Confident panel practice for Fitness to Study / Support to Study chairs and panel members: an online training event

Most universities and higher education institutions have a process for convening a Fitness to Study panel (often called a Support to Study panel) for more complex cases. These panels involve convening a meeting of key people to consider the case and decide on an appropriate outcome – which might range from no action being taken through to a student being suspended or withdrawn from their programme altogether.

Being asked to sit on, or chair, one of these panels can be daunting, given that the stakes can seem high for the student concerned, and given that these cases, by their very nature, are generally complex and high-risk. Often we might be asked to be part of, or chair, a panel like this without any specialist training.

This half-day course takes you through, step-by-step, the different stages of running a meeting – from the initial preparation and evidence gathering stages, including inviting the student to the panel meeting, through to ensuring the smooth running of the panel meeting on the day.

Panel meetings can also give rise to a range of complex scenarios. What should we do if a student turns up for a panel meeting with a lawyer? How should we respond if a student, who is expected to attend a panel meeting, does not turn up on the day? What should we do if we receive unclear or overly simplistic medical evidence about a student’s fitness to continue on their programme? When should we allow an appeal against a panel decision?

Join us as, together, we explore these and other key aspects of running an effective Fitness to Study/Support to Study panel.

Who is this session for?

This session is relevant to anyone - in any academic or professional services role - who may be asked to join, chair, or advise a Fitness to Study/Support to Study panel.  

This includes:

• Colleagues in faculties – including deans or associate deans, heads of department, faculty registrars, or personal tutors, who may be asked to chair, sit on, or advise a panel

• Student services managers, directors or practitioners, who are often responsible for convening or advising panels - including colleagues from university welfare teams, wellbeing teams, mental health teams, international student support teams or other support services who might be asked to attend or advise panels

• University secretaries, registrars, legal officers, or other senior/executive-level managers

• Complex case managers, such as conduct and appeals officers or colleagues overseeing 'student of concern' procedures

• SU advice team practitioners or managers

• Colleagues currently reviewing approaches to Fitness to Study/Support to Study cases in their institution

Learning outcomes

By the end of this event, participants will understand:

• What we are seeking to achieve with a Fitness to Study/Support to Study panel and who should be involved in the process.

• How to plan and prepare for a panel meeting.

• Practical ways to respond to complex or challenging scenarios that might arise during a panel meeting.

Fees

• Individual attendee - £135 + VAT (£162 incl. VAT)

You can either pay by debit/credit card or request an invoice. To pay via invoice, click on “Pay by invoice or bank transfer” when you get to the debit/credit card details page; we will then get in touch with you to arrange an invoice.

Looking for training for your whole team or cohort? Does the date of this course not work for you?

It's easy to book a dedicated online session of this training at time that works for you. Find out more about our ready-to-run training.