Extenuating Circumstances

If you have a problem that you believe has affected your ability to submit, or perform well in, any form of assessment, you will need to complete an Extenuating Circumstances Form (POG34).

Click below to download a form. Forms are also available on e:vision, from your Student Officeor the Students' Union's Advice and Support Centre.

wolverhampton:Extenuating Circumstances Form (POG34)

There are usually three deadlines for extenuating circumstances: January (for assessment related to Semester 1), May (for assessment related to Semester 2) and July (assessment related to the re-sit period). The next deadline for the majority of undergraduate students is Friday 23rd May 2008 at 12pm, but this may be different if you're in the School of Health or the School of Education.  Check with your Student Office.

It's important that you meet the appropriate deadline, as retrospective applications are not usually accepted. For example, you cannot usually apply in July for circumstances that relate to Semester 1 or 2 unless you can show good reason why you couldn't apply at the time. Plus it's often a lot more difficult to obtain valid evidence for your circumstances many months after the events.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Extenuating circumstances can affect one piece of assessment or your overall programme. By submitting a POG34 form you are letting the relevant Assessment Board know that you are experiencing, or have experienced, difficulties that have affected your performance in, or your ability to take, assessment. These circumstances must normally have been unforeseeable at the start of your course.

Please note - if the problem is a short-term one, you can request an extension to the deadline for assessment of up to seven days. If the problem is a long-term one, you may want to consider a leave of absence.

WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES ARE CONSIDERED VALID?

This list is not exhaustive, but it  gives examples of circumstances that would be accepted as valid, providing you have appropriate independent evidence:

•  
• Ill health
• Unforeseen changes in employment for part-time, block release or distance learning students
• Tragic personal circumstances (e.g. death and serious illness of friends and family)
• Breakdown of a close personal relationship
• Special needs declared to the University but not provided for in the delivery or assessment of a module
• Severe financial hardship, over and above that normally experienced by students or unforeseen at the start of studies
• Criminal, intentional or negligent acts of a third party which impact on your ability to complete or prepare for assessment
• Unforeseen transport problems
• Unforeseen failure of computing and other equipment where you can demonstrate that you had taken all reasonable steps to ensure that assessment was prepared in good time.

WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES ARE NOT CONSIDERED VALID?

Again, this list is not exhaustive, but it gives examples of circumstances that would NOT normally be accepted as valid:

•  
• Submission of a request after the published deadline (but see also Academic Appeals)
• Lack of appropriate evidence or evidence that does not cover the assessment period
• Having to meet the normal demands of part- or full-time work
• Having to meet normal family committments
• Special needs already taken into account by the University
• Missing the bus
• Exam nerves
• Taking holidays
• Lateness due to traffic
• Minor illness or aliment (e.g. cold)
• Poor planning or time management
• Not backing-up computer files
• Oversleeping
• Lack of awareness of University procedures

WHAT EVIDENCE WILL I NEED? 

You will be expected to provide both independent evidence (e.g. a doctor's note or letter from a counsellor) and supportive evidence (e.g. a personal statement from you or someone close to you) to back up your claim. You must show how the circumstances impacted on you at the time of assessment and any period leading up to the  assessment where you could reasonably be expected to study.

You should provide original copies of independent evidence. Where this is not possible, you should take your original copies to your Student Office so that they can be photocopied and verified as true copies.

WILL THE COUNSELLING SERVICE PROVIDE ME A SUPPORTING LETTER?

The important factor when seeking independent evidence is to make sure you have addressed your problems early. You should seek help as soon as you can. For example, the University has professional student counsellors in Student Gateway that can help you work through your problems. Over a series of sessions the counsellors may be able to give you space to get to grips with the problems that are affecting your assessment.

However, counsellors are unlikely to be in a position to provide you with a supporting letter to cover you for all of a semester if you present yourself the week before the extenuating circumstances deadline. This is why seeking help early is important if you want the counselling service to support you with your claim.

WILL A DOCTOR'S NOTE BE ENOUGH EVIDENCE?

This will depend on the circumstances, but a doctor's note that says you have been sick for a week is unlikely to be accepted as proof that you have had difficulties all semester. Remember, you must provide independent evidence to cover the whole period that you're claiming for. The University expects you to plan your assignments, and therefore producing a doctor's note that says you had flu for a couple of days before the assessment deadline is unlikely to be accepted. This will be seen as a lack of planning on your behalf.

However, in the case of serious illness or other relevant difficulties, a letter from a doctor or similar professional can provide the vital independent evidence that you need to support your case. Some doctors may charge to issue a doctor's note and you are expected to cover any costs.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF MY CLAIM IS SUCCESSFUL?

If your claim is successful and you have not submitted the relevant work, or you have submitted the relevant work but not passed it, you will normally be offered the opportunity to sit the assessment, as if for the first time, at the next available opportunity.

The next available opportunity should be given in your module guide, but it will normally be within the same academic year unless, for example, it relates to placement-based assessment that needs to be rolled over to the next year. If in doubt please look on WOLF or contact the module leader, who will be able to confirm when the next opportunity is. 

If you don't take the assessment at the next opportunity, your assessment will become subject to the rules of re-sits (i.e. your next attempt will be capped at grade D5).

WHAT IF MY EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES RELATE TO RE-SITS?

If you have valid extenuating circumstances that relate to assessment you were due to re-sit, you will normally be given the chance to take the re-sit again at the next available opportunity. The grade for this assessment will still be capped at D5, as is normal for re-sits.

If you don't take the assessment at the next available opportunity, you will receive grade F0 for the assessment. If your overall module grade is also F0, you will have to retake the whole module, including attending the lectures and retaking ALL the assessment. You could be charged for this (£157.50 per 15 credits for UK undergraduate students in 2007-08), although if you started your course before September 2006 your Local Authority may cover the cost for up to one extra year, and if you started your course after September 2006 you may be able to apply for an extra tuition fee loan for up to one extra year. Contact your LA to find out more. 

DO THE NORMAL RULES OF COMPENSATION APPLY TO EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES?

No, you will not be compensated if you submit your assessment with valid extenuating circumstances and you receive an overall module grade of E4. You will be given chance to take the relevant assessment again, as if for the first time, at the next available opportunity.

WHAT IF I SUBMIT MY ASSESSMENT AND PASS IT WITH GRADE D OR ABOVE?

MNOTED will appear on e:vision next to the module concerned. Please note that if you have passed a module (grade D and above) you cannot normally resubmit to get a higher grade, even if your extenuating circumstances are accepted.

Where extenuating circumstances have been noted against passed assessment, an Award Board may exceptionally use its discretion to look at the whole of a borderline candidate's grade portfolio to decide whether a lower than expected classification was due to valid extenuating circumstances. These factors may be taken into consideration when awarding your degree class; however, it is rare for a Board to adjust a student's degree class in this way.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I MISS THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING MY EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES? 

Claims are not normally accepted after the published deadlines; it's your responsibility to be aware of when the deadlines are. However, if you believe you have good reasons for missing the deadline, you could in the first instance contact the Chair of the Extenuating Circumstances Board in your School. Your School Office will be able to tell you who this is. Alternatively, you could appeal to the Conduct and Appeals Unit (see below).

WHAT IF MY CLAIM IS REJECTED?

You will be given the reason(s) why your claim has been unsuccessful. You will have to re-sit or retake the relevant assessment as normal, providing you are within your registration period (5 years for a full-time undergraduate honours degree). You can appeal against the decision within three months to the Conduct and Appeals Unit if you can show:

•  
• procedural, administrative or material error

and/or

•  
• valid extenuating circumstances that were not known at the time of assessment. You must also be able to give good reasons why you didn't notify the University of these circumstances at the time.

Please see Academic Appealsfor further information.