Extenuating circumstances procedure

This procedure provides the information and links students need to make an extenuating circumstance (EC) claim and explains how that claim is processed. This procedure is relevant to both students and staff and applies to all campuses – UK, Malaysia and China.

If you are a student who would like to submit an EC claim, please visit the Student Enquiry Centre.

Search the manual

1.0 Purpose

This procedure supports the consistent and fair handling of cases where a student’s ability to study or complete assessments has been seriously and unexpectedly affected. It sets out the roles, responsibilities, and procedural steps that students and staff must follow when an EC claim is made.

It should be used for situations where a student seeks formal consideration due to serious short-term circumstances that have impacted their ability to:

attend or complete an examination or assessment
complete an e-exam on time
request an extension to a coursework submission deadline, including cases where a support plan extension has already been used
request an extension to a Progression Review (PGR students only)
address a lack of adjustment due to a late diagnosis of a disability or long-term medical condition

This procedure does not apply to absence from compulsory teaching, seminars, or laboratory sessions that are not formally assessed. Schools should make local arrangements for reporting and managing non-assessed absences.

The EC regulation page provides more information about what an EC is and what support measures are available, the link is provided at the start of section 4 below.

2.0 Roles and responsibilities

2.1 Students

If a student believes that their circumstances are affecting their ability to study, prepare for, or participate in assessments, it is their responsibility to inform university staff as early as possible and before deadlines for EC claims. Early notification enables the university to provide appropriate support.

Students should be aware that the university cannot respond to their circumstances if it is not made aware of the relevant information.

Where a student’s EC claim for coursework is pending and they haven’t received a decision, they must submit whatever work has been completed by the deadline and continue working on the assignment. Students must include the term ‘ECPending’ in the submission file name. If a student’s EC is for an exam, the student will need to decide whether they are fit enough to attend the exam or not.

2.2 University

The university is committed to supporting students and will take account of EC where appropriate and when informed in a timely manner.

Advice and support are available from the following sources, and students are encouraged to engage with them for guidance:

Personal Tutor
Academic Guide
Senior Tutor
Support and Wellbeing Officer
Student Service Centres (UNUK)/ Faculty Offices (UNM/UNNC)
Disability Liaison Officer
Disability Support Services
Student Union Education Adviser
Counselling Service
School Postgraduate Student Advisor

2.3 Student Services

Student Services are responsible for reviewing EC claims submitted without evidence (self-certification). These are not referred to School EC panels, allowing for a quicker decision process.

For self-certified EC claims, Student Services aims to provide students with a decision and, if applicable, support measure within three working days of its submission.

Student Services decisions are limited to the predefined support measures available for self-certified claims. Details are set out in the EC regulation (see link in section 4 below).

There is a limit on how many self-certified claims a student may submit per academic year. Details are set out in the EC regulation. Student Services monitors usage and, if a claim exceeds the limit, that claim must include evidence and will be referred to the School EC panel. The student would be informed and would need to provide the necessary evidence within the required timeframe.

Student Services provide Schools with data on individual EC claims. This includes information on the nature of claims, decisions taken, support measures applied, and the identification of recurring circumstances.

For all EC claims (self-certified and evidenced), Student Services/Faculty Offices will notify (by email) the student and the module convenor about the decision and, if applicable, the corresponding support measure.

2.4 School EC panels

Each school will appoint an EC panel who are responsible for reviewing evidenced EC claims. Reference to school EC panel incorporates department and faculty level EC panels.

School EC panel members must assess:

whether the claim meets EC criteria
whether the evidence is valid and timely and provides sufficient justification for approving the claim

The student’s home school is responsible for deciding whether to approve an evidenced EC claim. If the EC claim is approved and the affected assessment is in that school, the school EC panel decides which support measure is most appropriate. If approved and if the assessment belongs to a different school, the support measure must be agreed in consultation between the schools. The support measures available are listed in the EC regulation.

School EC panels must comply with any relevant professional, statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) requirements.

Schools must notify Student Services/Faculty Offices of all decisions and support measures for evidenced EC claims and advise students about any changes to marking or feedback timelines.

School EC panels must aim to provide their decision, along with any support measures, to Student Services/Faculty Office colleagues:

Coursework EC claims: within five working days of receiving the claim.
Exam EC claims: within five working days of the first EC panel meeting held after the claim was submitted.

The role of the Chair of a school EC panel is to ensure that the panel carries out its responsibilities in a fair, transparent and impartial manner and in accordance with relevant university and programme regulations and procedures. The Chair ensures that members have the opportunity to contribute to discussions and that business is conducted collegially.

2.4.1 School EC panel membership

Each school EC panel is a sub-committee of the relevant Board of Examiners. Support measures are submitted to the exam board for information or for consideration as appropriate to the support measure – for example many support measures are implemented in advance of exam board meetings, such as extra time for coursework.

Undergraduate and taught postgraduate EC panels must be made up of at least three school staff members, including the following:

A Chair (usually the Examinations Officer)
Senior Tutor(s) or nominee(s)
Additional members may include:
- Programme Directors or nominees
- Module Conveners
- Co-opted staff as deemed necessary by the Chair

PGR EC panels must include three staff members with relevant postgraduate research knowledge and experience including the following:

A Chair with significant PGR supervision and examination experience
The PGR Director, School Postgraduate Student Advisor (SPSA), or Senior Tutor (where appropriate)
Co-opted staff as deemed necessary by the Chair

Panels are quorate with the Chair and at least two other members present. They may be supported by a note-taker (not part of the panel). Support and Wellbeing Officers may attend to provide advice, but are not voting members.

The panels are permitted to consult and take advice from other professional services colleagues as appropriate to the claims.

Panel members who are also the student’s Personal Tutor or supervisor must recuse themselves from decision-making but may provide a supporting statement as evidence, if appropriate.

2.4.3 Frequency and record-keeping

School EC panels are responsible for scheduling their own regular meetings
School EC panels must meet at least once before each Board of Examiners.
Additional or extraordinary meetings may be arranged as needed.
Panels are not required to meet during exam periods, as students must decide whether they are fit to sit an exam.

Panels must keep formal records of:

all decisions
rationale or context for decisions where necessary
action points
patterns in claims - e.g. repeat use of the same circumstance by a student

2.4.4 The Board of Examiners for undergraduate and postgraduate taught students

Boards of Examiners consider support measures as appropriate when making final progression or award decisions.

3.0 Procedural steps

3.1 For students: submitting an EC claim

If a student believes their ability to study or complete assessments has been significantly affected, they should submit an EC form as soon as possible. The link is provided at the top of this page (and in Section 4 below).

This flowchart can help students decide whether an EC claim is right for them.

Extenuating circumstances flowchart

If a student submits an EC claim, they must include appropriate evidence where available. If a student submits a claim without evidence and does not indicate that evidence will follow, it will be treated as a self-certified claim.

If it is close to a submission deadline and students need to submit the affected coursework whilst still waiting for a decision on their EC claim, then students must include the term ‘ECPending’ in the submission file name.

Students should complete the EC claim form themselves. Only in exceptional cases may someone submit a claim on your behalf.

3.2 Students submitting an EC claim after the deadline due to severe incapacitation

If a student meets the criteria for late submission due to severe incapacitation (see EC Regulation), they should submit an EC claim with evidence through the usual EC procedure as soon as they are able.

If the EC claim is submitted and considered before the relevant progression/classification Exam Board (or Progression Review/viva for PGR students) meets, it will be dealt with under the EC procedure.
If the Exam Board (or equivalent) has already met, the student should follow the Academic Appeals process, provided any applicable appeal deadlines are met.

3.3 Next Steps if Dissatisfied or Submitting Late Evidence

In some cases, students may wish to challenge the outcome of an EC decision or the support measure awarded. This may be because they believe the decision was flawed (grounds 1–3 below) or because new evidence has since become available that could not reasonably have been provided earlier (ground 4, “late evidence”).

Simply being unhappy with the outcome is not sufficient grounds to take the matter further. Students must refer to the Academic Appeals Code of Practice (link provided in Section 4 below) for a full explanation of all grounds, which, in brief, are:

procedural irregularity,
prejudice or bias on the part of one or more of the decision makers,
that the decision was manifestly unreasonable
that there is now new evidence that was not, and could not have been, made available at the time of the EC claim.

If a student wishes to pursue one of these grounds, the first step is to clarify the decision or support measure with the relevant contact:

For self-certified EC claims: Student Services
For evidenced EC claims: the School
For PGR students: the School PGR Director or School Postgraduate Student Advisor

The process to follow depends on both the reason and the timing of the challenge.

If it is before the relevant progression/classification Exam Board has met (or before the Progression Review or viva date for PGRs):

Where students have new evidence (reason 4 above), the student should send the evidence and a written explanation of why it could not be submitted earlier to their School. This must be sent to the school within 5 working days of receiving the new evidence.
Where the issue relates to reasons 1–3 above (i.e. not new evidence), an Academic Appeal cannot be submitted at this stage. See guidance below for appeals after the Exam Board has met.

If it is after the relevant progression/classification Exam Board has met (or after the Progression Review/viva for PGRs):

Students may submit an appeal under the Academic Appeals process, provided this is within the deadline set out in the Academic Appeals Code of Practice (link in Section 4).
The deadline runs from the date the progression/classification decision is received, not from the date of the earlier EC decision. Appeals submitted after this deadline will not be accepted.

3.4 Procedures for Staff handling EC claims

Student Services/Faculty Offices and School EC panels need to process EC claims promptly. They must adhere to the requirements of the EC regulation, not least in relation to deadlines and evidence requirements.

For School EC panel it is often appropriate to make decisions outside of the formal panel meetings.

Evidenced EC claims for coursework can be considered by a single panel member outside of the regular meetings in order to provide a prompt decision. If the EC claim is approved, then the support measure can be determined by that panel member in consultation with the relevant Module Convener. These decisions would then be reported to the next Panel meeting.
Other time-sensitive matters may be handled by Chair’s action (or delegate), with decisions reported at the next meeting of the panel.

Where students cite short-term acute issues but have an existing support plan, consider whether an EC claim is appropriate or if adjustments are already in place.

School EC panels and Student Services/Faculty Offices are permitted (not required) to consider the suite of assessments the student has and if they anticipate the EC will also impact assessments that the student has not included in the claim they can ask the student if they would like to include them. Sometimes it may be necessary to include additional assessments regardless of student choice (for example, if a student has requested to delay submission of a piece of coursework which is followed by a viva exam, if the coursework submission is extended the viva in this example would need to also be delayed). This may mean that a self-certification limit was breached and then the claim may need evidence for all the assessments.

Encourage students with multiple EC claims to attend a support meeting to review ongoing circumstances and refer to appropriate services (e.g. Disability Support or Wellbeing).

A template is provided for staff wishing to provide a supporting statement in the Standard of Evidence regulation (link provided in Section 4 below). This statement would serve as evidence in support of an EC claim, and would not be confirmation that the claim has been approved.

3.5 How to withdraw an EC claim

Withdrawal requests for EC claims, whether with or without evidence, must be submitted via the ‘Ask a Question’ function in the Student Enquiry Centre portal by the deadlines specified in the EC Regulation (link provided in Section 4 below).