Situations may arise where there are concerns regarding a student’s fitness to participate in clinical or other placements, which are an essential component of the student’s course. Such concerns should be addressed to the student’s head of department or school (in the case of single discipline schools) so that they may consult with the Junior Dean or Director of the Disability Service, if relevant, in order to determine the appropriate mechanism to deal with the situation. Where an alleged disciplinary offence or matter of student mental health comes before the Junior Dean, the Junior Dean may decide to refer the case to the Fitness to Practise Committee of the relevant school if the Junior Dean considers this to be a more appropriate way of dealing with the case.
Where a fitness to practise issue arises in the context of an academic appeal, whether through a Court of First Appeal or the Academic Appeals Committee, the relevant body hearing the appeal may decide to refer the case to the Fitness to Practise Committee of the relevant school if it is considered to be a more appropriate way of dealing with the case. Refusal on the part of the student to engage with the procedure set out in relation to fitness to practise cases shall be regarded as misconduct for the purposes of S.1(1), Schedule 2 of the 2010 Consolidated Statutes. Where the school’s Fitness to Practise Committee decides that the concern is well founded, it may take one of the following actions:
- Recommend that the student be required to undergo testing at College’s expense, in respect of suspected drug or alcohol addiction. A student failing to comply with this requirement or whose tests confirm continued drug or alcohol use may be required to withdraw from their course or to go off-books until such time as they are certified by an appropriately qualified person to be fit to proceed with their course of studies.
- Recommend that the student be required to undergo a medical examination or assessment, which may include psychiatric assessment, by a doctor or specialist nominated by the committee at the expense of College for the purpose of obtaining an opinion as to the student’s medical fitness to continue with his/her studies or as to their ability or suitability to participate in their course to the standards required by College
Where a student fails to comply with this requirement, or where they are assessed to be unfit to continue with their studies or unable or unsuitable to participate in their course to the standard required by College, they may be required by the committee to withdraw from their course or to go off books until such time as they are certified by an appropriately qualified person, nominated by College, to be fit to proceed with their course of studies.
- Recommend that the student be suspended until such time as they are certified by an appropriately qualified person, nominated by College, to be fit to proceed with their course of study.
- Recommend that the student be suspended until such time as they are certified by an appropriately qualified person, nominated by College, to be fit to proceed with their course of study.
- Recommend that the student be required to withdraw from their course. Decisions of the school’s Fitness to Practise Committee shall be referred to the Senior Lecturer for approval. A decision of the school’s Fitness to Practise Committee may be appealed to the College Fitness to Practise Committee which is vested with the same powers as a school Fitness to Practise Committee and will hear the case as new. A student appearing before either committee is entitled to representation by their tutor, by the Students’ Unions, or by any other person of their choice.
Decisions of the College Fitness to Practise Committee shall be referred to the University Council and the Board of the College for approval. An appeal against a decision of Board in such cases shall be made to the Visitors of the College.