Extenuating Circumstances Procedures and Guidance

2.1 A student who is unable to comply with the published timetabled assessment requirement(s) – including 1.1 and 1.4 above - must, at the earliest possible opportunity, contact their School with a full explanation.

2.2 Coursework extension requests and other requests relating to coursework should be made to the member of staff responsible for the assessment (or other member(s) of staff as notified to students by the School) prior to the published submission date with a completed Extenuating Circumstances Form and supporting evidence. If an extension is agreed, the revised submission date should be confirmed in writing, or by email, by the School offering the module.

2.3 Students who do not comply with the assessment requirements must complete the ‘University of Nottingham Extenuating Circumstances Form' if the non-compliance was due to an extenuating circumstance. It is the student's responsibility to document which assessment(s) they believe has been affected.

2.4 The completed extenuating circumstances form should be returned, as in 2.1 and 2.2, as soon as the student knows that s/he will not comply with the assessment requirement(s). The absolute latest date for submission is the seventh working day after the affected component of assessment for the module(s). If the form is not submitted within this period, the student may receive a mark of zero for the assessment(s). If a form is being submitted by post it should be sent by recorded delivery where this service is available.

Schools have discretion as to whether to consider extenuating circumstances claims that are submitted after the seventh working day from the affected assessment.

Schools are entitled to reject automatically and without consideration all extenuating circumstances claims that are submitted after the deadline above. The only exception to this provision is where the student provides authoritative evidence (e.g. from a doctor) that they were incapacitated through illness and unable to submit the extenuating circumstances any earlier. Where such an exception is made, the student's claim will be considered under this policy without prejudice. 

Notwithstanding the above, extenuating circumstances claims will in any case not be considered if they are submitted more than one month after notification of the outcome of an examination board.

In accordance with Section 8 of this policy, the possible impact on performance of any circumstances must be established including comparison of performance between the affected assessment(s) and assessments where the circumstances did not apply or where appropriate adjustment has been made for those circumstances.  Therefore, claims based on circumstances that have affected the entire period of study of the student are not eligible for consideration if they are submitted after the student has completed their final set of examinations (ie where the outcome has led to a recommendation that the student will leave the University) as no comparative performance information will be available.

2.5 All claims of extenuation made under this policy need to be supported by independent, reliable, documentary evidence of inability to undertake the assessment.

2.6 Upon receipt of a completed written claim in accordance with 2.1 and 2.2, the School will determine whether or not the student has ‘sufficient cause' for non-compliance with the requirements of the assessment.

2.7 The School will complete section B and indicate whether or not, sufficient cause has been satisfactorily demonstrated. The School should also consider and formulate what course of action is recommended for the student as a result of their decision (see Section 8 of this policy).  All decisions should be conveyed to the student's School.

2.8 It is acknowledged that there may be occasions where the supporting evidence is felt to be particularly sensitive. In such cases, students may request that the claim of extenuation be given limited and minimal circulation.

4.1 The ‘burden of proof' to support a claim on extenuation lies with the student at all times.

The University reserves the right to take such steps as deemed necessary to verify the evidence submitted without prior notification and where the University is unable to authenticate the material to its satisfaction, the claim may not be accepted.

Evidence presented by students must meet the following standards and should:

4.1.1 be written by appropriately qualified professionals who are independent to the student; if Schools wish they may accept evidence provided by the student's personal tutor, the Student Support Officer, the Examinations Officer or the School Manager.

4.1.2 be on headed paper and signed and dated by the author. Evidence presented by email may be acceptable if the email has been sent by the author from the official domain name of the author's organisation;

4.1.3 be dated at the time the reported extenuating circumstances took place and not be retrospective;

4.1.4 be in English. It is the student's responsibility to provide supporting documentation and any translation should be undertaken by an accredited translator (eg be a member of the Association of Translation Companies - http://www.atc.org.uk/index.html );

4.1.5 be original. Copies of supporting evidence will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances;

and

4.1.6 be unaltered by the student. Documentation that has been amended for any reason will be deemed in-admissible by the University. If there is evidence that a student has fraudulently presented documentation to the University the matter will be referred to the Senate Disciplinary Committee and may result in the expulsion of the student.

4.2 The School should only uphold a student's claim of extenuating circumstances when, in their opinion, 4.1.1 – 4.1.6 (inclusive) are fully satisfied.

The following gives examples of the kind of acceptable circumstances (ie where the student has demonstrated ‘sufficient cause') and the associated evidence that is normally required. This is given without prejudice and for general guidance; it is not exhaustive, definitive or prescriptive. The University considers each claim of extenuating circumstances on its own merits and as an individual case and subject to Section 4 of this policy.

Students should note that the Cripps Health Centre and the University Counselling Service will be unlikely to provide such confirmation if the student has had no prior engagement with the service(s) prior to the student's claim. 

Long-Term Illness: An original medical certificate or letter from an appropriate medical professional or a letter from the University Counselling Service (or equivalent) confirming the nature of the illness and the likely impact it has had on the student's ability to undertake formal assessment.  

Short-Term Illness: Short-term illness (less than 7 days) will not normally be regarded as an extenuating circumstance with regard to assessed coursework, where the student is given a number of weeks/months to complete and submit such work.  It shall be for the tutor or School/Division to decide whether this has affected the student's performance and whether an extension to a deadline should be granted.

Bereavement: Where there is a demonstrably close relationship between the student and the deceased, a death certificate or a letter confirming the death from an independent person (usually not a family member) with their contact details provided. 

Acute Personal/Emotional Circumstances: An original medical certificate or letter from an appropriate medical professional or a letter from the University Counselling Service (or equivalent) confirming the nature of the illness and/or circumstances and the likely impact it has had on the student's ability to undertake formal assessment.  

Hospitalisation: A medical letter/certificate from the relevant hospital confirming the nature and severity of the student's circumstances and the likely impact it has had on the student's ability to undertake formal assessment. 

Family illness: A medical certificate/letter from an independent medical professional confirming the nature and severity of the family circumstances and the likely impact it has had on the student's ability to undertake formal assessment.  

Pregnancy: The University has a policy on pregnancy related issues.  See http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/documents/pregnancyandmaternityguidance.pdf for further guidance.

Victim of Crime: A written statement of events which is supported by written evidence from the Police (including a crime reference number).Where relevant, an original medical certificate or letter from an appropriate medical professional or a letter from the University Counselling Service (or equivalent) confirming the impact the reported crime has had on the student's ability to undertake formal assessment. 

Representing the University at a national event or involvement in some other significant/prestigious event: A letter of confirmation from the relevant organising body a supporting statement from the student explaining why the event should be considered as significant/prestigious and the reason(s) why they are required to be absent from University.

Religious Observance:
If the student has completed the Religious Observance Form by the published deadline and it has not been possible to make alternative arrangements, the School should take reasonable steps to provide an alternative assessment opportunity. Where this is not possible, the School may arrange a ‘first sit' (for an examination) or grant an extension (for coursework).

Absence from an assessment for reason of religious observance, where no Religious Observance Form has been completed, or where the relevant permission for absence has not been obtained prior to the assessment, will not be deemed an acceptable extenuating circumstance.

If a student has made, or is making, a complaint under the Complaints Procedure and feels that the matters covered by that complaint may have affected their assessment performance, an Extenuating Circumstances form should be completed and returned to the School in the normal way with appropriate evidence as required by Section 4 of this policy.

The confidential nature of information provided by students will be respected by the University of Nottingham in accordance with data protection regulations.

Confidential information will only be shared within the University on a ‘need to know' basis. Any student wishing to restrict the sharing of such information should make his or her wishes known to the appropriate members of staff, preferably in writing. Students should be aware that the School cannot respond to a student's circumstances if they remain unaware of relevant information.

Normally such wishes will be respected unless to do so would be against the best interests of the University community or the interests of safety or security of any person.

If, following a request by a student, relevant information is withheld from an individual or University body (e.g. the School's Board of Examiners) it will not normally be admissible during any later appeal against the original decision of that individual body.

The following gives examples of circumstances that are likely to be considered as unacceptable (ie where the student has NOT demonstrated ‘sufficient cause').This is given for general guidance and is not exhaustive, definitive or prescriptive. Withdrawal of IT facilities or suspension of registration for reason of debt will not be acceptable as an extenuating circumstance.

The University considers each claim of extenuating circumstances on its own merits and as an individual case and subject to Section 4 of this policy:

• Transport issues. It is expected that students will ensure that they arrive at the assessment on time, irrespective of the form of transport used or relied upon. An inability to travel as a result of circumstances beyond the student's control may though constitute sufficient cause.
• Pre-booked holidays. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that they are available for all assessments, including any assessments offered in the reassessment period (August – September). All holidays and vacations should take place at a time that will not impact on the student's availability to undertake or prepare for an assessment(s).
• Accommodation issues. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that they have access to suitable accommodation during any period of assessment, including any assessments offered in the reassessment period. Students who do not have access to accommodation during a period of assessment (for example, where a rental contract has yet to come into force) are advised to travel to the University in advance of the examination(s) or book temporary local accommodation (e.g. a hotel or B&B).
• Misreading the examination timetable. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that they know and remember the location, time and duration of all formal assessments.
• Paid employment or voluntary work . It is expected that students will ensure that any paid employment or voluntary work does not interfere with their ability to engage with their studies or assessments. It should be noted that examinations may be scheduled to take place on Saturdays during the published examination periods.
• ‘Exam Stress'. Feeling ‘below par' leading up to and during an assessment(s) is a common experience of many students. It is not considered to be an acceptable extenuating circumstance.
• IT and/or Computer failure. Loss or corruption of files is not an acceptable extenuating circumstance. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that all work which is electronically stored, generated and/or submitted is sufficiently backed up.
• Criminal conviction.  If a student is convicted of a criminal offence any disruption caused by the investigation or sentence is not an acceptable extenuating circumstance.

It is the responsibility of the student's School to confirm whether or not a claim submitted under this policy has been upheld. In making their decisions Schools should take into account whether there is evidence of performance having been affected by the circumstances by considering comparative performance in modules where the circumstances did not apply or where appropriate adjustment has been made. Schools should inform their students of the outcome of claims in a timely and reasonable manner and no later than the end of the academic year in which the student's claim is submitted.

For claims which are upheld, Schools should consider each case individually and should respond by granting any one, or a combination, of the following:

 Note: An individual student's marks should not be changed as the result of a claim of extenuating circumstances.  In cases where the assessment process has in some way been disrupted (eg a problem with an examination paper) appropriate adjustments may be made to the outcomes for the affected cohort, including potentially to marks.

Schools can obtain guidance on this policy by e-mailing ug-regulations@nottingham.ac.uk (for UG queries) and pg-regulations@nottingham.ac.uk (for PGT/PGR queries).

Advice to students on the merits/strengths of individual circumstances will not be given.  Students requiring advice on individual circumstances affecting their performance should contact their School/Department for advice.

A student who has had a request made under the extenuating circumstances policy rejected and who disagrees with this decision may put their case to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA).  A Completion of Procedures letter is required by the OIA and this should be requested by emailing academic-appeals@nottingham.ac.uk .

A student who has had a request made under the extenuating circumstances policy rejected and believes that the procedure around the consideration of those circumstances was flawed may have grounds to appeal.  Students should consult the Academic Appeals Policy to see if grounds to appeal can be established.

Students are advised to contact an Education Adviser in the Student Advice & Representation Centre for guidance on the appropriate course of action.

• Academic Appeals Policy
• Extenuating Circumstances Form
• Religious Observance Form
• Assessment Regulations 
• Guidelines for obtaining Medical Certification from Cripps Health Centre/other Health Centres