Circumstances Impact Process requests

Circumstances Impact Process requests through the Extenuating Circumstances process

How do I make a CIP request on the 2020/21 Extenuating Circumstances form?

From 28 September, for all extenuating circumstances in respect of modules being taken in 2020/21, the normal Extenuating Circumstances Process (not the Circumstances Impact Process) will apply.

If your request is in relation to a 2019/20 assessment impacted by COVID-19 and is therefore covered by the Circumstances Impact Process (CIP) you should indicate this on your extenuating circumstances form (ECF) in section 10a. In this case, please state "This request relates to an assessment under the CIP" and provide the name of the individual from your School you have discussed your results with prior to submission of this request. In most cases evidence will not be required in support of such requests. Please read the ECF carefully and complete all sections. We will not be able to approve incomplete forms.

You can submit a request through RISIS. Please take the following steps:

log in to the RISIS Portal;
·open the ‘Actions’ tab, then select ‘Extenuating Circumstances Form' from the list;
read the guidance and complete the online form, following the instructions provided;
after submitting, check RISIS for the updated status and eventual outcome of your request.

Further information on Extenuating Circumstances c an be found here. Please note that there will not be an Individual Safety Net for 2019/20 assessments taken from the academic year 2020-21 onwards.

The CIP request must be submitted through the Extenuating Circumstances form within five working days of the publication of your results.

To allow us to process your request effectively and in a timely manner you should submit one CIP request through the Extenuating Circumstances form covering all 2019/20 exams/assessments that you wish to retake.

For reasonable requests relating to assessments during the period impacted by COVID-19, from 23 March to 27 September, evidence will not be required in most cases.If evidence is needed for your specific request we will let you know.
If you have any queries or need help with the form, please contact your Student Support Coordinator using the Ask a Question in RISIS, HBS School Office, or ISLI Helpdesk. If you are a postgraduate research, University of Reading Malaysia, Study Abroad, NUIST or Greenlands student please contact your support staff or School for information on how to submit a CIP request.

When do the five working days start?

The five working days will expire at 11.59 pm (BST) on the fifth working day after results publication. To clarify, the five working days start after the release of the results (i.e. the date of the email sent to the student from Exams) and it is your responsibility to monitor when your five working day period end.

UG non-finalists

We are aiming to release results on Friday 16 October 2020. If you receive your results on this date the five working days will expire on Friday 23 October at 11.59pm.

UG finalists and PGT

We are aiming to release results on Tuesday 8 December 2020. If you receive results on this date, due to planned system upgrades, the five working days will be extended and expire on Thursday 17 December at 11.59pm (GMT).

What if I miss the five working day deadline to submit a CIP request through the Extenuating Circumstances form after publication of results

If you are not able to meet this deadline, you must submit your request as soon as possible, explaining the reason for the delay and giving evidence for this if required. Justifiable reasons include where a student has been hospitalised, bereaved, incarcerated or suffered an equivalent physical or mental incapacity. We will do our best to accommodate justifiable late applications, but it may not always be possible for us to do so. Late CIP requests with no justification will be rejected.

Where we are not able to accommodate a justifiable late application, we will contact you to discuss options with you. The next opportunity for you to retake the assessment will be the summer term 2021 examination period. Please refer to Section 28 of the Assessment Handbook for more information.

Please refer to the CIP policy for further guidance.

Do I need to provide evidence to support my CIP request on the 2020/21 Extenuating Circumstances form?

As part of its package of measures to support students through the COVID-19 pandemic, the University introduced the Circumstances Impact Process (CIP). This replaced the normal Extenuating Circumstances Process, on a temporary basis and only in respect of assessments undertaken in 2019/20, with effect from 23 March.

If your request is in relation to a 2019/20 assessment impacted by COVID-19 and is therefore covered by the Circumstances Impact Process (CIP) you should indicate this on your Extenuating

Circumstances form (ECF) in section 10a. In this case, please state "This request relates to an assessment under the CIP" and provide the name of the individual from your School you have discussed your results with prior to submission of this request.

In most cases evidence will not be required in support of such requests. Please read the ECF carefully and complete all sections. We will not be able to approve incomplete forms.

When will I hear back from you with a decision on my CIP request on the 2020/21 Extenuating Circumstances form?

I have further questions not answered on this page – who should I contact?

If you have further queries, you can contact the following for advice and help:

- Your Student Support Coordinator, ISLI Helpdesk or HBS School Office
- Your Academic Tutor, your School Director of Academic Tutoring, or your School Director of Teaching & Learning
- The Advice Service at RUSU (advice@rusu.co.uk ) or 0118 378 4100
- You can also email take-home-exam@reading.ac.uk
- Greenlands-based students should contact the Greenlands Examinations and Assessment Manager (trudy.shore@henley.ac.uk) or 01491 418728

How can I appeal?

Appeal of extenuating circumstances outcome

You have the right to appeal against a School-level or University Standing Committee on Special Cases decision in respect of an Extenuating Circumstances/Circumstances Impact Process request.

Carefully review the eligible grounds for appeal detailed in the Extenuating circumstances outcome appeal form. You are strongly encouraged to seek advice from the RUSU Advisers in your Students’ Union. They are professional staff with knowledge and experience of the University’s procedures who can offer confidential, independent advice and support you throughout the process. You can find out how to contact a RUSU Adviser atwww.rusu.co.uk/advice.

If you wish to pursue this option, please:

Submit any appeal before the deadline for appeal. The deadline to appeal is within five working days from the date that the outcome of your extenuating circumstances or circumstances impact request is made available to you.
Download and complete the Extenuating circumstances outcome appeal form (word) or if you prefer, here is an appeal form (pdf) you can print off to complete by hand and return.
Get any official documents or paperwork that you need to support your appeal
Send the form and the documents to the Student Appeals and Academic Misconduct Officer ecfappeals@reading.ac.uk before the deadline for appeal.