirmation of yourability to resume your studies.  The Head of Student Services, in consultation with staff from the Student Wellbeing Service, may set questions/requirements which form the basis of the evidence required; for example, your ability to manage the demands of studying, your engagement with any treatment, previous and potential future, triggers for relapse or causes for concern etc.

Conditions may be imposed on your return to study (for example, your conduct, any support you must seek, ongoing engagement with treatment, or academic progress).

The Deputy Head of Student Services (Wellbeing), together with the Head of Student Services, will consider any support or reasonable adjustments that should be put in place for you.

The decision of the Head of Student Services will be communicated to you in writing, with reasons. This will normally be within five working days of a request to return.  You will be notified as to what would be required for your return to study to be reconsidered and the date of the next point at which they could, potentially, return to their studies.

When you return, there must be regular review meetings organised for you to attend. These will be managed and conducted by the Student Wellbeing Service. The School recommends no less than two meetings per term and these should continue until the School is satisfied of your long-term fitness to study. 

The School will work with the you to ensure that, if appropriate, a suitable adjustments are agreed and implemented. 

Failure to comply with any conditions may cause further concerns regarding your fitness to study and may lead to further consideration/action under these procedures.

If you are unable to return or prevented from doing so by the School, a further interruption may be agreed. No more than two interruptions will be permitted per programme of study for taught graduate students and no more than three interruptions will be permitted per programme of study for undergraduate students.

Interruptions for research students will only be permitted in accordance with the regulations for Research Degrees. 

If you are facing difficulties with engaging with your studies, you should always reach out for advice before getting to the point where you are placed on an unauthorised absence or have a tuiton fee debt. 

More information on sources of support can be found here.

The LSE Students' Union may be able to provide you with free, independent and confidential support and guidance if you are having difficulty paying your tuition fees or have been contacted about being absent from your programme.