Mum of Glasgow student who died by suicide said university ‘failed’ him with grading error

The mother of a University of Glasgow student who killed himself after being incorrectly told he could not graduate has said the institution “failed” her son.

An investigation by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) found that the university’s assessment regulations posed a “systemic risk to academic standards,” following concerns raised by the Scottish Funding Council.

The review was carried out after the death of Ethan Brown, a 23-year-old geography student who should have graduated with a 2:1 Honours degree in December 2024 but was incorrectly informed he had not passed his course.

Ethan’s mother, Tracy Scott, said the findings confirmed what the family had long believed about failures within the university.

“This report was a very emotional read,” she said. “We’re in shock, but also relieved to know that what we thought is true. They failed my son.”

Ethan, described by his mother as “kind and caring,” was proud to be studying at Glasgow and was looking forward to graduating.

“He was looking forward to graduating and wanted to be like his aunt who also has a degree from the university,” Ms Scott said.

However, three months before graduation, Ethan was told he was not eligible to receive his degree because he had allegedly not been awarded a mark for one course.

He died by suicide on the day he was due to graduate.

An internal investigation later found  the university had made an error in awarding Ethan’s grade and that he should have graduated with a 2:1 Honours degree. The mistake was not identified by university staff, two internal exam boards, or an external exam board.

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Press conference following Ethan’s death. Via Youtube

Ms Scott said her son had asked for help but was not offered support.

“Ethan was a huge loss to our family and we don’t want other families to go through what we went through,” Scott said. “We can’t help Ethan now, but we can protect other students.”

She is calling for a fatal accident inquiry into his death to “safeguard current and future students.”

At the time of Ethan’s death, the university said it believed the error was an isolated incident. However, the QAA report found that two other students in the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences were given incorrect outcomes, with five further cases under investigation.

The geography school was the only one of the university’s 23 academic schools to be identified internally as “high risk”.

The University of Glasgow said it “fully accepts” the recommendations made in the QAA review.

The QAA review did not examine the circumstances of Ethan’s death, instead focusing on wider institutional processes. It described the university’s code of assessment as “convoluted”, warning of inconsistent interpretation and decision-making across exam boards.

It said the full impact of these systemic risks on past, present and future degree awards was not known, and highlighted poor communication with students who were at risk of not graduating.

The report makes 21 recommendations, including mandatory staff training, clearer documentation, and a review of how exam boards record final degree classifications. It also recommends that the university’s next external peer review take place a year earlier than scheduled.

QAA chief executive Vicki Stott said the findings were “of serious concern” and that the organisation would work to ensure recommendations were implemented “in a timely manner”.

The Scottish Funding Council said it would now carry out a national review of assessment procedures across all Scottish universities. Jacqui Brasted, the council’s director of access, learning and outcomes, described the findings as “deeply concerning”.

In an email sent to students on Wednesday morning (28th January), the University of Glasgow acknowledged “systemic risks” in its processes and committed to implementing all QAA recommendations in full.

The message said the university aimed to create a “fairer, clearer and more supportive experience” and would co-create new guidance with students.

via Unsplash

Some students said the findings had shaken their confidence in the university’s systems.

“It’s worrying to think your degree could depend on something so unclear,” said one final-year student, who asked not to be named, “You trust the process to be fair.”

Another student said: “The email talks about compassion, but it feels like this has come far too late.”

A University of Glasgow spokesperson offered a “sincere apology” to Ethan’s family and said the institution fully accepted the QAA’s recommendations.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123.

SHOUT, a confidential text support service, can be contacted by texting the word “shout” to 85258. 

All University of Glasgow students can access a free confidential helpline on 0800 028 3766 (or use the Student Space app) to discuss any difficulties they may be facing.

Glasgow Caledonian’s student wellbeing support services can be accessed by calling +44 (0)141 273 1393.

The University of Strathcylde’s wellbeing service can be contacted via +44 (0) 141 548 3402.

If you are at imminent risk, call 999. 

Glasgow Geography school has been contacted for comment.

Featured image via Youtube