Appendix 5

Faculty of Life and Health Sciences

Extenuating Circumstances

1 Introduction
It has become apparent that there is variation across the Faculty in the way in which the University’s extenuating circumstances guidelines have been implemented. It is the purpose of this document to define a common Faculty policy in simple terms. This policy is to be implemented in 2008/9 so that this year’s students can continue under whatever local regime has been operating.  The time lag should be used to prepare new documentation for students, to adapt induction processes to suit and to ensure that all staff involved in student advice are aware of the policy.


2 Background
Extenuating circumstances are defined as circumstances that could not reasonably be foreseen and that either (a) prevent a student from submitting work for assessment (whether by coursework or examination) or else (b) prevent the student from demonstrating / achieving their full potential in the assessment in question. Extenuating circumstances are normally health-related, or of a sensitive/personal nature, or relate to some unforeseen emergency or crisis affecting the student’s situation. Some students have been exploiting this system as an insurance policy against a poor performance. Under these circumstances an EC1 form is submitted as well as the assessment being undertaken in the hope that should the performance be poor the student will have the opportunity to attempt assessment again and will be able to hold the new mark. This practice is contrary to the University policy. This faculty policy is designed to ensure that all students are treated both equitably and sympathetically.


3 Process

3.1 Submitting an EC1 form
When a student believes they have extenuating circumstances, an EC1 form is submitted to the Course Director.  The instructions on the EC1 form are clear and must be followed.  In particular the circumstances must be professionally corroborated.  An EC1 must be submitted prior to the due date of coursework or an examination. Where a problem arises during an examination a submission must be made within 5 days of the student having attempted the examination.

3.2 Withdrawal of an EC1 form
Only the student may withdraw the EC1 form. It cannot be ignored by staff under any circumstances. Withdrawal is achieved in one of three ways:

3.2.1 In writing before the coursework submission or examination date to the Course Director, Adviser of Studies or School office.
3.2.2 In the case of students submitting coursework within the deadline, the EC1 form can be withdrawn if a written statement is submitted with the work.
3.2.3 For EC1 forms submitted after an examination has been sat, in writing before the mark is made public, to the Course Director, Adviser of Studies or School office.

3.3 Advice to students

Staff should emphasise to students that they are precluded from predicting or guaranteeing that a student’s extenuating circumstances will be accepted.  Staff are nevertheless encouraged to point out when the student appears to have a very weak case, or to have submitted insufficient corroborative evidence. At all times the onus is on the student to present a sufficiently persuasive case, with reference to the principles set out in the University guidelines.


3.4 Decisions made on the basis of EC1 forms.
The student will have stated their desired outcome on the form. For an acceptable EC1 request the student’s preferred outcome should have priority. An acceptable EC1 request however, cannot involve the addition of marks for which there is no evidence. Further, any comparable assessment set must measure the same learning outcomes as the original. Course Directors are empowered to make immediate, but preliminary, decisions where necessary so that student uncertainty is minimised. Such decisions should always be made in consultation with the appropriate Module Organiser.
All decisions will be reviewed either by the Course Committee or the Board of Examiners whichever is the sooner. Where a Course Director has had to act immediately there will be a presumption that the action has been appropriate but committees may wish to review the acceptance policy from time to time with reference to the University guidelines.

There are four possible outcomes:

3.4.1 For coursework, the student may ask for a postponement of the submission date or a reasonable variation in the form of assessment. The Course Director may make an immediate decision and advise the student of that decision. Any new handing-in-date may not normally be after the date that marked work is returned to other students who submitted work on time. In practice, extensions should therefore, not normally exceed three weeks. Where coursework is not repeatable (e.g. practical work, group work or an extension in excess of three weeks) then the course director, in consultation with the module organiser, may agree a comparable assessment provided that it measures similar learning outcomes to the original.

3.4.2 For examinations where the EC1 form is submitted prior to the examination date, the student will not have sat the examination and the Course Director will make a recommendation to the Board of Examiners based on the EC1 form.  Where the EC1 form is acceptable then the student will be permitted to take the examination (or resit) for the first time at the next opportunity.

3.4.3 For examinations where the EC1 form is submitted after the examination the Course Director may make an immediate decision on the basis of the EC1 form. Where the EC1 form is acceptable the script should not be marked. The final decision is made however, by the Board of Examiners and on the rare occasion when this decision is not supported then the script may then be marked.

3.4.4 In any circumstances where an EC1 form is unacceptable the student may be assessed as normal. Where no assessment is attempted a mark of N is entered for an examination or a zero contribution made to cumulative assessment. 


3.5 Reporting
Reporting from Schools will take two forms.


3.5.1 As a formal record of the business of the Board of Examiners, a list of names of students whose extenuating circumstances were considered should be attached as an appendix. This will indicate only whether they were accepted or not i.e. no indication of the nature of the circumstances should be recorded. Schools will retain a file of all EC1 forms in a secure and confidential location, but this file will be periodically reviewed and individual EC1 forms will normally be shredded within one year of the student’s leaving the University (by graduating or otherwise).

3.5.2 Second, the extent of the use of EC1 forms and their outcomes will be noted by the Faculty to ensure equitable treatment of students across all Schools. All uses of EC1 forms will, therefore, be monitored by the Faculty Teaching and Learning Committee at its first meeting of the academic year. Each case will be classified as being for coursework or examinations and:

  • Successful
  • Unsuccessful
  • Withdrawn

A proforma will be used (attached) so that evidence may be recorded as it is collected.

4 Promotion of the policy

Student handbooks should be adapted where necessary to reflect this policy and all students informed that EC1 forms may not be used as insurance. Thus:

  • An EC1 form and a piece of assessment cannot be considered at the same time and the EC1 form will always take precedence. 
  • Where an EC1 form has been submitted after an examination then a decision on the EC1 form will be made before the work is marked.
  • Under no circumstances will additional marks be awarded on the basis of extenuating circumstances.
  • An EC1 form can only be withdrawn in writing, either submitted to the Course Director, Advisor of Studies or School office or attached to a piece of cumulative assessment (- note NOT attached to an examination script).

Staff should be aware that at secondary level, extenuating circumstances are routinely submitted by schools for the consideration by the examining team.  The work is always marked and additional marks frequently awarded, especially at borderlines on the basis of a broad range of extenuating circumstances.  The policy above therefore, is contrary to new students’ previous experience and expectations.  It is important therefore that the Faculty’s Extenuating Circumstance policy is clear to all.


5 Susidiarity
This faculty policy is an enactment of the University guidelines at http://www.ulster.ac.uk/academicoffice/download/Policies/ExtCircumstancesGuidelines.doc in which details of acceptable extenuating circumstances may be found.

Tony Cook
17-04-08

The School report form (2008/9) is available as MS Word file.