The University of Huddersfield Students’ Regulations

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September 2006 edition

Section 5

Guidelines for Students on the procedures for handling claims that extenuating circumstances should be taken into account when their performance is being assessed

Students are advised to seek the advice, guidance and support from sabbatical officers in the Students Union.

  1. The University’s regulations permit its assessment boards to take remedial action if they are satisfied that a student’s absence from an examination, or failure to submit work for assessment by the agreed cut-off date, or failure to pass one or more elements of the assessment can be attributed either to illness or to other circumstances of a personal nature. The normal form of remedial action is to permit another attempt at the assessment(s) concerned.
  2. The purpose of these guidelines is to explain how claims about extenuating circumstances should be submitted and how they will then be handled. You should note that there are also procedures, which should have been explained to you separately, for requesting extensions of course work submission dates if you suffer from a short-term illness or experience serious personal difficulties; such requests should be made in writing, normally before the submission date.
  3. The Assessment Boards, which consider your performance on the course and make decisions about progressions and about final awards, normally meet in June/July and for some courses in September/October.
  4. If you fail to attend an examination or to submit assessed work by the agreed cut-off date (after allowing for any extension that might have been granted) the Course Assessment Boards will record a mark of zero, leading to failure in the module, unless it is satisfied that there are good grounds for treating you differently. If you perform poorly the marks which you achieved will be confirmed and credited to you, and the Course Assessment Board will take a recognised claim for poor performance into account when deciding your classification.
  5. If you wish to claim that either:
    1. your failure to attend an examination
    2. your failure to submit work by the agreed submission date
    3. your poor performance in any element(s) of the assessment
    was due to illness or some other extenuating circumstance, it is your responsibility to make that claim in writing and to submit it to your Course Leader - via the School Office of the School responsible for your course. Your written claim for failure to attend an examination must be received no later than five working days after the last scheduled examination on the timetable (other than in exceptional circumstances agreed by the Course Assessment Board). Your written claim for failure to submit work by the agreed cut-off date must be received no later than five working days after the cut-off date (other than in exceptional circumstances agreed by the Course Assessment Board). It is expected that requests for extensions are made before the cut-off date. Your written claim relating to poor performance in any element of the assessment must be received as soon as possible after the event and no later than five working days after the hand-in date for the assessment concerned (other than in exceptional circumstances agreed by the Course Assessment Board). Whenever possible, claims must be supported by independent evidence - for example, a note from a doctor. You should also make it clear what action you are asking the Course Assessment Board to take.
  6. The claims that are submitted will first be considered by a panel of staff associated with the course. That panel will determine whether the claims have sufficient strength to warrant formal consideration by the Course Assessment Board.
  7. In deciding whether or not you wish to make a claim you should be aware that, should your claim be recognised, the Course Assessment Board will not attempt to judge how you might have performed in different circumstances with a view to awarding you extra marks. If a claim is recognised and you have failed to pass, the normal remedy will be to allow a further attempt at the assessment(s) concerned. If you perform poorly the marks which you achieved will be confirmed and credited to you, and the Course Assessment Board will take a recognised claim for poor performance into account when deciding your classification.