Examination Arrangements for Students who have a Disability or Long Term Medical Condition
1. Overview
The University is strongly committed to equality of opportunity in its provision for all students. The University is committed to providing ongoing support with the focus being on providing accessible services and supporting students in completing their courses as independently as possible. Information about The University's Disability Support Team can be found at http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/supportforyourstudies/disabilitysupport/index.aspx
As part of this commitment, the University believes that assessment methods should, as well as being appropriate to the academic objectives of the course, minimise the impact of a student's disability on performance in assessment. This means that some students may require alternative arrangements for examinations or other assessments. These guidelines set out the arrangements for organising the effective assessment of students who have a disability or long-term medical condition.
2. Policy
The University adheres to the Quality Assurance Agency's Code of Practice on Students with Disabilities and in this context in particular with the following precept that "assessment and exam policies, practices and procedures should provide disabled students with the same opportunity as their peers to demonstrate the achievement of learning outcomes". At the same time, the rigour and comparability of the assessment should be protected with the affect that one academic standard should be applied to all students.
Wherever possible, students who have a disability, dyslexia or long-term medical condition should undertake the same assessments as others on their course. Where the nature of the disability, dyslexia or long-term medical condition makes it impossible for a certain form of assessment to be used, any alternative form of assessment must be of the same standard and present a comparable level of challenge.
The University will ensure that policies and procedures for requesting modification to assessment and examinations are widely publicised and easy for students to follow and will endeavour to apply them consistently across the institution. It is the University's responsibility to give students opportunities to disclose disability, dyslexia or a long-term medical condition and to ensure appropriate confidentiality. Students must be aware, however, that in order for alternative arrangements to be implemented, relevant staff will have to be informed of the disability or long-term medical condition. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the University is aware of his/her disability and to apply for any variation in assessment conditions within deadlines which are established for this purpose. Any request must be supported by acceptable medical evidence of disability, dyslexia or long-term medical condition.
3. Procedure for Students
Student Services (Academic Support) are responsible for the final determination of arrangements, after consultation where appropriate with relevant University staff or bodies such as the Equality and Diversity Advisory Group*. Alternative arrangements will be implemented by the Academic Services Division for examinations controlled centrally, or implemented by Schools where examinations are held by Schools independently or where it involves another form of assessment.
Information for students who wish to request alternative arrangements is available online.
4. Additional Procedural Information for Staff
Information for staff is available at the Academic Services Examination pages.
5. Determination of Alternative Assessment Arrangements
(a) Formal Examinations
Specific provision may be necessary for students who have a disability, dyslexia or long-term medical condition for formal examinations. A list of arrangements that can be made is online; if an arrangement is requested that does not appear on this list then Student Services should, in consultation with the School Examinations Officer, consider whether it is appropriate and if so should request that the Academic Services Division add the arrangement to this document.
Students who are registered as dyslexic with the university are offered to opportunity to attach a sticker identifying themselves as dyslexic to their examination papers. Guidelines for marking the examination papers of dyslexic students are available at: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/supportforyourstudies/academicsupport/index.aspx
(b) Coursework and other Assessments
Students should not be required to disclose their disability or dyslexia on cover sheets for coursework in order to allow them the same opportunities for anonymity that are available to other students. However, where there are requests for alternative forms of assessment or for extensions to deadlines, relevant staff may have to be informed of the disability or long term condition.
The University recognises that the production of written work may present particular challenges for some dyslexic students and has made provision for additional specialist support for dyslexic students. Therefore the written work of dyslexic students is marked following the same criteria as that applied to all students. Dyslexic students can request that Schools clarify their marking criteria so that they are aware of any penalties imposed for inaccurate spelling or poor presentation.
Extensions to deadlines may be deemed ‘a reasonable adjustment’ for some disabled or dyslexic students and may be one of the recommendations made by Academic Support in the Academic Referral Letters sent to DLOs. However it is the responsibility of the student to request an extension to a deadline from the member of staff responsible for the particular piece of work or the designated staff member within the School.
A small number of disabled or dyslexic students may require an alternative form of assessment for coursework on occasion. In these instances, there should be consultation between the School, the student and Academic Support.
*or equivalent at the International Campuses
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