Students and faculty members should always seek an amicable resolution to matters arising by addressing the issue with the person immediately related to the issue. Students should handle minor misunderstandings or disagreements within a regular tutorial session or meeting, or with their College Advisor. If this is not possible, or the matter remains unresolved, the steps outlined in this section apply to all groups, colleges, and units of Woolf.
1. The Red Flag System
An issue with a red flag should be submitted in the case that a member of Woolf seeks to make an allegation of serious misconduct about another member, including matters of cheating, plagiarism, and unfair discrimination or intolerance.
Any member of Woolf, seeking to raise a matter of serious concern, should submit a red flag by emailing redflag@woolf.university. Provide a short, clear description of the issue.
If a student submits an issue with a red flag, or if a faculty member submits an issue about a student, it will trigger a meeting with the student’s College Advisor. If the issue is not resolved, the matter will be escalated to the College Dean, or to a committee designated by the College Dean, which will have the power to clear the flag.
If an issue is submitted with a red flag by a faculty member about another faculty member, then the issue is reported directly to the College Dean.
For both students and faculty, after the Dean’s decision, the one who submits the complaint is provided the opportunity to accept or appeal the decision; if the one submitting the issue appeals the decision, it will be assigned to the Quality Assurance, Enhancement, and Technology Alignment Committee, which is a subcommittee of the Faculty Council.
2. Mitigating Circumstances and the Escalation of Issues and Appeals
When serious circumstances (‘Mitigating Circumstances’), beyond the control of a student or faculty member, adversely affect academic performance or tutorial support, a Mitigating Circumstances report must be submitted using Woolf’s red flagging system. Mitigating Circumstances may include but are not limited to serious medical problems, domestic and personal circumstances, major accidents or interruptions of public services, disturbances during examination, or serious administrative or procedural errors with a material affect on outcomes.
Mitigating circumstances do not normally include a member’s personal technology problems, including software, hardware, or personal internet connection failures; employment obligations or changes in employment obligations; permanent or sustained medical conditions (unless there is a sudden change of condition); or circumstances where no official evidence has been submitted.
Mitigating circumstances are normally only considered when a red flag has been submitted for the issue before the deadline of an affected written project, or within two weeks of a cumulative examination. Proof of mitigating circumstances may result in an extended deadline or examination period, or the possibility to retake an examination; it will not result in any remarking of existing submissions or exams.
3. Grade Appeals
Students who dissent from the marks they have received should follow the normal procedure for submitting a red flag.
In writing this section, we have consulted https://london.ac.uk/current-students/examinations/submitting-evidence-mitigating-circumstances