Glasgow University is facing severe criticism after a student tragically took his own life on what should have been his graduation day. Ethan Scott Brown, a 23-year-old geography student, had been repeatedly told he had not secured a crucial grade for one course, leading him to believe he would not be awarded his degree in September 2024.
Mr Brown's family confirmed he died at his home in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, on 13th December, the day his graduation was scheduled. His mother, Tracy Scott, discovered him in his bedroom. The family's subsequent pressure led to an internal university inquiry, which uncovered "systemic" errors in the grading of his degree, primarily due to confusion surrounding assessment rules.
The investigation, conducted by a recently retired senior professor, concluded that Mr Brown had, in fact, achieved sufficient marks for a 2:1 honours degree. Crucially, these errors had gone undetected by both internal review boards and an external review panel. Furthermore, the inquiry revealed that Mr Brown had informed staff about his struggles with poor mental health, yet no counselling or support was offered – a failing Glasgow University has since acknowledged.
Tracy Scott expressed her profound grief, stating, "Ethan left this world believing he had failed, and [that] the University of Glasgow were correct." She added, "The truth is, Ethan had successfully attained a 2:1 honours degree, despite the university repeatedly informing him he had been unsuccessful. They failed him, not only academically, but also to support him." The university, in a statement, admitted its shortcomings, saying, "We are profoundly sorry that this terrible event occurred and understand the deep distress it has caused Ethan’s family."
The university stated that the report found a "tragic error" in calculating Mr Brown's degree outcome, which should have been identified during the exam board process. It also highlighted a failure in communication, including not referring him to student support services when he disclosed wellbeing concerns. While the university asserts this was an isolated incident, it has committed to a thorough review of its academic and wellbeing policies and practices, alongside revising staff training for exam boards.
Aamer Anwar, the family's solicitor and a former Glasgow University rector, highlighted further failures, including staff not responding to Mr Brown's requests for updates over the summer and not following up on his warnings of "deteriorating health and distress" when he sought coursework extensions. Mr Anwar questioned whether these systemic issues would ever have come to light had the family not actively pursued answers.