1 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure

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: Mitigating Circumstances form.................................................................................... 15 Appendix 5: Short-Term Sickness Notification Form …………………………………….................19

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) as soon a possible, 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 why you were not able to alert the University of your circumstances at the time (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.

1.4 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 Programme Leader for consideration by the Assessment Board as appropriate.

1 Please see 8A – Code of Practice for Research Degrees. Further advice may be sought from the Graduate School.

Owner: Academic Quality Version number: 3.2 Effective date: August 2017 (for Academic Year 2017-18) Date of last review: August 2014 (interim review July 2017) Due for review: July 2018

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.

2 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure

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 support arrangements already made for assessments, or that the agreed arrangements did not fully compensate for their condition in the current academic year.

Help and support Your wellbeing is important to us and we understand that you may be suffering emotional or personal trauma whilst submitting your mitigating circumstances. The University provides support which is freely available to help you through any issues you may be experiencing. Please contact the Student Wellbeing service (studentwellbeing@bournemouth.ac.uk) or have a look at the information and resources located on the Health & wellbeing webpages including the A-Z of Resources. If you need help with submitting your mitigating circumstances claim, 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 Mitigating Circumstances form (Appendix 4) and accompanied by independently verified medical or other appropriate supporting evidence and that such documentation is submitted by the specified deadlines.

2.2 Programme Leaders: to consider assignment extension requests and applications for exam

postponements in line with BU’s policy and procedure.

2.3 Programme Support Officer (or Partner equivalent): to complete the Short-Term Sickness Notification Form in line with the procedure outlined in Appendices 3 and 5 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 Undergraduate

6A - Standard Assessment Regulations Postgraduate

6A - Standard Assessment Regulations Foundation Degree

6A - Standard Assessment Regulations Higher National

6A - Standard Assessment Regulations GradCert GradDip

6A - Standard Assessment Regulations Postgraduate Research Degrees

6A - Standard Assessment Regulations Integrated Masters

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

Important Information (Student-facing Policies and Procedures)

3 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 documentary evidence (i.e. medical certificate)

3.

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 their circumstances are taken into consideration in one (or both) of the following ways:

consideration of assignment extension/exam postponement requests by the Programme Leader (or nominee). This method should be utilised where possible;

consideration of circumstances by a Circumstance Board where extension/ postponement was not possible for valid reasons or where the student considers that the circumstances are serious and likely to impact on their performance for future assessments.

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. REQUESTS FOR ASSIGNMENT EXTENSION/EXAM POSTPONEMENT

Forms and evidence

5.1 Where a student believes that they may have circumstances which fall under the definition of mitigating circumstances as described in Section 4.1 above

4 and in Appendix 2 and could

impact upon pending assessment deadlines (e.g. coursework submission/exam date), they must complete the Mitigating Circumstances Form (Appendix 4) for an Assignment

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 their 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 5. 4 Excluding those already taken into account through the provision of additional learning support (see Section 1.5).

4 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure

Extension/Exam Postponement and submit the signed form to the Programme Support Officer (or Partner equivalent) either in 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.

5.2 The completed 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 Programme Leader (see Section 5.8 below). The student should keep a copy of the form and supporting evidence for their own records. Provision of late evidence

5.3 Where evidence has not been submitted at the same time as the request , an extension/postponement may be granted provisionally subject to subsequent receipt of satisfactory evidence. In such cases, the student should be advised of the consequences should the extension/postponement request be unsuccessful, owing to the evidence not being submitted and/or being unsatisfactory in supporting the student’s claim for mitigating circumstances. Please See Sections 5.5-5.6 below for restrictions where an extension/postponement request is supported by a Short-Term Sickness Notification Form.

Circumstances arising on the day of the assignment hand in/exam

5.4 Where the circumstance have arisen 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 Support Officer (or Partner equivalent) immediately by e-mail and complete the Mitigating Circumstances Form (Appendix 4) for an Assignment Extension/Exam Postponement 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 Where an extension/exam postponement request has been 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 5, the student must telephone

5 (not email)

the Programme Support Officer (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 Support Officer must be contacted before the assignment deadline/start of the exam or no later than an hour before the assessment deadline (e.g. by 4pm if the submission deadline/exam is at 5pm) in order to follow this procedure. Where a student who suffers from short-term sickness fails to contact the Programme Support Officer 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 Where a student fails to submit the Mitigating Circumstances Form (Appendix 4) for an Assignment Extension/Exam Postponement, they may still be eligible to apply for Board consideration (see Section 6 below). The student should complete the Mitigating Circumstances Form for Board Consideration along with full supporting evidence and an explanation as to why they did not submit the Mitigating Circumstances Form for earlier consideration of the circumstances. The Programme Support Officer (or Partner equivalent)

5 Or leave a voicemail as per the guidance in Appendix 3 section 1.2

5 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure

will ensure that the circumstances are considered by the appropriate Board (see Section 6 below) when it meets.

Formal consideration of the circumstances

5.8 The Programme Leader (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 Mitigating Circumstances 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 and/or 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 unless it evidences new circumstances that have come to light after the original circumstance has already received consideration.

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 A student’s circumstances may be considered by the Circumstance Board as part of the Assessment Board process for the following reasons:

the 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 they did not submit the form for earlier consideration of the circumstances);

circumstances may have continued to affect their performance over and above the assessment for which an assignment extension/exam postponement was granted;

the student completed their 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 the Mitigating Circumstances Form (Appendix 4) for Board Consideration and submit the signed form to the Programme Support Officer (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 Short-Term Sickness Notification Form.

6.3 As well as detailing what the circumstances are, the student needs to explain how the

circumstances affected their assessment performance. The student should provide

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).

6 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure

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).

6.4 The form should be submitted even if the student believes they may have passed the

assessment. If a student does not inform BU of their 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 their 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 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 i.e. 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 Circumstance 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 student’s 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 if 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 student’s 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 had been 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 Support Officer (or Partner equivalent). If there is a valid reason for late submission of circumstances the student 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 their studies has been 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.

7 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure

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 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 using the Mitigating Circumstances form (Appendix 4) 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 they had a valid reason for doing so, the student can 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, they may address this through the University’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, they 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 Student Services

(telephone 01202 969696 e-mail askBUstudents@bournemouth.ac.uk) or SUBU Advice (e-mail subuadvice@bournemouth.ac.uk telephone 01202 965779).

8.3 This policy was reviewed according to the University’s Equality Analysis Procedure in May 2014.

9. APPENDICES AND FORMS

Appendix 1 Mitigating Circumstances Process Diagram Appendix 2 A guide to identifying mitigating circumstances for students and staff Appendix 3 Guidance Notes for the Student Appendix 4 Mitigating Circumstances Form Appendix 5 Short-term Sickness Notification Form

8 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure

Appendix 1: Mitigating Circumstances Process Diagram

Student decides to submit

circumstances for

consideration

Has the hand-in

deadline/exam

start time passed?

EXTENSION/EXAM

POSTPONEMENT

Student submits signed

form and evidence to

Programme Support

Officer/equivalent

Partner College

administrator who logs

receipt of the request.

Programme Leader/

Nominee considers

evidence and grants

extension or rejects the

request

Programme Support

Officer logs decision

and notifies student

normally 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

Does the student consider the

circumstances to have affected them

over and above any extension/

postponement granted?

YesNo

Are there at least 5

working days before the

circumstances Board?

Yes

Circumstances

Board

Considersation

Circumstances Board

meets to consider

evidence and grade

circumstances

Programme

Support Officer

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

The student is

informed of

Assessment

Board decision by

virtue of

publication of

results

No

Has the Assessment

Board already met?No

Student seeks

advice from the

Programme

Support Officer/

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

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)

Yes

No

No

Yes

Student completes Appendix 4 for a

Board consideration request and collates

supporting evidence.

NB Short-Term Sickness Notification

Form cannot be completed

retrospectively.

Student submits

signed form and

evidence to

Programme Support

Officer/equivalent

Partner College

Administrator who logs

Board consideration

request in Student

Records System for

Circumstances Board

Student completes

Appendix 4 for an

assignment extension/

exam postponement

request at earliest

opportunity. 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.

NB Short-Term

Sickness Notification

Form cannot be

completed

retrospectively.

9 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? 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.

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. 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.

10 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 be suffering emotional or personal trauma whilst submitting your mitigating circumstances. Please note that the University provides support which is freely available to help you through any issues you may be experiencing. Please contact the Student Wellbeing service (studentwellbeing@bournemouth.ac.uk) or have a look at the information and resources located on the Health & wellbeing webpages including the A-Z of Resources. 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 which may have had a negative effect on your assessment performance. You will need to submit your claim for mitigating circumstances using the Mitigating Circumstances Form (Appendix 4) and provide independently verified supporting evidence. It is important that this 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 your 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 Mitigating Circumstances Form and independently verified 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 Support Officer. 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 Short-Term Sickness Notification Form where medical evidence is not available. Please follow the procedure outlined below as this enables you to inform your Programme Support Officer of the circumstances. The Officer will complete the Short-Term Sickness Notification Form and send you a copy. Short-term sickness notification procedure:

You must telephone your Programme Support Officer 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 Programme Support Officer, 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 Support Officer before the submission deadline/start of the exam. If the submission/exam is after 4pm, you should call no later than 4pm. Calls after 4pm will NOT be accepted.

11 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure

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 Support Officer 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 Support Officer 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 Support Officer 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 Mitigating Circumstances form (Appendix 4) for Board Consideration, you can do so only if you notified the Programme Support Officer 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.

This process does not cover ‘flare-ups’ of long-term illness, as these will be considered under ‘Ongoing Circumstances’ by the Circumstance Board, however, you must notify your Programme 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 Mitigating Circumstances Form (Appendix 4) for an Assignment Extension/Exam Postponement and submit it to the Programme Support Officer together with all supporting evidence (see Section 1.1 and Section 1.2 above). 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 have prevented you from meeting your deadline or sitting your exam. The Programme Leader (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 Mitigating Circumstances 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 Support Officer immediately. In circumstances relating to short-term sickness, you must contact your Programme Support Officer 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 Mitigating Circumstances form and full supporting evidence. If you do not turn up for an exam, or do not submit on time, and have not let us know that you had 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 capped 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 (e.g. after extensions are granted), you should seek a request for Assessment Board Consideration of Circumstances. Please note, 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.

12 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure

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 (e.g. after extensions are granted), you should seek a request for Assessment Board Consideration of Circumstances. 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 the Mitigating Circumstances Form (Appendix 4) for Board Consideration 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 Support Officer (or as advised by the Faculty/Partner) at least 5 working days before the relevant Board meets (your Programme Support Officer can let you know the deadline for this). Please note, 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. This is where the Circumstance Board decides whether your circumstances are valid and assigns it a numerical value. 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 your overall profile when determining final award classifications. However, you 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). These circumstances will not be taken into account by the Assessment Board.

1 Significant short-term circumstances/factors which impaired a student’s performance in one or more identified assessment(s). These circumstances will trigger the implementation of Section 13.2 of the Assessment Regulations at the Assessment Board.

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. These circumstances will trigger the implementation of Section 13.2 of the Assessment Regulations at the Assessment Board. 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 have submitted the Mitigating Circumstances form (Appendix 4) for Board Consideration 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:

13 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure

The Assessment Board will not raise marks even if it agrees that you have valid circumstances;

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.

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 Support Officer 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. The following are common explanations that are not accepted by the University as a valid reason to consider your circumstances:

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 have access to this information. 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, please 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.

14 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure

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 Mitigating Circumstances form (Appendix 4) for Assessment Board Consideration even if you think you may have passed. 8.3 False Declarations Section 5 (signed declaration) of the Mitigating Circumstances form refers to making false declarations or providing fraudulent evidence. If you knowingly make a false declaration or provide fraudulent evidence 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.

15 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure

Please note: From September 2016 only one form is to be completed when submitting your mitigating circumstances. Please carefully complete this form including all sections that are relevant to you. If you require further advice please refer to 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure or speak to a member of your course team or contact SUBU Advice. Please return this form, with attached supporting evidence to your Programme Support Officer either in person or via post or e-mail. Please keep a copy for your own records. 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. The information you provide will be treated confidentially and sensitively.

Section 1 – Your details

Your name in full

Your student ID number (beginning

with the digit 4)

4

Date of submitting this form

Your course name

Your current level of study

Name of your Programme Leader

(or equivalent)

Section 2: Details of your Mitigating Circumstances

Please tick all boxes that are relevant to you

I am applying for coursework extension(s) before the submission date(s)

I am applying for exam postponement(s) before the exam date(s)

I was unable to advise my course team about my mitigating circumstances before the assignment deadline(s) or date(s) of the exam(s)

My previous mitigating circumstances have affected me over and above that which have already been considered by my programme team

I have completed further assessments before becoming fully aware of the impact of my mitigating circumstances

Please advise here the period for which your mitigating circumstances covers

Appendix 4 - Mitigating Circumstances form

16 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure

From:

To:

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

Section 3 – Evidencing your Mitigating Circumstances All applications for mitigating circumstances must be evidenced by independent supporting evidence or be accompanied by the short-term sickness notification form. Independent supporting evidence may follow submission of this form within reasonable timescales (to be agreed with your programme team)

Medical Certificate

GP/Consultation letter

Counsellor letter

Order of Service / Death Certificate

Other (please provide details)

Or in support of short-term sickness (up to 5 days in duration)

Short-term sickness notification form

First day of sickness

Date of return to study

Date University informed

Please note: The short-term sickness notification form is completed by your programme support officer as per the process documented within 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure. This form cannot be completed retrospectively (i.e. if you notify us after your original assignment deadline/date of your exam).

17 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure

Section 4a – Assessment(s) affected by your circumstances This section should be completed if you are applying for mitigating circumstances before the assessment deadline(s) / exam date(s)

Unit title Assessment title Assessment submission

date (if affected) Requested new assessment submission date

Date of exam (if affected)

Section 4b – Assessment(s) affected by your circumstances This section should be completed if you are applying for mitigating circumstances after the assessment deadline(s) / exam date(s)

Unit title Assessment title Assessment submission

date (if affected) Date of exam (if affected) Assessment

extension / Exam postponement already given (Y/N)

18 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure

Section 5 – Signed declaration The University enters into communications with students in good faith and expects the same from our students in return. Any false declaration or fraudulent evidence received may result in the student being subject to the Student Disciplinary Procedure (11K). BU reserves the right to check the authenticity of any submitted documents/evidence. I declare that the information given in this form and the accompanying evidence is, to the best of my knowledge, true and complete. I will be willing to answer further questions relating to the statements and/or the evidence that I have provided. I understand that any fraud and/or dishonesty is taken extremely seriously by the University and could result in disciplinary action (under 11K the Student Disciplinary Procedure) and in very serious instances, lead to my expulsion from the University. BU reserves the right to check the authenticity of any submitted documents/evidence.

Your signature

Date

To be completed by authorised staff only:

(If applicable) I confirm that the above extension(s) / Exam postponement(s) are / are not approved (Delete as appropriate) New assessment submission(s) dates are as follows: (If applicable) Board consideration has been given and the outcomes are as follows: Signature: Name: Job title: Date signed:

Date student was informed of the outcomes*

* This is normally within 7 calendar days of receipt of this Mitigating Circumstances form but only where extensions/postponements are requested before the deadline(s).

19 6J – Mitigating Circumstances including Extensions: Policy and Procedure

Appendix 5: 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 Support Officer 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 Mitigating Circumstances form (Appendix 4). It does NOT replace this document. 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 short-term sickness notification procedure.

PROGRAMME 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 SUPPORT OFFICER RECEIVING THE CALL: