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Version number:
Effective date:
Date of last review:
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Educational Development and Quality
3.0
15th September 2014 (For 2014-15 and 2015-16 Academic Years)
August 2014
Every 3 years
This document is part of the Academic Regulations, Policies and Procedures which govern
the University’s academic provision. Each document has a unique document number to
indicate which section of the series it belongs to.
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and
Procedure
CONTENTS
1. SCOPE AND PURPOSE ................................................................................................................ 1
2. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES ............................................................................................................... 2
3. LINKS TO OTHER BU DOCUMENTS............................................................................................ 2
4. DEFINITIONS AND PRINCIPLES .................................................................................................. 3
5. ASSIGNMENT EXTENSION/ EXAM POSTPONEMENT REQUESTS .......................................... 3
6. BOARD CONSIDERATION REQUESTS ....................................................................................... 5
7. DATA PROTECTION ACT ............................................................................................................. 7
8. REFERENCES AND FURTHER INFORMATION .......................................................................... 7
Appendix 1: Mitigating Circumstances Process Diagram ................................................................ 8
Appendix 2: A guide to identifying mitigating circumstances for students and staff ................... 9
Appendix 3: Mitigating Circumstances - Guidance Notes for the Student ................................... 10
Appendix 4: Assignment Extension/Exam Postponement Request.............................................. 10
Appendix 5: Assessment Board Consideration of Circumstances Request Form ...................... 10
Appendix 6: Short-Term Sickness Notification Form …………………………………….................23
1.
SCOPE AND PURPOSE
1.1
This policy and procedure is for Bournemouth University (BU) staff and students of taught
programmes of study. It also provides a point of reference for the purposes of identifying
mitigating circumstances for those undertaking a research degree 1.
1.2
This policy and procedure must be followed when assessing individual applications for
assignment extensions, exam postponements and/or for Board consideration of individual
circumstances.
1.3
The policy and procedure outlines the principles and arrangements BU applies to applications
by students for individual circumstances, to be considered and taken into account in
relation to the assessment of taught programmes of study. The policy and procedure ensures
that any justified individual circumstance is taken into account to allow for fair assessment
outcomes for all students. Appendix 2 of this document includes a guide to identifying
mitigating circumstances for students and staff.
Students, please note that it is extremely important that you inform the University of any mitigating
circumstances that may have affected your grade(s) at the appropriate time as indicated in this
document, even if you think you may have passed. If you do not do this and do not have valid
reasons for this (see also Appendix 3 paragraph 7), the University cannot consider your request
after your Assessment Board has met. If you are not sure what this means for you, please contact
SUBU Advice.
1
Please see 8A – Code of Practice for Research Degrees. Further advice may be sought from the Graduate School.
1
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
1.4
This policy and procedure does not cover instances where whole groups of students are
affected by circumstances (e.g. disturbance during an examination). Any issue of this nature
should be brought to the attention of the Framework Leader/Programme Co-ordinator for
consideration by the Assessment Board as appropriate.
1.5
Existing conditions for which students receive support from BU’s Additional Learning Support
(ALS) (or Partner equivalent) fall outside the remit of the policy and procedure unless
evidence suggests that a circumstance or set of circumstances affect/affected a student over
and above any arrangements already made for assessments, or that the agreed
arrangements did not fully compensate for his/her condition in the current academic year.
Help and support
Your wellbeing is important to us and we understand that you may currently be suffering
emotional or personal trauma whilst submitting your mitigating circumstances (and indeed at
any other time during your studies here). Please note that Student Services within the
University provides support which is freely available to help you through any issues you may
be experiencing.
Student health and well-being information and resources are located at health-wellbeing, this
includes (but is not restricted to) Counselling and the Talbot Medical Centre. You may also
benefit from speaking to somebody within the Chaplaincy service. A full list of support
resources available to students is located at A-Z of Resources or please contact
studentwellbeing@bournemouth.ac.uk.
Should you require any assistance with submitting your mitigating circumstances please
contact SUBU Advice.
2.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
2.1
Students: to identify and put forward circumstances to which the policy and procedure may
be applied and to ensure that all requests are submitted on the correct completed and signed
Request Form and accompanied by independently verified medical or other appropriate
supporting evidence and that such documentation is submitted by the specified deadlines.
2.2
Framework Leaders and Programme Co-ordinators: to consider assignment extension
requests and applications for exam postponements in line with BU’s policy and procedure.
2.3
Programme Administrator (or Partner equivalent): to complete the Short-Term Sickness
Notification Form in line with the procedure outlined in Appendices 3 and 6 of this document.
2.4
Circumstance Board: to consider applications made by individual students for the
consideration of circumstances by the Assessment Board in terms of the application’s validity
and severity and to grade applications in line with Section 7, 6K – Assessment Boards: Policy
and Procedure to inform the decisions made at Assessment Boards.
2.5
Assessment Board: to receive the outcomes of applications for Assessment Board
consideration from the Circumstance Board and to consider the outcomes in light of students’
individual profiles. To confirm unit marks, level aggregate and/or classification.
3.
LINKS TO OTHER BU DOCUMENTS
3.1
Other documents with direct relevance to this one are:

6A - Standard Assessment Regulations

6K - Assessment Boards: Policy and Procedure

6L - Assessment Board Decision-Making, Including the Implementation of
Assessment Regulations: Procedure

11A - Academic Appeals Policy and Procedure for Taught Awards

11F - Student Complaints: Policy and Procedure
2
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
Policy
4.
DEFINITIONS AND PRINCIPLES
Definitions
4.1
Mitigating circumstances may be defined as the taking into account of circumstances
which:

were not within the foresight and/or control of the student

are not already registered with BU’s Additional Learning Support service2
and which BU believes might adversely affect the academic performance of a student in one
or more elements of assessment. Appendix 2 contains some examples of circumstances not
normally taken into account.
In order to be considered by BU, all applications for circumstances to be taken into account
must be supported by independently verified medical or other appropriate documentary
evidence3. Any costs incurred in supplying evidence are the student’s responsibility.
Consideration of mitigating circumstances
4.2
All Faculties manage mitigating circumstances in line with BU’s requirements (see 6K –
Assessment Boards: Policy and Procedure).
A student may request that his/her
circumstances are taken into consideration in one of the following ways:

consideration of assignment extension/exam postponement requests by the Framework
Leader/Programme Co-ordinator (or nominee). This method should be utilised where
possible.

consideration of circumstances by a Circumstance Board where extension/
postponement is not possible for valid reasons or where the student considers that the
circumstances are serious and likely to impact on future assignments/examinations.
The processes for each of these are outlined in Sections 5 and 6 below and
summarised in a flow diagram in Appendix 1.
4.3
All details of the circumstances giving rise to applications for Board consideration are treated
as confidential and only discussed at the Circumstance Board by those members of BU listed
in its Terms of Reference. The discussions are also confidential. Exceptionally, external
examiners may request evidence concerning how BU ensures equity of its assessment
outcomes, including how it arrives at decisions regarding mitigation. To facilitate this it may
be appropriate for external examiners to request access to information regarding individual
decisions before or at the Assessment Board. All information supplied to external examiners
will remain confidential.
Procedure
5.
ASSIGNMENT EXTENSION/ EXAM POSTPONEMENT REQUESTS
Forms and evidence
5.1
If a student believes that they may have circumstances which fall under the definition of
mitigating circumstances as described in Section 4.1 above4 and in Appendix 2, she/he must
complete an Assignment Extension/Exam Postponement Request Form (Appendix 4) and
submit the signed form to the Programme Administrator (or Partner equivalent) either in
2
As indicated in Section 1.5, existing conditions for which students receive support from BU’s Additional Learning Support (or
Partner equivalent) fall outside the remit of the policy and procedure unless evidence suggests that a circumstance or set of
circumstances affect/affected a student over and above any arrangements already made for assessments, or that the agreed
arrangements did not fully compensate for his/her condition in the current academic year.
3
From November 2013, this includes the provision of Short-Term Sickness Notification Form for sickness of no more than 5
days in duration as outlined in Sections 5.5 and 5.6 below and Appendices 3 and 6.
4
Excluding those already taken into account through the provision of additional learning support (see Section 1.5).
3
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
person or via post/e-mail together with appropriate supporting evidence. The student should
detail the circumstances and an explanation as to why the circumstances will prevent them
from meeting the deadline or sitting the exam.
5.2
The form and supporting evidence should normally be submitted as far in advance of the
assignment deadline or the start time of the exam as possible for consideration by the
Framework Leader/Programme Co-ordinator (see Section 5.8 below). The student should
keep a photocopy of the form and supporting evidence for his/her own records.
Provision of late evidence
5.3
Where evidence is not submitted at the time a request is made, an extension/postponement
may be granted provisionally subject to subsequent receipt of satisfactory evidence. In such
cases, the student should be notified of the consequences should the
extension/postponement request subsequently be unsuccessful. See Sections 5.5-5.6 below
for restrictions where an extension/postponement request is supported by a ShortTerm Sickness Notification Form.
Circumstances arising on the day of the assignment hand in/exam
5.4
If the circumstance arises on the actual day of the assignment hand-in or exam making it
impossible for the student to submit the assignment or attend the examination, the student
must inform the Programme Administrator (or Partner equivalent) immediately by e-mail and
complete an Assignment Extension or Exam Postponement Request Form and provide
appropriate supporting evidence within 7 calendar days of the hand-in deadline/date of the
exam in order to be considered for an assignment extension/exam postponement. See
Sections 5.5-5.6 below for restrictions where an extension/postponement request is
supported by a Short-Term Sickness Notification Form.
Evidencing short-term sickness
5.5
(Ongoing Circumstances in respect of Long-term illness is not covered by this.) Where an
extension/exam postponement request is made in respect of short-term sickness (i.e.
sickness of up to 5 days in duration), an extension/exam postponement request may be
supported by a Short-Term Sickness Notification Form where medical evidence is not
available. Where a request is made using the short-term sickness notification procedure as
outlined in Appendix 3 (section 1.2) and Appendix 6, the student must telephone 5 (not email)
the Programme Administrator (or Partner equivalent) who completes the Short-Term Sickness
Notification Form.
5.6
Retrospective short-term sickness notification is not permitted under the short-term
sickness notification procedure. Therefore, if the circumstance arises on the actual day of
the assignment hand-in or exam, the Programme Administrator must be contacted before the
assignment deadline/start of the exam or no later than 4pm on the day of submission/exam
(e.g. if the submission/exam is at 5pm) in order to follow this procedure. Where a student who
suffers from short-term sickness fails to contact the Programme Administrator by the
appropriate deadline, independently verified medical or other appropriate documentary
evidence may be accepted as outlined in Section 5.7 below.
Failure to submit a request before the hand-in time/exam start time
5.7
5
Where a student fails to submit an assignment extension/exam postponement request,
she/he may still be eligible to apply for Board consideration (see Section 6 below). The
student should complete a Board Consideration of Circumstances Request Form and submit
this form along with full supporting evidence and an explanation as to why she/he did not
submit the form for earlier consideration of the circumstances. The Programme Administrator
(or Partner equivalent) can then ensure that the circumstances are considered by the
appropriate Board (see Section 6 below), which will normally mean that the student will need
to wait longer for a decision.
Or leave a voicemail as per the guidance in Appendix 3 section 1.2
4
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
Formal consideration of the circumstances
5.8
The Framework Leader/Programme Co-ordinator (or nominee) will consider the assignment
extension/exam postponement request and decide whether the circumstances are valid
based on the submitted evidence. If agreed, an extension/postponement will be granted and
a new hand-in deadline/exam date set.
5.9
The student will be notified whether the extension/postponement request has been authorised
and receive a revised date as appropriate, normally within 7 calendar days of receipt of the
form. The information is recorded on the Assignment Extension/Exam Postponement
Request Form, which is retained by the Faculty. Information on extensions granted should be
noted on the information taken to the Faculty’s Circumstance Board in order to inform its
decisions and assure consistency.
5.10
All extensions approved for coursework hand-ins must have a specific hand-in date which is
set to reflect the nature of the Mitigating Circumstance6. A further extension to the hand-in
deadline may be requested if the student submits further evidence of continuing/new
circumstances for consideration before the original extension deadline has passed.
Continuing circumstances which last beyond 5 days in duration must be verified by a medical
certificate or equivalent independently verified evidence. Short-term sickness notification form
will not be accepted. However, new circumstances that have come to light after the original
circumstance may be evidenced using short-term sickness notification.
5.11
Postponed exams will normally be sat in the next available ‘resit’ exam period.
6.
BOARD CONSIDERATION REQUESTS
Eligibility for Board consideration
6.1
There will be occasions when a student’s circumstances will need consideration by the
Circumstance Board as part of the Assessment Board process. Such instances may occur
when a student:



was unable to submit an assignment extension or exam postponement request
before the assignment deadline/exam start time (and has provided an explanation as
to why she/he did not submit the form for earlier consideration of the circumstances);
circumstances may have continued to affect his/her performance over and above the
assessment for which an assignment extension/exam postponement was granted;
has completed his/her assessment before becoming fully aware of the impact of the
circumstances.7
Forms and evidence
6.2
To seek Board consideration, the student must complete a Board Consideration of
Circumstances Request Form (Appendix 5) and submit the signed form to the Programme
Administrator (or Partner equivalent) either in person or via post/e-mail together with
appropriate supporting evidence at least 5 working days in advance of the date of the
Circumstance Board.
NB See Sections 5.5-5.6 above for restrictions regarding the retrospective short-term
sickness notification procedure and the requirements for the completion of the ShortTerm Sickness Notification Form.
6.3
As well as detailing what the circumstances are, the student needs to explain how they
affected his/her assessment performance. The student should provide information about
which assignment(s) or exam(s) were affected, including the date(s) of the circumstances and
the date(s) of the assessment(s).
6
When an extension goes beyond three weeks, the consequences of other students having received feedback should be
considered. For longer extensions it should be considered whether a new/different piece of assessment is more appropriate, or
that an assessment during the reassessment period should be offered.
7 Excluding those already taken into account through the provision of additional learning support (see Section 1.5).
5
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
6.4
The form should be submitted even if the student believes she/he may have passed the
assessment. If a student does not inform BU of his/her circumstances at the appropriate time
(unless there are valid reasons for not doing so), the circumstances will not normally be
considered. The student should keep a photocopy of the form and supporting evidence for
his/her own records.
Formal consideration of the circumstances
6.5
Requests for the consideration of circumstances received at least 5 working days in
advance of the Circumstance Board will be considered by the Assessment Board in
accordance with the Assessment Regulations applicable to the student’s programme of study,
normally 6A - Standard Assessment Regulations but students should check their
framework/programme handbook to confirm. The Circumstance Board will decide whether
the circumstances should be taken into consideration and grade the circumstance for
consideration by the Assessment Board.
6.6
Ongoing Circumstances. Some long-term circumstances may only impact a period of time or
one academic year, but some could affect all of the student’s studies. Based on the
information supplied by the student for that Board (or any notes carried over from a previous
Circumstances/ Assessment Board), the Circumstances Board will determine whether the
long-term circumstances have had an impact on any assessments during that Academic
Year. The Circumstances Board will determine whether any long-term circumstances need to
be re-evidenced for that Assessment period.
6.7
Additional Learning Support. (In addition to the definition of Mitigating Circumstances in
section 4.1) Where a student has a late diagnosis of a disability or learning difference, the
Circumstances Board may, where it has been evidenced that the students’ performance in
assessment has been affected, accept this as valid Mitigating Circumstances. The student
may thereby be allowed the opportunity by the Assessment Board to be assessed as for the
first time for the current academic level only. Normally, retrospective consideration would
apply to the period between initial ALS consultation and formal diagnosis where this may
have affected students’ assessment performance.
6.8
Short-term emergency care of an unexpected and serious nature. Students can submit an
application for Mitigating Circumstances, if supported by appropriate evidence that their
performance in assessment is affected due to providing short-term emergency care for
situations of an unexpected and serious nature.
Late submission of a Board consideration request
6.9
Where a student submits a Board consideration request less than 5 working days before
the Circumstance Board but before the Assessment Board is due to meet, the student
should seek advice from the Programme Administrator (or Partner equivalent). If there is a
valid reason for late submission of circumstances, she/he may be allowed to submit evidence
for consideration by the Circumstance Board or by Circumstance Board Chair’s Action.
Assessment Board decision
6.10
Students need to complete and pass all appropriate units before progressing to the next
stage/level of the programme. The Assessment Board will not raise the marks received even
if they agree that the circumstances are valid.
Depending on the grading of the
circumstances, the Assessment Board may recommend that a student who has failed a unit
be permitted to be re-assessed as outlined in Regulation 13.2 of 6A – Standard Assessment
Regulations. In exceptional cases, where the student’s ability to complete his/her studies is
affected by very serious circumstances, (such as the terminal illness of the student), the
Circumstance Board may recommend implementation of Regulation 13.3 of 6A – Standard
Assessment Regulations to the Assessment Board subject to ratification by the Chair of
Senate.
6.11
Normally the Assessment Board will only take into consideration mitigating circumstances that
have been raised during the academic year. However, exceptionally, details of serious
6
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
circumstances may be carried forward to the following academic year(s) in order that the
Assessment Board may have the information to hand for consideration of the student’s overall
profile when determining final award classifications. If such information is carried forward,
and the student considers in the following academic year that the circumstances continue to
impact on their ability to perform (or there are additional circumstances), an application for
extensions/exam board postponements and/or for Board consideration should be made for all
assessments that the student considers to be affected. These continuing circumstances must
be verified by a medical certificate or equivalent evidence (unless the Board has determined
that they do not require re-evidencing again e.g. due to the severity of the circumstances as
per section 6.6 above). Short-term sickness notification will not be accepted for
continuing circumstances beyond 5 days.
6.12
The student is informed of the outcome of an application for Assessment Board Consideration
of Circumstances request through the publication of the Assessment Board results. On
request, students may obtain further information concerning the outcome of the consideration
of their application.
Failure to submit a Board consideration request
6.13
Where a student fails to submit a Board consideration request before the Assessment
Board has met, and considers that he/she has a valid reason for doing so, the student may
be entitled to appeal against the decision of the Assessment Board in accordance with 11A Academic Appeals for Taught Awards: Policy and Procedure. Any circumstances that could
have been raised before the meeting of the Circumstance and/or Assessment Board but,
without valid reason were not raised, will not be considered in the event of an appeal.
General
7.
DATA PROTECTION ACT
7.1
As required by the Data Protection Act 1998, BU will not normally disclose personal
information to a third party other than with the data subject’s explicit permission; except where
there is a legal obligation to do so. Likewise it is not possible for BU to obtain information
about a student from a third party (such as a doctor) without the student’s prior explicit
consent.
8.
REFERENCES AND FURTHER INFORMATION
8.1
If a student is not satisfied with a decision concerning an extension request, she/he may
address this through the Faculty’s complaints process as outlined in 11F – Student
Complaints: Policy and Procedure. If a student wishes to lodge an appeal against the
decision of the Assessment Board, she/he may do so in accordance with 11A - Academic
Appeals for Taught Awards: Policy and Procedure. All appeals must be submitted within 10
working days of the date of publication of results.
8.2
Further guidance, advice and information can be obtained from askBU Students’ Service
(telephone 01202 969696 e-mail askBUstudents@bournemouth.ac.uk) or SUBU Advice (email subuadvice@bournemouth.ac.uk telephone 01202 965779).
8.3
This document has been mapped against the requirements outlined in meeting the equality
duty in policy and decision-making at Bournemouth University.
9.
APPENDICES AND FORMS
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
Appendix 4
Appendix 5
Appendix 6
7
Mitigating Circumstances Process Diagram
A guide to identifying mitigating circumstances for students and staff
Guidance Notes for the Student
Assignment Extension/Exam Postponement Request Form
Assessment Board Consideration of Circumstances Request Form
Short-term Sickness Notification Form
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
Appendix 1: Mitigating Circumstances Process Diagram
Student decides to submit
circumstances for
consideration
EXTENSION/EXAM
POSTPONEMENT
Student completes the
assignment extension/
exam postponement
request at earliest
opportunity (see
Appendix 4). NB: If the
student considers the
circumstances require
more consideration than
an extension/
postponement, he/she
may apply for Board
consideration at the
same time.
Has the hand-in
deadline/exam
start time passed?
No
Yes
Circumstances
Board
Considersation
Yes
Are there at least 5
working days before the
circumstances Board?
No
Student completes Board consideration
request form in Appendix 5 and collates
supporting evidence.
NB Short-Term Sickness Notification
Form cannot be completed
retrospectively.
NB Short-Term
Sickness Notification
Form cannot be
completed
retrospectively.
Student submits signed
form and evidence to
Programme
Administrator/equivalent
Partner College
administrator who logs
receipt of the request.
Programme
Coordinator/Framework
Leader/Nominee
considers evidence and
grants extension or
rejects the request
Programme
Administrator logs
decision and notifies
student within 7
calendar days of the
request
Student submits
assignment/sits exam(s)
by revised deadline and
work is marked in
advance of relevant
Assessment Board
Student submits
signed form and
evidence to
Programme
Administrator/
equivalent Partner
College Administrator
who logs Board
consideration request
in Student Records
System for
Circumstances Board
Circumstances Board
meets to consider
evidence and grade
circumstances
Programme
Administrator logs
outcome in
Student Records
System
Assessment Board
meets and makes
decisions as to what
action should be taken
(if any) in each case,
referring to the outcome
of the Circumstance
Board
Has the Assessment
Board already met?
No
Student seeks
advice from the
Programme
Administrator/
equivalent Partner
College
Administrator
regarding further
action. NB. The
University is not
obliged to
consider late
applications for
Assessment
Board
consideration but
may exceptionally
do so if the
student provides
evidence of a valid
reason for late
submission of
circumstances
Yes
No
Refer student to Academic
Appeals Policy. Advise on
limited ground for appeal.
NB. Appeals must be made
within 10 working days of
the publication of results
Yes
Are the circumstances to be
considered by the
Circumstances Board (may
be as Chair’s Action)
The student is
informed of
Assessment
Board decision by
virtue of
publication of
results
Yes
Does the student consider the
circumstances to have affected him/
her over and above any extension/
postponement granted?
8
No
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
Appendix 2: A guide to identifying mitigating circumstances for students and staff
1. What is a Mitigating Circumstance?
Students may be given an extension to coursework or be allowed to postpone sitting an exam where
they have a valid mitigating circumstance. Students may also be eligible for consideration of
circumstances by a Circumstance Board.
A mitigating circumstance is something that:


was not within the foresight and/or control of the student
is not already registered with BU’s Additional Learning Support service
and which BU believes might adversely affect a student’s academic performance in one or more
elements of assessment.
2. What is not a Mitigating Circumstance?
The following are not normally considered valid mitigating circumstances:








computer/IT failure of student’s own equipment8;
transport problems9;
misreading of assessment dates and times;
moving house;
holidays or expeditions;
inadequate planning, organisation or time management;
timetabling of coursework/examinations;
demands of paid employment10.
8
For BU systems failure when submitting assignments online, (prior to the submission deadline)
students should refer to the Submitting Assignments Online – Student Support Guide.
9 Unpredictable and exceptional transport delays on the day of the exam may, in some circumstances
be considered a valid circumstance for non-attendance; however, routine delays to trains or buses will
not.
10 Exceptionally, this may be considered for some students on part-time programmes or members of
HM Forces.
9
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
Appendix 3: Mitigating Circumstances - Guidance Notes for the Student
Help and support
Your wellbeing is important to us and we understand that you may currently be suffering emotional or
personal trauma whilst submitting your mitigating circumstances (and indeed at any other time during
your studies here). Please note that Student Services within the University provides support which is
freely available to help you through any issues you may be experiencing.
Student health and well-being information and resources are located at health-wellbeing, this includes
(but is not restricted to) Counselling and the Talbot Medical Centre. You may also benefit from
speaking to somebody within the Chaplaincy service. A full list of support resources available to
students is located at A-Z of Resources or please contact studentwellbeing@bournemouth.ac.uk.
Should you require any assistance with submitting your mitigating circumstances please contact
SUBU Advice.
1. What evidence do I need?
It is your responsibility to identify and put forward circumstances to which this policy and procedure
may be applied and to ensure that all requests are submitted on the correct, completed and signed
Request Form and accompanied by independently verified medical or other appropriate supporting
evidence and that such documentation is submitted by the specified deadlines. The following
guidance notes will help you do this.
1.1 Requests supported by independent medical or other evidence
All requests must normally be supported by appropriate independent evidence (but see 1.2 below
regarding short-term sickness notification), for example:


a GP letter or medical certificate which includes the dates of an illness and its impact on the
student’s ability to study;
independent evidence of the death or ill health of a family member (such as an order of
service/equivalent/a death certificate or a medical certificate).
Requests for circumstances to be taken into account which are not accompanied by a signed and fully
completed Request Form and independently verified medical or other appropriate documentary
evidence will not normally be considered by BU. Letters from friends and family are not sufficient
evidence on their own. Where documentation cannot be reasonably obtained before a request is
made, any decision will be subject to subsequent receipt of satisfactory evidence within a reasonable
timeframe approved by the Programme/Course Administrator.
1.2 Requests supported by short-term sickness notification (of up to 5 days in duration)
Short-term sickness (i.e. an illness which lasts no longer than 5 days) may be supported by a ShortTerm Sickness Notification Form where medical evidence is not available. Please follow the
procedure outlined below as this enables you to inform your Programme/Course Administrator of the
circumstances. The Administrator will complete the Short-Term Sickness Notification Form in
Appendix 6 for you.
Short-term sickness notification procedure:


You must telephone your Programme/Course Administrator as soon as you realise that you have
a short-term sickness which may affect your performance in one or more assessments or prevent
you from meeting a deadline/sitting an exam. If you cannot speak to your Administrator, you must
leave a voicemail and clearly state your name, course, contact number and a short explanation of
your sickness. Email or text messages will NOT be accepted.
If your short-term sickness arises on the actual day of the assignment hand-in or exam, you must
call your Programme/Course Administrator before the submission deadline/start of the exam. If
10
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure





the submission/exam is after 4pm, you should call no later than 4pm. Calls after 4pm will NOT be
accepted.
If your sickness lasts more than 5 days, you must provide a medical certificate/other appropriate
independently verified evidence in order for your circumstances to be considered.
The Programme/Course Administrator will complete the Short-Term Sickness Notification Form
on the basis of the information you provide so you should have the following available before you
make the phone call: your ID number; telephone number; email address; course; level;
assessment(s) and unit(s) affected; brief details of sickness and when you became
unwell.Following your telephone call, your Programme/Course Administrator will email you a copy
of the completed form so that you can submit it alongside a completed Assignment
Extension/Exam Postponement Request Form in Appendix 4. The Short-Term Sickness
Notification Form does NOT replace this document.
The Programme/Course Administrator who receives the call (for short-term sickness notification)
does not approve (or otherwise) the request for mitigating circumstances.
If you need to use short-term sickness notification later as evidence to seek Board consideration
of circumstances and you complete and sign the Board Consideration of Circumstances Request
Form in Appendix 5, you can do so only if you notified the Programme/Course Administrator of
your sickness promptly and a Short-Term Sickness Notification Form was completed at the time
you were unwell. Retrospective short-term sickness notification will NOT be accepted under this
procedure.
This process does not cover ‘flare-ups’ of long-term illness, as these will be considered under
‘Ongoing Circumstances’ by the Circumstances Board, however, you must notify your
Programmes Team of any ‘flare ups’ of a long-term condition which has affected you in
assessment.
2. How do I request an assignment extension or postpone sitting an exam?
As soon as you believe that you may have mitigating circumstances you must complete the
Assignment Extension/Exam Postponement Request Form and submit it to the Programme/Course
Administrator together with all supporting evidence (see Section 1.1 above for medical/other
independently verified evidence and Section 1.2 above for short-term sickness notification).
If you are submitting your Mitigating Circumstances form electronically, or a third-party is doing this on
your behalf, make sure that these confidential forms are only sent to those members of staff who
need to see them.
The form must be submitted before the assignment deadline or the start time of the exam. As well as
detailing what your circumstances are, you need to explain why they will prevent you from meeting
your deadline or sitting your exam. The Framework Leader/Programme Co-ordinator (or nominee)
will decide whether your circumstances should be taken into consideration and, if they are in
agreement, they will make alternative arrangements for your assessment. These will then be noted
on your Assignment Extension/Exam Postponement Request Form. You will be informed if your
extension or postponement request has been authorised, normally within 7 calendar days.
If circumstances arise on the day of your assignment hand-in or exam making it impossible for you to
submit the assignment or attend the examination, you must contact your Programme/Course
Administrator immediately. In circumstances relating to short-term sickness, you must contact
your Programme/Course Administrator by telephone and leave a voice mail if you cannot get
through (see Short-term sickness notification procedure in Section 1.2 above). You will need to follow
this up with a completed Assignment Extension/Exam Postponement Request Form and full
supporting evidence. If you do not turn up for an exam, or do not submit on time, and do not let us
know that you have a valid reason for your absence or non-submission, you will be penalised (as per
the assessment regulations for your course). Although the Assessment Board may permit a resit of
the exam, the resit mark will be considered as a second attempt resulting in the formal element mark
being at the pass mark.
If mitigating circumstances are of a longer term nature, and affect you over and above any
assignment extensions/exam postponements that are requested, both the Assignment
Extension/Exam Postponement Request Form and the Assessment Board Consideration of
Circumstances Request Form should be completed.
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6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
NB Continuing circumstances must be verified by a medical certificate or other independently
verified evidence. Short-term sickness notification will not be accepted for continuing
circumstances beyond 5 days. However, new circumstances that have come to light after the
original circumstance may be evidenced via short-term sickness notification.
3. How do I let the Assessment Board know about my circumstances?
If you have already been given an extension to your coursework or allowed to postpone sitting your
exam(s), we have already made allowances for your circumstances and no further action is normally
necessary. If your circumstances are of a longer term nature, you should complete both the
Assignment Extension/Exam Postponement Request Form and the Assessment Board Consideration
of Circumstances Request Form.
Exceptionally, you may already have completed your assessment before you become fully aware of
the impact of your circumstances, or you may not have had time to submit an assignment extension
or exam postponement request before your assessment was due. In this case, the Assessment
Board may take your circumstances into account when they are considering your performance or the
arrangements for you to progress to the next stage of your programme. To make the Board aware of
your circumstances you should complete an Assessment Board Consideration of Circumstances
Request Form and provide all supporting evidence. As well as explaining what your circumstances
are you need to explain how they affected your assessment. You will need to provide information
about which piece(s) of coursework or exam(s) were affected, including the date of your
circumstances and the date of your assessment(s). You will also need to explain why you were
unable to apply for an assignment extension or exam postponement.
This information needs to be submitted to your Programme/Course Administrator (or as advised by
the Faculty/Partner) at least 5 working days before the relevant Board meets (your
Programme/Course Administrator can let you know the deadline for this).
NB. You cannot inform the University of short-term sickness retrospectively (i.e. after your
assignment hand-in date/date of your exam). Where short-term sickness notification is used as
evidence to support a Board consideration request, you must have notified the University (or
partner) of your short-term sickness (i.e. an illness of no more than 5 days in duration) at the
time you were unwell and the Short-Term Sickness Notification Form in Appendix 6 should be
dated accordingly.
4. What happens to my request for Board consideration?
Your request for Board consideration goes to a Circumstance Board for ‘grading’ (see below). The
Circumstance Board will decide whether your circumstances are valid. As the Circumstance Board
can only take into consideration circumstances that have been raised during that academic year, you
cannot ask for things to be taken into account that may have affected your performance in previous
years. Exceptionally, serious circumstances may be carried forward to the following academic year(s)
in order that the Assessment Board may have the information to hand when considering the overall
profile of a student when determining final award classifications. However, students should apply
afresh for extensions, exam postponement, or Board consideration each academic year.
Circumstance Board Grading
0
Perceived circumstances/problems which have been discussed but are not deemed to have
materially affected a student’s performance (or the application was invalid). (Not taken into
account by Assessment Boards).
1
Significant short-term circumstances/factors which impaired a student’s performance in one or
more identified assessment(s). (Assessment Boards would then implement Section 13.2 of
the Assessment Regulations.).
2
Significant long-term circumstances which may have caused substantial impairment of a
student’s performance in one or more identified assessment(s) and may continue to affect
future performance (Assessment Boards would then implement Section 13.2 of the
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6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
Assessment Regulations and the grading would be made available to future Assessment
Boards in order to inform consideration of the student’s overall profile when considering final
classifications).
If you submitted your Assessment Board Consideration of Circumstances Request Form by the
deadline for the Circumstance Board, the grading of your Mitigating Circumstance is taken to the
Assessment Board for a decision and your results will then be published. Please note the following:



The Assessment Board will not raise marks even if it agrees that you have valid
circumstances but you may, for example, be permitted to resubmit your assessment or resit
your exam ‘as a first attempt’. This means that your first attempt will be disregarded and your
formal element mark will not be ‘capped’ at the pass mark (NB element and/or unit marks will
be capped in line with the Assessment Regulations where mitigating circumstances relate to a
reassessment or a repeat).
You will still need to complete and pass all your units before you progress to the next stage of
your programme or are able to graduate in line with the Assessment Regulations for your
programme.
The document ‘6L - Assessment Board Decision-Making, Including the Implementation of
Assessment Regulations: Procedure’ states the following:
‘Following the acceptance of evidence of mitigating circumstances submitted after the
submission date (in accordance with the mitigating circumstances process) the
Assessment Board may decide to award the actual mark for work classed as late or
to offer an assessment as if for the first time. However, without such evidence, the
mark of zero will stand.’
5. What can I do if I don’t agree with the Assessment Board decision?
If you have valid grounds, you may Appeal against the decision of the Assessment Board. Please see
11A – Academic Appeals for Taught Awards: Policy and Procedure.
6. What can I do if I miss the deadline for Board consideration?
Late submission of a Board consideration request
Circumstances must be submitted at least 5 working days prior to the Circumstances Board.
If you need to submit less than 5 working days before the Circumstance Board this will be considered
‘late’ by the University unless you have a valid reason (see 7 below) for not submitting by the
deadline. If you think you have a valid reason, circumstances may be presented for consideration
after this point but before the Assessment Board. You must seek advice from your
Programme/Course Administrator to discuss whether you have a valid reason for not submitting by
the deadline.
Failure to submit a Board consideration request
If you are unable to submit a Board consideration request, circumstances may be presented as part of
an Appeal of the decision of the Assessment Board, but must be accompanied by evidence of valid
reasons for missing the earlier deadlines (see 7 below).
7. What is a ‘valid reason’ and what is ‘not a valid reason’ for missing the deadline(s)?
Valid reason for submitting ‘late’ circumstances or for an appeal
You must be able to demonstrate why you were previously unable to submit your circumstances by
the deadline(s) stated above and for the University to agree that this is a valid reason to consider your
circumstances.
Not valid reasons for submitting ‘late’ circumstances or for an appeal
The following are common explanations that are not accepted by the University as a valid reason to
consider your circumstances:
13
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
Not submitting circumstances by the deadline(s) by your own choice or because you were unwilling to
disclose the information at the time are not considered valid reasons.
Not feeling that the circumstances affected you at the time but later believing that they did once you
see your results, is not considered a valid reason.
8. Important to remember
8.1
Confidentiality
You may feel that you do not want to tell us about your circumstances because you are worried about
who will get to know. You can be assured that your information is only shared with the people who
need to know in order to make a decision about whether to allow an extension/postponement to your
assessment or make a decision about your academic progression.
If you are submitting your Mitigating Circumstances form electronically, or a third-party is doing this on
your behalf, make sure that these confidential forms are only sent to those members of staff who
need to see them.
8.2
Timely Disclosure of Information
Understandably you want to be judged on your academic ability alone. Some students decide not to
submit mitigating circumstances for this reason but change their mind once they see their final results.
BU will not accept this as an adequate reason for not disclosing mitigating circumstances. You are
not obliged to let us know of any circumstances but if you do not tell us at the appropriate time, we
cannot take them into consideration. It is therefore essential that you ensure that you disclose all
relevant information as soon as you can.
If you want the Board to consider your circumstances you must submit the Assessment Board
Consideration of Circumstances Request Form even if you think you may have passed.
8.3
False Declarations
The Mitigating Circumstances forms include the following declaration:
“I understand that by knowingly making a false declaration I may render myself liable to
disciplinary action.”
If you knowingly make a false declaration, this could result in disciplinary action being taken against
you under the Student Disciplinary Procedures.
9. Any Questions?
If you have any questions about the Policy and Procedure on Mitigating Circumstances or the Form,
please contact your Faculty/Partner, the askBU Students’ Service, or SUBU Advice.
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6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
Appendix 4: Assignment Extension/Exam Postponement Request
Assignment Extension/Exam Postponement
Request Form. This must be submitted before
the hand-in deadline or the start of the exam.
This form should be completed for an Assignment Extension or Exam
Postponement ONLY. If you wish for your circumstances to be considered
by the Assessment Board, you must complete the Assessment Board
Consideration of Circumstances Form in Appendix 5.
Please read the guidance notes in Appendix 3 or seek further advice from your
Programme/Course Administrator or from askBU Students’ Service (telephone
01202 969696 e-mail askBUstudents@bournemouth.ac.uk) or the Students’
Union Advice Centre (e-mail studentadvice@bournemouth.ac.uk telephone
(01202) 965779).
If this document is not in an accessible format to you, please contact Educational
Development and Quality, telephone (01202) 961244, who will endeavour to
supply the information in a more suitable format.
PRINT NAME IN
CAPITALS:
Student ID
Number:
Date of submission:
Programme/Course
Name:
Level/Year:
Name of Programme
Co-ordinator /
Framework Leader:
15
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
Outline of Circumstances (please read the attached Guidance Notes carefully)
Please explain clearly the detail of the circumstances, when they occurred and
how the circumstances have affected your assessment(s). Attach a continuation
sheet if necessary.
From
To
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Independent supporting evidence (please indicate item(s) attached below)
Medical Certificate
GP/Consultant Letter
Counsellor Letter
Order of Service/Death Certificate
Other independent supporting evidence
(please give brief details)
Or
In support of short-term sickness
Short-Term Sickness Notification Form (up to 5 days in duration)*
Please specify:
First day of sickness: ___/___/_____
Date of return to study: ___/___/_____
Date University informed: ___/___/_____
* This form cannot be completed retrospectively (i.e. if you notify us after your
original assignment deadline/date of your exam).
16
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
Enter the assessment(s) affected by your circumstances
Unit Title
Assignment Title
Assignment
submission date if
affected
Requested
new
submission
date
Date of Exam
if affected
I confirm that I wish my Circumstances to be considered in respect of the assessment(s) listed above and that the attached evidence
is genuine. I understand that by knowingly making a false declaration I may render myself liable to disciplinary action.
(Student) Signed: _________________________Date:________________________
Please return this form, with attached supporting evidence to your Programme/Course Administrator either in person or via post
or e-mail. Please keep a copy for your own records.
NB: As per section 5.3 of this document: Where evidence is not submitted at the time a request is made, an extension/postponement may be granted
provisionally subject to subsequent receipt of satisfactory evidence.
17
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
To be completed by authorised Staff:
I confirm that the above extension(s)/postponement(s) are/are not approved
(delete as appropriate)
New assignment submission date (must be completed):
________________________________
Staff verification/authorisation:
Signature: _________________________
PRINT NAME:___________________________
Framework Leader/Programme Co-ordinator or nominee
Date signed: ____________________________________
Date student informed of outcome:
(Normally within 7 calendar days of receipt of form)
________________________________
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6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
Appendix 5: Assessment Board
Circumstances Request Form
Consideration
Assessment Board Consideration
Circumstances Request Form.
of
of
This form is to be completed only if you wish for your circumstances to be
considered by the Circumstance and Assessment Boards.
If you are seeking an Assignment Extension or Exam Postponement, you
must complete the Assignment Extension/Exam Postponement Request
Form in Appendix 4
Please read the guidance notes in Appendix 3 or seek further advice from your
Programme/Course Administrator or from askBU Students’ Service (telephone
01202 969696 e-mail askBUstudents@bournemouth.ac.uk) or the Students’
Union Advice Centre (e-mail studentadvice@bournemouth.ac.uk telephone
(01202) 965779).
If this document is not in an accessible format to you, please contact Educational
Development and Quality, telephone (01202) 961244, who will endeavour to
supply the information in a more suitable format.
PRINT NAME IN
CAPITALS:
ID Number:
Date Form Submitted:
Programme/Course
Title:
Level/Year:
Name of Programme
Co-ordinator/
Framework Leader:
19
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
Outline of Circumstances (please read the attached Guidance Notes carefully)
Please explain clearly the detail of the circumstances, when they occurred and
how the circumstances have affected your assessment(s). Attach a continuation
sheet if necessary.
From
To
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Independent supporting evidence (please indicate item(s) attached below)
Medical Certificate
GP/Consultant Letter
Counsellor Letter
Order of Service/Death Certificate
Other independent supporting evidence
(please give brief details)
Or
In support of short-term sickness
Short-Term Sickness Notification Form (up to 5 days in duration)*
Please specify:
First day of sickness: ___/___/_____
Date of return to study: ___/___/_____
Date University informed: ___/___/_____
* This form cannot be completed retrospectively (i.e. if you notify us after your
original assignment deadline/time of your exam).
20
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
Enter the assessment(s) affected by
your circumstances
Unit Title
Assignment Title
Assignment
submission
date if affected
Date of
Exam if
affected
Assignment
Extension/Exam
postponement
already given
(yes/no)
I confirm that I wish my Circumstances to be considered by the Board in respect of the assessment(s) above and that the attached
evidence is genuine. I understand that by knowingly making a false declaration I may render myself liable to disciplinary action.
(Student) Signed: _________________________Date:________________________
Please return this form, with attached supporting evidence, to your Programme/Course Administrator either in person or via post
or e-mail. Please keep a copy for your own records.
NB: As per section 5.3 of this document: Where evidence is not submitted at the time a request is made, an
extension/postponement may be granted provisionally subject to subsequent receipt of satisfactory evidence.
21
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
To be completed by authorised Staff:
Record of Board consideration given
22
6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure
Appendix 6: Short-Term Sickness Notification Form and guidance notes
for students
SHORT-TERM SICKNESS NOTIFICATION FORM
(UP TO 5 DAYS IN DURATION)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS:
This form should be used for short-term sickness notification where medical evidence
is not available. This is known as the short-term sickness notification procedure.
This form is completed by your Programme/Course Administrator when you telephone
to notify the University/Partner of short-term sickness which may affect your
performance in one or more assessments or prevent you from meeting an assignment
deadline/sitting an exam.
Once completed, this form should be submitted alongside a completed Assignment
Extension/Exam Postponement Request Form in Appendix 4 or Board Consideration of
Circumstances Request Form in Appendix 5. It does NOT replace these documents.
Section 1.2 of Appendix 3 outlines the procedure for short-term sickness notification.
Please read it carefully to help you with your application.
You will NOT be able to inform the University/Partner of short-term sickness
retrospectively (i.e. after your assignment deadline/time of your exam) under the shortterm sickness notification procedure.
PROGRAMME/COURSE ADMINISTRATOR TO COMPLETE:
STUDENT NAME:
STUDENT ID NUMBER:
STUDENT TELEPHONE NUMBER:
STUDENT EMAIL ADDRESS:
FACULTY/PARTNER COLLEGE:
COURSE:
LEVEL:
ASSESSMENT(S) AND UNIT(S) AFFECTED:
BRIEF DETAILS OF SICKNESS:
FIRST DAY OF SICKNESS:
DATE UNIVERSITY/PARTNER INFORMED:
NAME OF PROGRAMME/COURSE
ADMINISTRATOR RECEIVING THE CALL:
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6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure