Student support suggesting DD withdraw from exams and course.

[BuntyFayreweather]

DD is in her first year of her course. After a meeting with student support she has said they recommended she didn't sit her exams or continue the course.
They stated she couldn't change subjects unless she did this. They won't allow her to return to the university.
She's got a huge debt and I think she should be allowed to sit the exams anyway.
Am I missing something?
we just did resits in the autumn.
She's been absent a fair bit due to her ill health and mine.
These exams are a repeat of her foundation degree. She's a disabled student but doesn't seem to be getting reasonable adjustments.
Any advice welcome.

So has she yet to meet the entry requirements of her first year degree course? Is she struggling?

Hi, OP -

It sounds like you and DD are going through a lot and this is really rough. In order to help you, it would be good to have a clearer picture. So

’They said she couldn’t change subjects unless she did this’. If she does do this, what options does she have?

As best she can add it up, how much has DD missed for her illness and yours? In the Autumn? This term so far?

Is DD registered with the Office for Students with Disabilities? It may be called something else. This is separate from registering for the Allowance. At most unis all reasonable adjustments go through this office.

I hope we can help you find a path forward, in DD’s best interests, with this information.

No she met the entry requirements. She says she's struggling due to her disability

Hmm it's not super clear what she wants – is she looking to change course? Has she done the F year once and this is a redo of the whole year – and she resat in the autumn as well?

Can she look at what is happening and why she is struggling so much? Is it all likely to improve (for example, will her health improve and enable her to attend more – which is likely to help her grades improve?)

What reasonable adjustments have been agreed – and are these not being done?

Tbf it’s not likely that they would advise this unless they had real concerns about her ability to continue.

Edited to add: seen your update @BuntyFayreweather – if she has the requirements for the first year of the degree, I don’t really understand why she is doing a foundation year? Or have I misunderstood? (more than possible)

If they are recommending she leave then it sounds like she's not making enough progress to move on to the next year. Reasonable adjustments wouldn't cover that. Have you spoken to the university? Ask your daughter to give written permission for them to speak to you (you have to do this as shes an adult) so that you have the complete picture. My son withdrew before the Easter of his second year, which was actually a repeat of his first year. His mental health had crashed and he owed 5 assessments, so no amount of adjustments or resits would have made it that he could claw it back. If you get the withdrawal in before a certain date then they won't take fees etc for this particular section of the year, which is why they are urging her not to take the exams. They can also provide a letter for student finance that she's withdrawn on mental health/health grounds which will at least 'credit back' this year so that she still has 3 years of finance available should she wish to try again.
It sounds like she's got a lot going on without adding worry about exams to the mix. Time to prioritise being as well as possible.

She did a foundation year at another university after her A levels.
She went to her current university in September. Initially she was to enter year 2 due to the high marks from the foundation degree. This was changed in August and she was told she had to do the same modules again. After much debate she accepted that. She was fine until we both fell ill.
She has a communication disability and struggles with presentations. It's a tiny amount of her course. She's done them before and as far as I know she can have a orator. However she is shutting down because of this threat.

What sort of ill health is she struggling with? In practice it makes a significant difference to whether it’s likely to stabilise and be possible to continue, or whether temporary absence is helpful. ill health and disability are such broad and diverse terms that they apply to a vast range of experiences. Some students benefit from a year out and can essentially fully or near fully recover from what they’re struggling with, learn coping strategies, etc. Others will always have a very substantial symptom burden. Others again may never be well enough to complete a particular course.

@Lightuptheroom oh thank you for that. I had no idea re the credit.
That might be what they mean.

She did tick the box so I can speak to her course lead.

Ok, that makes it clearer. It really sounds like you need to assist her to have the right people discussing her case at the right time. With her written permission attached, email the faculty head, student support, disability support etc all on one email. We discovered that different departments can have wildly different ideas as to what the student need to do to keep on track. This sounds very different from having minor issues with a few presentations (I personally completely blew my seminars due to nerves) so that won't be the only reason.

You mentioned resits last autumn, what level were these? What is the subject as usually there are compulsory core modules and minimum requirements to pass the year. In many professional courses there are external criteria from the accrediting body too. Is she on course to meet these , if her adjustments were made?

If DD has an orator she is likely registered with the Office for Students with Disabilities. There must be something else if she is missing uni partly because of her own illness.

Yet if she was originally admitted into Y2 there is clearly a lot of potential and something has gone badly wrong. I agree the suggestion that she withdraw before exams is being made in her own interests. The questions are, what can be salvaged and what does DD actually want?

What will the uni offer her if she withdraws now? What does she feel she needs to be successful? What are the obstacles to getting this help? Is your health such that uni is not realistic for DD right now? Is hers?

It could be that time out for one or both of you to recover is the best thing

Can I clarify, is she doing a Foundation Year (eg Year 0 or Level 3 of a 4 year course) or a Foundation degree (a 2 year degree course equivalent to an HND where you can top up to a full honours degree if you get high enough marks.?

And which course was the 1st university.

What were the autumn resits in/for?

@LIZS she hasn't done any resits

She has a separate stand alone foundation degree in the same subject as her current Bsc. Different universities.

She has a 89% pass in her foundation degree.

Your op says “we just did resits in the autumn”. What were these for?

Your OP says "we just did resits in the autumn".

So has she completed a 2 year Foundation Degree (Level 4/5)or a 1 year Foundation Year (Level 3).

I'm thinking you are confusing the two as they are different courses.

I'm probably missing something as I did my foundation year in textile design many decades ago,but a foundation year then was always known as a pre degree course?

Yes, both my kids have done are doing Foundation years.

Ds did one because although he had the grades he was studying music and didn't have Grade 8. Dd is doing one because she is doing a science based degree but has arts/humanities A levels. Others do one because they don't have high enough grades.

A Foundation Year is known as Year 0. It is Level 3 on the QCF, the same level as A levels.

A Foundation degree is totally different. It is a 2 year degree course without the honours. You finish up with a Level 5 on the QVF qualification (same level as an HND).

It's not clear if you mean a foundation year or a foundation degree as you say both @BuntyFayreweather . But one is a two-year degree course with graduation, that can later be topped up; the other is a one-year course usually to enable a student to reach the level needed to take the full BSc course.

So which has she done? And is she redoing it again at the current uni?

She has a one year qualification plus her A levels.
Her A levels were not in her degree subject.
Her first university told her that it counted as year 1. I didn't get involved due to her age. She is slightly older.

No resits I was referring to my time at university. We did resits in September. I can't amend the op.

I would suggest that you ask your daughter for consent that student support can talk directly to you and have a meeting to discuss.
the benefit of suspending now is that, potentially she will only have accrued 50% tuition fees I believe and if suspending on health grounds will potentially not have to repay any maintenance loan. If she is likely to fail exams now is a better time to suspend.
if there is evidence of ill health / mitigating circumstances she can also apply to Student finance England to protect her gift year funding so she will have funding for her full degree.
student support & money advice should be able to guide you through this as it regular occurrence.

OK thanks that clarifies re the resits!

Yes she has done a foundation year then – this would normally see her starting after that as a year 1 student – as @Comefromaway says, F years are to bring the student up to speed if switching subjects from A levels or else if grades were not what was needed.

So I wouldn't expect her to start in year 2 tbh. So is she redoing the F year or has she effectively started on the first year of her BSc?

Ah so you mean you think she should have a chance to sit the resits if she does not pass/take exams now? Not sure how a F year would give entry to year 2 though. If she has struggled with first year to the extent she may not pass then is it realistic to progress further? One presentation is unlikely to fail her ,is everything else up to date?

Not redoing the f year. Year 1 Bsc.

@LIZS no I don't think she should re sit in September. That referred to me as I said.